EA Looking to Shut Down Long-Running Studio
It seems isn't done closing down some of its studios. A new report suggests the long-running racing developer may be next on the chopping block.
Video game insider eXtas1s recently claimed the developer of games like Grid, Colin McRae Rally, Dirt, and most recently F1 25, will shut its doors. Those impacted will be put on the next F1 game or a new Need for Speed game currently in development. Additionally, the insider learned that there are about 400 'more' layoffs at EA.
'The cancellation of Black Panther will NOT be the only thing,' said eXtas1s. 'I have been able to learn that there are about 400 more layoffs coming up at EA, a total CLOSURE of the main headquarters of Codemasters and that these developers will be integrated into EA Sp (F1) and a new Need For Speed that is already in development.'
EA recently closed Cliffhanger Games and cancelled its Black Panther game. According to an email from EA Entertainment president Laura Miele, this decision was to 'sharpen our focus and put our creative energy behind the most significant growth opportunities.'
'These decisions are hard,' Miele wrote. '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 status of Codemasters has been up in the air since EA paused development on future World Rally Championship titles. Around that announcement, the official Codemasters X account was pulled.
While all signs are pointing to Codemasters getting shut down, EA has yet to officially confirm the closure.
(Source: eXtas1s via Nintendo Life)
The post EA Looking to Shut Down Long-Running Studio – Report appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Los Angeles Times
25 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
Brad Pitt and ‘F1 The Movie' zoom to $55.6 million in Apple's biggest box office debut
The Brad Pitt-led racing film 'F1 The Movie' sped to the top of the box office this weekend, another in a string of big summer movies that Hollywood hopes will keep driving people to theaters. The big-budget film from 'Top Gun: Maverick' director Joseph Kosinski and producer Jerry Bruckheimer hauled in $55.6 million in the U.S. and Canada, according to studio estimates. That's better than analysts had expected for a non-sequel racing movie. People who read pre-release audience surveys had anticipated a debut of $40 million to $50 million. Powered by the global appeal of Formula One racing, the film took in an additional $88 million internationally. Still, with a reported budget of more than $200 million, not including marketing costs, 'F1' will still need significantly more ticket sales to break even. Only three Hollywood films so far this year have grossed more than $500 million globally — 'A Minecraft Movie,' 'Lilo & Stitch' and 'Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning' — and each of those opened above 'F1.' Nonetheless, with 'F1,' the iPhone maker has its first box office hit. While Apple TV+ has found critical success with its shows, including 'Severance,' 'The Studio' and 'Your Friends & Neighbors' — and notched its first best picture Oscar win in 2022 with 'CODA' — its films had not yet clinched box office gold. Its previous star-studded and filmmaker-driven movies have struggled at theaters, including the 2024 spy comedy 'Argylle' and space-age romantic comedy 'Fly Me to the Moon,' starring Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum. 'F1' benefited from a heavily promoted Imax run, which help make it seem like a must-see on the big screen. Imax screens accounted for 23% of the domestic weekend revenue for 'F1,' the cinema technology provider said Sunday. Around 55% of domestic sales came from large screen formats including Imax, Dolby Cinema and motion seats. As usual, Apple worked with a major studio to handle the theatrical release. 'F1' is being distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, adding to the studio's winning streak that includes 'A Minecraft Movie,' 'Sinners' and 'Final Destination Bloodlines.' Quality also helped. 'It's emotional, it's exciting, it's got romance, it's got humor,' producer Jerry Bruckheimer told The Times earlier this month. 'It's the reason I got into this business — to make movies that thrill you on that big screen, that you walk out feeling you've been on a real journey and got lost for a couple of hours. That's the goal every time.' Strong reviews from audiences and critics bode well for the film's future grosses and its eventual performance on streaming for Apple. