EA Canada is a video game developer founded as Distinctive Software in 1982 before it was bought in 1991 by Electronic Arts for $11 million, making it the company's oldest and largest studio.
Based in Burnaby, Canada, prior to being bought, they developed racing games including the first two instalments in the Test Drive series, and Stunts.
EA Canada is best known for its classic Need for Speed titles, initially credited to a team within the studio known as Pioneer Productions. The studio would develop the first four entries in the Need for Speed series; Road & Track Presents: The Need for Speed, Need for Speed II, Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit, and Need for Speed: High Stakes. On various occasions even sharing development with the EA Seattle subsidiary for PC renditions of those games.
EA Canada was also solely responsible for developing the PC release of Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed.
They also started development on Need for Speed 64 for the Nintendo 64 alongside Paradigm Entertainment, although the project altered during development into Beetle Adventure Racing! after EA signed a deal with Volkswagen to create a game around the New Beetle.[1][2]
Black Box Games would become a subsidiary of EA Canada[3] upon its purchase by Electronic Arts in 2002. Although still being owned by Electronic Arts, EA Black Box became an independent studio within the company in 2005 after the development of Need for Speed: Most Wanted.[4]
Team Fusion, a department within EA Canada, developed PlayStation Portable releases of Need for Speed games between 2005 to 2008.
Games[]
Pioneer Productions[]
| Game | Platforms |
|---|---|
| Road & Track Presents: The Need for Speed | 3DO, PC, PlayStation, Sega Saturn |
| Need for Speed II | PC, PlayStation |
EA Canada[]
| Game | Platforms |
|---|---|
| Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit | PC, PlayStation |
| Need for Speed: High Stakes | PC, PlayStation |
| Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed | PC |
EA Canada / EA Black Box[]
| Game | Platforms |
|---|---|
| Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 | GameCube, PC, PlayStation 2, Xbox |
| Need for Speed: Most Wanted | GameCube, PC, PlayStation 2, Xbox, Xbox 360 |
Team Fusion[]
| Game | Platforms |
|---|---|
| Need for Speed: Underground Rivals | PlayStation Portable |
| Need for Speed: Most Wanted 5-1-0 | PlayStation Portable |
| Need for Speed: Carbon - Own The City | PlayStation Portable |
| Need for Speed: ProStreet | PlayStation Portable |
References[]
- ↑ NEXT Generation, 1998. (46), p.96. Available at: https://archive.org/details/NEXT_Generation_46/page/n99/mode/2up
- ↑ NEXT Generation, 1999. (53), p.91. Available at: https://archive.org/details/NEXT_Generation_53/page/n91/mode/2up
- ↑ Article: Investment Canada Act (2002). Industry Canada (Gov). Available at: hhttp://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/ica-lic.nsf/eng/lk-30209.html
- ↑ Article: gamasutra.com (2009) Report: EA Black Box Lays Off Majority of Staff. Available at: https://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=21974