Electronic Arts Opens New NASCAR-Focused Studio

According to a report on LocalTechWire.com, Electronic Arts has opened a new studio in Morrisville, North Carolina to develop the company's future NASCAR titles, beginning with NASCAR 09 for the PS2. The studio will be located at Research Triangle Park, a 7,000 acre office park which is home to 157 companies, according to its official website. As the team staffs up -- both with new hires from the local area and with transfers from EA's Tiburon studio in Orlando, Florida -- work will extend to the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 editions of NASCAR for the post-09 season. Senior staff is being recruited from Tiburon; in the story, EA's PR alluded to the number of schools in the area as a potential recruitment pool. NASCAR has several offices in North Carolina, and according to EA director of communications Dave Tinson, as cited in the LocalTechWire piece, this was another major factor in the selection of the location for the development team. Tinson says, "There is a thriving high-tech industry and growing game development presence as well. As compared to Orlando, RTP has a comparable to favorable cost of living and high quality of life. Not everyone we talk to in the Southeast wants to make their home in Orlando. It is a key to our long-term success and growth to have another location in the broader region. It is a two-hour, direct flight to Orlando, and it’s in the same time zone."