Danger Close Games

Danger Close Games was an American video game development studio based in Los Angeles, California. It operated as part of Electronic Arts and is best understood as the final identity of a development organization whose lineage began with DreamWorks Interactive in the mid-1990s. Danger Close was not an independent consumer publisher with a broad portfolio; after its 2010 rebranding, it was assigned almost exclusively to the Medal of Honor military-shooter franchise. The studio's institutional origins date to March 22, 1995, when DreamWorks SKG and Microsoft established DreamWorks Interactive LLC as a joint venture. The original operation was divided between a principal Los Angeles studio and a smaller group near Microsoft's Redmond headquarters. The venture was intended to combine entertainment expertise, interactive software development, and Microsoft's technology and financing. Steven Spielberg was involved in negotiations surrounding the venture, while Glenn Entis served as chief executive and John A. S. Skeel led the Redmond operation. The company initially pursued a wide range of licensed and original computer-game projects rather than concentrating on one franchise. DreamWorks Interactive's early commercial performance was uneven. Goosebumps: Escape from HorrorLand was described as the studio's largest hit by 1997, although its reported sales were modest. The 1998 Jurassic Park-based title Trespasser attracted attention for its ambitious physics and character-control systems, but its technical problems and awkward mechanics damaged the studio's reputation. The company nevertheless produced a major success with Medal of Honor, released for PlayStation in 1999. Designed as a historical World War II first-person shooter, the game established a durable franchise and helped shape the market for later military shooters. Electronic Arts acquired the Los Angeles operation of DreamWorks Interactive from DreamWorks and Microsoft on February 24, 2000. The transaction included the rights associated with Medal of Honor, and the studio became EA Los Angeles. The Redmond activities were instead consolidated into Microsoft's own games organization, with personnel moving to other Microsoft-affiliated studios. Under EA, the Los Angeles studio continued work on Medal of Honor while also becoming involved in the Command & Conquer series after its 2003 merger with EA Pacific and the arrival of staff from Westwood Studios. In August 2003, the operation moved from Bel Air to Electronic Arts' Playa Vista campus. In July 2010, EA Los Angeles was renamed Danger Close Games. The name referenced terminology associated with Medal of Honor and signaled a narrower organizational mission. Danger Close developed the 2010 Medal of Honor reboot for Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360, followed by Medal of Honor: Warfighter in 2012. Warfighter received poor critical and commercial reception relative to expectations. In January 2013, Electronic Arts announced that Medal of Honor was being taken out of rotation and placed on hold. With no continuing franchise assignment, Danger Close was effectively shut down. Some employees transferred to other Electronic Arts teams, while other former senior developers helped establish the foundations of DICE LA, later known as Ripple Effect Studios. The brand therefore remains historically significant mainly as the last phase of a studio lineage that connected DreamWorks' early interactive ambitions with one of the formative console military-shooter franchises.

Danger Close Games was the final name used by a Los Angeles video game development studio with roots in the DreamWorks Interactive joint venture. DreamWorks SKG and Microsoft announced the venture on March 22, 1995. The resulting company, DreamWorks Interactive LLC, established its primary operation in Los Angeles and a smaller Redmond group near Microsoft's headquarters. Microsoft and DreamWorks each initially committed substantial funding, and the venture was conceived as a way to combine film and television expertise with interactive entertainment and software technology. The studio's first years were marked by experimentation across licensed and original games. Glenn Entis became chief executive, while John A. S. Skeel led the Redmond group, which focused heavily on publishing activities. DreamWorks Interactive entered a distribution arrangement with Electronic Arts in 1997. Its early releases achieved limited commercial success; Goosebumps: Escape from HorrorLand was identified as its strongest seller by 1997, while the technically ambitious Trespasser, released in 1998 under the Jurassic Park license, became associated with severe bugs, demanding hardware requirements, and unconventional control systems. The company achieved a major breakthrough with Medal of Honor, released for PlayStation on October 31, 1999. The World War II first-person shooter helped establish the historical military-shooter format and became the studio's most important intellectual property. DreamWorks' interest in continuing its game division weakened, however, and Electronic Arts acquired the Los Angeles studio from DreamWorks and Microsoft on February 24, 2000. The Redmond operation was absorbed into Microsoft's games organization, while the Los Angeles team became EA Los Angeles. EA Los Angeles continued developing Medal of Honor and also expanded into Command & Conquer work. In 2003, the studio moved to Electronic Arts' Playa Vista campus and was merged with EA Pacific. It also received employees from Westwood Studios following that company's closure. This gave the operation a broader EA strategy-game lineage in addition to its first-person-shooter responsibilities. Electronic Arts renamed the studio Danger Close Games in July 2010. The new identity reflected the studio's exclusive concentration on Medal of Honor. Its first release under the new name was Medal of Honor, a contemporary reboot released on October 12, 2010, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. The sequel Medal of Honor: Warfighter followed on October 23, 2012. The latter received poor reception, and in January 2013 Electronic Arts announced that the Medal of Honor franchise was being placed on hold. Without an active franchise assignment, Danger Close was effectively closed. Some employees moved to other EA teams, and several senior former developers contributed to the formation of DICE LA, an EA DICE subsidiary later renamed Ripple Effect Studios.

• 2013

  Danger Close is effectively closed

  [1]Danger Close Gamesen.wikipedia.org

  Electronic Arts puts Medal of Honor on hold after Warfighter's poor reception, leading to the closure of Danger Close and the redistribution of staff.

• 2012

  Medal of Honor: Warfighter is released

  [1]Danger Close Gamesen.wikipedia.org

  Danger Close releases its second Medal of Honor title, Medal of Honor: Warfighter.

