EA Reducing Work Force By 1,000, Closing 9 Locations

[one...two...tree 2,762]

If every out of work video game dude goes into nursing, there goes our healthcare system!

I have many talents.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

We're just a small developer in LA (35 employees) and we're doing well, thankfully. Video games as a whole have been doing well in terms of sales. I'm seriously considering studying nursing should our company go under by next year.

SOE is hiring in San Diego, for what it's worth. They seem to be the only house out there hiring. I'd have to really REALLY be hard-up for work though. Not only did they fracking destroy SWG (NGE?!?! ####### was THAT all about?!?!) but they just recently announced that they're opening item shops in EQ and EQ2. So, basically, eff off Sony. But if you've gotta put food on the table, ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

Thanks for the heads up, but right now I'm staying put....great company and there's a good chance they'll survive these economic hard times.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Steven, what about software development or something similar? Though nursing will definitely be stable too, I'm just thinking of how long it will take you to get that degree....will you guys be ok if you go back to school? Jinky was trying to get her dentistry license here in the US, right?

Perhaps...should I lose my job, I'll be open to a lot of possibilities, but nursing just sounds right. Although I believe it takes 2 years to be an RN, I could work my way through (MA, LVN)...I need look into it more. I may never have to go down that road, but I'm just thinking of a plan B. Jinky's just about to register for her first national board exam, but she really hasn't had the opportunity to study with the baby. We've got to figure out a way that she can...and I feel we have a window of about 12 months for her to do it now while I know I have steady work.

[pedroh 21]

EA?

Electronic Arts - they are the mother of all game publishers.

well.. only the sports games.. they haven't been as successful with non-sport games as the competition.. except left 4 dead and mirror's edge.. but I know they have the capability to make a super game like the GOW or COD saga..

[aidan80 9]

Good god what EA did to the C&C series is terrible. The person in charge of that should be beaten! I'd love to know what they where snortin or smokin! A decent and entertaining series flushed down the bog! Bring back Westwood!!

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Nursing is a good choice. They are always in demand everywhere I've lived.

[rebeccajo 14]

Steven, you might want to look into what it takes to become an aide or nurse in behavioral health. I'm not sure what the educational requirements are, but i have a hunch it might be somewhat less rigorous.

Your personality would suit the field.

[DeadPoolX 9]

My issue with EA isn't the quality of their games (most of which seem good), but the DRM they've placed on PC versions. Mass Effect (which was developed by BioWare and published by EA) only allows for THREE activations of the software when installing it. These activations can't be recovered if the game is uninstalled. This is not a problem on the Xbox 360 (no other consoles have it, as ME is an Xbox 360-exclusive, just as Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is for the PS3), so PC gamers can't help but feel screwed over. BioShock used to have this problem (another game published by EA), but the decision to limit activations was eventually reversed.

From what I've heard, Dead Space has DRM in it too. I don't know about the upcoming PC version of Mirror's Edge, but since it's published by EA, I wouldn't be surprised if something similar was in place.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Steven, you might want to look into what it takes to become an aide or nurse in behavioral health. I'm not sure what the educational requirements are, but i have a hunch it might be somewhat less rigorous.

Your personality would suit the field.

Thanks RJ for the suggestion....I'll definitely look into it should the need arise. An RN's salary is in the range of my current salary from what I've read, so I'd need to stay as close to that as possible.

[Niels Bohr 72]

Hopefully, SquareSoft isn't affected. I'm very excited about their new Final Fantasy 13 game.

[Jasman0717 9]

May agency is laying off 224 by the middle of January and is also eliminating 193 vacancies. They might end up laying off an additional 625 come next July. This truly sucks

[Dan J 277]

My issue with EA isn't the quality of their games (most of which seem good), but the DRM they've placed on PC versions. Mass Effect (which was developed by BioWare and published by EA) only allows for THREE activations of the software when installing it. These activations can't be recovered if the game is uninstalled. This is not a problem on the Xbox 360 (no other consoles have it, as ME is an Xbox 360-exclusive, just as Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is for the PS3), so PC gamers can't help but feel screwed over. BioShock used to have this problem (another game published by EA), but the decision to limit activations was eventually reversed.

From what I've heard, Dead Space has DRM in it too. I don't know about the upcoming PC version of Mirror's Edge, but since it's published by EA, I wouldn't be surprised if something similar was in place.

You can get the games on steam now without the DRM that EA used for the games. You will still have to put up with Steam DRM, but thats not as inconvenient

[zqt3344 21]

I wonder if all those laid off workers still think that it is ok for all this illegal immigration to be going on and granting them amensty so they can stay and take away more jobs from unemployed!

I work about a mile from their central location. Here's what my boss sent out this morning...

Worst year for development (and independent development houses) in my recent memory, anyway.

The list of large, well respected, seemingly stable devs who tanked this year is staggering.

We're probably going to be okay for at least the next year, but I'm preparing for the worst.

http://kotaku.com/5114113/ea-reducing-work...ing-9-locations

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

EA?

Electronic Arts - they are the mother of all game publishers.

EA has been around since the beginning when home gaming took off in the 80s.

I don't think they have particularly high production standards. On the PC anyway - their console sports games are ok, but pretty much every James bond game they did was terrible

[mox 298]

I wonder if all those laid off workers still think that it is ok for all this illegal immigration to be going on and granting them amensty so they can stay and take away more jobs from unemployed!

LOL! Worst segueway EVAR.

I don't think the programmers, artists, designers, and other highly educated people who were layed off from EA are going to be replaced by migrant farm workers any time soon. I doubt their opinions on illegal immigration will be changed one way or the other.