EA: Bowl party > employees
John Gaudiosi of GameCulture.com posted today about his experience at the Madden Bowl, the annual post Super Bowl party hosted by Electronic Arts. Mostly, his reaction was a lot of gushing about the “unprecedented access” to NFL players and being a part of the “hottest party in town.” I don’t blame him. Who wouldn’t like to rub shoulders with NFL celebrities, hang with the beautiful people and have an excuse to play video games all in one roof. It’s a sports geek’s ultimate fantasy.
However, as much as I understand John’s enthusiasm, I can’t help but wonder at some of his comments about EA Tiburon. According to John:
EA Tiburon could have just sat on its laurels and churned out anything. But Madden NFL 09 really stood out as one of the best games of last year – and it also remained one of the best-selling games of the year.
Sure, EA Tiburon was so good at making Madden that the parent company layed off a chunk of the development staff. How’s that for a reward?
I understand that business is business and sometimes you have to make unpleasant choices; however, the timing of the layoffs (in mid January) and the post Super Bowl party can’t be worse. While, the EA executives are rubbing elbows with NFL stars, the developers at EA Tiburon feel lucky to even have a job. In this environment where the public is a little sensitive about corporate excess, how can this party be seen in a good light? I wonder how much EA spent on this event? How many developer jobs would it have saved if they had decided to forgo the party and opt for something less expensive? Strange that these sort of thoughts rise unbidden to my mind.
Yes, I know that Madden Bowl is a huge marketing bonanza. It fuels hype and many reporters, like John, are invited to these events to spread the word about the buzz. It’s a carefully machinated event that seems (at least to this outsider’s perspective) as much scripted as spontaneous. I also know that EA will justify the party expenditure by saying that the marketing provided by the Madden Bowl will actually save EA jobs by making sure that sales of the franchise remain strong.
Am I simply being a sourpuss for faulting people for having a good time while also marketing their product? And is it unreasonable to link the layoffs to a marketing event that was planned for months in advance and has become part of the established post Super Bowl festivities? Presumably, that would be the opinion of the EA executives who were there at the party who also undoubtedly had a role in the layoffs at Tiburon.
I guess then that I don’t have what it takes to be a game company executive, at least not at EA. Concepts like loyalty, sensitivity, and rewards for performance still have meaning for me.
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