This is one reason why Square Enix gets so much respect from me. When the world's economies were beginning to tank, Square came out and announced that the top brass was taking a 15% pay cut so they would not have to lay off its workers.
@SacGamer: Not so much. I'm not saying they are bad, because I know how much people love them. I tried playing Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy and just could not get into them.
Now, if there are some other Square Enix games, I'd be willing to give them a shot. I'm always open to new games. #disturbanceintheworkforce
@Fluorine: Action Adventure like Infamous and Uncharted. Sports games, RPG's in the style of Fallout, Oblivion, and Demon's Souls. Really loving Demon's Souls right now.
EA didn't really buy a publisher, it bought a community. EA Mobile has been a pretty successful venture, and that came at the cost of buying Jamdat for 680 Million Ted DiBiases. I'm sure they are just looking to score that next giant causal game boost.
Don't worry, I'm sure Madden will still be released with it's standard roster updates and incremental improvements, costing EA tens of millions in the process somehow. It's said that we may not get a catchy new game gimmick in 2011 though. Sad, really... #disturbanceintheworkforce
@cookie.monster: Really? I feel you bro, I mean it must feel horrible to lose your job just like that. I hope you find another one soon though, good luck! #disturbanceintheworkforce
So apparently all of blackbox studios were fired after the release of skate 2...but now black box is making skate 3... I don't get it. Fuck EA. As a game design student, shit like this makes me raaage.
@Tre_Green: You can't really blame EA, layoffs have been happening in just about every market, we're in a recession and a lot of businesses are having to make cut backs and sadly, that often involves people getting layed off.
The one thing that bothers me is why they went and bought Playfish. Do their games earn enough money to justify the expense? #disturbanceintheworkforce
@-MasterDex-: You're right that its a bad economic time, but with EA, they seem to be notorious for frequent layoffs. Its just that they now have a convenient excuse right now. #disturbanceintheworkforce
@-MasterDex-: That's what I'm struggling with. I hadn't heard of the company before, and I have never been able to get into the idea of Facebook games... Maybe they see a huge potential in social network gaming, but I'm not sure it's there.
I would like to hear the reasoning behind laying off some of your best and brightest studios to bring in some people for casual gaming. Should we be expecting lots of EA shovelware soon? #disturbanceintheworkforce
@IcyM: That's true, they do have a pretty high turnover of employees. Not to make excuses for them but perhaps it's just because they're constantly restructuring their corporation and trying to get rid of as much excess as possible....then again, last year wasn't the best for them so they may be feeling the effects of that now.
Anywho, it's all speculation on my part. Either way, it's sad to see so many people losing their jobs. #disturbanceintheworkforce
EA: Hey thank you for making us some great games! By the way, some of you gotta get the hell up out of here so we can buy a publisher no one outside Facebook has ever heard of.
I hope those cut could land on their feet quickly. Being treated like a used tissue is never a good thing. #disturbanceintheworkforce
@Handsome Al: This is one of the reasons I lost the will to continue pursuing an education for a programming career path. If I'm going to be treated like cattle for the slaughter, I don't want to put so much time and effort into it.
That's the new corporate motto. Cull the veteran workers to reduce the paychecks going out, then when the new blood starts earning more rewards for working so long, do the same thing and repeat over and over. It's disgusting, but hey unions and regulation to protect workers are supposedly evil, right? In with the new cheaper labor and out with the old.
@Zunnoab: If you want to go into a technical related field the good things to keep in mind are avoid places where you are considered glorified typewriters, ie. most financial companies and sadly a lot of big name game developers. I like making games but the fact is I can get paid better doing other tech jobs that are still very interesting. #disturbanceintheworkforce
@Handsome Al: A lot of the Facebook companies are making tons of money. Zynga was something like the most profitable game company in it's first 3 years of operation than compared to most others that opened in the same time. The problem is that they get a lot of that money from doing very sneaky and scam-like practices. There was a really good techcrunch article on it recently. #disturbanceintheworkforce
@Nahir: I just read that article. I don't know what to be more concerned about; the current trend of small publishers making profit on social networking sites or a big publisher like EA buying them out for 300-400 million dollars while laying people off from dev teams.
Well Zunnoab, there you go. Get a job at Zynga or Playfish and you'll have a job for the next 2 years at least.
Rumor has it that they are now outsourcing most of their character and environmental modeling through Netdragon. It cheaper to have asian sweat shops make your game assests. #disturbanceintheworkforce
@Phydeaux: Don't get me wrong, I hate to see layoffs of any kind... especially while I'm trying to get a job myself. Hopefully there's something other than dev-imperialism going on here. #disturbanceintheworkforce
The twats didn't delete my account as requested, so I ended up going back in August since I had some extra business to take care of anyways. After that, I got the nail in the coffin as desired (deleted). Oh well.
