alanschu Posted October 31, 2013 Posted October 31, 2013 EA is a very large company, so generalizing the entire corporate culture as a sweatshop is a bad idea. It is safe to say that they've had development houses in the past that were badly managed from an HR perspective, but I haven't heard any horror stories from EA in a good number of years. The big one I remember was EA spouse. But like, Rockstar will pretty much troll in response to complaints about working conditions. But do fans really care if the working conditions are harsh if they're getting a game that they really like?
mkreku Posted October 31, 2013 Posted October 31, 2013 Their employees are not paid by the hour, and they often work in sweat-shop conditions. I know it's awful. Like, I am sick or go on vacation and I still get paid just the same like the rest of my friends that make salaries in other jobs. Also, when my boss says "Allan, I noticed you were working late a couple of days last month. Do you need some help with your tasks? I don't want you getting burnt out." That and the other annoying things like RRSP contribution matching, reimbursements for buying gaming software and hardware (EA gave me money for contributing to Project Eternity). Never mind that they still feed me when I do work late. Or that time that I sustained a serious concussion playing ball hockey and was bed ridden for 2 weeks with post concussion symptoms and they said "don't worry about work or money. Just worry about getting better" and accommodating the 2 weeks of half days after that as I slowly got better. Or when my personal life went into shambles in early 2012 with huge fractures in my social structure and I was given free access to a professional to help me through that. I'm sure many people in sweatshops look over at me and go "dude, we're totally the same." But I'm sure pre-EA BioWare was a beacon of proper working hours and non-"sweatshop" conditions, right? Fans don't care about employee working conditions in the slightest, all they care about is whether or not they like the game. Plenty of people here that enjoy games that are oblivious to the fact that they were made on an 80 hour work week for over a year with epic employee attrition after the fact when they realize it's not sustainable long term. Yeah, I'm sure you work in a ****ing paradise. Please tell us about the free BJ's they give you at lunch time too. Swedes, go to: Spel2, for the latest game reviews in swedish!
alanschu Posted October 31, 2013 Posted October 31, 2013 (edited) I'm not sure how a Consumerist poll is relevant to the discussion. Do you think people voted for EA because of the way employees are treated? Edited October 31, 2013 by alanschu
HoonDing Posted October 31, 2013 Posted October 31, 2013 That's a good photo but as far as I remember those aren't the work conditions of people in Japan, this photo is a picture of cheap hotel accommodation that people use as normal hotel rooms are very expensive. It's a cubicle hotel, commonly perused by salarymen working very late. The ending of the words is ALMSIVI.
Malcador Posted October 31, 2013 Posted October 31, 2013 Ehh, using that poll might be a reach. Why has elegance found so little following? Elegance has the disadvantage that hard work is needed to achieve it and a good education to appreciate it. - Edsger Wybe Dijkstra
Monte Carlo Posted October 31, 2013 Posted October 31, 2013 I don't know if anyone else has posted this, but CDProjekt have confirmed no DRM for TW3 1
Malcador Posted October 31, 2013 Posted October 31, 2013 Surprising everyone Why has elegance found so little following? Elegance has the disadvantage that hard work is needed to achieve it and a good education to appreciate it. - Edsger Wybe Dijkstra
Bester Posted October 31, 2013 Posted October 31, 2013 EA is a plague on artistic expression. Their work is mediocre at best, they're run by businessmen, not artists, they play it safe. It is them and their ilk which stands in the way of Games growing up as an artistic medium. That's how I see Blizzard and Bioware and all the others. Blizz corrupted and killed WoW, then did the same with Diablo for the sake of pleasing a younger and stupider, but broader audience. Bioware - same thing. Money is the source of all evil I tell you! If the state commissioned video games with "some" producer's control (a producer would be an artist too, not a businessman), then we'd be living in a golden era of video games. It'd be called socialism though, which people have been trained to hate, so that wouldn't fly. IE Mod for Pillars of Eternity: link
BruceVC Posted October 31, 2013 Posted October 31, 2013 EA is a plague on artistic expression. Their work is mediocre at best, they're run by businessmen, not artists, they play it safe. It is them and their ilk which stands in the way of Games growing up as an artistic medium. That's how I see Blizzard and Bioware and all the others. Blizz corrupted and killed WoW, then did the same with Diablo for the sake of pleasing a younger and stupider, but broader audience. Bioware - same thing. Money is the source of all evil I tell you! If the state commissioned video games with "some" producer's control (a producer would be an artist too, not a businessman), then we'd be living in a golden era of video games. It'd be called socialism though, which people have been trained to hate, so that wouldn't fly. Are there any development companies that you do respect and like? "Abashed the devil stood and felt how awful goodness is and saw Virtue in her shape how lovely: and pined his loss” John Milton "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” - George Bernard Shaw "What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead" - Nelson Mandela
NOK222 Posted October 31, 2013 Posted October 31, 2013 I hope he says Obsidian, considering he's posting on their boards. Ka-ka-ka-ka-Cocaine!
Hurlshort Posted October 31, 2013 Posted October 31, 2013 We are living in the Golden Age of video games right now. 2
entrerix Posted October 31, 2013 Posted October 31, 2013 we are definitely living in an indie game renaissance of sorts so many games coming out every month now, tons of little gems but im not sold on our living in a golden age of AAA games. too many mega-budget games are derivitive and lacking courage and real artistic/creative ingenuity 3 Killing is kind of like playin' a basketball game. I am there. and the other player is there. and it's just the two of us. and I put the other player's body in my van. and I am the winner. - Nice Pete.
