When children are asked what they went to be when they grow up, their answers are always the same — policeman, firefighter, astronaut, doctor, etc.
Not me.
As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to design video games.
Yes, my nerdiness started as a young lad, but it’s what I’ve always enjoyed in life.
Unfortunately, I took computer science here at the University and quickly realized video game design might not be the best fit for me.
However, this setback did not deter my love for the gaming industry — I write about it every other week.
A hundred words aside for my personal anecdote, the fine folks at Electronic Arts may help keep my dreams and the dreams of others like me alive.
EA, the publishing giant and the father of sports games like “Madden NFL,” opened up a testing facility in Baton Rouge on the LSU South Campus with the EA North American Testing Center in 2008.
Many quality assurance teams worked hard testing and playing popular games, working out all of the bugs prior to the game’s retail release.
Three years and 400 employees later, EA’s local testing facility is pushing its boundaries and looking to expand. EA and the University are teaming up to make the upcoming Digital Media Facility the new home of Electronic Arts.
The $30 million, 94,000-square-foot project is to be built on the southeast corner of campus, according to The Daily Reveille.
“This is an area we think we can be a significant and national player. It’s important from an economic development standpoint, and it’s an important part of an academic area we plan to grow,” Chancellor Michael Martin told The Advocate.
Construction is set to begin this summer with the facility opening around fall 2012.
The new facility is set to add around 200 new jobs to the EA family — as well as include a classroom, auditorium, conference rooms, AV equipment and a coffee shop among its three floors. EA is set to reside on the third floor.
EA will pay an annual rent of $465,000 and the University estimates the coffee shop should bring in around $13,000 per year.
This income will help offset the nearly $20 million in set-aside state construction dollars, $1 million in operating dollars from the economic development department and $3 million from a federal Economic Development Administration grant, The Advocate reports.
Gamers everywhere should be ecstatic EA is looking to expand its presence here in Baton Rouge.
Not only will this help the state’s economy, it may also lead other large development and publishing companies to follow suit.
The 25 percent tax credit on interactive media spending Louisiana signed into law in 2009 also helps prospective companies set up down here.
EA’s presence on campus also helps LSU’s recently formed digital media minor, started last fall.
The University is looking to grow its Arts, Visualization, Advanced Technologies and Research Initiative (or AVATAR) by providing this new academic minor pairing coding and computer science with art and animation design.
This new minor definitely caught my attention when introduced last year — but between trying to graduate in a timely manner and my disdain toward computer science, it just wasn’t feasible.
However, those who are involved in the minor or AVATAR program should definitely look into working at this new EA facility, if the thought hasn’t crossed your mind already.
Who knows. If this writing gig doesn’t work out for me, maybe I’ll end up moving my way up the ranks at EA.
A guy can dream, can’t he?
Adam Arinder is a 21-year-old communication studies senior in Baton Rouge. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_aarinder.
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contact Adam Arinder at [email protected]