Life After Westwood Studios

[Sonic 296]

Westwood Studios has been gone for a while now. Everyone should have accepted that and moved on by now, but I know there are many people out there who still despise what happened back in 2003 when Westwood was consolidated and relocated to become part of what is now EALA. Anyway, in my recent travels I came across this rather interesting article on the Vegas Seven site that looks back the origins of Westwood Studios, starting with it's early days, the success of Dune II and then Command & Conquer in the 1990's and of course its sad demise. The article also focuses on where all the talented developers went once the studio was closed. Many of us know Petroglyph was formed out of the Westwood ashes, and the article asks if this team of Vegas video game wizards changed the industry once, Can they do it again? I realise article was originally posted over a month ago, but here's part of it because its a very good read.

 

Westwood and EA worked with the Las Vegas Redevelopment Agency to find a new home, and eventually settled on a plan to build a large EA corporate campus in Summerlin.

 

In January 2003, Westwood employees awaited news of the Summerlin facility. But instead of moving down the road, employees learned that EA decided to relocate to California. The company had its sights set on Las Vegas, but the project was “victimized by the timing of the politics,” Castle says, adding that the company couldn’t get the necessary permission from the Bureau of Land Management.

 

Westwood employees were given the choice of picking up and leaving, or losing their jobs. Legg remembers having to make that decision. “It was such a difficult day, emotionally. It was literally the same kind of impact as losing a relative. I mean, that was my life.” He chose to stay behind.

 

EA had planned to move Westwood west, but ultimately many employees left and the creative core of the company ceased to exist. EA kept the Command & Conquer name and intellectual property, but the series was never the same. In March of this year, EA released Command & Conquer 4 to decidedly mixed reviews and announced it would be “the final chapter.”

 

EA built the campus they wanted in Los Angeles, not Las Vegas. It combined the four EA offices Westwood managers had originally hoped would move to Summerlin. In 2004, EA made an $8 million donation to the nearby University of Southern California to build a game-development curriculum in their computer science department.

 

“We blew it, as a state,” Castle says.

Check out the full article by clicking here.

[recover 2]

Good article.

[Publix666 0]

Great read. I certainly am one of those people who despise what happened in 2003.

[PurpleGaga27 40]

The big question now is will Petroglyph make a huge comeback with their own MMORTS game "End of Nations" as an epic one.

 

We still have yet to hear Frank Klepacki's new music lately.

[[NE]Fobby[GEN] 10]

Losing Weswood was indeed a great loss that still affects C&C and its community today. In '98, Westwood had 5-6% of the PC game market (way to drop the ball EA) and who knows how many great C&C games we would have had by now. Tiberian Twilight, Renegade 2, and Continuum were already being prepared in 2003, the first two in their testing phases and last in its concept stage. C&C could have dominated the RTS, FPS, and MMO market by now.

 

Thanks for the read.

[Gben 20]

Thanks for posting Sonic - it was interesting. Although I don't think Petro's new game is going to work...

[Mighty BOB! 5]

Ohh, Trion is publishing End of Nations? Interesting. I might be applying for a job at Trion.

[Guest Stevie_K]

Great read. It clarified some doubt I've been wandering around with for years.

 

Ohh, Trion is publishing End of Nations? Interesting. I might be applying for a job at Trion.

 

Nice to see I'm not the only one aiming for the game industry

[Sonic 296]

Great read. I certainly am one of those people who despise what happened in 2003.

Well like I said in the original post. Its time to let it go and move. Its been about 7 years now.

 

The big question now is will Petroglyph make a huge comeback with their own MMORTS game "End of Nations" as an epic one.

Frank Klepacki's music aside, I don't think End of Nations is going to be a raging success. I'll admit I don't know much about it other that what was originally announced but the whole concept doesn't appeal to me. But if you want to hear some of Franks work for End of Nation you can in the E3 2010 Trailer at http://www.endofnations.com/en/site-media/videos.php or these download links:

WMV 720p

http://assets.endofnations.com/eon/vid/EON...051_EN_720p.wmv

MP4 720p

http://assets.endofnations.com/eon/vid/EON...051_EN_720p.mp4

Losing Weswood was indeed a great loss that still affects C&C and its community today.

I disagree. I feel the community has rebounded from that era. I refuse to compare the C&C games we have had since Westwood's closure. You can't compare games that have been made to games that never saw the light of day. Its a totally unfair comparison.

[recover 2]

It's a scar that we have gotten used to. Don't tear it open again.

[dbjs2009 25]

Yeah great read

 

In March of this year, EA released Command & Conquer 4 to decidedly mixed reviews and announced it would be “the final chapter.”

 

Oh no , I feel very sorry for Westwood Studios

[Publix666 0]

Well like I said in the original post. Its time to let it go and move. Its been about 7 years now.

 

Just because i despise the move in 2003 does not mean i sit and dwell on it. Like many in the community its a scar that will follow us forever. I have "moved on" and have accepted that EA owns the franchise. Does not mean i have to be happy about it.

[TheBlackOut 7]

Just because i despise the move in 2003 does not mean i sit and dwell on it. Like many in the community its a scar that will follow us forever. I have "moved on" and have accepted that EA owns the franchise. Does not mean i have to be happy about it.

That's how I feel exactly. Good article too.

[lkRaven 0]

Good Article.

 

Regarding end of nations. The RTS side of it looks like a cross between Generals and Sup Com to me. Most of the unit voices in the trailers are ones similar to the intro video in Generals . Its still too early to predict the success or failure of it. I sure hope it would be a success because im itching for some generals type gameplay

[[NE]Fobby[GEN] 10]

I'll probably be giving End of Nations a chance, but I gotta tell ya, I didn't like the other Petroglyph games.

[Guest Stevie_K]

Regarding End of Nations, I actually find the first trailer video pretty dull even seen through the 51 players on one map thing.

 

But the

looks really bad ass. It actually reminds me a bit of C&C's old FMV's . Edited July 14, 2010 by Stevie_K

[Doctor Destiny 41]

Great read. I certainly am one of those people who despise what happened in 2003.

It's time to just get the hell over it already.