• 2010

  Danger Close Games name is adopted

  [1]Danger Close Gamesen.wikipedia.org

  EA Los Angeles is rebranded Danger Close Games and assigned exclusive responsibility for Medal of Honor development.

• 2003

  EA Los Angeles merges with EA Pacific

  [1]Danger Close Gamesen.wikipedia.org

  The studio relocates to Playa Vista and is merged with EA Pacific, while also receiving former Westwood Studios personnel.

• 2000

  The Los Angeles studio becomes EA Los Angeles

  [1]Danger Close Gamesen.wikipedia.org

  Electronic Arts acquires the Los Angeles operation and associated Medal of Honor rights from DreamWorks and Microsoft.

• 1999

  Medal of Honor launches

  [1]Danger Close Gamesen.wikipedia.org

  DreamWorks Interactive releases Medal of Honor for PlayStation, creating the franchise that later defines the studio.

• 1998

  Trespasser is released

  [1]Danger Close Gamesen.wikipedia.org

  The Jurassic Park-based game launches with ambitious physics and character-control systems but is widely criticized for technical problems.

• 1997

  Electronic Arts signs a distribution agreement

  [1]Danger Close Gamesen.wikipedia.org

  DreamWorks Interactive signs a distribution deal with Electronic Arts, preceding EA's later acquisition of the Los Angeles studio.

• 1995

  DreamWorks Interactive is established

  [1]Danger Close Gamesen.wikipedia.org

  DreamWorks SKG and Microsoft establish DreamWorks Interactive LLC as a joint venture, with studios in Los Angeles and near Microsoft's Redmond headquarters.

A Los Angeles-based Electronic Arts development studio specializing in cinematic, military-themed first-person shooters, particularly entries in the Medal of Honor franchise.

• First-person shooter · 1999

  Medal of Honor

  A World War II first-person shooter originally developed by DreamWorks Interactive and released for PlayStation in 1999. The title became the studio's defining property and helped popularize historically grounded, cinematic military combat games. Its success supplied the intellectual-property foundation for the later EA Los Angeles and Danger Close identities.

• First-person shooter · 2010

  Medal of Honor (2010)

  The first game released under the Danger Close Games name. It rebooted the Medal of Honor series with a contemporary military setting and was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 on October 12, 2010. Danger Close handled the studio's central franchise assignment as Electronic Arts sought to revive the property.

• First-person shooter · 2012

  Medal of Honor: Warfighter

  A contemporary military first-person shooter developed by Danger Close and released on October 23, 2012. It was the studio's final major release. Poor reception contributed to Electronic Arts' decision to take the Medal of Honor series out of rotation, after which Danger Close was closed.

• Real-time strategy franchise

  Command & Conquer

  A real-time strategy franchise associated with EA Los Angeles after its 2003 merger with EA Pacific and the arrival of former Westwood Studios employees. This work belongs primarily to the studio's EA Los Angeles period, before the Danger Close rebranding narrowed its mission to Medal of Honor.

• 2013

  Electronic Arts places Medal of Honor on holdStrategy

  Background

  Medal of Honor: Warfighter received poor reception, weakening the case for an immediate continuation of the franchise.

  Action taken

  Electronic Arts announced that Medal of Honor was being taken out of rotation and stopped assigning the franchise to Danger Close.

  Aftermath

  Danger Close was effectively closed; employees dispersed to other EA teams or left, while some senior staff helped establish the foundations of DICE LA.

  Source

• 2010

  EA rebrands EA Los Angeles as Danger Close GamesStrategy

  Background

  Electronic Arts sought a distinct identity for the team responsible for revitalizing the Medal of Honor franchise.

  Action taken

  EA Los Angeles adopted the Danger Close Games name and became exclusively focused on Medal of Honor development.

  Aftermath

  The studio released the 2010 Medal of Honor reboot and Medal of Honor: Warfighter in 2012.

  Source

• 2000

  Electronic Arts acquires the Los Angeles development operationM&A

  Background

  DreamWorks was losing interest in maintaining its video game division, while the Los Angeles studio had developed the Medal of Honor property.

  Action taken

  Electronic Arts acquired the Los Angeles studio from DreamWorks and Microsoft, including relevant intellectual property and Medal of Honor rights, and renamed the operation EA Los Angeles.

  Aftermath

  The Redmond operation was consolidated within Microsoft's games organization, while the Los Angeles team continued under EA.

  Source

• 2013

  Medal of Honor franchise is put on hold[1]Danger Close Gamesen.wikipedia.org

  Product generation · Bankruptcy

  Following the poor reception of Medal of Honor: Warfighter, Electronic Arts announced that the series was being taken out of rotation. Danger Close was subsequently closed.

• 2010

  EA Los Angeles is rebranded as Danger Close Games[1]Danger Close Gamesen.wikipedia.org

  Leadership change

  Electronic Arts gave EA Los Angeles the Danger Close Games name as the studio narrowed its focus to the Medal of Honor franchise.

• 2003

  EA Los Angeles moves to the Playa Vista campus and merges with EA Pacific[1]Danger Close Gamesen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  The studio moved from Bel Air to Playa Vista and was merged with EA Pacific, also gaining personnel from the previously closed Westwood Studios.

• 2000

  Electronic Arts acquires DreamWorks Interactive's Los Angeles studio[1]Danger Close Gamesen.wikipedia.org

  M&A · Other

  Electronic Arts acquired the Los Angeles studio, along with relevant intellectual property and Medal of Honor rights, and renamed the operation EA Los Angeles.

1. 1Danger Close Gamesen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Electronic Artsea.com