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EA announced that the main Maxis studio and veteran developer of such titles as Spore and SimCity has ceased operation.
Even though the Maxis Emeryville studio has shut its’ doors for the final time, the Maxis Brand will continue under the EA umbrella, reports Kotaku.
An EA representative said in a statement: “Today we are consolidating Maxis IP development to our studios in Redwood Shores, Salt Lake City, Helsinki and Melbourne locations as we close our Emeryville location.”
The news was made official when Guillaume Pierre, a designer from Maxis tweeted: “Well it was a fun 12 years, but it’s time to turn off the lights and put the key under the door. #RIPMaxisEmeryville”
Maxis was created back in 1987 and has been best known for the Sim franchise, including the infamous The Sims series, which was managed by another developer called The Sims Studio.
EA released a statement, saying: “These changes do not impact our plans for The Sims. Players will continue to see rich new experiences in The Sims 4, with our first expansion pack coming soon along with a full slate of additional updates and content in the pipeline.
“All employees impacted by the changes today will be given opportunities to explore other positions within the Maxis studios and throughout EA. For those that are leaving the company, we are working to ensure the best possible transition with separation packages and career assistance.”
In related Sims news, a new Get To Work expansion pack was announced last month for Mac and PC.
