The lights are on
According to the Atlanta Business Chronicle, the publishing giant is looking into opening a new studio in the Deep South.
The newspaper's source speculates that the center could employ up to 300 developers, testers, and customer support reps. Also, relocation of existing staff is possible in order to curb the high business costs the company incurs in California. Electronics Arts spokesman Jeff Brown confirmed the tentative plans, noting EA is exploring potential sites in Florida, Georgia, and Louisiana. Brown also noted that EA's interest in an Atlanta location isn't just coincidence considering the Georgia state legislature passed a bill last year that increases tax credits for qualifying computer games companies up to 30 percent.
“The tax credit is definitely one of the things that attracted us to Georgia,” Brown said.
One of the keys to selecting a location will be a strong pipeline of students educated in game development. For instance, the Orlando-based studio EA Tiburon frequently draws new employees from the nearby Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy, and the EALA studio often hires people fresh out of the USC's Interactive Media Division. Both schools receive considerable financial and advisory support from Electronic Arts.
“If we can find an abundance of talent and a pipeline through a local university that gives us access to talent in both art and engineering, that’s where we start,” Brown said. “The rest of it is really a cost equation.”
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Good for them :)
hah i live in georgia!
ok...
sounds good interesting and i really dont know wat that changes lol
I wonder how the move relates to EA's lay offs and acquisition of playfish. EA Tiburon will be receiving cuts, as will Mythic Entertainment, EA Black Box, and Viseral Games.
cool
Yay... now racism can mix with video gaming and perhap meet a tragic end... or we end up with some creepy hillbilly games.
it's all down hill from here, folks!
Sweet. EA's moving to my homestate. Now i just have to move back...
Lol.
Hey thats pretty cool.
YEAH! GO Georgia! (live in Jonesboro)
That is a smart move made by EA. This will hopefully make more jobs, help college students down there find a new place to work fresh out of college, and it may help EA who has had some problems with layoffs and project cuts the past few months.
That's good. I like Georgia.
Gee MagicalSarai, it's great to see you trying to keep racism alive by being racist against people who live in the South.....great job.
Aw, shoot. They couldn't just go one state lower? I want an industry job without being too far from home.
The Devil went down to Georgia..... EA went down to Georgia.... Hmmmmm. I think I see a connection.
Hahaha EA in da "A", greatness
@MagicSarai,
Actually... most people are wrong about the racism in the south... I experiences more racism in NY, DC, Boston, and Chicago than I did in ATL, Miami, Charleston, Nashville, Murfreesboro, TN, Baltimore, Annapolis, Richmond... Tuscon, Phoenix, Bibee... , Yanks have it backwards, but it's ok - they don't read so well sometimes :). Having lived on both coasts, all up and down the easetrn one, the midwest and other parts of the planet... the south only has stupid college football players (that's why they're good), but the whole "hillbilly" thing is kind of tired... I mean... Audurn, Emery Riddle, Geogria Tech... Alabama, those aren't exactly easy schools to get into and they are responsible for a lot of top notch engineers among other things.
hmm.....I was already thinking about applying to Georgia Tech...this piques my interest quite a bit.
Come on! What about Wisconsin. Raven seems to do good there. O, Wait the winters are too cold. HEHE! Anyway sounds like a good business decision. I just hope the employees that move from California do not miss it to much.