When Long Hours at a Video Game Stop Being Fun

[Javert]

CHARLES DICKENS himself would shudder, I should think, were he to see the way young adults are put to work in one semimodern corner of our economy. Gas lamps are long gone, and the air is free of soot. But you can't look at a place like Electronic Arts, the world's largest developer of entertainment software, and not think back to the early industrial age when a youthful work force was kept fully occupied during all waking hours to enrich a few elders.

Games for video consoles and PC's have become a $7 billion-a-year business. Based in Redwood City, Calif., Electronic Arts is the home of the game franchises for N.F.L. football, James Bond and "Lord of the Rings," among many others. For avid players with professional ambitions to develop games, E.A. must appear to be the best place in the world. Writing cool games and getting paid to boot: what more could one ask?

Yet there is unhappiness among those who are living that dream. Based on what can be glimpsed through cracks in E.A.'s front facade, its high-tech work force is toiling like galley slaves chained to their benches.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/21/business/yourmoney/21digi.html?oref=login&th

 

[Dedalus]

E.A. must appear to be the best place in the world

by who exactly?! :O

i'd be surprised if anyone on these boards actually looks up to EA.

 

[CrazyHarij]

Unfortunately my membership at NYTimes has expired.

 

[Ames]

Unfortunately my membership at NYTimes has expired.

I can read that perfectly fine with my freebie account...

 

[Javert]

Unfortunately my membership at NYTimes has expired.

Log-in is free.
But if you want me to paste the entire text, I'll do it.

In a nutshell, working at EA sux.

 

[CrazyHarij]

Log-in is free.
But if you want me to paste the entire text, I'll do it.

In a nutshell, working at EA sux.

Oh, it's free?

Anyhow, yes, I get the idea.. I've read similar things about Disney and Disneyland. :hmph:

 

[nw909]

Of course working at EA sucks, I thought everyone knew that?

 

[blahblahblah]

Still, the company is a generous warden: free laundry service, free meals, free ice cream and snacks. The first month, the E.A. employee recalled, he and his colleagues were delighted by the amenities. But he said they soon came to feel that seeing the sun occasionally would have had more of a tonic effect.

Yikes. 80 hours a week isn't unusual for EA employees. Kids, do your research on the industry you want to join and find out how many hours you will have to work to earn your salary.

 

[ryanmw]

ummm thats why u dont go work for a game developer....you go and be the game tester for Playboy

 

[Tr0n]

Log-in is free.
But if you want me to paste the entire text, I'll do it.

In a nutshell, working at EA sux.

Hell...EA in general sucks.

 

[Danimal]

Wow, so basically working at EA sucks. What about Game Traders?