Maxis lead Lucy Bradshaw is leaving the company after 23 years

Oh, Maxis

It’s sad to see how Maxis has changed slowly over time ever since its acquisition by EA in 1997. The company once provided me with hours of entertainment with classics such as SimCity and SimAnt, and it seemed like its success and inventiveness would never end.

But things were never really the same after the disappointing Spore was released. While The Sims kept Maxis afloat, its Emeryville studio eventually closed, and of course, the latest SimCity was a massive slap in the face with its litany of DRM-based issues.

As of this week, Lucy Bradshaw — who has been with the company for 23 years — is now leaving the company, to be replaced by Rachel Franklin, the head of the “Sims Studio.” I’m pouring one out for the Maxis of old, which seems to slowly lose another piece of itself each passing year.

Maxis Organizational Update [EA]