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"You'd think ... that Westwood would still be around, making smash hits in every genre they touched, but sadly, it was not to be. Bought by Electronic Arts 1998, aside from Command & Conquer and Dune games the studio's output soon dries up, the Westwood name split across two studios which released things like failed MMO Earth & Beyond and under-appreciated action game Nox.
In 2002, shortly after the failure of Command & Conquer Renegade, Westwood was severely downsized by EA, and a year later the studio itself was closed, those remaining staff absorbed into EA's other studios.
It's a shocking demise for a developer that during the 1990's was, pound-for-pound, perhaps the most successful Western studio going around. What makes it especially sad is the waste of Westwood's expertise in its years under EA's ownership."
I own Command and Conquer: Renegade. It's not great, but it's not nearly as bad as people like to make it out to be. I also own Nox, which was a half-way decent Diablo-clone, from what little I recall of it, though I never got very far into it. Anyway, I think the key point to be taken from the above, and from the article in general, is that everything was pretty much coming up all roses for Westwood Studios... until they got bought by Electronic Arts.
This is, of course, something I've been saying forever now, repeatedly. Everything was coming up roses for Westwood... until they got bought by EA. Everything was coming up roses for Origin... until they got bought by EA (oh, and the fact that EA is calling their crappy new download service by the same name is incredibly lame, imnsho). Everything was coming up roses for Bullfrog and Maxis... until they got bought by EA (yeah, sure, The Sims is still doing great, and EA is milking it for all it's worth, but notice how Maxis itself, um,kind of doesn't exist anymorehas been "resurrected" as an in-name-only, zombified arm of EA?has been killed again, apparently for good this time?). I could go on and on. And now, most galling for me, everything was coming up roses for BioWare... until they got frickin' bought by EA. It's only a matter of time now before they go the way of all the rest, mark my words. I will be sad when it happens. (By the last, I mean that it was after EA that Dragon Age started to go downhill, for one thing. Another is that it was after EA that Mass Effect 2 got that Cerberus Network crap shoehorned in. [EDIT 2] And, holy shit, look at the fiasco Mass Effect 3 turned out to be. [/EDIT 2] Also, I'll go ahead and predict now that Star Wars: The Old Republic will likely do respectably well enough, but it won't be a huge, sure-fire hit. Same could be said for just about any other MMO these days, aside from World of Warcraft, of course. Maybe I'll be wrong and ToR will actually do amazingly well. If so, it'll be all due to BioWare still having the magic touch and very little to do with EA having their piggy fingers in the pie.) (EDIT) Oh, and I just found out that PopCap is apparently next up on the chopping block. I can't say that I care all that much about Bejeweled or whatever, but it's sad to see yet another game company gobbled up by the writhing blob that is EA, regardless. (/EDIT)
Anyway, to get back on the subject of Westwood, since I got off-track there, as I usually tend to do when the subject of EA and all the companies they have ruined over the years comes up...
As is pointed out in the article, while everyone mostly remembers Westwood for Command and Conquer, it wasn't just a one-trick pony. It is notable for things like the amazing Legend of Kyrandia series as well. Here's a little fun-fact. The guy who did the voice for Brandon in all three games? Kane. And while I'm on the subject of the Kyrandia series here, I am absolutely appalled that these games are on neither GOG nor Steam yet, or seemingly anywhere else for that matter, aside from the used markets like eBay or Amazon Marketplace or whatever. Hopefully with the new cooperation between EA and GOG that will be rectified soon. Not that many (or any, for all I know) of the former Westwood guys will ever see a dime from it, of course. (EDIT 2) Finally, the Kyrandia games are up on GOG now, so that's good. (/EDIT 2)
Also, the Lion King SNES and Genesis games. I honestly had no idea until now that these were made by Westwood Studios. That just makes me even more sad that they ended up getting wrecked by EA.
In 2002, shortly after the failure of Command & Conquer Renegade, Westwood was severely downsized by EA, and a year later the studio itself was closed, those remaining staff absorbed into EA's other studios.
It's a shocking demise for a developer that during the 1990's was, pound-for-pound, perhaps the most successful Western studio going around. What makes it especially sad is the waste of Westwood's expertise in its years under EA's ownership."
I own Command and Conquer: Renegade. It's not great, but it's not nearly as bad as people like to make it out to be. I also own Nox, which was a half-way decent Diablo-clone, from what little I recall of it, though I never got very far into it. Anyway, I think the key point to be taken from the above, and from the article in general, is that everything was pretty much coming up all roses for Westwood Studios... until they got bought by Electronic Arts.
This is, of course, something I've been saying forever now, repeatedly. Everything was coming up roses for Westwood... until they got bought by EA. Everything was coming up roses for Origin... until they got bought by EA (oh, and the fact that EA is calling their crappy new download service by the same name is incredibly lame, imnsho). Everything was coming up roses for Bullfrog and Maxis... until they got bought by EA (yeah, sure, The Sims is still doing great, and EA is milking it for all it's worth, but notice how Maxis itself, um,
Anyway, to get back on the subject of Westwood, since I got off-track there, as I usually tend to do when the subject of EA and all the companies they have ruined over the years comes up...
As is pointed out in the article, while everyone mostly remembers Westwood for Command and Conquer, it wasn't just a one-trick pony. It is notable for things like the amazing Legend of Kyrandia series as well. Here's a little fun-fact. The guy who did the voice for Brandon in all three games? Kane. And while I'm on the subject of the Kyrandia series here, I am absolutely appalled that these games are on neither GOG nor Steam yet, or seemingly anywhere else for that matter, aside from the used markets like eBay or Amazon Marketplace or whatever. Hopefully with the new cooperation between EA and GOG that will be rectified soon. Not that many (or any, for all I know) of the former Westwood guys will ever see a dime from it, of course. (EDIT 2) Finally, the Kyrandia games are up on GOG now, so that's good. (/EDIT 2)
Also, the Lion King SNES and Genesis games. I honestly had no idea until now that these were made by Westwood Studios. That just makes me even more sad that they ended up getting wrecked by EA.
