Latest news with #MassEffect
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Major Marvel game cancelled as jobs lost in shock closure of studio with upset fans slamming ‘disappointing shambles'
The company is best known to mainstream audiences for its FIFA sports games HERO TO ZERO Major Marvel game cancelled as jobs lost in shock closure of studio with upset fans slamming 'disappointing shambles' A MAJOR Marvel game has been cancelled and jobs lost in a shock closure of its studio. Fans have been left feeling upset and have slammed the decision as a "disappointing shambles." 2 A major Marvel game has been cancelled with jobs lost in a shock closure of its studio Credit: Getty 2 Electronic Arts plans to close its subsidiary Cliffhanger Games and has cancelled development on its debut project Credit: Marvel Electronic Arts plans to close its subsidiary Cliffhanger Games and has cancelled development on its debut project. EA's Marvel's Black Panther. game, which was formally announced less than two years ago will therefore never see the light of day. The information came from an email sent by EA Entertainment president Laura Miele. Laura shared that this change alongside others was to put their focus where they thought there was the opportunity for the most growth. Beyond Cliffhanger Games, and other recent cancellations like with Respawn and an untitled Titanfall project, people have been laid off on its mobile, and central teams. While this is believed to be less than was laid off last month's 300 people, it is still a significant amount reports GeekWire. According to Laura, EA will be helping people find opportunities within EA. However, Laura states that the Iron Man game in work at Motive Studios will continue, as will the third Star Wars: Jedi game, and Bioware's work on the next Mass Effect game. This comes also after they announced the pausing of various racing games that had been in the works earlier this month. Cliffhanger debuted in 2023 under the leadership of former Monolith Productions studio head Kevin Stephens, after a two-year incubation period. Florence Pugh stars in Marvel Studios' Thunderbolts It had yet to divulge any real details about its Black Panther project. But earlier reports indicated that BP would've been an open-world action-adventure in the same spirit as Monolith's award-winning Shadow of Mordor. Electronic Arts, headquartered in Redwood City, Calif, is one of the largest independent video game companies left in the modern industry. It's arguably best known to mainstream audiences for its Madden and FIFA sports games, but has also produced big hits like Battlefield, Dead Space, Mass Effect, and Apex Legends. All the latest PS5 reviews from The Sun Get the lowdown on more of the latest PS5 releases from our expert reviewers. Stellar Blade Eiyuden Chronicle Final Fantasy XVI: The Rising Tide Berserk Boy South Park: Snow Day Alone in the Dark Expeditions: A MudRunner Game Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Skull and Bones Helldivers 2 For Xbox Series X and Nintendo Switch, check out our full game reviews section. Its recent layoffs have been attributed to a process of reorganization and refocus that was first announced in 2024 by CEO Andrew Wilson. He said he was: 'leading through an accelerated industry transformation.' Cliffhanger's closure is the latest in a series of shutdowns and layoffs that have plagued the international video game industry for over two years. In the Pacific Northwest, impacted companies include Phoenix Labs, Monolith Productions, Rec Room, and Wizards of the Coast's Project Sigil team. Fans on Reddit have posted about their disappointment and one said: "Wow. Created on 2023, closed in 2025 before releasing your first game. "Never become a game developer friends." Another added: "EA did the exact same thing with Ridgeline Games last year. Created in 2022 to create the next Battlefield campaign, closed in 2024 without releasing anything." "This is disappointing. Really hoping the Iron Man gets a release and is good. Hell at this rate, I'm hoping that the Wolverine gets released" said another user. One user commentated: "From the outside, EA is such a bizarre company to observe. It's almost like they have absolutely no idea what they want long term." "Another one bites the dust. The industry is in complete shambles at this point" exclaimed another fan. And another added: "What a disappointing shambles. Was really looking forward to this."
