Electronic Arts to "Dramatically" Expand Austin Facility

Electronic Arts ERTS announced this afternoon that the company will be opening a new studio and adding hundreds of jobs to its facility in Austin, Texas. Dedicated to developing games under the EA Sports banner, Electronic Arts says that the new studio will complement the firm's “existing studios in Tiburon, Florida and Burnaby, British Columbia.” Hiring for the new studio has already begun, with available jobs including software engineers, game designers, artists, programmers and senior technical positions. EA says that approximately half of the 300 new jobs will be permanent positions; the rest will be contract work. “On behalf of the State of Texas, I'd like to congratulate EA on expanding its presence in Austin, and welcome the quality jobs that will be created here as a result,” Governor Rick Perry said this afternoon during a press conference. “Much like the video gaming industry, our state is built on the foundation of competition; thanks to our low taxes, reasonable and predictable regulatory climate, fair legal system and skilled workforce, we continue to attract companies from around the nation.” “Texas is where the game is being played,” Perry adds. “Whether we're talking about cutting-edge energy, bio-tech or video games, Texas is the perfect place.” "We're really excited about it," says EA Games President Frank Gibeau. "Austin is a terrific place for us to do business. Frankly we just love building games in Austin. The talent is world-class and Perry and the Texas Legislature have created a very business-friendly environment for us." EA says that in addition to the “top-flight talent in the region,” the company is benefiting from Governor Perry's Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program “that helps companies move from higher cost locations to Texas.” “We are continually searching for the best talent in the industry and the best locations for our operations,” Gibeau adds. “Governor Perry's leadership in passing the Texas Moving Image Production Incentive has created an economic environment that is very supportive of game development. Texas is a great place to make games – that's why EA is expanding here.” Governor Perry, meanwhile, is quite excited for the potential of the game industry. “Look, this isn't a small deal: $25 billion dollars in annual revenue and Texas is ready to compete for a bigger piece of that pie,” he said. Follow me @LouisBedigian