Microsoft's game for Victoria studio
#1
Posted 01 December 2011 - 09:36 AM
Marko Juras, REALTOR® & Associate Broker | Gold MLS® 2011-2023 | Fair Realty
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#2
Posted 01 December 2011 - 10:51 AM
#3
Posted 01 December 2011 - 11:04 AM
I would be suprised if the Microsoft venture expanded beyond a handful of employees.
#4
Posted 01 December 2011 - 11:58 AM
I don't know where spanky123 gets that "it is next to impossible to get really good game developers to live here." Whether he/she has some actual knowledge or that's just blind conjecture.
I work as a developer (though not in gaming).
#5
Posted 01 December 2011 - 12:15 PM
#6
Posted 01 December 2011 - 12:21 PM
#7
Posted 01 December 2011 - 12:58 PM
I suspect the Wharf st. location may well appeal to quite a few Microsofties lost in the maze of Redmond.
Yup, plus you're only a Kenmore Air flight away from the Lake Union seaplane base and a 20 minute cab ride from there to the Redmond campus.
#8
Posted 01 December 2011 - 01:50 PM
That's awesome, and great that they're going into downtown. It says that they could have 60 employees to start.
I don't know where spanky123 gets that "it is next to impossible to get really good game developers to live here." Whether he/she has some actual knowledge or that's just blind conjecture.
I work as a developer (though not in gaming).
It is difficult to impossible to recruit any specialist trade to Victoria. People are not going to move their families here when there is only one company that will fully utilize / compensate them for their skills. Now I am assuming that Microsoft's plan is to develop a higher end development shop. If they are only looking at Victoria for testers or entry level work then that is probably ok.
#9
Posted 01 December 2011 - 02:13 PM
It is difficult to impossible to recruit any specialist trade to Victoria. People are not going to move their families here when there is only one company that will fully utilize / compensate them for their skills. Now I am assuming that Microsoft's plan is to develop a higher end development shop. If they are only looking at Victoria for testers or entry level work then that is probably ok.
So general cliched cynicism about Victoria. Got it.
#10
Posted 01 December 2011 - 03:08 PM
Disney had a game studio on Government St for about 6-7 years before they moved out to West Saanich. It hasn't really grown to anything as it is next to impossible to get really good game developers to live here.
I would be suprised if the Microsoft venture expanded beyond a handful of employees.
I don't think it is that hard to get programmers to come here. A lot of the demographic you are looking at is young, single professionals. The whole snow ski and golf in the same weekend thing is pretty appealing to that crowd. We brought in lots of programmers, including a fair number from the UK. Quality of life is a pretty big recruiting tool.
#11
Posted 01 December 2011 - 03:11 PM
I don't think it is that hard to get programmers to come here. A lot of the demographic you are looking at is young, single professionals. The whole snow ski and golf in the same weekend thing is pretty appealing to that crowd. We brought in lots of programmers, including a fair number from the UK. Quality of life is a pretty big recruiting tool.
And UVic has incredibly successful and widely regarded Engineering and Computer Science programs. So there's a lot of development and engineering talent that is already here.
Working in that field for the last few years in Victoria, I've seen plenty of highly qualified developers accepting jobs here from all over the place.
#12
Posted 01 December 2011 - 03:20 PM
#13
Posted 01 December 2011 - 03:56 PM
On another note I see CGI is looking at 60 new hires over the next few months in Victoria...I wonder if its related?
#14
Posted 01 December 2011 - 05:02 PM
We have some incredibly talented people here, just no opportunities.
#15
Posted 01 December 2011 - 07:05 PM
I would be willing to guess that Baro's friends are not working here for a reason and it is not because nobody offered them a job!
#16
Posted 01 December 2011 - 07:17 PM
#17
Posted 01 December 2011 - 07:48 PM
#18
Posted 01 December 2011 - 08:01 PM
I never said Victoria is bad, all I am pointing out is the reality of trying to recruit skilled professionals here.
If a year from now Microsoft has a shop of 60 game developers working downtown and getting paid big bucks then that is good for everyone.
#19
Posted 01 December 2011 - 10:06 PM
And you still haven't stated whether you actually have any experience in this field to justify your claims that "it is next to impossible to get really good game developers to live here." It sounds like you're just going to come into any discussion and try and make the same tired, untrue points about Victoria being a place that no-one wants to live in.
This is an article about a giant tech company setting up a development shop in Victoria. It's literally disproving everything you're trying to say in advance.
One of the stated reasons for them setting up shop here (from the article) is that housing costs are so much less than in Vancouver.
Of COURSE you can get a house here on 80-90k a year. It's absolutely ridiculous that you're trying to say otherwise.
#20
Posted 01 December 2011 - 10:58 PM
Any time high paying jobs are added, it's obviously a positive.
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