EA Pinching Pennies

Thanks to intrepid reporting over at Destructoid.com we find out that EA is now in the process of hacking off the fat from two of their developers, namely Mythic (Dark Age of Camelot) whom they purchased in 2006, and their Redwood Shores studio (Ultima Online).

While I won't get into the nitty gritty of the article, you can hit the link at the bottom to read it in its entirety.

Here's a quick excerpt from the EA internal e-mail that was forwarded from a Destructoid fan who works there:

Given this, John Riccitiello, our CEO, has tasked the company to get its costs in line with revenues ... Every studio, group and division of the company has been tasked to review its overall headcount and adjust its organization to meet the needs of the business moving forward.

EA tends to have a bad reputation within the industry for its hiring and layoff practices and events like this tend to be why. While most developers make no attempt to sound as though we have a stable job, there is a certain realm of safety that is desired in one's primary income, and EA has not yet managed to make a majority of developers feel as though it's a safe place to work. The games industry is absolutely fantastic and I highly encourage creative minds to seek employment here. New blood is needed to keep upcoming titles fresh and to ensure the envelope is constantly being pushed, so I don't want to dissuade anyone from seeking out this life. But I would recommend doing your research and feeling solid with your decision of where to clock in every day.

I wake up and know I have a job today, perhaps those at Mythic did too. But guess who's sipping coffee this foggy morning at their desk at work?

Full Destructoid Article Here

\\drew