Pandemic Studios

Pandemic Studios
Subsidiary
Industry Interactive entertainment
Computer and video games
Founded 1998
Defunct 2009
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 was Josh Resnick and its CEO was Andrew Goldman — both formerly worked at Activision, and Pandemic was founded with an equity investment by Activision in 1998. 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.[1] 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.[2]

In February 2009, their office in Brisbane, Australia was shut down.[3] 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.[4][5] In response, a few former employees of Pandemic created an Office Space-style video where they are shown smashing their office printer.[6]

Over a dozen former Pandemic developers are now employed at 343 Industries having worked on Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary and Halo 4.[7] Other former employees have gone to work for Infinity Ward, Treyarch, Respawn Entertainment, Blendo Games and many others.

Games developed

Year Title Platform(s) Publisher(s)
1999 Battlezone II: Combat Commander Microsoft Windows Activision
2000 Dark Reign 2
2002 Triple Play 2002 PlayStation 2, Xbox Electronic Arts
Army Men: RTS GameCube, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2 The 3DO Company
Star Wars: The Clone Wars GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox LucasArts, Activision
2004 Full Spectrum Warrior Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, Xbox THQ
Star Wars: Battlefront macOS, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, Xbox LucasArts
2005 Star Wars: Battlefront II Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, Xbox, PlayStation Portable
Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction PlayStation 2, Xbox
Destroy All Humans! THQ
2006 Full Spectrum Warrior: Ten Hammers Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, Xbox
Destroy All Humans! 2 PlayStation 2, Xbox
2008 Mercenaries 2: World in Flames Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 Electronic Arts
2009 The Lord of the Rings: Conquest Microsoft Windows, Nintendo DS PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
The Saboteur Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Cancelled Batman: The Dark Knight[8] PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Mercenaries 3: No Limits[9] Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
The Next Big Thing/No Limits Racing[10] Wii
The Saboteur 2 Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

References

  1. ↑ "Bioware & Pandemic Merge". TotalGaming.net. November 3, 2005. Archived from the original (News) on September 29, 2007.
  2. ↑ "EA To Acquire BioWare Corp. and Pandemic Studios".
  3. ↑ "Pandemic Brisbane Shut Down". Ausgamers.com. February 11, 2009. Retrieved February 12, 2009.
  4. ↑ Stephen Totilo (November 24, 2009). "EA Makes Mercs Inc, A New "Pandemic" Game, Official [UPDATE]". Kotaku. Retrieved November 21, 2009.
  5. ↑ Brian Crecente (November 17, 2009). "Confirmed: EA Closes Pandemic Studios, Says Brand Will Live On". Kotaku. Retrieved November 17, 2009.
  6. ↑ Kotaku (November 23, 2009). "Pandemic Studios Says Goodbye Geek Gangsta Style". Kotaku. Retrieved November 23, 2009.
  7. ↑ "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.
  8. ↑ "Screwing Up Batman".
  9. ↑ Luke Plunkett (November 15, 2010). "Your First (And Last) Look At Mercenaries 3". Kotaku. Gawker Media. Retrieved November 14, 2010.
  10. ↑ https://www.engadget.com/2009/08/01/canceled-pandemic-wii-title-wanted-to-be-the-next-big-thing/
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