Electronic Arts Internal Practices Exposed

[RBWhite]

In the private sector & industry in the U.S. there are SIX legal holidays thats it. Vaction time offered is modest, and sick days are for illness and surgury.

The exception to that limit would be if you worked for the Federal, State or local government. The best of all for holidays would be working for a School district. Your days off were printed on a sheet of 8 1/2 X 11 paper.

I operated High Rise office buildings in center city Philadelphia, Pa. USA. My crews & My days and weeks never ended. I was, Buildings Superintendent/Chief Operating Engineer. No matter what those buildings HAD!!!!!!!!! to be open.

As Marc S. says to survive. There is always someone out there who would gladly take your job from you, gladly, USA, GB, EUROPE on and on.

I don't knock anyone for working hard, it show good characture, but don't kill yourself like I did. Know your limits.

Rick White

[Pippin]

Tell him to move to Texas. We a "right-to-work" state. Non-competes don't hold water here.

Maybe that is why there are not too many game dev studios in Texas.

[RBWhite]

Pippin

You've got the wrong person.

I think you wanted to reply to SlapBone.

Anyway, SlapBone this ones for you.


Rick White

[old man of the sea]

Pippin, there are lots of devs in Texas. Austin is a power house for EA Sports. Don't read too much into the post that started this thread. I know lots of folks who are very VERY happy working at or on contracts for EA.

E

[Hertston]

As my dad used to say, "bugger that for a game of soldiers". [X(]

I work to live, not vice versa. Sure, I could get a job working more hours for a lot more money, but as it is I have time to study for the degree I flunked first time around, talk philosophy with the Mrs, walk the dog, go fishing, spend time with the kiddie as she grows up and, erm.. play computer games.

I plan on starting a long and happy retirement in twenty years time, not a heart attack in five years time. No wonder you guys all need healthcare plans.

[Veldor]

ORIGINAL: old man of the sea

Pippin, there are lots of devs in Texas. Austin is a power house for EA Sports. Don't read too much into the post that started this thread. I know lots of folks who are very VERY happy working at or on contracts for EA.

E

Really? Where are they then? I only read through the first couple hundred of responses to the original posting of that. A much larger percentage of respondants were in the industry there. And 9 out of 10 or more seemed to be in agreement with it.

Also note the IGDA news release I posted. They are in agreement with it as well and no one represents the thoughts beliefes and concerns of Game Developers better than the IGDA.

Obviously not every last person would be treated this way. Perhaps your friend(s) have a much more peripheral role in the particular project(s) they are involved with. Or any one of a number of other possibilities. But that doesn't change facts.

[Pippin]

Hmmm.........

[Jonathan Palfrey]

"old man of the sea" -- hey, you're four years younger than me. Old man? Come off it, youngster...

[Jonathan Palfrey]

ORIGINAL: Marc Schwanebeck

To survive with this company in the game industry.

OK. For me, more important to survive as comfortably as I can with any company in any industry. But I'm not smug: others do far better than I do. And maybe you enjoy your job more than I do mine, despite the hours. It's not easy to find the best strategy in the game of life.

[Jonathan Palfrey]

ORIGINAL: Hertston

As my dad used to say, "bugger that for a game of soldiers".

I work to live, not vice versa.

Good for you and your dad. I spent four years at school in Devon but I've visited Cornwall only briefly. Like to go again someday.

[Veldor]

Old Man, The original essay has now been nominated for an award as the most important software related essay of 2004.

The story was carried, at least in part, in the New York Times, L.A. Times, and more. As well as official acknowledgement on the part of the IGDA already mentioned.

For those who are interested, I found the original source page to this whole thing which has now been updated as of yesterday with press releases, hundreds of article links, link to the 4000 post forum and dozens of other forums, FAQ, etc. etc. :

http://www.livejournal.com/users/ea_spouse/

A link to the original class-action lawsuit filed against Electronic Arts earlier this year regarding overtime practices is here:

http://www.eaovertimecase.com/

[Jonathan Palfrey]

Thanks, Veldor -- and thanks for bringing this up in the first place. Educational!

[Hexed Gamer]

While we like to say many nasty things about lawyers, one thing is for sure, the moment they get involved, you know it is more than just idle banter on a forum somewhere.

[old man of the sea]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not defending EA. I'm just saying that if you are working in games you are working hard for next to nothing in return in most cases. I can sure understand why some one would quit and I have no idea why anyone would stay under the conditions that are outlined in the letter. All I know is that the folks I know working on Maden 2006 are happy as bugs in rugs.

Jonathan, 14 years in the game biz age you at 3 times the rate. I am really 72.

E

[Cmdrcain]

Hummm sounds in a way like "sweatshop" pratices in the sense big hours but low pay..

As to EA, if one really wants decent truly statistical Baseball,Football,Basketball games with out huge gaa gaa goo graphics candy, go with Stratomatic games their baseball game especially is very statistical accurat..

[ravinhood]

Maybe your spouse should just move to the Postal Service System, there, you work basically when YOU want to. You can make upwards of $40,000+ a year and do little or nothing, but, talk and gab (as long as you get along with your supervisors). You can read other peoples mail, bust up packages marked "fragile", eat someone's moms cookies she baked, but, didn't put them in bash proof packaging. Walk around and "look" busy, even though you are not, take unlimited restroom breaks, oh the list is unlimited of the "easy" life of the Postal Service, and you get 30 days paid vacation the very first year, two weeks sick leave and 11 paid holidays. With all those benefits, you might find yourself actually working ONE day a year.

Personally, I would never take a "salaried" job ever again. I've been there done that and you make less by the hour than some burger king staff! lol well, thas a lil extreme, but, I think you get the picture.

The other problem behind big business practices like this are there are millions of fresh new "kids" getting out of college ready to sink their teeth into the "fantasy" that there are big "EASY" bucks in the software industry and that is true, but, those big easy bucks goto the CEOs and head honchos, not to the staff members, who like Walmarts can replace you in a NY minute.

Business today goes something like this, non-union, the business owns you, union, you own the business. The postal service is unionized, it's a wonderful life for the employee. There was one employee who took off 3 years, of course the Postal Service fired him, but, the Union got him reinstated, it's a better life with a union, especially when you need "time off".

[2ndACR]

Every one of my employees are salary and overtime is MANDATORY. We average 60-80 hours per week for 6 months straight with no days off. You are always on call. I try and get them Sunday off, but if we are busy, everyone works.

In 5 years of business, I have yet to lose an employee except when I have to let them go for something they did or did not do.

Of course, the benefits I give are worth the hard work.[:D]

[RBWhite]

I'd be careful using that word "MANDATORY" and OVERTIME together.

If your employees are told when they start woking that overtime is required, that is okay.

There are labor laws that don't like that word used with overtime.

Rick White

[2ndACR]

Everyone of them are told when they are hired that they will be required to work EXTENDED hours for weeks on end without a break.

I even give them a choice between salary or hourly. They will always choose salary.

[RBWhite]

Not being disagreeable, we have something in common. I have a universal certifaction through ACCA, and I also hold a few operating engineers lic. in New Jersey & Pennsylvania. Also worked many hours as a HVAC service Tech.

My smallest chilled water system was a mere 1280 tons.

My smallest building was 350 sq. ft. I had 5.

It's alot of work but it is or in my case was rewarding.

It's a good profession.

Rick White