EA Japan Studio Closes

Electronic Arts shuts down its Japan studio.

Game publisher and developer Electronic Arts will be shutting down its only Japanese studio after only developing one game, Theme Park DS. Electronic Arts will continue to publish in Japan, but the development staff of approximately 20 employees has been let go.

An employee interview at 1Up claims the studio closure was unexpected. "When we were developing for the Xbox 360 and PS3 and things weren't going smoothly, I had my worries - but ever since we switched our focus to the Nintendo DS, things seemed to be going well. ... After almost three years in existence, the only game to come out of EA Japan was Theme Park DS, which only took about a half-year to develop since it was a port. So, yeah, that wasn't a great track record."

Those who were let go are being offered positions in other EA studios around Asia. 1Up's source believes the expansion in China and Singapore could have been a cause for the closure of EA Japan. "I think this closure is also as a result of the Japanese market not being as exciting compared to the possibilities for growth in China and other parts of Asia."