Battlefield 2042 Delayed - New Release Date (November 19)
Battlefield tweeted this on their Twitter Oscar Gabrielson & Dev Team announcement: SOURCE: https://twitter.com/Battlefield/status/1438232407119908870?s=19
Forum Discussion
@TTZ_Dipsy wrote:@CyberDyme The tagline/slogan, whatever they've been using since support for BFV ended has been "Made From Home". Covid had a serious impact on the entire business, not just for EA with all the zoom calls and emails to name a few. When you consider just how huge BF is and the fact they needed to bring other studios in as part of their "all hands on deck" approach, we should feel lucky it's only getting delayed a month for polish.
Sorry @TTZ_Dipsy ,
You even make the point yourself...
It is not COVID who drove them to having to work through virtual team calls and emails. That has been matter of fact for the last many games being released over many recent years. Only a very small subset of the creative work is catalyzed through physical proximity between the game designers. And this is even done routinely through virtual whiteboards being shared through online sessions. Without COVID its not like the LA team would have flown into Arlanda every Monday morning to spend the week together in the 'nollåtta' office with the DICE crew.
Likewise, even when sitting in the same office, in cubes next to each other, we still do the majority of exchanges with each other through emails and confcalls.
So no. The time has long run out for bad excuses.
@CyberDyme The company I work for had a lot of people working from home and it certainly made routine comms a tad more convoluted. You shouldn't underestimate being able to chat to the bloke at the desk next to you about an issue.
@Trokey66 wrote:
@CyberDymeThe company I work for had a lot of people working from home and it certainly made routine comms a tad more convoluted. You shouldn't underestimate being able to chat to the bloke at the desk next to you about an issue.I don't @Trokey66 ,
And also agreed that many good exchanges takes place at the watercooler in the corridor or at the coffee station! 😀
I have myself 1,800 staff in my own global team across 32 offices WW. Yes, we lost obviously some exchanges, but matter of fact was we even increased overall productivity. We are still to see if this is sustainable, as we can also agree that induction of new staff is now more complex and duration extended until a new staff member becomes full autonomous and productive.
But it makes me sick to observe and hear the wringing EA makes here. Of all industries around this world, they are among the best suited for working virtually with each other. As they matter of fact already did for years before we got hit by Covid!
EA should change their deplorable attitude, get their communication in gear and instead be honest with their customers.
The preceding weeks of EA stonewalling from technical playtest to this way past-due delay-acknowledgement coming out was absolutely *** (insert your own adjectives, as you like...)
EA_AticDICE Team
The creative part of brainstorming when having random conversations don't happen as easy when you have to force it over a random chat ping.
Moving over to writing/poking everyone adds time to everything you do that was not there before, instead of walking back from coffee and say: Hey do you have time for a quick chat about something.
Having that physical contact does a lot for inspiration and random creative conversations to just poke someone on anything.
Some departments got hit harder than others with covid and everyone working from home. Covid did a number on the industry when it comes to production/development. @CyberDyme
/Atic
