Origin Systems May Soon Shutter in Austin

Rumors are swirling that Electronic Arts will soon shutter Origin Systems, the Austin-based gaming studio EA bought in the early 1990s that produces Ultima Online, the first commercially successful massively multiplayer game.

The move would either relocate to California or put out of work 230 developers and support staff, quite a hit to the third largest game development city in the United States. Moreover, the closing would also bring an end to one of the most innovative game companies around.

Many years back, Origin became the first game company to have a THX-certified studio on its premises, which allowed developers to create movie sound quality for games. It also served as a voice-over studio where the likes of Mark Hamill (of Luke Skywalker fame) recorded his clips for the Wing Commander series.

Speaking of Wing Commander. Chris Roberts, then a fledgling film director, also brought his cinematic vision to Origin where he developed a tremendously successful CD-ROM game. It included live-action cut scenes and Hollywood actors to move the story along. Eventually, he realized his vision on the big screen.