I know some people at EA, and on the basis of their testimony about the Gulag Labour Squad model have myself avoided work with that particular firm... but I've said for quite some time that EA's atmosphere is symptomatic of the whole field - it stifles creativity and suppresses the enthusiasm for the game that designers should have if they're going to infect others.
It reminds me of the descriptions of the Lucasfilm studios in Australia as tendered by the cast of Lord of the Rings. All the hobbit boys got into the habit of hanging out during their off time, carousing and what, and the practical jokes and general good humour on their production became quite well known. One day they decided to head over on their day off and check out work on Star Wars. They get there: the studio is dead quiet, aseptic, everyone has dark circles under their eyes, nobody cares about the film, and everyone is walking on eggshells around Big George (which is too bad, 'cause maybe someone should've said "You can't write worth shite mate", but I digress...). Like night and day. I've seen the spirit of Big George (sometimes literally) haunting the industry for some time... |
