10 Video Game Studios Killed By Electronic Arts
6. Black Box Games (1998 - 2013)
Unlike most of the companies featured in this list, Black Box Games directly owes most - if not all - of its popularity to EA.
Prior to being bought by EA in 2002, part way through the development of Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2, Black Box games had only worked on sports franchises. They produced three NHL titles and one NASCAR title, going on to produce two more NHL titles after their acquisition by EA.
However, after transitioning through their formative years Black Box went on to singlehandedly popularise the Need For Speed series, including (my personal favourite entires) Need For Speed: Underground and its sequel. They also created the extremely underrated Skate series, with Skate 3 being the penultimate game the company released before its closure.
In February 2012, EA began laying of several of Black Box's staff; only three months after the release of their final game, Need For Speed: The Run. In July of the same year they were renamed "Quicktime Games", and then unceremoniously closed down in 2013.
Unfortunately for us this deprived the world of Miss Universe: The Game, the last title Black Box had been working on before their closure. Truly, the world in an unjust place.