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the movie a grade of 'A,' while the movie holds a critics' score of 83% 'fresh' on Rotten Tomatoes. Not faring as well was Universal Pictures' murderous doll sequel 'M3GAN 2.0,' which debuted with a weak $10 million and landed in fourth place at the domestic box office, behind holdovers 'How to Train Your Dragon' and 'Elio.' The Blumhouse film was expected to open with around $20 million. It fell far short of the success of the original, which opened with $30 million in 2023 and eventually collected $180 million worldwide. Overall, though, it's been a strong last few months for the horror genre, starting with Ryan Coogler's 'Sinners,' which has now grossed $364 million worldwide, and followed by 'Final Destination Bloodlines' and zombie franchise revival '28 Years Later.' The staying power of movies like 'How to Train Your Dragon' and 'Lilo & Stitch' shows the continued draw of family-friendly films at the box office, which have been major winners since the spring. The exception has been Disney and Pixar's original animated movie 'Elio,' which notched Pixar's worst opening weekend ever last week. 'Elio' collected about $11 million Friday through Sunday, bringing its total to a poor $42 million in the U.S. and Canada for the $150-million animated picture. Times staff writer Josh Rottenberg contributed to this report
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
'F1 'director Joseph Kosinski reveals the movie's alternate endings, talks sequel plans
Warning: This article contains spoilers for Everyone loves an underdog. In a sense, the conclusion of F1: The Movie, now in theaters, offers an underdog victory as owner Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem) and his entire APXGP (casually called Apex) team come out on top, winning both the World Drivers' Championship and full support from the APX board. It also finally gives Brad Pitt's Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt), the once-promising driver looking for a shot at redemption, the victory he's long chased. In the film's final sequence, it seems as if Sonny is going to clear the way for his rookie teammate, Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), to take the title and win the race. But at the last minute, Joshua collides with Lewis Hamilton (also an F1 producer), leaving the door open for Sonny to take the lead — and the win. At last, Sonny can call himself a world champion. But director and co-writer Joseph Kosinski reveals that they did at least consider sticking with what the film appears to be setting up and giving Joshua Pearce the title. "We discussed the ending a lot, and there's certainly a version where that happens," Kosinski tells Entertainment Weekly. "But ultimately, where we landed was the culmination of Sonny's story." It helps that Joshua is still "at the beginning of his career," the director continues. "Like he says to Sonny, 'I'm going to win a million, mate.' So it feels like Sonny has achieved what he needs to achieve, but Joshua is just at the start of an incredible career." Indeed, Sonny feels so secure in his victory and finally proving himself in the world of Formula One that he seems to put APX in his rearview mirror. Instead of sticking around, he travels to Baja, Mexico, to inquire about the dune races and a "driver wanted" ad he sees in the film's opening sequence (even though we've now learned that any one crash could kill him instantly because of injuries from a racing accident that nearly took him out 30 years ago). "I'm sure for him that's a way to go," Kosinski says of Sonny perhaps having a death wish behind the wheel. "But I don't think that's in the plan anytime soon. For him, it's just, what's the next challenge? What's the next mountain to climb? And Baja is something that's completely different than Formula One and would be a really fun adventure to see him on."Speaking of which, is there a world in which we'd see Sonny racing in Baja — or anywhere, for that matter? Kosinski admits he does have ideas in mind for a potential sequel. "But that's up to the audience to decide if they want to see it," he notes. "I loved working with this group of people. I loved creating our own Formula One team. I'd love to see what's up next for APXGP and Sonny Hayes." F1 is in theaters now. Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
What does Brad Pitt think of his 'F1' co-star Damson Idris?
