I don't think they are preparing to be bought out, being EA they will lay off a bunch of people, announce how much money that saved and then buy another social games studio for that amount.
Also in the report: Riccitiello wouldn't confirm or deny his company's plans to axe approximately 1,000 jobs in the near future, but he did say the company's internal statistics will see a shift from one of every eight employees being an engineer to one in two. Sounds like a bad time to be a concept artist at EA.
Today: 9,200 employees. 1 in 8 an engineer. 1, 150 engineers.
Next year: 9,700 employees. 1 in 2 an engineer. 4,850 engineers.
4850 - 1150 = 3,700 more engineers hired in the next year?
8050 not-engineers - 4850 not-engineers = 3200 not-engineer layoffs?
The "1 in 2" quote must be wrong or I'm missing something.
$23 million in severance = $7,187 for each not-engineer layoff (seems low)
I reckon they changed the internal company definition of 'engineer'.
I mean, I wouldn't refer to most 3d artists, 2d artists, level designers or animators as engineers, and I doubt their actual dev teams have a ratio that high.
Replies
Bloomberg link
http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/07/ea-planning-upcoming-layoffs-completed-by-september-30-2012/
Today: 9,200 employees. 1 in 8 an engineer. 1, 150 engineers.
Next year: 9,700 employees. 1 in 2 an engineer. 4,850 engineers.
4850 - 1150 = 3,700 more engineers hired in the next year?
8050 not-engineers - 4850 not-engineers = 3200 not-engineer layoffs?
The "1 in 2" quote must be wrong or I'm missing something.
$23 million in severance = $7,187 for each not-engineer layoff (seems low)
I mean, I wouldn't refer to most 3d artists, 2d artists, level designers or animators as engineers, and I doubt their actual dev teams have a ratio that high.