EA Black Box
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Predecessor | Black Box Games |
| Founded | 1998 in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada |
| Founder | Former staff members of Radical Entertainment |
| Defunct | April 2013 |
| Fate | Ceased operations after rebranding as Quicklime Games |
| Successor | Quicklime Games (rebranding), then Ghost Games (Need for Speed franchise management) |
| Headquarters | Burnaby , Canada |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Need for Speed series, Skate series |
| Owner | Electronic Arts |
| Parent | Electronic Arts |
EA Black Box—originally known as Black Box Games—was a Canadian video game development company situated in Burnaby, British Columbia. Established in 1998 by former staff members of Radical Entertainment, it was later acquired by Electronic Arts (EA). The studio gained recognition primarily for its work on the Need for Speed and Skate franchises. During the creation of Need for Speed: World, the company was rebranded as Quicklime Games, and it ultimately ceased operations in April 2013 following multiple organizational restructurings.
History
Initially, Black Box Games collaborated with publishers such as Sega, Midway Games, and EA to develop various titles. In June 2002, while working on Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2, the studio was purchased by EA, becoming a fully owned subsidiary under EA Canada. After this acquisition, the company adopted the name EA Black Box. By March 2003, increased project demands led to an expansion into office space located in downtown Vancouver. Two years later, in March 2005, EA Black Box was designated as an independent entity within EA, distinct from EA Canada.
On December 19, 2008, EA declared the shutdown of EA Black Box's Vancouver branch, consolidating all operations at the Burnaby facilities of EA Canada as part of a worldwide restructuring initiative. Despite this change, the studio continued to operate under the EA Games brand and remained separate from the Burnaby-based EA Sports division.
In February 2012, EA announced workforce reductions affecting both EA Canada and EA Black Box. This move was part of a strategic transition emphasizing "high-growth digital formats," including online platforms, social gaming, and free-to-play models. At that time, the future status of the EA Black Box brand remained unclear.
During mid-2012, while developing Need for Speed: World, the studio underwent a rebranding to Quicklime Games. It functioned under this new identity until its closure in April 2013.
Later in 2013, responsibility for managing the Need for Speed franchise was transferred to Ghost Games.
Several former employees of EA Black Box have subsequently contributed their expertise to racing games developed by other companies such as Ubisoft's The Crew and Slightly Mad Studios' World of Speed.
Games developed
PlayStation 3Xbox 360 rowspan="5" |2015 rowspan="5" |Battlefield HardlineMicrosoft Windows Assisting Visceral Games PlayStation 3PlayStation 4Xbox 360Xbox One
External links
- Articles with short description
- 1998 establishments in British Columbia
- 2013 disestablishments in British Columbia
- Canadian companies disestablished in 2013
- Canadian companies established in 1998
- Canadian subsidiaries of foreign corporations
- Companies headquartered in Burnaby
- Defunct British Columbia companies
- Defunct Canadian video game firms
- Subsidiaries of Electronic Arts
- Need for Speed franchise
- Video game companies closed in 2013
- Video game companies founded in 1998
- Video game development studios