EA.com the Next Dot-Bomb?

 

Electronic Arts Inc., the largest U.S. video game publisher,is laying off 200 to 250 people from its online unit, about one-third of the staff of Redwood City, California-based EA.com. It was not immediately clear if the cuts would mean the elimination of any of the offerings on the EA.com site.

Top Ten Reasons to
Work at Electronic Arts

10. Free Games!!

9. Your friends will quit their jobs to search for one as good as yours!

8. Every day is casual day at EA!

7. Employee Stock Options provide a crash course in investment management!

6. Cubicles are specially designed to provide the maximum display area for personal toy collections.

5. "Make Games" is a sure-fire response to the eternal question, "So, what do you do for a living?"

4. Referral bonuses for new employees mean that if you read this and get hired, I get $500!

3. Christmas shopping is so much more rewarding when you can do it via e-mail to the Company Store.

2. Create the games today that all your friends will play tomorrow.

1. 'Cause it's the coolest place to hang out while doing what you love!

Top One Reason Not to Work at Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts Inc., the largest U.S. video game publisher, is laying off 200 to 250 people from its online unit, about one-third of the staff of Redwood City, California-based EA.com.

It was not immediately clear if the cuts would mean the elimination of any of the offerings on the EA.com site, primarily because you have to sit through 3 redirects and then create an account before they'll even let you see what they have to offer, and then only if you're using an approved browser and the moon is full and it's the second Thursday of the month.

Is it any wonder they're hurting for money? What do you think?

EA was built on letting gamers create games.

Exhibit A: The Bard's Tale series.

Ever since it has tried to go corporate and grow its brand label, it has pretty much lost all following (With the notable exception of its Sports division).

Give the games back to the gamers and let them do it right!

I used to work for a company whose founders used the slogan: "You can make a manager out of an engineer but you can't make an engineer out of a manager." I would suggest that you can make a manager out of a gamer, but you can't make a gamer out of a manager. And if you have a product run by managers and not (converted) gamers, the target for your product will know it and it just "won't work."

--The Sigil

While Broderbund made some cool games for the Apple II back in the day, my favorite games were all EA products -- The Bard's Tale, Archon & Archon II: Adept, Pinball Construction Set, Age of Adventure... the games were cool, provided years of enjoyment, and were even packaged cool. I've always thought it was too bad that by the time I got a Mac, they didn't seem to be making cool games anymore (and certainly not for the Mac, grumble grumble).

I don't know if this is the place towrite but I want to let you know that after playing and enjoying SOL for 3 days and working and getting 40,000 someone has taken my roommate and stolen all of my furniture. I am devastated! It takes for ever to build all of that up. Please give me back my stuff! I am at Relax Inn in Dave's Grove. I just can't have this happen again!