EA Bright Light (formerly known asEA UK) was a Britishvideo game developer founded in 1995 byElectronic Arts. The studio was primarily known for its work on licensed franchises such as the video game adaptation of theHarry Potter series. As of 2019, a subsidiary known asEA UK exists, albeit being a publishing operation.
 | |
| Formerly | EA UK |
|---|---|
| Company type | Subsidiary |
| Industry | Video games |
| Predecessor | Bullfrog Productions |
| Founded | 1995; 30 years ago (1995) |
| Defunct | 2011; 14 years ago (2011) |
| Headquarters | Guildford,England,United Kingdom |
Key people | Harvey Elliott(General Manager)[1] |
| Products | The F.A. Premier League Football Manager series(1997–2001) Harry Potter series(2002–2011) |
Number of employees | 100[2] |
| Parent | Electronic Arts (1995–2011) |
History
editEA UK was founded inChertsey,England,United Kingdom in 1995 byElectronic Arts. In 2001,Bullfrog Productions was merged into EA UK, making it to inherit franchises such asPopulous,Dungeon Keeper,Syndicate, andTheme Park.[3]
Originally focusing on developing original IPs, the studio released several well-received titles such asZubo, the first EA title exclusive toNintendo DS, in 2008.[4] However, the title was a commercial failure, forcing the company to amend its policy and shift to develop casual games and games that were aiming for younger audience.[2] In later years, they also worked on licensed franchises, such as the video game adaptation of theHarry Potter series, which generally received mixed reviews from critics.[5] The company also worked on fewHasbro-related board game adaptations, such asHasbro Family Game Night, which was released in 2008.[6]
EA UK was renamed to EA Bright Light in 2008, with its headquarter moved toGuildford,England,United Kingdom.[7] In 2011, after both the movie and the video game franchise ofHarry Potter were ended, Electronic Arts began a consultation process to shut down EA Bright Light so as to "help centralise development on future projects, reduce development costs and will allow for better knowledge and talent sharing within the organization".[8] After their last title,Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 was released, Electronic Arts silently shut down EA Bright Light by the end of 2011.[9] Most employees from Bright Light joinedCriterion Games andPlayfish, the remaining 2 subsidiaries of Electronic Arts in UK,[10] while others joinedJagex andSupermassive Games.[2]
Despite EA declaring that Bright Light would revive several IPs from Bullfrog, none of the titles were developed before the company's closure.[11] Before the company's closure, it is known that they were developing aMaxis-related title.[2]
Games developed
editReferences
edit- ^Daniel Emery."Inside Games: EA Bright Light Studio".BBC.Archived from the original on 2018-06-26. Retrieved2015-02-22.
- ^abcdRob Crossley (2012-01-05)."EA switches off Bright Light studio".Developer Online.Archived from the original on 2015-02-09. Retrieved2015-02-22.
- ^"Bullfrog Productions: A History Of The Legendary UK Developer".NowGamer. 22 February 2012. Archived fromthe original on 6 July 2017. Retrieved11 June 2017.
- ^Michael French (2008-05-13)."Feature: How new IP Zubo has changed the way EA UK makes games".Developer Online.Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved2015-02-22.
- ^"EA and Warner Bros. Announce Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Videogame".IGN. 2010-06-01.Archived from the original on 2015-02-22. Retrieved2015-02-22.
- ^"EA Makes Family Game Night Easier Than Ever".IGN. 2009-11-06.Archived from the original on 2015-02-22. Retrieved2015-02-22.
- ^Michael French (2007-11-01)."EA to close Chertsey, UK base as part of revamp".Developer Online.Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved2015-02-22.
- ^Jonathan Downin (2011-10-14)."EA considering closure of Harry Potter developer".GameSpot.Archived from the original on 2014-04-04. Retrieved2015-02-22.
- ^Tom Curtis (2012-01-05)."Report: EA shuts down Bright Light".Gamasutra.Archived from the original on 2015-02-22. Retrieved2015-02-22.
- ^Henry Gilbert (2012-01-02)."EA quietly closed Harry Potter studio Bright Light late last year".GamesRadar.Archived from the original on 2015-02-22. Retrieved2015-02-22.
- ^James Orry (2009-07-20)."There's hope that EA will revive classic Bullfrog IP".VideoGamer.com.Archived from the original on 2015-02-22. Retrieved2015-02-22.
- ^abMichael French (2009-11-30)."EA Bright Light launches DSiWare game".Developer Online.Archived from the original on 2015-02-22. Retrieved2015-02-22.