EA lets some Boom Blox'ers go. States "Bussiness as usual"

Mark Dygert · Mar 2010

http://kotaku.com/5484553/a-number-of-boom-blox-developers-let-go

"This is a routine event and not in any way related to EA's announced restructuring. Moving projects to leverage development strengths is common in global studio organizations."

On one hand its their business to run as they please. But on the other hand, I hate that they can offer people full time employment, find out that they can't sustain their business and get rid of them. Just hire contract or do it right the first time...

Josh_Singh · Mar 2010

Just hire contract or do it right the first time...

QFT I would say that is the #1 thing wrong with this industry. Project Bloat, and hiring a ton a full time, employees getting benefits and all that, then letting them go when the the project is over or hits a snag. I have seen it and I despise it.

DarthNater · Mar 2010

Josh_Singh wrote: »

QFT I would say that is the #1 thing wrong with this industry. Project Bloat, and hiring a ton a full time, employees getting benefits and all that, then letting them go when the the project is over or hits a snag. I have seen it and I despise it.

Which is one of the reason's I decided to focus a little more on programming...

Anyway, I haven't been around very long, but is this shit common or does it seem like the industry is about to collapse? Seems to be a lot more layoff's than people getting jobs

Parnell · Mar 2010

I've always been a proponent on the lean and mean strategy.
Hire a small dedicated staff of pro dudes pay them well, keep them happy. Outsource/Contract the rest.
B

Mark Dygert · Mar 2010

DarthNater wrote: »

Which is one of the reason's I decided to focus a little more on programming...

Anyway, I haven't been around very long, but is this shit common or does it seem like the industry is about to collapse? Seems to be a lot more layoff's than people getting jobs

I don't think the industry is about to collapse, I think its changing in some ways going leaner and meaner like Parnell said. That's how the studio I work at is run, lean and mean. But in other ways (like this) its going back to how it turned a profit. Hire to get it done, fire after you ship to reduce overhead and maximize profits.

Studios need different volumes of workers at different times, the good ones realize this and don't jerk their employees around or they only layoff a handful of workers using the opportunity to ditch the unproductive.

If you take a job know that you probably won't retire from that particular job. It's starting to get like that just about everywhere in every industry. Very few jobs are secure for 40-50 years.

- Maintain your own retirement plan.
- Pay close attention to your companies bottom line.
- Watch out for what they have lined up for the future.
- The best time to start looking for another job is while you still have one.

If anything this just points that EA is up to its old tricks and thinks its a good plan for future profitability.

Joshua Stubbles · Mar 2010

Yeah, that's how they were doing it at Turn10. Devs and leads were fulltime, while 99% of production staff was contract.

Snefer · Mar 2010

Or you can do it like Ubisoft, have a dozen projects under the same roof then ship around hundreds of workers between them as they need ppl :P Factory-style! The montreal office is just craaaazy :P

Justin Meisse · Mar 2010

I was debating posting a "March Layoffs" thread. This is when EA does their "business as usual" layoffs.

crazyfool · Mar 2010

Parnell wrote: »

I've always been a proponent on the lean and mean strategy.
Hire a small dedicated staff of pro dudes pay them well, keep them happy. Outsource/Contract the rest.
B

yea, this is what Im seeing everywhere, meaning I gotta join an outsourcing company or go freelance to do the work I love. Which sucks big time as theres no job security.

real shame on the boom blox team. Its tough times at the moment for everyone

EA lets some Boom Blox'ers go. States "Bussiness as usual"

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