EA abandons new Vancouver studio

According to Canada's Globe and Mail, EA has cancelled plans to build a new development studio in Vancouver.

Slow seasonal sales in North America and Europe and general concerns about the global economy led to the decision, a spokesman told the newspaper.

The new studio was to have been a 20,000-sqaure-foot-facility in Yaletown. It was intended to expand the amount of space available to EA's already large Vancouver operation, comprising the Black Box and EA Canada studios. The Need for Speed and FIFA series are made in the city.

"These are challenging times, they're uncertain times for our industry and across the board," said spokesman Colin Macrae. "We continue to be firmly rooted in Vancouver."