Answer:  When the CEO personally makes time in in a busy diary and spends quality time with the new graduates.

Yes, EA CEO John Riccitiello is a man who is devoted to ensuring EA hires the best talent and for him that includes putting Graduates on the centre stage.  He recognises they are the future business leaders.

Yesterday, he gathered a group of new Grads, interns and co-ops together and spent time discussing EA, the future, business models, competition, latest games and then held a great Q&A so the grads could ask him about anything.  And that they did!…….

All involved left feeling inspired…..and that included JR.

How cool is that?      EArl

 A couple of extra shots for you.  Look carefully at the audience amongst the grads and you can see Gabrielle Toledano EA’s EVP of HR and Cindy Nicola, the VP who heads up Recruitment.  Very cool.

© 2010 Electronic Arts Inc. All rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners

EA is very proud to be a member of Skillset in the UK.  

What is Skillset?  Well, Skillset is the Sector Skills Council (SSC) for Creative Media which comprises TV, film, radio, interactive media, animation, computer games, facilities, photo imaging, publishing, advertising and fashion and textiles. Their aim is to support improvements to the productivity of our industry to ensure that it remains globally competitive. They do this by influencing and leading; developing skills, training and education policy; and through opening up the industries to the UK’s pool of diverse talent.  Skillset conducts consultation work with industry, publishes research and strategic documents, run funding schemes and project work, and provide information about the challenges that face the industry and what we need to do to overcome them.  Lastly they also provide impartial media careers resources for aspiring new entrants and established industry professionals online and over the phone. Whether a freelancer looking for training information, a student furthering knowledge of industries or a public agency partner, Skillset aim to provide all with easy access to the information required.  To learn more, click here. 

Leading the way for the videogame sector in the UK is Executive Chair, Industry Statesman Ian Livingstone who presides over a prestigious council with representatives from EA, Sony, Microsoft, ELSPA and TIGA amongst others. 

Many students in the UK are confused by the explosive growth in degrees, particularly those focusing on videogames.  What should they study?  Where should they study?  Are some Degrees ‘worth more’ than others?  What are the Degrees to avoid!Through a very thorough review process, Skillset accredits the best Gaming Degrees in the UK, (with Industry support).  This is a key guide for students as games degrees have received a bad rap and some have been hastily put together. The goal….to help students best decide.

Skillset have again been at the forefront of the skills agenda.  At a recent event they brought together some of the most talented animation graduates from the UK’s most industry-savvy courses together under one roof in Soho for industry to meet.  Even better is that they filtered the best of the current crop too- into the best new breed of 3D, 2D, and stop frame animators!  As well as a great conference, Skillset arranged for an informal exhibition space allowing the best graduating students from Skillset Accredited degree and postgraduate courses to showcase their innovative and inspiring work. A new addition for the 2010 showcase was a screening room to view selected student work.

 To give an idea of who attended and spoke at the Conference, here’s the agenda.

EA supported the Animation day…..

EA keynoted the event via Matthew Jeffery of the recruitment team who presented on the 12 principles of animation and what EA look for.  Matthew detailed what EA looks for in a showreel and gave an overview of the 12 principles of Animation.  This advice has been provided on this blog previously.  In particular take a look at :

-     The principles of animation  Click here

-     How to put together a killer showreel   Click here

-     How to put together a great cv   Click here

-     Advice to students and graduates   Click here

-     How to maximise your chances in getting a job     Click here

Signing off the 40 minute presentation Matthew inspirationally reminded the Graduates and Professors to aim high and to never give up on their dreams.  The likes of Walt Disney, John Lasseter, Steven Spielberg, Will Wright all had their dreams and through their unshaking dedication to these dreams, lost blood, sweat and tears to ensure they brought joy to millions of people across the world through their ability to entertain.

Keep up the great work Skillset.     EArl

© 2010 Electronic Arts Inc. All rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners

Obviously we love working at EA.  But we are biased.  It is always great to receive external recognition about EA being a great place to work.

Let’s take a look at some different awards announced recently.

First up at the prestigious ‘Recruiter Awards’, EA was delighted to be awarded the recognition ‘Highly Commended’ for the most effective Employee Brand development.  What makes this special is that the recognition comes in a category that included hundreds of applicants across different industries eg financial services, pharmaceutical, public sector, retail, consumer goods etc.

Every year, Universum surveys students and asks them questions about their career expectations, how they perceive companies as employers and what they associate to those employers. Universum asks students to pick the employers they would consider working for and then choose the employers they would most like to work for, that is the companies that they perceive as being “Ideal”.

The Universum Top 100 Ideal Employer Rankings reflect the frequency with which these employers were selected as being ideal by the students who participated in the surveys. The Universum Top 100 essentially measures the level of employer attractiveness that a company/organization has on the recruitment market vis-à-vis other competing employers. In other words, how many students perceive you as a “best place to work” company or organization and where do you stand in the crowd of all those employers needing top talent.

The Universum American Student IT Survey results are out.

And……..

EA are in the Top 10….at number 8!!!

Very cool.

Now what makes this exciting is that this is the opinion of students…some 56,900 were polled from 345 leading US Universities.

Other Universum results have also been announced.

In the UK, some 11,637 students from 65 leading Universities were polled and EA were ranked at number 15in the Engineering / IT Sector.

And in Sweden, 16,791 University Students were polled from 34 leading Universities.  DICE, (an EA Company), were voted in at number 5.

These votes mean a great deal for us at EA.  Especially as they are voted by students.  Thank you.

© 2010 Electronic Arts Inc. All rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners

So you want to be an artist?

I thought it cool to share a presentation on art careers in EA, the different art disciplines, (eg animator, modeller, VFX, Concept artist etc), the skills and experience we look for each role and a definition of ‘what good looks like’.  This will give you a great insight into what recruiters look at and how they take decisions.

Take a look at the presentation.  (For those reading the news letter you will need to view this HTML on the site).

 So let’s continue our focus on art with an interview by our sister site www.ea.com.  Lucian Tucker met with Emma Toyonaga a Concept Artist.  Over to you Lucian.

Imagine designing a game character from scratch. Sure, you’re given some design parameters like “make sure it’s cute,” or “appeal to kids,” but even so, the look of the character is in your control. You’re the one with the blank sheet of 11 x 17 paper on your desk and what you draw will be molded, and animated, and will end up on screens all over the world.

If you’re interested in working in the game industry and love to draw, I’m sure you’ve dreamed of being a Concept Artist like my interviewee this week Emmy Toyonaga (see self-portrait on left). She’s responsible for creating the look of the MySims characters. Before that, she was responsible for changing the colors of couches on The Sims from brown to black. Have to start somewhere I suppose.

