PopCap Dublin Closed By EA

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Richard Walker

EA has confirmed that it's closed the doors of PopCap's Dublin studio, affecting more than 90 jobs in the process. Having been active for six years, PopCap Dublin had been experiencing positive growth with 60 employees in 2011 and more than 90 by 2012.

"96 people have been affected by the decision," EA confirmed in a statement. "PopCap has provided outplacement support and many employees have offers in other parts of PopCap, at EA or new opportunities with technology partners in Ireland."

A spokesperson for PopCap Dublin affirmed that Europe "remains a critical market for PopCap and we will continue to grow our presence through centralised services operated from our North American offices and through the extensive European EA network".

The spokesperson went on to add that "Worldwide, PopCap is still growing, and intends to continue hiring and developing current staff. We will continue to invest in new games, platforms, and markets while we expand the reach of hit franchises like Bejeweled and Plants vs. Zombies."

[Via CVG]

Comments
26
  • Sad, but EA did create more than 400 new jobs at their Bioware studio in Galway last week. Also,considering the price EA paid for Popcap all that time ago, I really doubt they'd have ever made their money back. Popcap's heyday is over and they're now reliant on re-skinning a few franchises that were successful in the past.
  • Well that's a shame...
  • Probably a bunch of flash engineers and coders, EA is streamlining popcap and holding on specifically to creative talent, bastards.
  • Sods. Hope that doesn't make PvZ2 take any longer.
  • I really hate the rEApers.
  • I felt pain to people who lose jobs and I very much sorry to them. Good luck to those people. :(:(
  • How much are we betting that at one point they where an amazing game company who got swallowed up by EA and changed to pop cap Dublin.... Hate it when EA does stuff like this.
  • "You live because we allow it and you will die because we demand it." - EA
  • Fuck EA.
  • What sucks is how many developers EA owns. And how their multiplayer policies are fucking up games
  • You know because they needed the money.
  • Personally, I'm not surprised EA did this. Probably because they couldn't get MP added into any of PopCap's games with an over priced season pass included. I jest, EA are just complete bastards, and I won't be spending any of my money on their products in future.
  • Nice one EA...
  • @12 - While i get you are making a stand (although somewhat silly imo) you will miss out on some great games. Of course this is only if you play the respective games in the first place. This is just a horrible side effect of capitalism and business. It isnt nice for the employees and i feel for them but its business and in business cash is king unfortunately.
  • EA never do anything to help themselves. I think they will be retaining the worst company in the world title.
  • sad that there are still people out there who defend €A policy...
  • God I hate when something like this happens. Some of us game designers like myself love to be able to make our own game, get a fanbase but we just can't do it, too many company's go bust.
  • Sad thing is that this doesn't even surprise me anymore. This is just what EA does to the industry. Fuck them, seriously.
  • A company's gotta do, what a company's gotta do. Surely EA could afford to keep these peeps around, but if it doesn't pay off, I don't see why anyone would...
  • Read the article people, EA offered most staff jobs at other Popcap branches. They weren't fired. You people are to easy to start a flame war.
  • Well they only make cheap 2D games so I'm hardly going to feel sorry for their effort in the gaming industry. But still firing 90 people does suck but I am sure most people will simply read the word EA and prove how easy it is for gamers to pick up torches and look retarded.
  • Sad, hope pvz2 isnt delayed
  • Not a surprising move on EA's part. I miss the old days when there were more then a handful of actual game companies out there and the little guys had a chance. Guess those that survived have all moved to mobiles...
  • Its sad to see another gamestudio bites the dust and get closed by a big corporate company like EA. Nothing personal against EA, but they closed alot of some of those iconic gamestudio,s in the past. Still remember that they closed down Pandemic right after theu just finished The Saboteur, also known for their Mercenaries 2 game. Sad because those where two games i totaly enjoyed even still have great memories about that first Mercenaries game released for PS2 and xbox then. I start to feel EA is dictating alot to the gamestudios about what should be in their games and what now, and thats always a bad thing if you limited the gamestudios to fully being creative, even more hampering them mabye to come with something new. I dislike those whole season pass policy to be honest or even the on-line passes. Its like the dev studio behind Spec-Ops The Line said not that long ago, that they rather had spend their time adding something more or creative in terms of co-op or other stuff into the game or even spend that time to polish the game further, but they been forced by the publisher to add MP into it, that the kinda policy i suspect happening to alot of gamecompanies owned by big corporate campanies like EA sad but true.
  • Nice one, now shut down everything else EA related and fuck off.
  • I knew once EA bought PopCap they'd consume it like Alex Mercer consumes grannies.
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