Desert Combat Team Fired

[Evil Avatar]

Digital Illusions has issued a Press Release (http://global.dice.se/press/pressreleases/?article=ab899a0f-7706-4718-beb4-63e2993e812d) announcing that they are closing the DICE New York office, the home of Trauma Studios, the developers behind the popular Desert Combat Mod for Battlefield 1942.

Digital Illusions have decided to discontinue the New York office, Trauma Studios. All of the twelve employees are offered employment at the head office in Stockholm.

The conditions have changed and the future plans of the company differ considerably from when Trauma Studios was acquired in September of 2004. The acquisition of Trauma Studios was nevertheless particularly motivated. The deal contained value in form of rights to trademarks as well as a new game concept, says Thomas Skoglund, the chairman of the board of Digital Illusions.You can find a short article (http://www.gamecloud.com/article.php?article_id=240) with a few more details over on Gamecloud.

The reason for the closing was because of Electronic Arts’ majority purchase of DICE’s stock earlier this year. When EA bought into the company, it was decided that having a New York office along with the Swedish and Canadian studios was not going to be viable. DeLise did tell us that the final decision to close Trauma was made by DICE, not EA.

At the time of the studio’s closing, Trauma had been working on R&D for DICE’s newly completed Battlefield 2 game along with early work on an all new game. That new game’s development will now be moved to DICE’s Swedish studios.

[Adam Blue]

I didn't see that coming.

No really, I was expecting this to happen right away.

[Genital Eclipse]

grrrrrrrrrr

[DrDocker]

hey Trauma thanks for making a mod that we will copy and make an assload of money off of. Oh and your all fired, sorry about that

[Snowmit]

No, no, they aren't fired... They could always move to Sweden! Sweeeeden! Hooray!

[[HATE]MyLife]

Yet another reason to HATE EA. Hopefully those guys will wind up someplace decent.

[I[HATE]Everything]

hey Trauma thanks for making a mod that we will copy and make an assload of money off of. Oh and your all fired, sorry about that

I agree this is a shitty thing to do, but how in the hell can anyone say they copied DC? DC was simply BF1942 with modern models. Where the hell else was BF supposed to go? Space? Then they would be copying that Halo mod or Halo itself. Just because the subject matter is similar doesn't mean it's a rip off. The fact is, Trauma made a (great) mod for DICE's game. DICE rewarded them by picking them up and using a talented group. EA said no NY office, DICE said see ya. Shitty deal for Trauma, but don't go calling DICE a copy cat.

I HATE EvilArts!

[Zanzibar]

Fucking EA. But we all knew it was coming.

If there's an IP involved and EA buys the small company that owns the IP, you can damned well guarantee that EA thinks they know how to develop for that IP cheaper than the small company can.

EA bought Maxis because of the Sims. Maxis is no more. Repeat ad nauseum.

[Tricky Thumb]

Now we just wait for the Burnout team to be fired after Revenge comes out.

[Last of the Red Hot Mamas]

EA bought Maxis because of the Sims. Maxis is no more. Repeat ad nauseum.

EA (with a couple of key exceptions) hated The Sims and tried to kill it when it was still in development. They bought Maxis for SimCity and the "sim-" prefix. After The Sims made it big, of course, a bunch of EA bigshots suddenly started saying they recognized its genius from the start and that was the key reason they bought the company, but the real history is a lot different. In fairness to EA, if they hadn't bought Maxis there's a good chance they would've gone under anyway (they'd been losing money for awhile and SimCity 3000 wasn't going anywhere at that point).

[Goronmon]

I hate topics for Electronic Arts, mostly because I do double-takes every now and then thinking its about Evil Avatar ;)

[CyCo23]

Summuvabitch.

At least BF2 is 'gold' already and almost here. It almost seems as if the folks at Trauma Studios were advisors more than actual programmers, designers, etc. A 9-month "contract", Trauma Studios has their last site update as Sept 1st, 2004 with the headline "Digital Illusions buys Trauma Studios".

Full story at DICE (http://global.dice.se/press/pressreleases/?article=ab899a0f-7706-4718-beb4-63e2993e812d)

Shattered dreams for other popular mod makers wanting to make it big.

[netcraazzy]

Well it does say that they were offered employment at the main office in Stokholm, but moving from New York all the way to Stokholm has got to be a pretty though decision. These guys should have some credability in the industry now though, so here's hoping they find good jobs soon if they don't go overseas.

[netcraazzy]

Fucking EA. But we all knew it was coming.

If there's an IP involved and EA buys the small company that owns the IP, you can damned well guarantee that EA thinks they know how to develop for that IP cheaper than the small company can.

EA bought Maxis because of the Sims. Maxis is no more. Repeat ad nauseum.

Like Last of the Red Hot Mommas said, EA bought Maxis quite a while before The Sims came out. The Sims was Will Wright's pet project, in an interview he says that he came up with the idea way back when he made SimCity, that fact alone is probably the main reason it actually got made. Sadly, EA seems to do a darn good job of watering down the creative output of a studio once it's purchased. Look at Westwood, what ever happened to them?

[Evil Avatar]

Look at Westwood, what ever happened to them?

They closed the studio most responsible for the Command & Conquer titles. Most of the key people have moved on to other developers. I'm not sure which developer they are working for, but I know we have posted a few PR's saying, 'developers of Command & Conquer'.

That explains why there hasn't been a good C&C title since Red Alert 2.

[johnperkins21]

More EA bashing here at EA. What a surprise. Right here it says that it was DICE's decision, not EA.

When EA bought into the company, it was decided that having a New York office along with the Swedish and Canadian studios was not going to be viable. DeLise did tell us that the final decision to close Trauma was made by DICE, not EA.


