Pros: Great Office, Environment, and Teamwork

Cons: Few projects have night shifts.

Pros: I loved the studio I worked for (Criterion) and enjoyed the projects I worked on over my 2+ years at the studio. Studio management was as open as could be about goings-on across the company/studio. I worked on a wide variety of titles. There was a positive studio culture. There was no crunch enforced across the studio (some people worked extra, but by choice). The offices were nice. Standing desks were standard, as was well-maintained equipment. The location was good.

Cons: - My direct manager wasn't good with people; didn't appear to have people training or previous experience in a similar role. - Kept on having a carrot dangled in front of me of the opportunity of being made perm, but never got the offer. - Short notice on contract renewals, usually for periods less than a year. - QA is seen as disposable. - QA doesn't get paid fairly. - Contractors are paid weekly via an external agency. - Contractors don't get the benefits perm staff get. - QA is part of CDS (Separate organisation), so doesn't get the same treatment as other people in the exact same studio (e.g., no flexitime and gets cut out from other project updates). - Uncertain future, as is with most game development, but EA has a history of closing studios and cancelling projects, so it's something you always have in the back of your mind. In my time at the company, plans changed a lot. - Expensive area to live in. - Felt like I couldn't progress from my initial role due to many different reasons.

Pros: Work-friendly. A perfect 9-6 job.

Cons: Irregular team changing. Need to have an idea on all projects.