Harry Potter video games without Bright Light, Electronic Arts closing development studio
Electronic Arts have confirmed that they have closed down one of their studios, Bright Light, which was responsible for the development of its Harry Potter video games.
In a move that seems to mark the end of an era, a Harry Potter era that is, Electronic Arts released an ominous statement that removed any Bright Lights of hope Potterheads may have had for their beloved character and the universe he existed in.
The Harry Potter phenomenon had spread to almost every corner of the world since the first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was released by Joanne K. Rowling in 1997. Since then both Hollywood as well as the video games industry made their own adaptations of the series.
One of the studios behind the development of the games was Bright Lights, which is now set to be closed down by EA who released the following statement through their spokesperson, “After a review of all current and future projects, Electronic Arts has started a formal consultation process with its Bright Light employees over the proposed closure of the studio.”
EA also outlined the reasons for the move claiming that, “the proposed changes will help centralize development on future projects. Reduce development costs and will allow for better knowledge and talent sharing within the organisation.”
It is difficult to ascertain whether EA are trying to pool all their resources into one development ‘basket’ or whether it is giving the usual ‘it is for everyone’s benefit’ facade that is now a standard in the corporate world.
Yet, one thing which the publisher is doing, which may appease its to-be-laid-off workforce is allocating them to its other United Kingdom based studios.
The statement continued, “Employees that are impacted will be considered for positions at other EA Studios including those in the UK.” It also went on to explain that the publisher wished to “maintain a strong presence” in the region.
It may not be the end of Harry Potter games altogether, with the industry known for taking franchises down different paths and often reinventing and reintroducing them, such as the Batman: Arkham games by Rocksteady.
However, this does mean that Harry Potter fans should be ready for a slightly longer than usual wait for the next game based on the boy wizard; and by longer than usual, we mean not anytime soon.
The end of Bright Lights also adds another name to the list of development studios that have closed down in the United Kingdom over the recent months, as it seems the industry there seems to be struggling somewhat.
The Harry Potter games may not have been masterpieces but it gave fans a chance to do more than just read the book and watch the films.
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