Plus, why weren't these guys offered jobs in the Canadian studio if that one is allowed to survive? My guess is that DICE just wanted the intellectual property these guys created, and told EA that they were going to close the NY studio down anyway. They gave these guys jobs for a while so they could get their foot in the door, but I suspect that they never had any intention on keeping them.

[Zanzibar]

More EA bashing here at EA. What a surprise. Right here it says that it was DICE's decision, not EA.

(Flashback: EA/DICE Conference call.)
DICE: We're finishing Battlefield 2! What did you want us to do next?

EA: Whatever project you do next, you're going to have to do it with a smaller staff. We can't continue paying the exorbitant costs that DICE is inflicting. We just can't afford it. (cue offscreen EA suits snickering) How you cut costs is up to you, but we want your costs down by 15%.

DICE: Oh. Um. Okay. We'll call you back.

[KarmaGhost]

New York is too expensive. Canada and Sweden = teh tax breax/l00p hole

[Liquidize105]

What blow to the liver!

This is just too sad.

[Karmakaze]

Summuvabitch.

At least BF2 is 'gold' already and almost here. It almost seems as if the folks at Trauma Studios were advisors more than actual programmers, designers, etc. A 9-month "contract", Trauma Studios has their last site update as Sept 1st, 2004 with the headline "Digital Illusions buys Trauma Studios".

Full story at DICE (http://global.dice.se/press/pressreleases/?article=ab899a0f-7706-4718-beb4-63e2993e812d)

Shattered dreams for other popular mod makers wanting to make it big.

From said full story:

Digital Illusions will not pay the supplement payment of 200,000 USD as agreed upon at the time of the acquisition of Trauma Studios. The total payment is thereby 300,000 USD. Following the adjustment for the default of payment of the additional supplement payment, the SEK 1.3m remainder of the value of goodwill is written down during the second quarter of 2005. Other costs of liquidation are diminutive.

--

You can move to Sweden, but you still don't get your $200 grand.

ouch.

[Thenetcase]

A bunch of f'ing losers.
I REALLY, REALLY hope that this keeps stockholders in Ubisoft from even considering selling their stock to EA.
Hopefully SOME stockholders have enough sense to hold onto their stock instead of throwing the best game developer in existance right now away.

Pieces of turd. That's what EA is.

-TNC-

[Klade]

Everything']I agree this is a shitty thing to do, but how in the hell can anyone say they copied DC? DC was simply BF1942 with modern models. Where the hell else was BF supposed to go? Space? Then they would be copying that Halo mod or Halo itself. Just because the subject matter is similar doesn't mean it's a rip off. The fact is, Trauma made a (great) mod for DICE's game. DICE rewarded them by picking them up and using a talented group. EA said no NY office, DICE said see ya. Shitty deal for Trauma, but don't go calling DICE a copy cat.

I HATE EvilArts!

Yeah Trauma totally didn't do anything. I mean they just made the best/only (depending on timeline) modern combat version of Battlefield 1942. And did it so damn well that it grew in popularity to the point where more people were playing it then the original game. Plus doing a fantastic job of balancing sides, creating maps as equal to anything in the original if not flat out better, and in general extending the replay value of the game by at least double of what it would otherwise have been. I mean what a bunch of total leeches. Its DICE and there fantastic expansions like Secret Weapons that really made that game what it is.

And its not like DICE and EA would ever just hire them so they could gain that trademark, pick their brain in creating classes, and balancing weapons. I mean gosh that would just be silly.

[mister_slim]

Hell, I'd move to Sweden. Blondes and free healthcare? "No, Doctor, I don't know where that VD came from. Pills, NOW."

[Thenetcase]

Hell, I'd move to Sweden. Blondes and free healthcare? "No, Doctor, I don't know where that VD came from. Pills, NOW."


The only problem with socialistic medicine is that you never get a chance to see the doctor before you die of whatever the hell you contracted.

Good luck with that.

I know a person in Sweden who tried for 3 months to get kidney stones removed. Why couldn't they just do it quickly like here in America? I've never known anyone who had to wait any time to see a doctor here... and if you're a responcible American, your insurance pays for it.

If you think that free socialistic medicine is good then you're fucked in the head.

[bjornbarspingvinen]

hey Trauma thanks for making a mod that we will copy and make an assload of money off of. Oh and your all fired, sorry about that
Looks like EA taught, Dice well how to screw the people you should thank ...nice going...

Maybe it was Dice´s decision, but I am pretty sure it´s like someone else said in here; Dice had to cut costs.

[BigJonno]

The only problem with socialistic medicine is that you never get a chance to see the doctor before you die of whatever the hell you contracted.

Good luck with that.

I know a person in Sweden who tried for 3 months to get kidney stones removed. Why couldn't they just do it quickly like here in America? I've never known anyone who had to wait any time to see a doctor here... and if you're a responcible American, your insurance pays for it.

If you think that free socialistic medicine is good then you're fucked in the head.

Can't talk about Sweden, but here in the UK we get free healthcare AND the option to go private (or have your company pay for it. I love my job.) Best of both worlds.

[Tia]

So was I the only one who wasn't bitchy enough to realize that EA didn't close Trauma? Dice did. Dice said it over and over again "we closed Trauma not EA, it was our desicions".

And no EA doesn't own Dice, they have a sit on the board. It is not the same.

Oh and FYI... Trauma was working for dice. Nothing they developerd was their own, it belonged to Dice. You know the people that paid their saleries? The people with the money? the people that without them they would have had no money?

This is how it works. You work for a studio, they own what you make. There is nothing new, or nothing mean here. This is what is called copyrights.