Can you tell me your name, job title, and what you do at EA?

Emmy Toyonaga. Lead Character Artist for The Sims Label, though currently I’m doing concept art and character art direction.

So really you have two jobs.

What I do isn’t really typical here. I guess you can do more than what is in your job description when you work on small teams.

I’m also a special case since I came up with the look for the characters in MySims and created the base 3D meshes, so I function as a style guide for the franchise.

Tell me about that. When you created the MySims characters, where did you start?

Everything starts from design. The lead designer wanted characters that appealed to the Nintendo market and the game was to be more light hearted and approachable, so I tried to create something that would appeal to that market.

I referenced current Nintendo games and looked at urban vinyl toys as reference. The small characters resonated well with the team so we went with that. Also, in games and animation, I found that more cartoon-like, squat characters are used in light-hearted situations, and realistic and gritty characters work better for serious situations. Since the Sims characters have always been more realistic in style, I thought a lighter hearted version of the Sims should have characters that are small and cute, like toys coming alive.

And when you go to actually design them, do you start with pencil and paper, or something else? How does that process begin?

Pencil and paper back then. Now I have a Wacom Intuos (pen tablet) that allows me to draw directly onto the screen. Pencil and paper is still the best though. You just scan the drawings, open them in Photoshop, and edit them there.

What happens after you finish the concept art?

Concept art in gaming has multiple purposes. For characters, like on the Sims series, you draw the character and the clothing and get approval from design and management. It’s kind of like drafting out a building design before you build it. You make changes in the drawing so you don’t spend time fixing it while you’re building it.

The concept art then goes to the 3D Modeler, who makes the character out of the drawing. On MySims 1, in the beginning of the project, I was both the concept artist and the character modeler so I performed both tasks.

Are they similar at all? Or easy to go from one to the other?

Modeling and concept art? Concept art involves visualizing and projecting information that Design would like to see onto paper. Concept artists are the idea guys responsible for creating reference art for the 3D modelers.

For 3D modeling, you take concept art and build out the information, whether it is a level, character, or object-almost like molding clay, in the computer. 3D artists are basically the sculptors.

So we have Emmy the Concept Artist and Emmy the Modeler. What about the Character Art Direction side?

That’s where I’m the style guide. I help other artists understand what makes a MySim look like a MySim.

Ah, because you’re the person who created it and you know it best.

Yes. Art tends to be subjective-it’s important to have a point person that can make decision of whether or not looks good within a set style. Of course, the director has to be flexible enough to incorporate other artist’s ideas and input. I think this can be said for other jobs as well.

It’s a lot of pressure sometimes though, since you have to believe in your choices and trust that they are correct.

How long have you been at EA?

[She checks] November 14^th, 2003 is my start date-around 9 years I guess. Wow, that long? I worked at Maxis before were merged into EA Headquarters.

Back in 2003 did you join Maxis as a Concept Artist or something else?

I actually came on as an Object Modeler/Texture Artist. It was a very boring job in the beginning, but you have to start somewhere.

[Laughter] I would take a brown chair, and make a black version, and a green version. Or fix bad outsourced art. Ah, the memories.

So I want to go forward a little, and then backwards. Going forwards, where did you go after making black couches?

[Laughter] I kept on nagging people to let me work on characters and they gave me an opportunity. After proving that I’m capable, I was moved on to the Sims 2 character team. I got to work on both character concept and 3D modeling, which was great. If you are passionate and persistent a team will normally let you try out different tasks that may not necessarily be what you were hired for.

So for all aspiring concept artist out there, the key to moving up is to nag everyone, according to Emmy Toyonaga.

[Laughter] I think you have to be passionate and willing as a concept artist. If you stay in your corner and just draw whatever, it’s harder for people to recognize you. If you outwardly tell people what you’re interested and aspire to, they’ll remember what you told them and give you a heads up when there’s an opportunity. For example, let’s say you’re interested in becoming a cook. If you just stay at home and cook and not tell anyone, no one will know. But, if you let tons of people know you may find an opportunity. A friend might find an opening as a chef’s assistant or find some good class you may be able to take.

Sorry, that metaphor sucked.

[Laughter] No, it was good. Nice and simple. Makes perfect sense.

My advice to people interested in getting into the game industry as a concept artist is this: put your artwork online. But, make sure it’s safe and won’t get stolen. Watermark it and keep the resolution low. That’s how I got in. One of my first big freelance jobs was thanks to my website. I got a job doing spot art for Playstation Magazine and Dreamcast Magazine. One of the editors liked the stuff they saw on my website and decided to contact me.

As for my first game job, I got in contact with other online artists and formed a network with them. One of the artists was a lead character artist at Midway who ended up hiring me.

I got my art on to the net pretty early when the internet was just happening so I was lucky too. It’s funny, but I had a fan art site, a forum, a whiteboard, and an IRC chat channel. It’s really cool seeing MySims fan art on Deviant Art and such since I used to do the same thing-draw characters from games I liked.

I also recommend artists to go to conferences such as GDC (Game Developers Conference). Try to socialize and get to know other artists. Even something simple as joining forums like CG Talk and posting art will help.

Did you go to school for art?

I went to Sheridan College in Canada. I took Illustration there. Some people think I can only draw MySims but I can do pretty cool nude paintings too [Laughter]. I have so many life drawing stories.

I did a little nude drawing in college using just a Wacom, but I didn’t do it enough to be great.

Wow, a Wacom? That must be tricky! I love working with conte (chalk type material) and manilla paper. I suggest working with big paper and use your whole arm when drawing.

Let me know! But let’s get back on topic. You’re in California now, you went to school in Canada, and I know you’re Japanese. Were you born in Japan, or Canada, or somewhere else?

I’m weird. I was born in Canada and was shipped to Japan when I was 1-years-old. I grew up in Okinawa and went to an American school. When I was 18, I felt like checking out the place I was born at so I went to school in Canada.

It was cold.

I can imagine. And then you graduated and went to Midway?

At some point. I worked at an advertising company for a bit, but that didn’t work out, so I went to Midway after that. The advertising thing is a painful story.

Ah. Sorry bringing up bad memories…

[Laughter] It’s alright. You learn from hardships and it makes you stronger. I used to be very, very timid. Moving out to Canada was a very good thing for me.

Just a few more questions if you don’t mind. I like talking to you. You’re the first creative person I’ve interviewed!

Aw, thank you! You’re very nice to chat to as well!

So, are you a gamer?

