SimCity Leads Leave Maxis

[The_City_Builder 299]

"SimCity creative director Ocean Quigley has left Maxis along with lead architect Andrew Willmott and lead gameplay engineer Dan Moskowitz to set up a new studio called Jellygrade."

 

 

“We were lead developers on SimCity, SimCity 4, Spore and The Sims2. We love making simulations,” wrote Quigley. “We’re making a simulation about the dawn of life on earth; about lava, water, rock and the emergence of the first primordial creatures.

 

Developing...

 

http://www.vg247.com/2013/07/16/simcity-leads-leave-maxis-to-form-jellygrade-studio/

 

Well, the developer team of SimCity is basically no more; these guys are what made Maxis so special; until EA stepped in. Looking forward to the games they may make; maybe one day we'll get the SimCity we all wanted...with a different name of course.

[JaceTwice 115]

Good for them. I'll be interested to see what they can do away from the world of AAA.

[Cottoncandy Cyanide 145]

Now this is a sudden surprise. I didn't expect that all. But, as JaceTwice said, I am interested in what they will make.

[Snugies 91]

good luck to them. I'm upset its for mobile devices I probably would have bought their product if it was for computers or console. I hope this doesn't spell doom for SimCity. Ocean Quigley was the brains behind SimCity.

[pyanodon 218]

Ipad..... why.

[perafilozof 143]

Guess everyones has a limit on how much they can put up with. Not everyone is a spinless EA lackeys. 

[macscfan 117]

Ipad..... why.

 

Because it's cheap and easy to develop on, and because it's easier to get published as a small/indie studio, which means you don't have to put up with the EA's of the world.  Because it's got a playerbase of several 10s of millions and growing, with a free and easy distribution system.

 

I know a lot of developers who have left/been laid off from large companies whos specifically start up small studios so they don't have to deal with large companies.

 

I'm surprised so many top people bailed on SC at once, because that means they were discussing this amongst themselves.  No telling what else is happening behind the scenes.

[Jasoncw 11,840]

It's also interesting because it takes some time to make the decision to do that and to get the company together.

 

I wonder if they'd had enough after the SC2013 launch and put it into motion then (about 4 months), or if they'd been planning on doing this for longer, and now that SC is released they have time.

[Snugies 91]

okay we are going to have to push EA to hire people like haljackey and other NAM people etc. on this forum so SimCity doesn't die out. We may have to put our money together to buy up a big chunk of EA's shares then we can try to eventually buy Maxis. We got to start throwing our weight around at EA people.  

[snick25 384]

okay we are going to have to push EA to hire people like haljackey and other NAM people etc. on this forum so SimCity doesn't die out. We may have to put our money together to buy up a big chunk of EA's shares then we can try to eventually buy Maxis. We got to start throwing our weight around at EA people.  

 

Dreams are nice, aren't they? Too bad they never happen. 

[Snugies 91]

hey if enough people buy shares and represent a large chunk that demands SimCity products then they would be forced to dedicate funding. Or all you need is a wealthy private investor to buy Maxis and doesn't care about large profits. The company I'm sure would be profitable if gone private just not as profitable as other investments. The problem with most public companies is that investors want the biggest profits they can get, it forces most public companies to just go after profit producing investments. Especially when the stock market has become all about making a lot of money. Forces public companies to try to appeal to that.     

[Cyclone Boom 16,875]

I agree with Jason. As their game is well under development, it makes you wonder about the time-scale of their departure. They must have planned this for a while, and not just from a "spur of the moment" decision. Anyway, by forming a new studio, they'll make the rules, and the only major external influence will be from potential consumers. All the best to them.

 

Of course, it's bad news for Maxis, the immediate development of SimCity, and the series in general. But with the current setup, something had to give -- I think they've all had enough. Also, I wouldn't be surprised if this triggers a mass exodus, and sadly ends Maxis as we know it.

[eburress 267]

I agree with Jason. As their game is well under development, it makes you wonder about the time-scale of their departure. They must have planned this for a while, and not just from a "spur of the moment" decision. Anyway, by forming a new studio, they'll make the rules, and the only major external influence will be from potential consumers. All the best to them.

 

Of course, it's bad news for Maxis, the immediate development of SimCity, and the series in general. But with the current setup, something had to give -- I think they've all had enough. Also, I wouldn't be surprised if this triggers a mass exodus, and sadly ends Maxis as we know it.

 

It's their "creativity" that was the problem with SimCity 2013 to begin with.  Ocean's vision for the game is what gave us this massive turd of a game.  Like I said in the news story thread, good riddance.  

[CaptCity 4,753]

Moved from SC13 since the topic encompasses more than one game. Thanks.

[AkemiAzula 280]

It is good to see they have left EA. I always thought they seemed good people.

 

Pity about Maxis however.

 

My hopes rest in some third party studio/crowdfund like BoomTown or Collosal Order developing a proper Simcity 5

[Scaley McSlither 1,714]

In reading through his synopsis of the game under development, it sounds as though he wants to make Sim Earth 2.

[Bipin 3,402]

Their leaving of EA is a manifestation of just who these people truly are; excellent, upstanding developers who put creative freedom and the ability to push gaming forward. They push it in the right direction, at the expense of their own personal financial gain, but with the advent of a greater experience for the end users.

[Ion_Cannon 677]

Best of luck to them I may not have liked the design philosophy of the new simcity but they are undoubtedly talented. I can't say I care much for iPad games but I'm not the target demographic, I imagine if it's popular it may get a PC port in the future.

[CaptCity 4,753]

Topic cleanup... Let's keep it on the topic and not each other.

[AkemiAzula 280]

I've 'followed' them all on Twitter again after unfollowing them after 2013. I think their actions are commendable and it is good to see that the soul of Maxis was not turned to the EA side completely after all.

 

One doesn't know what their studio will produce of any use re: a proper sequel to 4, but at any rate whetever they produce will be better than what EA does.

[Noobi-Wan 22]

Yup and this won't have any impact what so ever on simcity13

[stormgear 10]

I agree with Jason. As their game is well under development, it makes you wonder about the time-scale of their departure. They must have planned this for a while, and not just from a "spur of the moment" decision. Anyway, by forming a new studio, they'll make the rules, and the only major external influence will be from potential consumers. All the best to them.

 

Of course, it's bad news for Maxis, the immediate development of SimCity, and the series in general. But with the current setup, something had to give -- I think they've all had enough. Also, I wouldn't be surprised if this triggers a mass exodus, and sadly ends Maxis as we know it.

Maybe Oceans vacation might have something to do with the birth of this new studio? If there is gonna be some mass exodus, I hope they absorb some, if not all of the Maxis guys out there. I think they're good folks who wants a great city simulation game just as much as we do.

[Urban Cartographer 601]

I really hope that this would lead to a renaissance in independently-produced city-building games.

[AkemiAzula 280]

Alas Quigley seems to be saying he's over Simcity and looking to do something new, so Jellygrade doing a new SC looks out of the question

[The_City_Builder 299]

Alas Quigley seems to be saying he's over Simcity and looking to do something new, so Jellygrade doing a new SC looks out of the question

 

He said he's over SimCity, not city building games in general. Besides, EA/Maxis owns the trademark, so they can't make their own SimCity anyway.