Tbh the place hasn't died as fast as I thought it would, but it's getting there. I don't have anymore Stool Pigeons, so it's kind of a fading memory now. Live and let die, I suppose. #disturbanceintheworkforce
@SivicTheMimic:
It's a double, but it's pink so most people will ignore it. ;)
Yup, I don't want it said that I never tried to push it towards something better. {shrug} I lurked with one of many extra accounts and would throw a "that's not how {such and such} went down}" and promptly correct them. I hope I did it enough to where they'd just get exhausted that by talking about me I'd just, you know, pop up again.
I'd always stray from deletions except in the absolute worst case scenarios since it ruins the flow of a thread if you were important. Guess none of their content generated is important enough to keep intact by keeping posts visible, eh?
Much like rural communities that are opposed to, ironically, outsiders, they will eventually inbreed themselves to death until the jokes are only funny to them and the curve for participation is so far above people's head that only the same dozen or so will say something and laugh. You can only stand so many poor imitations of Maddox for so long, can only pander to the likes of PinkAngelKitty who will embrace and wield her sex as a weapon.
They can have each other. /They were made for each other./ Even with the occasional bullshit, it's much more comfortable here.
Oh btw you on XBox LIVE or Steam or anything? We'll play something sometime. GT is still XBD Phydeaux, Steam XBD_Phydeaux #disturbanceintheworkforce
@Phydeaux: Eh, there were many things that went wrong with the site. Four or five groups each strived to achieve different goals and eventually one set of ideals took over. I don't see a need to take jabs at it. If they like it the way it is then they like it the way it is. Remember, it's NO ONE's forum (yeah I know you hate hearing that... but, well...). It was a community thing that would have survived on IF if need be. Anyways, what it is now doesn't really matter. Neither of us are a part of it anymore, lol.
Shit went down, it's over and done with, our chapters have been written, and just a few more pages left. Let 'em have their fun. There's no real reason to show such bitterness towards the place imo.
Also... this might sound out of character but... You really didn't need to take a shot at pak. Before you get ready to reply to that comment, I must say that don't really want to get into a discussion about her - or any other particular member... ESPECIALLY in a public area such as this.
Like I said, shit went down, it's over and done with. Live and let die. Dwelling on such matters is fruitless and gains nothing of value.
All that said, my SteamID//WLID is the same as my User name. Don't own an X360 and don't really plan to. I play L4D, TF2, and some other games on Steam, but you won't be able to catch me at any specific times. I sort of go on and off. Add me if you're still interested, but don't add me if you're gonna bring up Outsider stuff (due to my afforementioned logic). #disturbanceintheworkforce
@SivicTheMimic: PAK deserves all she gets. I've seen people's relationships go down south when their spouses also join them in EQ and then they do shit to piss them off, and I thought THAT was ridiculous. I never thought I'd see the day where someone would take their server info and try to exchange it to a spin-off community in order to raise their status at that community. I've been cheated on before, and even someone's moment of weakness I can be quick to forgive but to compromise my server like that... I'm still steamed.
Outsider IF was dying, Karel didn't want to have anything to do with it, various other admins went idle, so I took up that torch. Only after did it become a somewhat healthy community again did it become a sought-after item and then the drama started. Point is, by various comments and conversations in the admin forum, it WAS my community. "I don't care." and "You do what you want." were common topic enders from previous staffers. So when I started trying to find ways for us to, you know, actually do stuff, they decided to go into action causing discourse.
A huge chunk of 'em are chickenshits that wouldn't do me the way they did if they were ever right in front of me. I hold to that, and they had better hope they never cross my path because I will bowl them over.
ANYWAY. That'll conclude that. We won't speak of it on Steam, et al. There's a Kotakuites that's filled with people who aren't dicks and when we get together for a TF2 event, that's always fun, so join up with us sometime. I don't play L4D but there's plenty of those guys that do. #disturbanceintheworkforce
@DigitalHero: Meant to reply to you... this isn't a rumor as my coworker who worked @ EA before told me his friend is getting canned when I mentioned EA bought out playfish... sad =/ #disturbanceintheworkforce
11/09/09
I'm not a fan of their games, but that is a damn good gesture to take. #disturbanceintheworkforce
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11/09/09
Now, if there are some other Square Enix games, I'd be willing to give them a shot. I'm always open to new games. #disturbanceintheworkforce
11/10/09
11/10/09
Arcade racers...playing a lot of Burnout Paradise right now. #disturbanceintheworkforce
11/09/09
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11/09/09
Don't worry, I'm sure Madden will still be released with it's standard roster updates and incremental improvements, costing EA tens of millions in the process somehow. It's said that we may not get a catchy new game gimmick in 2011 though. Sad, really... #disturbanceintheworkforce
11/09/09
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11/09/09
11/09/09
11/09/09
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11/09/09
The one thing that bothers me is why they went and bought Playfish. Do their games earn enough money to justify the expense? #disturbanceintheworkforce
11/09/09
11/09/09
I would like to hear the reasoning behind laying off some of your best and brightest studios to bring in some people for casual gaming. Should we be expecting lots of EA shovelware soon? #disturbanceintheworkforce
11/09/09
Anywho, it's all speculation on my part. Either way, it's sad to see so many people losing their jobs. #disturbanceintheworkforce
11/09/09
I hope those cut could land on their feet quickly. Being treated like a used tissue is never a good thing. #disturbanceintheworkforce
11/09/09
That's the new corporate motto. Cull the veteran workers to reduce the paychecks going out, then when the new blood starts earning more rewards for working so long, do the same thing and repeat over and over. It's disgusting, but hey unions and regulation to protect workers are supposedly evil, right? In with the new cheaper labor and out with the old.
