VARIOUS

I’d like to mention a couple thing in this post. First, I’m happy to report I still have a job, at least in the short term. As some of you know, the company I work for, Electronic Arts, laid off 6% of its workforce today, amounting to 600 people worldwide. I was, thankfully, not included in that group of 600.

I should have known something was up when I arrived at the studio this morning to see an animator standing outside with a whole bunch of stuff with him, talking with someone. I was told the impact on Blackbox was minimal since we’re still considered a profitable venture. Companies have axed entire game teams at once but nothing like that happened today at our studio. Though one of our designers was let go which was tough for me since he and I have worked together closely for about two years.

Such moves in the games industry are not unheard of. If you’ve worked at any of the big publishers like EA and Activision, such adjustments happen every once in a while. Just a few months ago, Activision canned two teams worth of people at Radical. I still feel bad for those let go though. I have heard, however, that the severance packages awarded today were quite generous. I don’t know exact amounts of course but I’m hoping people will be taken care of well past the holidays.

For me, there’s nothing else I can except keep on working to get skate 2 out the door.

Last but certainly not least, I would like to mention that this Saturday would have been the day I took possession of the top-floor, one-year old with view of the Fraser River apartment that I agreed to buy in late August. Had it been not for the shady seller who probably will reincarnate as a dog turd in his next life I probably would be positioning my rear surround speakers on the weekend in my new living room. As it stands now, I’ll probably be working both days of the weekend instead.

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