Oh yeah, huge one. I just stayed up till 3:00am yesterday playing Might and Magic DS. I was pretty casual during the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) days though, mainly since I didn’t have money to buy many games. My love for games grew more since I entered the industry. Now I know how much effort it takes to make a good game-it’s just crazy. Some of those AAA titles out there, just the teamwork, leadership, and everything that it takes to make a game like that is amazing.

Was working in this industry always a goal?

I always liked games but I was trying to become a freelance illustrator at first. It was by chance that I stepped into this industry but I’m happy I did. My goal once I entered the industry was to become a lead character artist so I was totally stoked when I was able to do MySims. I was dancing on my bed on the first day I was told I can design the characters.

Oh yeah, and another tip for beginner artists is that this industry is all about connections. Also, it’s also beneficial to go to art school and use internship programs to get your foot in.

Any advice for females? Do you find it hard being a female in a mostly male industry?

Sometimes, when you come across that rare guy that treats you unfairly just because you’re a woman, yes. It’s not that bad. I think as long as you really like making games and you’re passionate about it, it resonates with people that want to do the same. If you don’t care about games I don’t recommend this industry though. It’s a lot of work.

What other games do you play? Any first person shooters?

I love Halo. Gears of War was okay. I’m more of a cooperative FPS player. I don’t have the patience to play capture the flag and such. I’d spawn, get shot in the head, then respawn, get shot in the back. It’s hard to get into when you play with good players [Laughter]. It’s like “Hey guys… Bam!”

What games do you play mostly then?

Hm. My favorite games of all time are the Zelda series. Genre wise, I like adventure and RPG’s. I like many games. I like anything from Katamari Damacy, to Plants vs. Zombies, to the Myst series, to Bayonetta. Bayonetta is awesome crazy.

What consoles do you use?

Any console. I love them all [Laughter]. I can’t choose. There are both good and bad games for all the consoles. I also like crap-tastic games too. What do you like playing?

Mostly shooters like Halo and Call of Duty. Also action adventure games like Assassins Creed and Uncharted.

Uncharted 2 was pretty cool. Haven’t played Assassins Creed yet. I’m not a good “sneaker” so I figure I’d suck at that game. Like in Metal Gear I’d be Rambo and get killed. I do like the cardboard box though. I liked the open ended story of Shadow of the Colossus too.

I actually don’t play online though. It’s weird, no? I avoid it because I’ll get addicted. I put in 600 hours over one summer on Phantasy Star Online, and I thought I probably shouldn’t play online anymore if possible. That’s why I’m avoiding WOW (World of Warcraft) like the plague. I even got hooked on to Restaurant City.

So yeah, I guess I get hooked to things.

I’m the same way, but I don’t hold back. I just prioritize. I just think to myself, “I’ll do this first, and then play all the games I want.

I’ll be like “OK, I’ll just play online for 2 hours and then sleep,” and next thing I know it’ll be morning. I’d have my mind set to stop but… the game… it sucks me in… [Laughter]. I must learn to be like you.

Well with that, I think we’re done. It was good talking to you.

Alright. Thanks!

© 2010 Electronic Arts Inc. All rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners

Everyone wants to be a game designer.  It is by far the most popular topic that the recruitment team is inundated about…..how do I become a game designer?  What qualifications do I need?  

Everyone wants to create the holy grail.  That ‘AAA’ hit that sells millions across the globe to huge critical acclaim.  But not everyone will be the next Will Wright or Miyamoto. 

In the past we have highlighted a presentation made at the Swansea International Animation Festival called ‘Mum, Dad, I want to be a Game Designer’.  This is published on our YouTube Channel and has had 23,440 viewings and been rated at 5 Star by the Community.  It is a 50 minute presentation, so grab a coffee and settle in……click here and enjoy

Also, extremely noteworthy is an interview published on our sister site www.ea.com by Lucian Tucker.   Lucian met with Rom Rodriquez, a Level Designer on Dead Space 2 to get more insight into breaking into Game Design…..over to you Lucian…

You know how when you play horror games like Dead Space you start to walk slowly around every corner and point your gun at every dark space you see? And just when you think it’s safe some bizarre creature drops from ceiling and you start spraying circles around it while running backwards as fast as you can. But oh no! You hit a wall behind you and now you’re forced to focus and aim for a leg to slow the enemy down so you can reload and go for the kill.

Well that’s all partly thanks to a great Level Designer who help map out environments and decide where and when enemies appear. Level designers, like Visceral’s Rom Rodriguez, are essentially the ones who “help determine the experience the player [should have] in a rough form,” leaving the artists and animators to make it come to life.

My interviewee Rom here also draws, so read on if you’d like to see a piece of art that helped influence the original Dead Space.

Can you tell me your name, job title, and job description?
Romulo Rodriguez, Associate Game Designer, and I set up game play in Dead Space 2.

I know there are many different types of “designers” and what each of them do is different depending on what company you’re at. What exactly does an Associate Designer do at Visceral?
I am a Level Designer but the Associate Designer determines my level. I’d say I am a low level designer at the moment. My duties involve blocking a level based on the story and desired combat for that point in the game. I then pitch the ideas to my managers, the Lead Level Designer, and the Creative Director and make changes if needed. I later block out combat with simple enemy set ups to help determine the experience we want the player to have in a rough form.

By blocking, I set up square rooms connected by hallways with no cool textures or architecture. I place markers in the environment to indicate where important events take place as well.

Would you mind walking me through a typical day as a Level Designer?
It would depend on the state of the project. If it’s in mid-production, I’ll come in early and get into the level design tool. I would probably be looking at my whiteboard with notes I took down of game play that remains to be implemented, or notes from a review of the level the day before.

If this game was Dead Space 1, I would proceed to start placing some scripting entities like spawners and some enemy types and position them in the 3D environment. After about 15 minutes of doing this-given it’s a simple setup-I’d go and build the map. After it’s built I will load the checkpoint on the PS3 and play through to see if it’s what I’m looking for. If so, I’d continue to the next task, say setting up the next room for bigger combat which can take at least 1.5 hours just roughing it in. Then, take another 1 or 2 hours to clean it up and iterations.

Next step would be to find time in my lead’s schedule or the creative director’s schedule to take a look at it. I would look for feedback, or maybe we have an enemy that’s being built that would be better in this space. Then maybe create tasks for the lighters or other artists to make this room scarier so the moment is more intense. The days can really vary.

One day could be combat, another day could involve implementing a complex scripted moment with the main character talking with other people. In that case I would be talking and working with animators, engineers, and my managers. This would take most if not all day-sometimes two days depending on the complexity.

