The ingredients were all there -- an enthusiastic sports city, a
university developing a new digital media curriculum, thousands of
young, tech-savvy students and a state offering aggressive digital
media tax credits.
When Electronic Arts, or EA, decision makers looked at Baton
Rouge, La., they found a perfect fit for the company's new global
quality assurance center.
The facility, the first of its kind in the United States, is
primarily a testing center for EA SPORTS titles, such as Madden NFL, FIFA
Soccer, NBA Live, NCAA Football and Tiger
Woods PGA Tour.
Louisiana State University's student body is a perfect match for
EA's workforce needs. EA's new facility employs 20 full-time staff
and 200 part-time staff consisting of students evaluating and
testing EA video games before they are released. Moreover, the
affiliation with EA enhances the development of LSU's new digital
media program, Arts, Visualization, Advanced Technologies and
Research, or AVATAR, which is being vigorously cultivated at the
university.
LSU, EA and the state of Louisiana are critical components of a
burgeoning partnership between the private sector, the state and
academia. EA took advantage of Louisiana Economic Development's
digital media tax credits. In return, Louisiana will continue its
effort to become a leader in the digital media industry by building
upon EA's commitment and investment in the state.
Gov. Bobby Jindal said, "This win is a critical step in creating
a digital media economy that will generate even more high-paying,
high-tech jobs."
It's a role EA is happy to play.
"We are proud EA will assist in the development of the digital
media industry in Louisiana," said Sharon Knight, president of EA
Central Development Services. "This partnership will open future
opportunities for the state of Louisiana, LSU and EA."
The state's digital media incentive offers up to a 25% tax
credit against production expenditures made in Louisiana.