The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Major Marvel game cancelled as jobs lost in shock closure of studio with upset fans slamming ‘disappointing shambles'
A MAJOR Marvel game has been cancelled and jobs lost in a shock closure of its studio. Fans have been left feeling upset and have slammed the decision as a "disappointing shambles." 2 A major Marvel game has been cancelled with jobs lost in a shock closure of its studio Credit: Getty 2 Electronic Arts plans to close its subsidiary Cliffhanger Games and has cancelled development on its debut project Credit: Marvel Electronic Arts plans to close its subsidiary Cliffhanger Games and has cancelled development on its debut project. EA's Marvel's The information came from an email sent by EA Entertainment president Laura Miele. Laura shared that this change alongside others was to put their focus where they thought there was the opportunity for the most growth. Marvel News Beyond Cliffhanger Games, and other recent cancellations like with Respawn and an untitled Titanfall project, people have been laid off on its mobile, and central teams. While this is believed to be less than was laid off last month's 300 people, it is still a significant amount reports According to Laura, EA will be helping people find opportunities within EA. However, Laura states that the Iron Man game in work at Motive Studios will continue, as will the third Star Wars: Jedi game, and Bioware's work on the next Mass Effect game. Most read in Gaming This comes also after they announced the pausing of various racing games that had been in the works earlier this month. Cliffhanger debuted in 2023 under the leadership of former Monolith Productions studio head Kevin Stephens, after a two-year incubation period. Florence Pugh stars in Marvel Studios' Thunderbolts It had yet to divulge any real details about its Black Panther project. But earlier reports indicated that BP would've been an open-world action-adventure in the same spirit as Monolith's award-winning Shadow of Mordor. Electronic Arts, headquartered in Redwood City, Calif, is one of the largest independent video game companies left in the modern industry. It's arguably best known to mainstream audiences for its Madden and FIFA sports games, but has also produced big hits like Battlefield, Dead Space, Mass Effect, and Apex Legends. All the latest PS5 reviews from The Sun Get the lowdown on more of the latest PS5 releases from our expert reviewers. Stellar Blade Eiyuden Chronicle Final Fantasy XVI: The Rising Tide Berserk Boy South Park: Snow Day Alone in the Dark Expeditions: A MudRunner Game Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Skull and Bones Helldivers 2 For Xbox Series X and Nintendo Switch, check out our full game reviews section . Its recent layoffs have been attributed to a process of reorganization and refocus that was first announced in 2024 by CEO Andrew Wilson. He said he was: 'leading through an accelerated industry transformation.' Cliffhanger's closure is the latest in a series of shutdowns and layoffs that have plagued the international video game industry for over two years. In the Pacific Northwest, impacted companies include Phoenix Labs, Monolith Productions, Rec Room, and Wizards of the Coast's Project Sigil team. Fans on Reddit have posted about their disappointment and one said: "Wow. Created on 2023, closed in 2025 before releasing your first game. "Never become a game developer friends." Another added: "EA did the exact same thing with Ridgeline Games last year. Created in 2022 to create the next Battlefield campaign, closed in 2024 without releasing anything." "This is disappointing. Really hoping the Iron Man gets a release and is good. Hell at this rate, I'm hoping that the Wolverine gets released" said another user. One user commentated: "From the outside, EA is such a bizarre company to observe. It's almost like they have absolutely no idea what they want long term." "Another one bites the dust. The industry is in complete shambles at this point" exclaimed another fan. And another added: "What a disappointing shambles. Was really looking forward to this."
Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Black Panther game cancelled: EA also shuts down Cliffhanger Studio games
Electronic Arts has cancelled its Black Panther game and closed the studio behind it, Cliffhanger Games, less than two years after the project was announced. The decision was confirmed following a report by IGN, and marks another chapter in a series of layoffs and restructurings at the gaming giant. The cancellation was announced internally via an email from Laura Miele, president of EA Entertainment and Technology, who said the move was part of an effort to 'sharpen our focus and put our creative energy behind the most significant growth opportunities.' While the Black Panther project is no more, EA stated it would continue development on other high-profile titles, including the Iron Man game announced in 2022, the next Star Wars: Jedi instalment, and a new entry in the Mass Effect series. The single player Black Panther video game has been canceled at Electronic Arts and Cliffhanger Games has been closed. (Source: IGN) — The Game Awards (@thegameawards) May 28, 2025 Core franchises such as Battlefield, The Sims, Skate, and Apex Legends will remain a priority for the company. 'These decisions are hard,' Miele wrote, acknowledging the human cost of the restructuring. 'They affect people we've worked with, learned from, and shared real moments with. We're doing everything we can to support them—including finding opportunities within EA, where we've had success helping people land in new roles.' The end of Cliffhanger Games comes shortly after EA laid off an estimated 300–400 employees in April, and cancelled two early-stage 'incubation projects,' including a new Titanfall concept. Those actions followed significant cuts at BioWare earlier this year, after Dragon Age: The Veilguard reportedly underperformed. Cliffhanger Games was established in 2023 with the ambitious goal of delivering a narrative-rich, single-player Black Panther experience. Its swift closure underscores the increasing financial and creative pressures within the gaming industry—particularly for projects outside EA's established blockbuster catalogue.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
We took a guided tour of the solar system in Elite Dangerous, and now you can too (interview)
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. I'd hardly call most sci-fi like Star Trek or Mass Effect educational, but it's amazing how much actual science and space knowledge you can pick up from sci-fi entertainment. I've heard of Wolf 359, one of our neighbouring stars, not because of physics classes back at school, but entirely because it's where the Federation fought the Borg in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Still, despite the occasional nugget of real information that sneaks through, it's fair to say that most movies, shows, and video games are better left to inspiring our interest in the stars and planets, rather than teaching us about them … but Frontier Developments is looking to change all that. The developers of Elite Dangerous invited us down to the Science Museum in London for one of their 'Lates events' to attend a special live, guided tour of our solar system within the game, hosted by two of the senior staff at the Museum: Abbie MacKinnon, Curator of Space Technology, and Laura Joy Pieters, Curator of Mathematical Sciences. Elite Dangerous is a massively multiplayer space flight simulation game developed by Frontier Developments, and it just celebrated its tenth anniversary late last year. Within the game, you'll find a complete simulation of our Milky Way galaxy — 400 billion star systems, along with every known planet, moon, black hole, and celestial phenomenon that we know about (or rather, knew about ten years ago). And while we know a bit about our wider galaxy, there is nowhere more familiar to us than our solar system. After getting a little hands-on time with the game myself using a wicked flight stick and control panel set-up that did nothing to improve my terrible piloting skills, I sat down amongst the packed crowd for the tour. The event was MC'd by Arthur Tolmie, Head of Community, PR, and Communications at Frontier, and the ship itself was piloted by Max, a member of the development team. From there, Abbie and Laura introduced themselves and then started using Max's spaceship as their own personal extraterrestrial Uber, as they requested destinations for him to blast off to. The tour started at Abraham Lincoln Space Station, a fictional space station in Earth's orbit in the game. Elite Dangerous is set over 1,000 years in the future, so humanity has figured out some pesky little physics problems like building megastructures in space, and the potentially impossible issues of faster-than-light travel, too. From there, we took a whistlestop tour of the solar system, stopping off at the moon, Mars, Jupiter (and its moon Ganymede), and Saturn (and its moon Enceladus). We even got to take a mercifully long-distance peek at a black hole. Along the way, Abbie and Laura shared facts about our destinations and shared stories about everything from our prospects for colonies on Mars to the excellently-named JUICE mission to explore Jupiter's icy moons. It's an enthralling tour to listen to, even if you're already quite knowledgeable about space, and thankfully, it was not exclusive to those of us lucky enough to be in attendance. You can watch a video version of the tour below, but more excitingly, you can follow along in-game by selecting the flight plan while docked at the Abraham Lincoln Space Station. We also managed to sneak a few questions into Abbie MacKinnon's busy schedule to find out more about how and why this unique collaboration came together. "Games like Elite Dangerous allow people to visualize the universe and all that is in it (especially how empty it is)," remarked MacKinnon. "Being able to travel to different planets, moons, and star systems is also something that humans are not likely to ever be able to experience, so realistic games like this are the next best thing. It will hopefully inspire the next generation of engineers, scientists, and space enthusiasts." It's not all fun and games, though, as Elite Dangerous's view of our future poses some real questions about how humanity is going to treat space as we start exploring further and further afield. One of the latest free updates to the game has allowed players to claim star systems for themselves in order to expand humanity's reach throughout the universe. We asked MacKinnon where she'd like to plant her flag. "I know this is a playful question, and I will answer it, but it does bring up a serious issue about the 'ownership' of space, planets, and moons. Is it all about who gets there first?" There are treaties and laws governing the ownership of property and sovereignty in space, but as we progress further, and especially as government-funded agencies give way to private corporations like SpaceX and Blue Origin, the question of who gets to plant a flag and call dibs on celestial bodies will become increasingly important. Space colonialism aside, MacKinnon's top pick for a solar system trip is a surprising pick; Venus. "Getting crushed by the atmospheric pressure aside, I'd want to explore the hot and lifeless place that billions of years ago, maybe looked a lot more like Earth. It's not particularly far away, but fascinating how Earth and Venus — quite similar in a lot of ways — took such different paths in their planetary history. Perhaps there are some lessons we could learn as a species." Speaking of private companies, with the number of rockets these companies launch far outstripping the frequency of NASA launches these days, should we expect to see a Falcon 9 exhibit anytime soon? Maybe. MacKinnon explained that "As we look to add more space technology items to the national collection and tell stories about space exploration happening today, we are speaking to space agencies around the world, from the U.K. Space Agency to NASA, ESA and JAXA, as well as the private companies enabling lower-cost access to space and small, start ups, some of which are based right here in the U.K." Before the tour, I also had the chance to tour the Science Museum and check out all the awesome space history that's contained there. The U.K. isn't the first nation that comes to mind when you think of space travel, but as MacKinnon points out, that hasn't stopped the Science Museum from assembling an impressive lineup, including the "Soyuz spacecraft that carried astronaut Tim Peake into space and back, the Apollo 10 Command Module, which conducted the dress rehearsal in May 1969 for the moon landings, and a three-billion-year-old piece of the moon." While wandering around the exhibits, you can also see the British Black Arrow rocket and a United States Scout rocket suspended from the ceiling. You don't have long left to see this beautiful exhibit as it is now, though, as after forty years, the Exploring Space exhibit will be closing down in June to make way for a brand new space gallery. While many of the existing exhibits will remain, the redesign is giving the team a chance to perform vital restoration work and present the stunning spacecraft and other displays there in a new light. For those of you who can't make it to London, though, we'd highly recommend taking the tour in Elite Dangerous for yourself. And if you are interested in checking out the game for yourself and taking the tour, there is currently a 75% discount available on the base game and deluxe editions.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Mass Effect And Dragon Age Teams ‘Didn't Get Along,' According To Ex-BioWare Dev
David Gaider, the co-founder of Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical developer Summerfall Studios, has opened up a bit more about his time at BioWare, where he served as the original lead writer on the Dragon Age series. Taking to social media, he chose to explain more about his decision to leave the studio in 2016 and the apparently tense relationship between the Mass Effect and Dragon Age teams within the company. In a lengthy Bluesky thread, Gaider described BioWare's years under co-founders Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk as 'the height' of the studio's time, though he also says he recognizes that issues like crunch and mismanagement were worse than he realized until after he left the company. He describes frustration with his own lack of upward momentum, as he was passed over for the role of Dragon Age's creative director in favor of Mike Laidlaw. He says he was eventually won over by Laidlaw's leadership and that the fantasy series benefited from it, but after he left the series to work on something else, things started to change. Gaider asked to move on to something else within BioWare after Dragon Age: Inquisition's launch in 2014, and it was between either Mass Effect: Andromeda or 'Dylan,' the game that would become Anthem, the studio's ill-fated loot shooter. Opting to work on the latter, he says the experience illuminated tensions between the different BioWare teams and that he felt the Anthem team didn't want him there. 'You see, the thing you need to know about BioWare is that for a long time it was basically two teams under one roof: the Dragon Age team and the Mass Effect team,' Gaider wrote. 'Run differently, very different cultures, may as well have been two separate studios. And they didn't get along. The company was aware of the friction and attempts to fix it had been ongoing for years, mainly by shuffling staff between the teams more often. Yet this didn't really solve things, and I had no idea until I got to the Dylan team. The team didn't want me there. At all.' Gaider says that some of his conflict with the Anthem team came from higher-up instructions to write something more 'science fantasy,' similar to Star Wars, whereas the original concept had been more of a 'beer & cigarettes' sci-fi world similar to Aliens. According to Gaider, he was frequently given feedback that his ideas were 'too Dragon Age.' 'I won't go into detail about the problems except to say it became clear this was a team that didn't want to make an RPG,' Gaider wrote. 'Were very anti-RPG, in fact. Yet they wanted me to wave my magic writing wand and create a BioWare quality story without giving me any of the tools I'd need to actually do that.' After it became clear that that the project wasn't a good fit for him, Gaider told BioWare's bosses that he'd stick with it if there was some kind of promotion on the other side, and when he was turned down, he quit and went on to co-found Summerfall Studios. The studio's first game, Stray Gods, is a musical game following a modern version of the Greek god pantheon. It launched in 2023, and a DLC focusing on Orpheus was released the following year. BioWare has been going through a lot of turmoil in the past few months. After the underperformance of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, the studio was restructured, resulting in layoffs of veteran talent and a company-wide pivot to focus solely on the fifth Mass Effect the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