That is pretty interesting stuff. Your job sounds really cool.Yeah, it has its fun moments but at the same time tough times, like working overtime to fix bugs. But I think my favorite moment in level design was when I worked on the first Dead Space. When it first came out and there was a line outside of the company store to pick up Dead Space… I was so proud to be a part of that game.

I can imagine that feeling. And Dead Space was a great game too. Did you play it through when it was complete to look for your name in the credits? I imagine that being a cool feeling too.
I did play all the way through, mostly to reminisce over the good times on the project. I did look at the credits though to look at my name but also other people.

As a level designer, how early on in the process do you get involved? Do you have much input on the story or do you come in after everything has been decided on a story level, and you just pitch ideas on how that might play out for the player?
I joined the Dead Space 2 team very early on so there were times where some of my layouts helped influence the script, when new enemies were introduced, or when dialogue sequences would occur. The story was at its infant state at that time. As the story begins to solidify later, levels will not have as much room for change but there still remains certain flexibility as to the timing of certain events.

How long have you been at EA then?
7 years. I started in QA, and then I worked as a Graphic Artist, then a Tools Tester. Afterwards, I went into Level design on my first project, James Bond, From Russia with Love.

That seems like a perfect career route for what you do now. Was it always your goal to get into design?
Initially my goal was to become a concept or character artist. I wasn’t familiar with level design then-I didn’t really understand the role. It wasn’t until I became a Tools Tester and actually tested the level design tools that I really became interested and wanted to become a level designer.

Did you go to college for graphic design?
Actually my major was 3D Modeling and Animation, but took Graphic Design classes on the side.

I have been an artist since I was kid and have always loved to draw. 3D was new to me so I wanted to find out more. It was my 3D experience that helped me become a tools tester. The tools revolved around a 3D space so it was easy for me to understand the technical language, navigate the environments, and learn to use the interface.

Did you major in 3D to help better position yourself for a job in the gaming industry?
Not intentionally. I wanted to learn 3D to expand my abilities and create 3D forms of my 2D drawings. It wasn’t until the Playstation came out in 1995 that I thought I could use my 3D knowledge for videogames creating characters or scenes. Consoles were a big part of my past so when 3D was introduced I was excited.

You’ve kind of hinted at it already I think, but what can someone do to prepare themselves for a job as a level designer?
Play lots of games and try to understand what works and what doesn’t, which is pretty easy. Play different games and think to yourself, “why is this game so awesome to play?” Or, “why don’t I like playing this game.”

I was lucky to have gained my level design experience from testing the very tools I use. For someone on the outside, I would strongly suggest getting Unreal Editor or an editor of some type to create and assemble your own setups. I’d even suggest looking into modding online multiplayer maps-that’s a good way to get your name out. To be honest, I would like to get the Unreal Editor myself just to play around with combat ideas.

Are the tools you use fairly complicated?
Somewhat. It depends on the person’s background. If they’ve work with a level design tool then they will understand how the scripting works. If not, it will take maybe a week of practice to really understand how to execute some basic setups.

Do you still draw a lot on the side?
I draw on the side as well as at work. When blocking out a level I need a visual representation before I start creating the geometry. I either draw in my notebook or on the whiteboard. This helps me get a better sense of the space and how all the rooms connect and what the game’s flow will look like.

I’ve been doing that since The Simpsons Game-sketching up ideas for environments, hazards, or puzzles. It’s a great way to sell an idea to a group of people. This way everyone can see exactly what I’m thinking. It’s much faster than creating the 3D world.

What games are you playing right now?
Right now I’m playing Bayonetta.

No Mass Effect 2 like the rest of the world?
[Laughter] No. I played the first one. The story was good but it wasn’t my “cup of tea.”

Well, I’m not in the mood to play it right now at least. There are times when I need immediate action from games like Bayonetta, and there are times when I feel like a good RPG.

Alright, I think that’s all. Thanks for doing this.
No problem. It was fun.

© 2010 Electronic Arts Inc. All rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners

Lucian Tucker from www.ea.com meets with Raasahn a Senior QA Test Lead, who provides a great insight into working as a tester in videogames.

Raasahn leads “the QA team from the start of the project to the finish.” And unlike what you would expect, he came to EA 5 years ago with an interest in testing, not in making games.

What’s your name and job title?
My name is Raasahn Browder and my title is Senior QA Test Lead.

And what do you do as a Senior Test Lead?
Currently I’m training for the Project Lead position but as a Senior QA Test Lead, I’m responsible for multiple projects at a time, leading the QA team from the start of the project to the finish.

How exactly does that work? Can you describe that process from beginning to end?
Sure. At the start of the project, the main goal is information collection and finding out what the responsibilities of the QA team are for the project. Getting a GDD (Game Design Document) and formulating a test plan to see how to tackle the project is the focus at the start.

Also setting up meetings with the developers and producers you are working with is a large part of it. Working within the time frame allotted with the testing plan that is created is the major goal.

Once that is complete, the focus is making sure that all aspects of the title that is being worked on are covered with the staffing that is available.

When that is all hashed out, working towards the milestones and updating the developers and producers with the progress of the title is very important so they can make any changes that need to happen so the title doesn’t miss any of the milestone dates that were set.

Near the end of the project, the focus is more on making sure that all the loose ends of the project are tied up and there are no major issues that still are not addressed as well as making sure the title is in compliance with all the current standards.

Do you test games yourself or just manage the other testers?
For the last two years I didn’t have any in game testing other than training the new employees that I received on my team. Since there are a lot of changes with the staffing lately, I will most likely spend more time testing going forward.

And is there a certain studio, or label, or platform, you test games for?

Yes, for the last 4 years or so, I have been working for the EAP (EA Partners) Label which are producers that work with external studios that hire EA for services. This department is getting updated so currently I’m going to help helping out the Sims label.

And I test on all platforms under the sun, PC to PSP, as long as it needs a QA team.

How long have you been at EA, and how long did it take you to become a Sr. Test Lead?
I’ve been at EA for about 5 years including my temporary contracts. I have been a Test Lead/ Sr. Test Lead for about 1 year.

What was your career path? Like what where you when you first joined as a contractor and what positions have you had since?
Well, I started out in the game tester position. The next step was a Sr. QA tester, which is the first position where you are no longer a contractor. After that you move into the Test Lead Position and then Senior Test lead.

Got it. So, I’ve heard mixed things about being a game tester. Some people think of it as one of the most stressful jobs that sucks the fun out of games, but it’s a good way in if you want to eventually make games. But then I hear some people say it’s hard work, but it’s fun. What are your thoughts?
That’s an interesting question. The only real thing I can say about that is you get out what you put in. If you have a lot of pride about the games that you work on, even if you don’t specifically like the game, you will enjoy your job. If you go into the job looking to just “play” and have fun all the time, that’s definitely not what it’s about so you might not be in for a pleasant surprise.

