The conclusion of the EA recruitment effort A little while ago I was contacted and then interviewed by Electronic Arts for a programming job. After that they requested some references which I provided.
On monday they called me up again with a job offer. It was quite a nice offer to boot, with a solid base salary, moving expenses (the job is in Vancouver), a yearly bonus, some stock options as well as a stock buy-in discount program and the normal health benefits and such. By far the best offer I have ever seen. Of course it's not all candy and roses. Taking a job with EA would mean giving up (or sharply cutting back) my work on Lux, as well as future projects (which I have many ideas for). It would also mean moving to Vancouver, a city in which I know nobody, but which has a nicer winter climate.
It was a really tough decision for me to make. Many thanks go to my roommate Nikki for helping talk it over and bring out the core issues (the pros and cons are still written on our fridge).
In the end I decided to not take the EA job. It would have given me more money in the short term, but I am not exactly hurting for money at the moment. The fact that it would have sapped away my free time and the flexible situation I currently enjoy was the killing factor.
I am happy with my decision. Sillysoft lives on to fight another day!
Update: please read this info before emailing me
12 comments Tough decision, Dust. From a purely selfish point of view, glad to have you around...
PS: Don't forget, you're an assole... | | |
| It must be really flattering (and clearly deserved) to be offered the job, in such a whole-hog way. But I'm glad you're going to stay in Montreal for the moment (if only so i can visit), and from the sound of it you made the right choice. Only terrorists (and EA) hate Freedom! | | |
| I cannot believe this. I would have taken the job if I were in your position. | | |
Well jeff, it seems likely to me that you cannot accurately judge my position. Why go work for another game company when you have your own?
It is 2 months since it happened and I have no regrets. | | |
sorry, dustin, I meant no offense.
you are right, I don't understand your position.
It is better to be your own boss:)
I said that because I am considering applying for a job in EA too. and I think it is really tough to get a job there. I heard rumors that they received hundreds of applications per day. | | |
| I'm going for an interview tomorrow. I'm freaking out. I had one at Ubisoft and well, while they like me, they don't need (for the moment) new graduates. | | |
| Why the hell were you interviewing for a job in Vancouver if you didn't know if you would move there at the end of the process? You wasted your own time and the time of at least 3-4 others. Way to go. | | |
I was interviewing for the job to see what happened. They contacted me initially, not the other way around.
I don't see it as a waste of my time. I got to go through the life experience of interviewing for a big company, and a nice ego boost out of being offered the job. It was also a good event to bring about some reflection on where my life was currently headed working for myself.
3+ years later and I actually live in Vancouver now, but I'm still running my own company, and I have no regrets about not taking a job at EA. | | |
Hey Dustin, I stumbled across your post in the process of trying to find some answers to some questions I have about breaking into the business of game software engineering. It seems like you can answer at least a couple of my questions, if you would be so generous.
First, I can't seem to find a college other than DeVry that offers a degree in Game and simulation programming. Now, I know that is a title they've created for the group of classes that they offer for the degree, but I can't find any other college other than similar online colleges that offer the same type of training.
I'll be starting at the very bottom, so I need to figure out the best way to spend the next 4-6 years of my life. Basically my question is, is DeVry a joke or not? And if so, how can I find all of the right training to be an asset in the gaming industry?
I would be grateful for a response, and any advise you could give.
Thanks. | | |
I have no personal knowledge of DeVry, but I do have a pretty shady view of it in my mind, just from the old commercials they used to have.
There are some other game-focused schools out there. Check out this link for some more info.
You really can't go wrong with a normal Computer Science degree, and using your initiative to investigate gaming related tech. That's the path the majority of gamedevs take. | | |
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