My Visit To EA Los Angeles
So I got a good friend from college who has been working at EA Los Angeles for the last 7 years. Unfortunately he is one of the few, the proud, the soon-to-be-laid-off as he is part of the Command & Conquer team. They are getting released at the end of February when the latest installment of that franchise ships. Thankfully, I was able to arrange a visit during my trip out there last week. I didn't take as many pics as I thought I did - of the outdoor basketball court and soccer field, full gym with ping pong tables, classic cabinet arcade room with console library of just about every game ever made, but here are a few treats:
Me trying on Kane's facemask - it really did hurt. Apparently when it was drying on the mold of the actors face it warped, so it didn't fit properly. You can see how it flares out from the side of my face.
Brotherhood of Nod helmet - shit fucking stank inside that thing.
MoH lobby.
Rocking a C&C rifle used in the actual cut scenes. It is made entirely out of wood (except the cocking mechanism which is plastic), so it was quite heavy. They're doing some sort of contest with the employees, and the winner gets to take it home.
Golden Plunger award given to an ex-employee who lost a Taco Bell eating contest.
The coup-de-tat = 3 brand new games for under $80. Thanks EA Employee discount!
P.S. - One thing I did forget to mention, the atmosphere was quite eerie in the offices. There were large areas of completely empty cubicles, and for how large the complex is, it was very strangely quiet. The mood in the C&C areas were noticeably somber. A testament to how many people have been getting laid off. Kinda sad to walk through whole areas of a still operating office building that were like ghost towns.