The real goal is to make a difference and put out a quality game specifically that you worked on, so if you look at it that way, you will get a lot more out of the job.

The job isn’t too stressful for just being a tester though, As long as you are okay with working longer hours when it calls for it, you should be all set.

Do you think it’s a good entry level job for someone aspiring to someday design games?
It definitely can’t hurt to get some experience with QA before you try to move into a developing position, especially if you are still new or trying to develop skills. It’s possible that there will be intern positions available and someone that you are working with can recommend you if you are showing very promising work.

Do you find that a lot of the people who join your team eventually move to game development? And what about yourself. When you joined was it with plans to eventually make games?
I can’t say that a lot of people I see eventually move into the position that they desire. There are several reasons why people don’t make it but the sheer competition of how many people are looking for the job makes it difficult right from the start.

The career path I chose wasn’t one of trying to design games or anything like that and I didn’t really come into this job looking to try to make games per say. I like working with people and leading teams. I enjoy what I do currently though.

Your name gets in the credits of the games you work on right?
Yes it does. Anything I work on and have a significant role in, I get into the credits.

The first time your name was in the credits, did you play through the game and look for your name?
[Laughter] I can’t say that I did. I still have an unopened copy of the first game I worked on but I did see my name in the credits while I was still working on it. It’s always a pleasure to see people working on their first title and checking to see if their name is in there correctly.

Alright, changing gears a little, what can someone do if they wanted to be a tester? I’m assuming you interview people, so what are some of the things you look for in a potential employee?
Some of the things I specifically look for in a tester… For sure a tester needs to be able to communicate clearly. Testers will be writing up issues in a database so they need to be able to clearly convey any problems they come across to the development team. Also, punctuality and dedication are very important to making sure a project will run smoothly.

Everything else can be taught, but if the person isn’t really into to the work, it’s going to be hard to get them where they should be as an effective tester.

Do you look for them to be really big gamers?
It’s not totally necessary but if they do enjoy playing games, it does help out just so they are bit more proficient. If they have basic knowledge of how to use the consoles and whatnot, it’s a definite plus. If they don’t know how to turn on a console, that might be a problem.

Did you always want to work in the gaming industry as a tester or did you kind of just fall into the job?
For me personally, I was always interested in it. I didn’t know much about it when I started but I had a friend that worked here and he recommended that I start out in the testing department and see if I liked any of the other jobs that EA had to offer. I ended up really liking the job path as a supervisor type in the QA department so that’s what I worked towards.

Did you play games much before you started here? And do you play games much now? I’m just curious whether playing them everyday sucked the fun out of it for you or not.
I played games before I started working here. I play less now because of other reasons but I still really enjoy the job and it has opened my view up to other types of games that I didn’t know interested me before.

I would play more now than before if time permitted it so it didn’t really take any of the fun out for me.

What’s an example of a game you worked on that you might not have played if it wasn’t for working here?
A game like Mass Effect I would not have played. When I worked on that title, I didn’t know anything about the game. After I spent some time to play through it, I really enjoyed it a lot. Now I can’t wait to get time to play through Mass Effect 2 because I enjoyed the first one so much.

Both of them are great games. Is there a game that comes to mind that you wish you didn’t have to work on? Maybe Charm Girls Club, or something like that?
I enjoy working on every title that’s given to me for testing. I make it my job to make it a quality game. Whether or not I like the game play is a bit irrelevant. The people I get to work with make the projects all worth it.

What’s a typical day like for you when you’re in the busy period of testing a game?
A typical day would probably consist of about 3 phone conferences, 3 actual face to face meetings, and 3-4 hours of making sure all the work that we are trying to get done is making progress.

If I have two shifts of team members I might be working 12 hour days 6 days a week just to make sure it’s running smoothly.

Wow. And that’s a typical day, not just an extra busy day, with those 6 meetings a day?
6 meetings… It’s about normal. Not all meeting are very long and some are very short, for instance check-ins with the staff, but they need to happen to make sure that nothing gets dropped on the way.

Do you have any final advice for someone who wants to be a tester, or even eventually a Sr. QA Test Lead?
The only advice I can give is that being diligent with your work and making sure that you have a lot of tolerance for changing conditions will take you far. Keep working hard and don’t expect anything too special but take the opportunities when they present themselves.

Have you had many people start and quickly drop off because it’s too much for them?
It happens a lot. There is a lot of turnover in this department, but the people that make it usually do their job pretty well.

I guess the people that drop off come in thinking it’s going to be a picnic, but then realize it’s actually work?
Yea that happens a lot as well. It’s definitely a job and people should take it seriously if they want to keep it and move up.

Alright I think that’s all I got. Thanks for doing this.
No problem at all.

© 2010 Electronic Arts Inc. All rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners

This is a great insight into breaking into gaming, focusing on marketing that was recently carried on our sister site, www.ea.com.

Over to Lucian Tucker for this interview:

Recently, I’ve been seeing advertisements for EA games all over the internet. It’s almost as if the web sites know I’m a gamer. Well, they probably do. They know, for example, that I just searched for Battlefield: Bad Company 2. So if my interviewee Kate Cochran did her job correctly, Google and Bing are going to then show me banners for the game linking to the EA Store. And maybe I don’t click on the EA Store banner but instead go to some other web site–there is still a chance I’ll see another EA advertisement for Bad Company 2.

As a Marketing Specialist however, Kate does more than make sure banners show up on Google. I’m not exactly sure why they call it “Specialist” though. Shouldn’t everyone who focuses on marketing at EA be a specialist?

What’s your name and job title?
Kate Cochran, Marketing Specialist.

What do you do as a Marketing Specialist?
Basically, I’m tasked with acquiring new customers for EA.com and the EA Store for North America, using paid marketing programs.

What kind of paid marketing techniques do you use?
Right now, we’re using paid search on sites like Google, Yahoo, and Bing. We’re also using display banners and shopping engines like PriceGrabber and Google Shopping. We also recently launched an affiliate program and we’re also starting to get our feet wet in social networking.

So, I’ve been seeing a lot of EA Store banners on sites like IGN.com and other non-gaming sites. Are you part of that too?
Yes! There’s a lot of really cool advertising technology out there, like behavioral targeting, which can serve an ad to the type of consumer we’re looking to target. So if we’re running a promotion around, say Mass Effect 2, and someone searches for that title, they will be served that ad, since we already know they are interested Mass Effect 2.

