

Massive layoffs (15-20%) looming over EA - cesare
http://gaming.icrontic.com/news/massive-layoffs-looming-over-ea

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cperciva
This isn't necessarily as dramatic as it sounds. EA has an interesting "job
ecosystem": They buy smaller companies, keep them alive for 1-2 games, then
tend to close said companies' offices and either fire the staff they
"inherited" or offer them positions at EA's main offices.

I've heard that EA Canada is only losing about 3% of their people, and that
other large offices are being similarly lightly hit; so this sounds to me more
like EA deciding that now is a good time to get rid of some underperforming
employees and several inherited offices rather than any sort of major internal
shake-up.

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azanar
"...this sounds to me more like EA deciding that now is a good time to get rid
of some underperforming employees and several inherited offices"

Perhaps it is sampling error, but the companies that have downsized that I've
known people at have largely said this same thing. There was some financial
pain, and economically forced separations mixed in, but for the most part the
recession seems to have provided a good political scapegoat to prune net-
negative employees without the stigma or guilt of firing someone.

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chez17
For those that follow gaming, it isn't a surprise that EA is shrinking. The
article doesn't say so, but I would imagine it is the lower level people
getting laid off for the upper level's constant terrible decision making. Sad.

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endtime
Out of curiosity, why would you imagine that? cperciva's suggestion seems far
more likely. I know he commented after you, but I'm still curious why you came
to that conclusion.

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chez17
In a sense I think we are saying the same thing. As a gaming dork I hear
nightmare after nightmare about the way EA treats companies after they buy
them. Imagine a small gaming studio that makes a successful game that came
from passion and creativity then being bought by one of the largest gaming
companies in the world and being over managed to death. EA isn't run by
gamers, it's run by business men. Thats why, in my opinion, the games are
suffering.

