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How can one Studio suck this much? [message #167274]

Mon, 22 August 2005 19:35

Jecht
Messages: 3156
Registered: September 2004

Karma: 0

General (3 Stars)

I was cruisin the Internet lookin at the Electronic Arts Los Angelas page searching for an e-mail address to send Hate mail to when I noticed the "franchises" button. I then pondered just how busy they were. Perhaps EALA has so many games to deal with that it just couldn't fit in a C&C game yet since Generals. I mean it IS Electronic Arts, the largest gaming coproration in the world. So upon clicking the link what I found was somewhat surprising. EALA deals with two franchises, thats it. Medal of Honor, yes the seeming endless sucktacular games that rape World War 2 over and over again with absolutely no end in sight, and the battered, broken and crying Command and Conquer Series. This leaves me with a certain amount of hope for a new game in the series thinking it might be among their top things to do, even with Mark Skaggs gone. But then that hope becomes dissapointment, for we all know what happens when Electronic Arts produces a game. Its riddled with bugs, has design flaws, and has an overall feeling of a game that is uncomplete. I continued surfing there website when I noticed a section of the Nav that stated "A day in the life". Interested in how far they had there head up their ass, I hovered over that option and the rollover gave me the option to click on many sub categories. One caught my eye "How we make games".

"Electronic Farts"

How EA Makes Games

Each game starts as an idea.How can we fuck over fans of our series into giving us money while doing as little work as possible? Add a commitment to spend money (Remember, we want to spend as little as possible to avoid showing we care about what we do.) to the idea and you're on the way toward turning the idea into reality. Students involved in our EA Academy program do not typically play a role at this stage, but it is important to talk to the people who are involved in this process to gain an understanding of this key part of the process.As they are grossly overworked and underpaid, we make sure to buy the best whips on the market as to ensure they rush games to release every time! Afterall, who wants to fix bugs? Thats boring!

After the company makes a formal commitment to make a game, designers and producers begin to define the project in the pre-production phase. The game designers create a game Design Doc that specifies gameplay, fiction, characters, and levels. At the same time, producers begin creating a list of tasks, broken down individually and grouped into phases. Within these phases, tasks are ranked by priority and based on their dependence on the completion of other tasks. A schedule is created(remember, we don't want to spend too much time on a project!) and resources assigned. EA Academy participants involed in game production can be involved during this stage.

In the next phase, Prototyping, artists and engineers become involved. Tools engineers begin developing software and processes that enable artists and software engineers to work more efficiently and effectively(remember the whips). Software engineers and artists begin transforming the ideas contained within the game Design Doc into a game prototype. EA Academy participants are often involved in this stage. Tools engineers may create a system for the artists to easily review, tweak and insert animations or special effects. Artists create 3D and 2D models and develop textures, maps, and animations. Software engineers code the game mechanics, the story, and the various game engines. Production Assistants coordinate, break down, and prioritize tasks as well as ensure that the project continues to hit its milestones.

Once enough of the basic framework of the game has been created in the Prototype stage, the game hits Full Production, where it passes through the alpha and beta phases before becoming final. The team adds more artists and engineers as needed. At this point, the bulk of the art, animation, engineering, and design elements are in place, there is a basic working game engine. Localization also begins at this point. All effort is given to coordinating the teams to create, build and integrate game assets in progressive milestones that culminate into the final product. Many EA Academy interns work in this phase of the game development process(Let's hear it for free labor!). The job descriptions are similar to those described in the previous phases.

During the development process, the game reaches three critical software milestones: alpha, beta, and final(Three basic milestones: Shit-sandwich, turd, and crap). As the game gets closer to meeting the requirements for each phase, the intensity of the job picks up. The alpha and beta phases trigger other parts of the organization to begin working on the game before it becomes the final game asset. For example, marketing and communications begin preparing the packaging, in-game manuals and press releases. Artists and engineers in our online division begin creating content to support and promote the game. The EA Academy typically has interns involved in a wide variety of these types of roles throughout marketing.

It may seem like Im obsessing over my hatred of EA. But I'm here to tell you...

I know that. Satisfied

http://jobs.ea.com/eala/franchises.html

[/rant]

http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/9146/hartyn4.png

[Updated on: Mon, 22 August 2005 19:38]