Oh. I have a question about that. Some people might think it’s an invasion of their privacy for someone to be able to target them based on their online behavior. What are your thoughts on that?
That’s a tough question. I can see it being an invasion of privacy when say you’re gaming and they serve you an ad in the middle of the game that may ruin the gaming experience. I think some pop up ads can also be really disruptive, especially when they take up the entire web page and the close button is so small and hard to find. But other display banners that aren’t that intrusive don’t really bother me.

I think there’s always going to be a small audience that will be annoyed with advertising, as long as it doesn’t offend the majority, then I think it’s okay.

Ever see Minority Report with Tom Cruise?
It’s been a really long time, and the one scene I remember is when he’s strapped to the chair and they tape his eye lids open. It’s kind of a hard scene for me to stomach. It reminds me of when I go to get my eyes checked [Laughter].

The part I remember is when Tom Cruise goes into a clothing store, and the store could somehow read his eyes and serve advertisements just for him. That makes me excited for the future. I like the idea of ads tailored to me instead of getting ads for things I don’t care about.
I completely agree with you. It’s amazing how much advertising has changed over the last ten years.  Big brands are spending more of their advertising dollars online rather than on TV, radio, magazines, and newspapers. They want to be where the consumer is, which is online.

And now big brands can make their advertising dollars work harder and go farther by targeting ads and search to be more relevant. DVR/TIVO has really changed the TV landscape as well as consumers now being able to watch full TV shows and movies online, with limited to no commercials

Did you study marketing in college?
I actually studied advertising. It really interested me, since it was more about people’s behaviors and how they consumed media.

It seems like a lot of what you learned in college applies to what you’re doing at EA now right? I know a lot of people never use what they actually get a degree in.
It really does. When I first graduated college, I worked in high-tech PR (public relations) and Analyst Relations. I liked PR, but I always was looking to have a career in marketing and advertising, so the job at EA is a perfect fit for me.

So after college you only had one other job besides EA?
Yes! But while I was in college, I worked at my college newspaper. I created ads as well as did advertising sales. I initially wanted to be a graphic designer, but realized it wasn’t for me.

I really liked designing ads, but realized I couldn’t be as creative as I wanted because the client always told you exactly what they wanted, even if it visually wasn’t appealing. So now I leave art to just being a hobby.

You draw and do graphic design fairly often at home then?
I try to draw or paint when I can. I also like to knit–yes, I’m an 80 year old woman–and read.

The programs change so quickly with graphic design, so I try to use them when I can so I can still stay up-to-date with how to use them.

Yes I know! You get Photoshop, and just when you get comfortable you start hearing about a new one coming out.
I know! I really need to take a refresher course.

So, what drove you to EA? Was it the job description, or were you particularly interested in working in EA as a company?
EA is such a well known, innovative brand. I was looking to work more in the consumer space rather than in high-tech, and I also wanted to get back into marketing and advertising. When I was hired on, I was given the opportunity to work in all the different groups within the EA.com and EA Store team and figure out what area I specifically wanted to focus on, and that is now acquisition marketing.

And how long have you been here?
It was a year last Sunday. Time flies!

Congrats! Do you play games at all?
I am actually addicted to Pogo! I play it a couple nights a week while I’m watching TV. I’m more of the casual gamer and I love solitaire, hearts, bingo, and things like that.

What about Nintendo Wii and DS, and X360
My roommate has the Wii and 360. He plays on a regular basis and I’ve played with him a couple of times. I actually really want to try out the EA Sports Active, since I’ve heard so many great things about it. I’m also really good at Wii bowling and I get spares and strikes every time!

Ah, I remember playing that in college. Fun times…
Really fun!

Where do you see yourself 10 years from now in terms of your career?
EA is a great place to work, so I’ll be here for a long time! Ideally, I would still like to be in marketing, maybe eventually down the line, do marketing for a specific title.

Video games are changing so quickly, so it will be interesting to see where it will be in 10 years.

What’s a typical day like for you?
My typical day is a bit crazy, which I like! We’re constantly working closely with our agencies and internal people at EA to launch our different paid marketing campaigns and also spending time looking at data to see if our promotions were successful, so we can use that data when brainstorming future promotions.

Do you get to think of ideas for promotions?
I do! We meet on a weekly basis to brainstorm new ideas around game launches, holidays and seasons. I also help write the copy for the banners. It’s a fun part of my job.

Do you have any advice for someone who wants to be a Marketing Specialist?
I would advise anyone looking to get into marketing, to first work at an agency, whether it’s a PR, Advertising, or Search agency. I think it really gave me the skills to be detail oriented, learn the importance of deadlines, and learn the in’s and out’s of how specific marketing function work.

Gotcha. And any last thoughts?
Keep gaming, whether it’s an EA titles or someone else’s.

But preferably EA…
[Laughter] Of course!

Alright. Thanks for doing this. I really wasn’t sure what you did until just now, even though we work in the same group.
I know–our group keeps expanding.

Interview bu Lucian Tucker.

© 2010 Electronic Arts Inc. All rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners

We always love to bring you up close and personal with our teams.  Those of your considering a career in gaming have been emailing us like mad asking us how people have got into EA and what skills and experience they have. 

So, what better, let’s profile some of our staff. 

Let’s start with an insight into some of the characters working at our offices & studio in Hyderabad India……..Let’s start with our sky diving friend Madhur! 

EArl:   Hey Madhur, where were you educated and what degree did you get? 

Madhur:  Bachelor of Engineering (Instrumentation & Control), Chennai, India 

EArl:  Cool.  What job do you do at EA? 

Madhur: Develop automation scripts and tools for different game titles 

EArl: What do you love about your job? 

Madhur: Playing at work is my job and I love it! 

EArl: Why did you choose to work in gaming? 

Madhur: Loved playing NFS II when I was a kid. Always wanted to know how games were developed and yup, am here! 

EArl: Why did you choose to work at EA? 

Madhur: Working is fun at EA 

EArl: Describe Life at EA 

Madhur: Freedom to innovate , Fun filled, dynamic work atmosphere 

EArl: What are your favourite games?  Dont just restrict to EA! 

Madhur:  Need For Speed Most Wanted, Burnout Paradise 

Now time to say hi to our friend striking a Rock band Pose……Sanjana 

EArl:  Hey Sanjana, what’s your educational background? 

Sanjana:  BA Mass Communication, Hyderabad, India. 

EArl: And what do you do at EA? 

Sanjana:  QA FT Tester. Ensuring bug free applications & R&D on various Platforms. 

EArl: What do you love about your job? 

Sanjana: All the gaming, testing, gaming, some more gaming….did I mention GAMING??? 