Malcador Posted October 31, 2013 Posted October 31, 2013 We are living in the Golden Age of video games right now. Ehh. Definitely feel 98-01 was the best of it for me, but I guess that is just due to age and my favourite genres. 3 Why has elegance found so little following? Elegance has the disadvantage that hard work is needed to achieve it and a good education to appreciate it. - Edsger Wybe Dijkstra
Monte Carlo Posted October 31, 2013 Posted October 31, 2013 It's A golden age, Hurlie, not The Golden Age, IMO But yeah, the indie scene and Kickstarter are very exciting. 2
BruceVC Posted October 31, 2013 Posted October 31, 2013 We are living in the Golden Age of video games right now. Ehh. Definitely feel 98-01 was the best of it for me, but I guess that is just due to age and my favourite genres. Malc cynicism probably plays a huge part in your negative view of the current genre of games? "Abashed the devil stood and felt how awful goodness is and saw Virtue in her shape how lovely: and pined his loss” John Milton "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” - George Bernard Shaw "What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead" - Nelson Mandela
Bester Posted October 31, 2013 Posted October 31, 2013 (edited) Are there any development companies that you do respect and like? Hey I respect all companies for their choice of making money instead of making relevant and smart video games. Ugh, who am I lying to... Yeah, no. Obsidian and inXile I respect. I've yet to see a good game from them. What games they made so far - I dropped them after 1 hour or so. But I have a very good feeling about Torment and PoE. I love Troika I guess. You can love dead things, right? Edited October 31, 2013 by Bester 1 IE Mod for Pillars of Eternity: link
Keyrock Posted October 31, 2013 Posted October 31, 2013 You can love dead things, right? You can, but it's illegal in at least 20 states. I'm not sure about other countries. 2 RFK Jr 2024 "Any organization created out of fear must create fear to survive." - Bill Hicks
BruceVC Posted October 31, 2013 Posted October 31, 2013 Are there any development companies that you do respect and like? Hey I respect all companies for their choice of making money instead of making relevant and smart video games. Ugh, who am I lying to... Yeah, no. Obsidian and inXile I respect. I've yet to see a good game from them. What games they made so far - I dropped them after 1 hour or so. But I have a very good feeling about Torment and PoE. I love Troika I guess. You can love dead things, right? Okay good to know you do see some light at the end of tunnel "Abashed the devil stood and felt how awful goodness is and saw Virtue in her shape how lovely: and pined his loss” John Milton "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” - George Bernard Shaw "What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead" - Nelson Mandela
Malcador Posted October 31, 2013 Posted October 31, 2013 Malc cynicism probably plays a huge part in your negative view of the current genre of games? I'm hardly cynical. Just that I found stuff like Tribes/Q2/HL, XWvT/XWA/Freepsace, CMI/GM or Rogue Spear (even CS) more fun than most of the stuff I play or see on offer these days. As I said, it might be along the lines those genres being dead or fluttering or has just changed too much for my liking. Why has elegance found so little following? Elegance has the disadvantage that hard work is needed to achieve it and a good education to appreciate it. - Edsger Wybe Dijkstra
Hurlshort Posted October 31, 2013 Posted October 31, 2013 Are there any development companies that you do respect and like? Hey I respect all companies for their choice of making money instead of making relevant and smart video games. Ugh, who am I lying to... Yeah, no. Obsidian and inXile I respect. I've yet to see a good game from them. What games they made so far - I dropped them after 1 hour or so. But I have a very good feeling about Torment and PoE. I love Troika I guess. You can love dead things, right? I know this is a bit of a schtick for you, but I don't really see why you would play games at that point.
Gorgon Posted October 31, 2013 Posted October 31, 2013 I just watched Ezio or whoever hotwire a galleon and high tail it out of port GTA style. It didn't exactly fill me with confidence. Looks like everything is still too easy with win button, in this case counter or disarm, mechanics. Don't know if it still has automatic fail when being discovered. The setting looks really cool. Think of all the awesome games they could have made with that kind of budget. Instead we get a severely worn out formula. I don't expect or demand developers to cater to my demographic, I understand the reality of the market, but it still annoys me to see so much effort wasted. Na na na na na na ... greg358 from Darksouls 3 PVP is a CHEATER. That is all.
Zoraptor Posted October 31, 2013 Posted October 31, 2013 I love Troika I guess. You can love dead things, right? Troika is the very definition of why you do get businessmen rather than 'artists' running companies. Full of ideas (not really original ideas though) but desperately needed a Bobby Kotick type applying periodic pressure to their dangly bits to get them to work in a somewhat more efficient manner.
Malcador Posted October 31, 2013 Posted October 31, 2013 Double Fine might be a more modern example, potentially. Why has elegance found so little following? Elegance has the disadvantage that hard work is needed to achieve it and a good education to appreciate it. - Edsger Wybe Dijkstra
Morgoth Posted October 31, 2013 Posted October 31, 2013 Baldur's Gate EE Patch 1.2 is live, and it comes with a huge ass change-log: http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/22810/game-update-v1-2-0 1 Rain makes everything better.
Orogun01 Posted October 31, 2013 Posted October 31, 2013 Double Fine might be a more modern example, potentially. I'm still waiting to see how their "Dwarf Fortress" pans out then I'll decide. I'd say the answer to that question is kind of like the answer to "who's the sucker in this poker game?"* *If you can't tell, it's you.
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