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EA Hires At Ontario Office For Social Gaming
by Leigh Alexander [PC, Console/PC]
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June 18, 2009
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As Electronic Arts continues to expand into digital market, it's hiring for a "new social gaming platform" at its relatively unknown EA Waterloo office in Canada, according to new job postings.
Job listings posted on multiple location-specific websites say the publisher is seeking a "User Experience Designer" for an EA Waterloo location, and the candidate will "lead the design and prototyping of applications for online games, community features and e-commerce transactions" for the new platform.
When approached for comment, EA confirmed only that it has a "small office in Ontario that is focused on supporting our online initiatives."
Among the job requirements is a web application development background and a "strong passion for games and a familiarity with social networking platforms."
The job posting also notes that online play is a "key strategic direction" for the company's games, a tenet that EA CEO John Riccitiello frequently raises when discussing the company's direction. The job listings also mention applications that can be distributed across multiple platforms including the iPhone.
According to online guides, Ontario's Technology Corridor offers a variety of incentives to encourage developers to put down roots in the area, like 20 percent tax credits and various funding programs for digital media projects.
The region of Ontario is home to a number of higher learning institutions, including Toronto's Ontario College of Art & Design and the University of Waterloo, both of which have received significant investments to create programs for digital media students.
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However, Waterloo is also home to the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics (thank you RIM), and many consider U of W Canada's best compsci/softeng school.
Great to see more game dev in Waterloo.
http://www.ontariotechnologycorridor.com/storage/Ontario%20Technology%20Corridor
%20Digital%20MediaGaming%20Advantage%20.pdf
We're aware that they are not both located in Waterloo, just in Ontario in general. Thanks for extra info on local schools, though!
Quite frankly, I am not overly surprised to see big pubs going to Waterloo... lots of talent from U of W, lots of people to poach from RIM & the various tech companies that started around RIM.
It's worth noting that Frozen North, makers of the upcoming Majesco-published Wii platformer "Flips Twisted World", are also in Waterloo.
It's exciting that we're no longer the only game development studio in the region. Hopefully this will start a trend that will help retain key talent in Ontario.
One of the biggest problems with our industry in this part of the country is the retention of talent, so getting the big name players like EA out here is a push in the right direction.