EArl: Tell us why you came into gaming 

Sanjana: I love gaming & what better field to choose than the one I am passionate about. (and all the free games!! ) 

EArl: Why did you choose to join EA? 

Sanjana: Because it is the largest gaming company in the world. I don’t settle for small fish!  

EArl: What’s it like for you to work at EA? 

Sanjana: Life at EA is casual & fun filled. A great environment to work in. Awesome co-workers! 

EArl: What are your career ambitions? 

Sanjana: I want to move up further in the industry, maybe as a game designer. 

EArl: Favourite video games? 

Sanjana: God of War (1 & 2), Crysis (Multiplayer), Call of Duty, Burnout (All), Tekken, Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, Pirates of the Caribbean: The legend of Jack Sparrow, Spore, Nascar Rumble (that I used to play on my old PS1) 

Next up, our NBA loving friend Amit. 

EArl:  Hey Amit.  Nice shot!  So tell us about your background.  Where were you educated and what qualifications do you have? 

Amit:  B.Tech in Computer Science, India 

EArl: What are you doing at EA? 

Amit: Working as a developer for Juice product with EA, Hyderabad 

EArl: What do you love about your job? 

Amit: I love to face new things everyday which give me opportunity not only to apply the things I already know but also the opportunity to learn what I never did in my past. I love the excitement  I get every time when I get success in such new things 

EArl: Why work in videogames? 

Amit:  What’s better than getting paid for doing something you actually enjoys.  From the starting I have been inclined towards gaming. I was always curious to know the actual thing about gaming and EA provide me that platform to fulfil my dreams and desires. 

EArl: Why EA? 

Amit: EA provide me the opportunity to work on the domain I always wanted to. It provided me the strong base from where I could really start dreaming high in my career. 

EArl: Describe your life at EA 

Amit:  I really love the working environment what EA provides to its employees, we get lots of motivation from our supervisors to face new challenges in job every time. I love the Supervisor-subordinate relationship which provides us the friendly and open environment where we can always ask for help without any hesitation and the managers are always ready to give their best to their subordinates for everything they asked. 

EArl: Career ambitions? 

Amit:  We should always dream high so I do. I not only want to earn lots of money but also dream to do something innovative and new in IT for which I would earn not only money but also the name and fame. 

EArl:  Favourite games? 

Amit: Cricket, NFS, Counter Strike 

Cool.  Now say hi to our high jumping friend Trilok……. 

EArl: Hey Trilok, great to see you again.  So did you go to University? 

Trilok:  Though I am a Computer & Science Engineering student, I know only 10% of programming when compared with the developers around me:D 

EArl: What do you do at EA? 

Trilok:  QA – iPhone Floor Lead.   

EArl:  What do you love about your job? 

Trilok:  Gaming, Interviewing, Reviewing Games & Testing them in & out to give sleepless nights for developers. 

EArl: Why work in gaming? 

Trilok:  I am a person who has heavy interest in Gaming since my childhood & a big Gadget freak around my friends circle. The general Hobby & Interest of mine is now my work. Who will not be happy if they were paid to play games? 

EArl: Why are you working at EA? 

Trilok: Firstly, I want to meet the people behind the curtains & now, I myself am one by giving my whacko thoughts which might enrich the look & feel of the game. And being a part of Gaming family is every kiddo’s dream. 

EArl: What’s life like at EA? 

Trilok: Challenging, Exciting, over whelming, inspiring with fun filled environment & always learning new while owning & pawning noobs. 

EArl: Career goals? 

Trilok: I aspire to become a Manager. 

EArl: Favourite games? 

Trilok:  EA – Snood iPhone, Crysis Wars, NFS Series, Spore iPhone & Burnout Paradise on 3D Glasses! Alienated in EA: FarCry2, Counter Strike, COD4, HL2-DM, Quake Series, Halo Series & FNR3. 

And last but by no means least, our friend Shenbagaraj, standing next to that legendary Barcelona footballer……. 

EArl:  Hey Shenbagaraj.  Education? 

Shenbagaraj: B.Tech (Information technology) in Thiagarajar college of engineering, Madurai. 

EArl:  Whats your job? 

Shenbagaraj: Response for developing feature/product assigned to me. 

EArl: What do you love about your job? 

Shenbagaraj: Work hard and play hard. 

EArl: Why work in gaming? 

Shenbagaraj: As the motto says work hard and play hard, I get the option to do what I like best. 

EArl: Why work at EA: 

Shenbagaraj: It is a global company and helps in my career growth. 

EArl: Describe life at EA 

Shenbagaraj: It is a mixture of work and fun. It is exhilarating to be here everyday. 

EArl: Career goals? 

Shenbagaraj: To be a good and reliable software developer who deliver quality products consistently. 

EArl: Favourite game? 

Shenbagaraj:  EA game – NFS most wanted.  Non EA game – Age of empires   

© 2010 Electronic Arts Inc. All rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners

So we promised to continue to show you under the skin of EA and into our offices around the world.

Let’s travel today all the way to China.

So a little background information.  Established in 2006 in Shanghai, EA China is poised to play a major role in the nation’s rapidly evolving gaming industry. With an ever-increasing expansion of technology usage, the Chinese market is projected to reach more than 180 million Internet users by 2010. Combine that with China’s overall population of nearly 1.3 billion people, and you can see the enormous potential for growth. EA China is a key part of EA’s strategy in Asia, particularly in the development of online games.

Just consider those stats again.  That growth is phenomenally exciting!

As part of our growth strategy in the Chinese gaming market, EA has invested in and is partnering with one of China’s largest online game operators, The9 Limited. EA and The9 Limited have a licensing agreement that gives The9 Limited exclusive publishing rights for EA SPORTS FIFA Online in mainland China. EA SPORTS FIFA Onlineis EA’s leading international sports franchise and is already proving to be a success in Asia.

Based in beautiful offices in the centre of Shanghai, EA China is home to a number of EA’s key strategic organisations namely SHAS (Shanghai Art Solutions which is part of EA’s global Central Development Services business unit), POGO and Online Publishing as well as a number of corporate shared service teams including Finance, HR, Legal & HR. This mix truly provides great career opportunities for talent individuals. The Chinese gaming industry has massive potential for growth and EA are at the heart of it.

EA China is fostering its own unique culture and is establishing itself as a true Chinese employer of choice.  EA staff benefit from working alongside some of the best most highly respected talent in the games industry both on a local Chinese level as well as a global scale which means that they are always at the front-end of cutting-edge technologies and innovation.  Diversity is also at the heart of EA China. The team is built up of people from around the world including local Chinese, US, Canada, British and Chilean to name a few, and this brings different cultures together and results in fresh innovative ideas and team dynamics.

