Most of the engineering staff in the live games are bored. The employee satisfaction surveys for engineers reflect this. They have no say into the games, and are just hit with a never ending stream of must do features that make no difference, or they spend all day adding ab tests code. Many have been on the same live games for years. Moving between games and studios is almost impossible. You can only do it if you know someone very well with the ability to make it happen, else you are there forever or until you leave. Working in central tech is better (they have good managers). I personally have experience what some might describe as work place bullying. I worked for months under the threat that unless the game shipped i would be sacked. I worked 10+ hours a day for months. All the GM and senior management care about is hitting dates, and not people. They only care when people leave because it slows the release schedule. Producers for the most part are terrible - they only take notes. Management make decisions on gossip and rumor. ie. they will contact "a friend" in another studio, and if that person doesn't say something good (games is a that sort of an industry) you will never move regardless of how good your work is or how hard you work. Management doesn't like staff to move studios, as it may encourage others. Its full of politics. Reviews are the most interesting process. The managers get in a room and gossip about staff, who they "like" etc and then just allocate rewards and punishments. I have seen the same staff get the company engineering awards time after time - they are awarded by the GM's, and are usually a way of rewarding their buddies. (some staff do deserve it, but others are all about who the GM likes). If you want to get into the industry, yeah take a job - they have a hard time finding senior people to work here so you will get a shot, but you will most likely leave after 12 months (i would recommend it) if you want to advance your career. When the end a game (or move it india or where ever games go when put on hold) they are now letting you go. Maybe they will be selling the company soon, who knows ( i am only guessing). In recent years a lot of ex EA people from the old school EA are joining the company in senior positions (as a result i know serval engineers hearing that old EA mantra "if you are not happy you can leave").
