It’s going to be a very dark month for some people at Maxis as EA announces that they are cutting back at the popular gaming studio.

I’m not sure how much of a surprise this announcement really is since back in 2008, it was announced that EA was already planning on cutting jobs since games like Need for Speed: Undercover, Mirror’s Edge and Rock Band 2 had been under preforming.

Then again, with The Sims franchise being the top selling franchise in history, you would think that Maxis would be cushioned from this downsizing.

It’s sad but inevitable these days.

Hopefully the people who have lost their jobs or who are losing their jobs will find jobs at other studios.

Image|Wikimedia

Post from: EveryJoe

EA Cutting Maxis Jobs

Taken from the E3 2009 show floor on Tuesday, June 2nd. Much more to come throughout the week!

The Stay-Puft Marshmellow man from Ghostbusters, right outside the convention center to promote the new video game.

Ecto-1 from Ghostbusters.

LEGO Universe promo poster. Sadly, the game is not playable on the show floor.

Eidos booth.

Xbox booth.

Beware the Rabbids!

A mech thingamajig from James Cameron’s Avatar.

EA Games booth.

A Prius 3 promoting The Sims 3, in South Hall. (Note the floating green crystal.) Appropriate, no?

Warner Bros. Interactive promo area for Lord of the Rings: Aragorn’s Quest.

Inside the Batman: Arkham Asylum demo area. Kind of sums up all of E3!

Holy E3 Expo, Batman!

Nintendo’s booth.

The first-ever concert held live and in a persistent MMO game. In this case, the band is The Dares, and the game is Free Realms.

DJ Hero being demoed at Activision’s booth.

Post from: EveryJoe

E3 ‘09: Sights from the Show Floor

First of all, EA Singapore uses Facebook advertisements to promote the pre-ordering and the launch party of The Sims 3 on 2nd June 2009. When you are at the The Sims 3 Pre-Order & Launch Party landing page, you can’t miss the details of the launch party which you need to RSVP to the event on Facebook.

What’s special about the launch party is that you can get hold of an exclusive The Sims™ 3 T-shirt (for the first 600 game redemption) and get to meet other Sims fans. Of course, you can add the Sims strangers you encounter at the event on Facebook.

Greetings to all Sims fans! Join us this coming June at ILUMA for The Sims 3 Launch Party! Make friends and share your Sims memories. Bid farewell to the old Sims and usher in the all new Sims 3.

All you have to do is to PRE-ORDER The Sims™ 3 Collector’s Edition, and bring your pre-order card to the launch party to redeem the game. Exclusive pre-order bonuses abound!

And that’s not all! The FIRST 600 game redemptions will receive an exclusive The Sims™ 3 T-shirt PLUS a few extra surprises!

The Sims™ 3 Collector’s Edition includes:
• The Sims™ 3 game
• Exclusive 2GB Plumbob USB Flash Drive and Carabiner
• Exclusive European Sports Car download
• New The Sims 3 theme music
• Prima Tips & Hints Guide
• US$10 of Sims points for The Sims™ 3 Store

All pre-orders will come with special Bonus Download Codes for:
• An Exclusive Vintage Sports Car to drive your Sims around the neighbourhood.
• A FREE The Sims 2 Expansion Pack of your choice (Digital Download Version) from our online EA Store!

Using Facebook, EA Singapore managed to market and promote The Sims 3 effectively and unite Sims and EA fans online and offline. Kudos to the team behind this Sims 3 marketing campaign.

Image: EA Singapore

Post from: EveryJoe

EA Singapore, Facebook & The Sims 3

Also offered are Sims 3, Zelda, World of Warcraft, and a cool “Game of the Day” theme.

There are TONS to choose from so click here to see the full listing.

Post from: EveryJoe

Game Themes in Top 5 on iGoogle