And finally, at EA China of course they work hard but they are dedicated in ensuring their staff love what they do….and they have lots of fun.  They regularly organize employee activities such as offsite team-building trips, ping pong tournaments and mini-Olympics all with the ultimate goal to have fun while work.

Sound cool?

Then why not go to www.jobs.ea.com and look at the job opportunities today.  EA China would welcome your application with open arms.

EArl

© 2010 Electronic Arts Inc. All rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners

As we have mentioned before being a Game Designer is often seen as the Holy Grail in careers in gaming.

Two videos to bring to your attention.  The first is a basic overview into what makes a great game designer and the skills and experience EA look for……

The other video, is a longer presentation called: ‘Mum, Dad, I want to be a Game Designer’, given at the Swansea Animation Festival last year. With over 11,000 views and a 5 star rating this video is fast becoming a key insight into game design:  (NB it is 50 minutes long)

Hope this helps.  EArl

Mirror’s Edge:  Lauded for its creativity as a first person action adventure

© 2009 Electronic Arts Inc. All rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners

Imagine the blast you would get working on a game like Brutal Legend

Hey all.  I thought now was a good time to recap our series on EA Career Paths.  What we have endeavoured to achieve is to provide you with a series of videos and advice on the different roles available within a number of disciplines like art, programming/software engineering, production etc   Then give you an idea of the skills and experience required for each role.  Lastly, based on the experience of our managers, we have tried to define ‘what great looks like’ in that discipline.

Based on the emails I have been receiving and feedback overall, this is a popular series.  It is also great to hear from Deans, Professors, Teachers on the merits of this advice.  Rest assured we will continue to provide you advice which will benefit your career in the games industry….preferably at EA!   As a reminder we have so far covered:

Art:  http://tiny.cc/iTJqu

Programming / Software Engineering: http://tiny.cc/4vO5U

QA (Games Testers):  http://tiny.cc/uy3Gj

Marketing & Sales:  http://tiny.cc/Prdbk

Project Management: http://tiny.cc/22r77

Producer:  http://tiny.cc/McxoN

Don’t forget….check out the latest vacancies at:  www.jobs.ea.com

Glad this series is proving of value.

EArl

Shine a light on your career path……

© 2009 Electronic Arts Inc. All rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners

Maybe you get to test games like Dead Space Extraction on the Wii?

Games Testers are one of the most sought after roles in gaming.  Often they are seen as glamorous roles….with testers playing games all day….and getting paid!  Sounds like utopia.  Obviously, this is not the case and QA (Games Testers) roles are a lot more complicated than that….and a lot more scientific and process related than you would imagine.  QA roles are now careers that you can progress and gain promotion up to Directorship level.  So what do testers do?…………..

Quality Assurance Technicians, or Testers, perform a vital role in game development, testing, tuning, debugging, and suggesting detailed refinements that lead to higher quality and better playability of the finished game. The job involves playing (i.e., testing) the game in a systematic way, analyzing the game’s performance against the designer’s intentions, identifying problems, and suggesting improvements. In effect, they act as the game’s first audience, reporting on playability and identifying any aspects which could be improved. Testers are responsible for assuring quality in the final product and for finding flaws in a game before it goes public.

If you would love to be a games tester, we are recruiting now and have opportunities across the world.  As usual, first port of call is www.jobs.ea.com

To provide more insight, take a look at this video overview…..

EArl

Testing is underway for NFS Nitro on the Wii…very cool

© 2009 Electronic Arts Inc. All rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners

Games like Beatles Rock Band have strong brands already but great marketers can get larger markets excited about games

Next up in our career paths series is marketing & sales.

The Marketing and Sales teams are critical to the success of any game. The Marketing team works closely with game developers to ensure the game has a clear design and a clear ‘X’ factor, (i.e., the defining element of the game that makes it unique and the ultimate reason behind why our customers should pay for and play our game). The Marketing team identifies the key audience for our games and tailors the marketing strategy to communicate clearly to the intended target. The Sales team is responsible for making sure the game reaches all relevant distribution points, so that our customers can find our games at their favorite shopping destinations.

Take a look at this overview of the different roles available within Marketing & Sales, what skills and experience EA looks for and how they define a great marketer or sales professional.  Again…if interested take a look at the marketing & sales roles being recruited across the world today…. www.jobs.ea.com

© 2009 Electronic Arts Inc. All rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners

Fancy being a Producer on Spore?

Next up in our Career Paths series is…..a Producer.

An EA Producer is responsible for ensuring the successful delivery of a game to a high creative standard. Producers oversee the whole lifecycle of the game from concept to launch. Their role is to ensure that Game Designers clearly define the game concept (i.e., its ‘X’ or the unique idea that makes it stand out from other games), and the market positioning of the game (including defining the target audience). The Producer must then ensure the game stays on target throughout the whole development process. Producers provide the link and liaise between the development studio and the marketing and sales departments. They work with marketing to ensure the maximisation of the game’s marketing and advertising strategy and budget. Producers also co-ordinate the release of screenshots and demo discs with the game’s marketing manager, coordinate the outsourcing of audio, cutscenes, and language localization, and oversee focus tests on early versions of the game.

So take a look at this video from Matthew Jeffery, Head of Global talent Brand, giving an insight into the role of a Producer, what skills and experience EA look for…and a great definition of what a great Producer looks like.

Again, if this interests you….and you want to explore a career as a Producer….EA is hiring across the globe today…take a look at www.jobs.ea.com

EArl

© 2009 Electronic Arts Inc. All rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners

Think you could project manage the Skate 2 team?

The Project Manager (PM), also called Development Director (DD) at EA, is a critical role and responsible for ensuring the successful delivery of a game, on time and within budget. Prior to production they carry out a detailed analysis of the game design and work out the project ‘milestones’ (specific targets that have to be met by certain dates), agreeing upon these with the key technical and creative managers, such as the Game Designer, Art Director and Lead Programmer. The PM/DD then works out a schedule for the project and decides the personnel and equipment needed. They control the financial resources and negotiate all contracts with suppliers and contractors. Once development is underway, the PM/DD monitors the team’s progress against the schedule. They must be able to prioritize when production deadlines are a concern, manage risks, and plan for contingencies. Finally, the PM / DD is responsible for all people management on the team and entasked with motivating and developing all staff under their management and develop their career.

For more information watch this EA Career Paths insight video on Project Management by Matthew Jeffery, Global Head of Talent Brand……if this interests you, take a look now at www.jobs.ea.com and look at the latest Project Management vacancies across the globe today.

EArl

© 2009 Electronic Arts Inc. All rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners