EA Black Box shutting down

[ppcock]

IGN: EA Black Box Closing

Now, while working for EA, i loved going down to BB.. a: beer and cake and a super laid back attitude b: they let me play techno.

There was rumors of EA being opened up in yaletown as well.
That's no longer happening.

See, EA?! This is what happens when you push games too quickly and get poor scores and as in NFS Undercover, the worst NFS game to date and I HATED CARBON!

I hope all my friends who work in the box arent cut but hopefully moving back burnaby.

with Midway and sega offices closing down to.. what's to become of the game industry!?

[ebbomega]

Another piece of Martin Sikes gone. =(

[ppcock]

Yeah.. no really.

They would've moved him back to Burnaby.
That's the last person at EA who would have to worry about a future with the company.

RIP Martin!

[ebbomega]

AFAIK he wasn't with EA anymore at the time of his death.

[ppcock]

Sikes spent the majority of his EA-ness in burnaby.

[Mr Ektion]

yeah =r tough news but they'll move all of those people to EAC. However, I did hear that a couple of EAX titles are being cut, like NFS.

they're doing head count cuts as well, but through contract employees. Poor people work so hard and lose their jobs to business needs. Only to be replaced by ambitious new people who are paid less to do the same job and go through the same soul sucking cycle.

EA will be fine though. They'll adjust to the economy, cut titles and take short cuts to make it by. but in the mean time, the employees they develope lose their jobs in a market that's VERY tough to find jobs right now.

[rawb]

WOW HARSH : ( l

[ppcock]

no doubt

radical
threewave
nextlevel
EA
hothead
slantsix
propaganda games

it's getting hot for competition.. no one is hiring, good luck Industry folk!


to top it off.. none of these companies are doing anything right now. Radical has prototype but who know's what's going on with that.
EA has its titles but still killing off people
threewave.. who knows. i see them working on stuff, but they had one game doing the MP for. then that game got cut (confidentiality agreement :P)
hothead has shitty xbl games
prop: after turok.. who knows what's going on!
and slantsix, with confrontation that scored poorly but apparently is good fun, shame the PS3 is not working very well right now.

[omega_image]

from what I heard, they did get the yaletown office, but now need to find something to do with it.

[ppcock]

they did get yaletown.
but they're not going to do anything with them.

[ebbomega]

Rockstar North had a whole shitload of layoffs last year too, IIRC.

[ppcock]

yeah, sega closed its offices in the states
midway is in the shitter

Rockstar North?
or Rockstar Vancouver

[Kraig]

1000 people will be laid off world wide.
9 studios are closing world wide, EAX is one of them.

They are moving a chunk of EAX to EAC though 10% in total of EAX AND EAC peeps will be laid off with more potentially to come.

Need for Speed is not canceled but shelved for roughly 2 years while they figure out how to reinvent the franchise.

The only driving game EA will release in '09 is Burnout.

[Kraig]

Originally Posted by ppcock

no doubt

radical
threewave
nextlevel
EA
hothead
slantsix
propaganda games

it's getting hot for competition.. no one is hiring, good luck Industry folk!


to top it off.. none of these companies are doing anything right now. Radical has prototype but who know's what's going on with that.
EA has its titles but still killing off people
threewave.. who knows. i see them working on stuff, but they had one game doing the MP for. then that game got cut (confidentiality agreement :P)
hothead has shitty xbl games
prop: after turok.. who knows what's going on!
and slantsix, with confrontation that scored poorly but apparently is good fun, shame the PS3 is not working very well right now.

No ones hiring?! Pfffft.

Blue Castle is - Careers with more roles opening soon.

[ebbomega]

Originally Posted by ppcock

yeah, sega closed its offices in the states
midway is in the shitter

Rockstar North?
or Rockstar Vancouver

Oh whoops. I always thought they were the same. Meant Rockstar Vancouver.

[ppcock]

North is in the UK, they make the amazing series.

Imagine if Vancouver did GTA. Their waiting list would be huge for peeps.

Kraig: yes, blue castle games is hiring.. but they seem to be the only one.... doing stuff? last game was the bigs.

[Kraig]

Last game The Bigs.
Second sports title announced - MLB Front Office Manager (for hard core baseball fans)
Third sports title announcement immanent

ACTION TITLE announcement - will be in the new year. AAA action project that I expect will generate a lot of buzz and attention in the games industry.

[ppcock]

(im not insulting here kraig)

Its weird they made a very action oriented baseball game.. i've never seen a player fly through the air like that.

then they go super realistic in terms of an office manager/coach game.

Just find it weird :)

[Mr Ektion]

i've only read stuff, but i hear they bought the space but have recently sold the yaletown office.

in the back of my head i doubt they'll totally close down EAX. they might keep some management there perhaps? you know, it's nice to have a lush downtown office by the water and all...

[ppcock]

with a big ass bamboo tree dying in the middle of the office. GOOD DESIGN CHOICE! designer probably worked on NFS Undercover

[stringbeans]

"get better"

[Kraig]

That's one of the most expensive pieces of corporate real estate in downtown. I'll be surprised if they keep it. They'll sublease it at the very least.