Pandemic Studios were known for their excellent properties; most notability the the Star Wars: Battlefront series. However, sadly, it was revealed this morning that the studio would be closing its doors for good, something that comes as a huge surprise seeing Pandemic Studios were one of Electronic Arts’ major developers.

That said, EA has since confirmed that it did send out the order to terminate Pandemic. But, don’t worry, EA hasn’t complete gotten rid of the team. According to the publisher, the “core IP team” has been moved to their Los Angeles office, including Andrew Goldman, formerly the studio’s CEO; Josh Resnick, formerly the studios president; and Greg Borrud, vice president of product development.

“Today we informed employees at Pandemic that development on all the Pandemic franchises is being consolidated at EALA. As a result, we are eliminating roughly 200 positions at Pandemic,” said EA vice president of corporate communications, Jeff Brown. “That said, EA is very committed to the Pandemic brand, and a core team of Pandemic developers will be developing existing franchises and other projects at EALA.”

Sean Devlin was an Irish racing mechanic before the war took away everything he loved. His friends, his car and his women – all gone. The war, for him, isn’t a matter of choosing sides – it’s something much more personal. In “The Saboteur,” Devlin is out for revenge in this open-world action game set in Nazi occupied Europe. With the help of the French Resistance, British intelligence and his own two hands, those who aimed to destroy his life are definitely going to pay. Blow up zeppelins, derail trains, implode bridges, destroy armored tanks and level enemy facilities in the name of vengeance. They won’t even see it coming…

Welcome to the seedy underground of 1940s Paris. You’ll have to fight, climb and race your way through a uniquely stylized version of Nazi-occupied France in order to hunt down those who’ve taken everything from you. You’ll be living the resistance in this open-world from the top of the Eiffel Tower to the banks of the Seine River. Using a vast arsenal of weapons and explosives, you’ll be practicing your deadly skill of sabotage to single-handedly dismantle and destroy the Nazis from the inside out. Sneak your way into the enemy strongholds, infiltrate their most secure areas and blow your target to pieces as you exact your full measure of revenge. But just because this game relies heavily on stealth doesn’t necessarily mean you always have to avoid the direct approach. Even when you get caught and all Hell breaks loose, take advantage of the cover-based combat system and the full range of weaponry to fight your way out. This is an action game that gives you the freedom to play it like you see it – go in with guns blazing or tip-toe through the back door. You have brawn as well as brains; use them both as best you can.

One of the more interesting aspects of “The Saboteur” will be the stylized graphics that render areas of total Nazi oppression in black and white with slight hints of red to symbolize the crushed spirits of the people. Be prepared to see some pretty heavy stuff – the Nazi soldiers will be treating the people as ruthlessly as possible and it won’t be easy to simply stand by, minding your own business while evil men do evil deeds. As Sean Devlin, your acts of sabotage against the Nazi regime will undermine their authority and show the people that all is not lost, that they can fight back. As you do, you’ll notice the color returning to the world as the Nazis plunge into chaos. You won’t be the lone hero who wins the war against the fascists, but you will play a key role in their failure. By the time they even notice you, it’s already too late.

Brought to you by developer Pandemic Studios and publisher Electronic Arts, “The Saboteur” will be available for the PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. A release date has yet to be announced.

Well, there once was that rumor going around that Obama and Palin will be playable characters in the hit EA game Mercenaries 2. When watching G4 today, yeah we watch it, I tuned into one of my favorite shows on the network, X-play, and in their Gaming Update they confirmed that both Barack Obama and Sarah Palin will be playable characters in Mercenaries 2.

“Mercenaries 2 is a game seemingly ripped straight out of today’s headlines and fueled with the same type of over-the-top action found in the best summer blockbuster films. It only makes sense we inject the game with a spin on current affairs. The timing was too good to let pass.” said Tom Stratton, Pandemic Studios.

[X-play's Gaming Update via G4TV]

A new Mercenaries 2: World in Flames video dropped in today showing off some of the assignment that you will be playing the upcoming game and showing how to take on certain mission in the game. Don’t know about you but this game looks like it is something special.Mercenaries 2: World in Flames is the upcoming sequel to 2005’s Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction , due for release in the US on August 31, 2008 and in Europe on September 5, 2008.