Pandemic Studios
 | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Defunct | 2009 |
| Fate | Dissolved |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Key people | Andrew Goldman, CEO Josh Resnick, President |
| Products | Full Spectrum Warrior series Star Wars: Battlefront series Destroy All Humans! series Mercenaries series |
| Parent | Electronic Arts |
| Website | http://www.pandemicstudios.com/ (archived version 2009) |
Pandemic Studios was an independent developer founded in 1998. Between 2007 and 2009 it became an Electronic Arts-owned developer, and shortly afterwards closed. It was an American and Australian video game developer with offices in Los Angeles, California and Brisbane, Australia. Notable titles include Full Spectrum Warrior, Star Wars: Battlefront, Dark Reign 2, Destroy All Humans!, Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction, Mercenaries 2: World in Flames, Star Wars: Battlefront II and The Saboteur.
History
The company's president Josh Resnick and CEO Andrew Goldman—both formerly worked at Activision, along with most of the original team members from Battlezone and Dark Reign—founded the company in 1998.[1] Pandemic was founded with an equity investment by Activision in 1998.[2] The Company's name was narrowed down from around six choices, including Seismic .[1] In the end, Pandemic was chosen as the company's name.[1] Pandemic's first two games, Battlezone II and Dark Reign 2, were both sequels to Activision games.
In 2000, Pandemic opened a development studio in the Brisbane suburb of Fortitude Valley. The first project was Army Men: RTS, a console RTS game using the Dark Reign 2 engine. The studio later developed Destroy All Humans!. In 2003, the Los Angeles studio moved from its founding location at Santa Monica to a high-rise building in Westwood.
In November 2005, it was announced that Pandemic and BioWare would be joining forces, with private equity fund Elevation Partners investing in the partnership. Both companies retained their brands and identities.[3] On October 11, 2007, it was announced that VG Holding Corp., the owners of BioWare and Pandemic Studios, would be acquired by Electronic Arts as of January 2008, subject to FTC approval.[4]
In February 2009, their office in Brisbane, Australia was shut down.[5] In November 2009, Electronic Arts cut a total of 1,500 jobs which affected various studios, including shutting down of Pandemic. On November 17, 2009, EA officially confirmed Pandemic Studios' closure, laying off 228 employees. EA absorbed 35 Pandemic employees into its EA Los Angeles studio to support The Saboteur and an unannounced project which was later revealed to be Mercs Inc, a sequel to the Mercenaries series.[6][7] In response, a few former employees of Pandemic created an Office Space-style video where they are shown smashing their office printer.[8]
Over a dozen former Pandemic developers are now employed at 343 Industries having worked on Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary and Halo 4.[9] Other former employees have gone to work for Infinity Ward, Treyarch, Respawn Entertainment, Blendo Games and many others.
Games developed
Cancelled
- Batman: The Dark Knight[10]
- Mercenaries 3: No Limits[11]
- The Next Big Thing/No Limits Racing[12]
References
- ^ a b c Keefer, John (March 31, 2006). "GameSpy Retro: Developer Origins, Page 6 of 19". GameSpy. Archived from the original on June 9, 2007.
- ^ Meyer, Bill (June 12, 1998). "Activision Invests: Pandemic Studios". gamecenter.com. Archived from the original on October 10, 1998. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
{{cite web}}:|archive-date=/|archive-url=timestamp mismatch; October 10, 1999 suggested (help) - ^ "Bioware & Pandemic Merge". TotalGaming.net. November 3, 2005. Archived from the original (News) on September 29, 2007.
- ^ "EA To Acquire BioWare Corp. and Pandemic Studios". Business Wire. Berkshire Hathaway. October 11, 2007. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
- ^ "Pandemic Brisbane Shut Down". Ausgamers.com. February 11, 2009. Retrieved February 12, 2009.
- ^ Stephen Totilo (November 24, 2009). "EA Makes Mercs Inc, A New "Pandemic" Game, Official [UPDATE]". Kotaku. Retrieved November 21, 2009.
- ^ Brian Crecente (November 17, 2009). "Confirmed: EA Closes Pandemic Studios, Says Brand Will Live On". Kotaku. Retrieved November 17, 2009.
- ^ Kotaku (November 23, 2009). "Pandemic Studios Says Goodbye Geek Gangsta Style". Kotaku. Retrieved November 23, 2009.
- ^ "Microsoft hires ex-Pandemic members for new Halo game". gamer.blorge.com. November 21, 2010. Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved June 2, 2011.
- ^ "Screwing Up Batman".
- ^ Luke Plunkett (November 15, 2010). "Your First (And Last) Look At Mercenaries 3". Kotaku. Gawker Media. Retrieved November 14, 2010.
- ^ Gilbert, Ben (January 8, 2009). "Canceled Pandemic Wii title wanted to be 'The Next Big Thing". Engadget. Verizon Media. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
- Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences members
- Video game companies established in 1998
- Defunct video game companies
- Electronic Arts
- Video game companies of the United States
- Video game development companies
- Video game companies disestablished in 2009
- Defunct companies based in Greater Los Angeles
- 2007 mergers and acquisitions