EA Chicago Closes Its Doors

In a move sure to send ripples throughout the video game community, Electronic Arts, aka EA, is shuttering its Chicago office effective immediately. In case that leaves you scratching your head, EA is responsible for such gaming franchises as Madden NFL, The Sims, The Orange Box, and the upcoming Rock Band. The now former studio was located at 215 W. Ohio.

According to EA Games president Frank Gibeau, shutting down the Chicago branch was “the toughest decision [he’s] made in [his] career.” As Occam’s razor would lead you to believe, the most obvious factor led to its demise: They simply weren’t making enough money. EA’s got 24 more studios under their umbrella, but pulling out of the Chicago market is extremely unfortunate for both the local economy and the tech scene. One fewer big dog in town means more trepidation on other companies’ parts. And that makes Baby Daley cry.