11/09/09
11/09/09
11/09/09
Well Zunnoab, there you go. Get a job at Zynga or Playfish and you'll have a job for the next 2 years at least.
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So. How's the 'ol shithole, I mean Outsider? #disturbanceintheworkforce
11/09/09
@Phydeaux: Oohhh that explains it.
I left that place iinnn May?
The twats didn't delete my account as requested, so I ended up going back in August since I had some extra business to take care of anyways. After that, I got the nail in the coffin as desired (deleted). Oh well.
Tbh the place hasn't died as fast as I thought it would, but it's getting there. I don't have anymore Stool Pigeons, so it's kind of a fading memory now. Live and let die, I suppose. #disturbanceintheworkforce
11/09/09
It's a double, but it's pink so most people will ignore it. ;)
Yup, I don't want it said that I never tried to push it towards something better. {shrug} I lurked with one of many extra accounts and would throw a "that's not how {such and such} went down}" and promptly correct them. I hope I did it enough to where they'd just get exhausted that by talking about me I'd just, you know, pop up again.
I'd always stray from deletions except in the absolute worst case scenarios since it ruins the flow of a thread if you were important. Guess none of their content generated is important enough to keep intact by keeping posts visible, eh?
Much like rural communities that are opposed to, ironically, outsiders, they will eventually inbreed themselves to death until the jokes are only funny to them and the curve for participation is so far above people's head that only the same dozen or so will say something and laugh. You can only stand so many poor imitations of Maddox for so long, can only pander to the likes of PinkAngelKitty who will embrace and wield her sex as a weapon.
They can have each other. /They were made for each other./ Even with the occasional bullshit, it's much more comfortable here.
Oh btw you on XBox LIVE or Steam or anything? We'll play something sometime. GT is still XBD Phydeaux, Steam XBD_Phydeaux #disturbanceintheworkforce
11/09/09
Shit went down, it's over and done with, our chapters have been written, and just a few more pages left. Let 'em have their fun. There's no real reason to show such bitterness towards the place imo.
Also... this might sound out of character but... You really didn't need to take a shot at pak. Before you get ready to reply to that comment, I must say that don't really want to get into a discussion about her - or any other particular member... ESPECIALLY in a public area such as this.
Like I said, shit went down, it's over and done with. Live and let die. Dwelling on such matters is fruitless and gains nothing of value.
All that said, my SteamID//WLID is the same as my User name. Don't own an X360 and don't really plan to. I play L4D, TF2, and some other games on Steam, but you won't be able to catch me at any specific times. I sort of go on and off. Add me if you're still interested, but don't add me if you're gonna bring up Outsider stuff (due to my afforementioned logic). #disturbanceintheworkforce
11/11/09
Outsider IF was dying, Karel didn't want to have anything to do with it, various other admins went idle, so I took up that torch. Only after did it become a somewhat healthy community again did it become a sought-after item and then the drama started. Point is, by various comments and conversations in the admin forum, it WAS my community. "I don't care." and "You do what you want." were common topic enders from previous staffers. So when I started trying to find ways for us to, you know, actually do stuff, they decided to go into action causing discourse.
A huge chunk of 'em are chickenshits that wouldn't do me the way they did if they were ever right in front of me. I hold to that, and they had better hope they never cross my path because I will bowl them over.
ANYWAY. That'll conclude that. We won't speak of it on Steam, et al. There's a Kotakuites that's filled with people who aren't dicks and when we get together for a TF2 event, that's always fun, so join up with us sometime. I don't play L4D but there's plenty of those guys that do. #disturbanceintheworkforce
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02/05/09
02/05/09
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02/05/09
Oh and there are rumblings that the promotion is in deep trouble and might close shop soon.
They can also make it ala Saturday Night Slam Masters and make over the top characters...If the gameplay's good, I'm there!