NEW YORK – Damson Idris is smiling as he looks down at his shoes. Brad Pitt laughs. 'Do I really need to say this in front of Damson?' Pitt says of his co-star in 'F1: The Movie' (in theaters now). Idris shakes his head. 'That's why I'm picking lint off my trousers.' Pitt forges ahead. 'What I really love about him is he knows how to enjoy this. At your age, man, I didn't know how to enjoy this (movie star) ride.' Idris fidgets in his hotel conference room chair. 'We cast a wide net for this guy,' says Pitt, 61. 'But beyond his immediate charm, he could really drive a car, he had composure. We needed someone with chops, and my man won out.' Join our Watch Party! Sign up to receive USA TODAY's movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox Idris, 33, jumps up. 'OK, you heard it here first, folks, and last, that's it, my career is now over,' he beams as he reaches over to shake Pitt's hand. The British actor of Nigerian descent is quick to return the compliment from one of Hollywood's biggest stars. 'Others call him Brad Pitt, but I call him 'Troy,' because for me he's like Achilles,' Idris says, referencing Pitt's 2004 starring role. 'But as nervous as I was to act with him, he just made me feel so comfortable. He's such a giving actor.' In 'F1,' Idris plays brash rookie Formula 1 driver Joshua Pearce, who bristles at the arrival of Pitt's veteran Sonny Hayes. Previously, he'd appeared in FX's 'Snowfall,' in Liam Neeson's 'The Commuter,' and more recently, in the anthology series 'Black Mirror.' Next up, he'll tackle the role of jazz trumpeter Miles Davis in "Miles & Juliette," about Davis' love affair with French singer and actress Juliette Gréco. To date, "F1" is the actor's biggest role by a mile. He says he's ready for this spotlight moment. Damson Idris reveals his favorite Formula 1 driver Idris credits both his tenacity and levelheadedness to his mother Silifat, a Nigerian immigrant to London who singlehandedly raised him and his five older siblings. 'Here I am driving to the premiere (of 'F1') in a Mercedes-AMG with (producer) Jerry Bruckheimer and people are screaming my name, but it's important to stay humble, and that comes from my mother,' Idris says. 'She had me when she was 40,' he says. 'She calls me her miracle baby, and she's my biggest fan but she's also a wise guru. She says always remember where you come from.' In 'F1,' Sarah Niles, who played the team psychologist in 'Ted Lasso,' is mom to Idris' driver character, Joshua Pearce. Niles' no-nonsense portrayal reminded Idris of his real mother. 'She really got it,' he says of the actress. One significant bonus of his 'F1' role was getting to meet a childhood idol, legendary Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton, who also served as a producer on the movie and gave Idris and Pitt driving tips. Hamilton, 40, is the only Black driver in Formula 1, and with seven world championships under his belt, he's tied with Ferrari legend Michael Schumacher at the top of the F1 podium. Hamilton also is a fashion icon, a book Idris took a page from when he arrived at the Met Gala in May in full racing gear with a crystal-encrusted helmet, only to have the white jumpsuit ripped off to reveal a stylish Tommy Hilfiger suit underneath. 'For me, it was very important that my character Joshua exists in a world where Lewis is his idol, where the doors Lewis broke down in the sport gave Joshua the freedom to stroll in and make his mark, much like as an actor I'm standing on the shoulders of Will Smith, Denzel Washington and Sidney Poitier,' Idris says. 'But I also wanted to make Joshua and his quest relatable to all people,' he adds. 'They had to see Joshua not just as a young Black guy, but as someone who is young and wants to prove himself.' Like Brad Pitt, Damson Idris got an offer to drive professionally while filming 'F1' Idris did more than that while filming 'F1,' much of which took place on real racetracks during breaks in actual F1 races around the world. He and Pitt were approached about considering a stab at pro racing careers in light of the skills they displayed. But both are taking a pass. 'I won't say who, but, yes, some people during filming did whisper to me that they'd fund me on this journey if I wanted,' Idris says. 'But you get to know these drivers, who started when they were little kids, and you develop so much respect for what they can do. It's another world of talent.' That's not to say you won't spot Idris tooling around London or other big cities in a fast exotic car now that he's got F1-driving experience under his belt. His favorite car? 'Well, that's got to be a Mercedes,' he says, a reference to Hamilton's longtime F1 team before shifting to Ferrari last year. 'But I also love McLarens, and Lewis is with Ferrari now, after all, so maybe that's an option.' Then again, maybe there is no need for the actor to sink any of his 'F1' salary into a new ride. 'I am blessed to have access to fun cars these days,' he says with a smile. 'People see what I did in an F1 car and say, please try this one. And you know what, I'm happy to play with them all.'
