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cdj
06-28-2011, 09:58 PM
EA Sports is currently scouting locations for a new game development studio based in Austin, Texas.

This information comes courtesy of an internal company memo obtained by IGN. In the memo, COO Daryl Holt outlines EA Sports' plans for expanding its workforce for the future.

"We have aggressive plans for expansion, and I will be visiting Austin, Texas, this week to assess potential space for a new EA Sports studio location," said Holt. "Our goal is to attract, hire and retain the industry's best talent."

Holt went on to say EA Sports will continue to push its franchises into "innovative new directions" and is placing a top priority on investing in its current development talent. He continued saying the company sees opportunity with "connected, multi-platform development," likely referring to EA Sports' future plans of creating a unified, persistent online profile across all of its sports properties.

He also said EA Sports has "cemented a new development structure" and even addressed the departures of key Madden developers in the recent months saying, "With these departures comes a renewed focus on retention, but also a realization that these departures create new opportunities for our people at all levels within the studio."

EA Sports currently operates two studios based in North America: EA Canada in Burnaby, British Columbia, and EA Tiburon in Maitland, Fla.

Courtesy: IGN (http://games.ign.com/articles/117/1179551p1.html)

AustinWolv
06-28-2011, 10:53 PM
I'm available, although my degree probably won't help them much. ;)

cdj
07-19-2011, 09:44 PM
More on the studio (http://kgnb.am/news/ea-sports-opening-austin-video-game-office-adding-300-jobs):

The Austin American Statesman reports that a big-time video game maker will soon be bringing 300 jobs to South-Central Texas when EA Sports opens a branch office in Austin. That makes EA Sports the biggest video game maker in the Austin area, since it already has some offices there that do support functions, like IT, and finance. But now the gaming side comes to Austin after officials with Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s Office worked with the company over the last several months to secure the deal. Hiring has already begun for those new jobs, which include software engineers, game designers, artists, and programmers, half of which will be permanent jobs, with the others being contracted out. EA officials say they will seek incentives from the Texas Film Commission as part of their expansion since that commission's Moving Image Industry Incentive Program is also open to video games.


From the Orlando Sentinel (http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/os-kassab-sunrail-florida-hospital-20110719,0,4285303.column):

Executives at EA Sports did a bit of damage control this week as news broke out of Texas that the company was growing 150 permanent jobs there.

They quickly tried to reassure local officials that EA Sports' Tiburon studio in Maitland, where signature video game titles like Madden NFL and Tiger Woods PGA are produced, isn't being dumped for the trendier pastures of Austin.

The proof is in the numbers.

Over the past three years EA Sports has received $4.2 million in incentives, or 90 percent of the total given out under Florida's digital media incentive.

Craig Hagan, EA's lobbyist, told me after this year's Legislative session that Florida has "one of the most lucrative incentives in the United States and that makes Florida a preeminent place for film and digital media."

In 2009 lawmakers switched the incentive from a cash reimbursement to a tax credit, the preferred method of payment by the industry because the amounts tend to stay more stable from year to year.

And lawmakers made things even sweeter this year. They added an additional 5 percent tax credit for companies like EA that make their products in a physical space such as a studio. They added a priority system to make sure digital media moved to the front of the line if less than 20 percent of overall film and digital media incentives had gone to digital media. And they added a 15 percent tax credit on wages and compensation paid to students or recent graduates of Florida colleges and universities.

"This expansion won't be limited to Austin, as we're continuing to strengthen our talent pipeline within our core studios at EA Canada and Tiburon …," EA Sports President Peter Moore posted on his blog this week.

This is one area where Florida can still count on growth.

bdoughty
07-19-2011, 10:05 PM
"This expansion won't be limited to Austin, as we're continuing to strengthen our talent pipeline within our core studios at EA Canada and Tiburon …," EA Sports President Peter Moore posted on his blog this week.

Oh Peter, you lost me at "talent pipeline." I have better chance of of finding a 5* Fullback in my NCAA 12 pipeline, then I would a "talent pipeline" at EA Sports. Love or hate the guys that have left Tiburon this year, there is plenty of talent lost. Throw in the layoffs at EA Canada last year. F'ing PR mumbo jumbo.