EA founds new strategy studio Victory Games
Based in LA, Texas, China, planning Command and Conquer relaunch
EA has formed a new internal studio, Victory Games, which is to focus on strategy games for the publisher.
In a relaunch of its Command & Conquer website – mysteriously now pulled, but seen in full by GamesIndustry.biz last night – the publisher revealed that Victory had locations in LA, Texas and Shanghai China.
EA's strategy portfolio in 2009 suffered a large round of lay-offs at internal studio EA LA, which had previously handled the publisher's Command & Conquer and Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle Earth titles.
The new studio will apparently work on a fresh "AAA" C&C title, claimed Victory general manager Jon Van Canegham in a now-removed interview. "We're not just working on a game, though. Our general focus is on the future of Command & Conquer.
"That means updating a lot of the core technology to create a stable base for future development, and leveraging that work on this first game."
The new game will be a PC title and, according to the vanished site's About page, plans to "combine classic RTS gameplay with bold new technology, innovative new concepts and, as always, tanks by the dozen."
Van Canegham has previously worked on Heroes of Might and Magic games for Ubisoft, as well as holding executive positions at MMO publisher Trion Worlds. He was allegedly removed from his position as president and CCO at the latter in 2009.