Not like working in a back office compliance role at a hedge fund

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3801023&forum_id=2#34712890)

They have full on gates and guards for the parking lot

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3801023&forum_id=2#34714525)

How come they stopped buying gazillion ads?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3801023&forum_id=2#34745793)

My understanding is that they switched to marketing that new Final Fantasy game. I imagine the roi on spend was higher if click throughs with the brand were better.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3801023&forum_id=2#34745811)

In general, I'm very skeptical about paying influencers to talk about your game. It essentially operates as an admission to the marketplace that your game doesn't have content that is independently worth talking about.

That said, I've started playing it a bit and it isn't half bad compared to other claimants to the MMORPG throne.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3801023&forum_id=2#34746104)

ib bro? this sounds like an awesome role

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3801023&forum_id=2#34745620)

was asking because work bro is interviewing for fp&a director role at activision.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3801023&forum_id=2#34745741)

Several reasons:

1. I don't find the work that interesting. Finance at a FAANG is basically second-class citizens, since it's the engineers and product managers who are driving the actual strategy. I'm a hardcore finance geek who loves modeling, valuation, and research, and the job is more "controllership" and holding the hands of various business groups.

2. I really hate the city I currently live in.

3. My comp is OK, but it could be better, and I'm not satisfied.

What's your friend's background like?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3801023&forum_id=2#34745763)

can't say because doobs but we're at one of the only employers worth their salt in LA. he's a finance manager.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3801023&forum_id=2#34745797)

Blizz is a mess right now on the finance side. Been cleaning it up for some time.

Riot in major transition, but still a good place to work if you want to join the cult.

Activision is a ruthless heart of darkness but the best run company (from a business perspective) in games by far. Bobby is probably one of the best deal makers alive.

But yeah, none of this is going to be super interesting unless they have you in strategic modeling on the game side.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3801023&forum_id=2#34745704)

Yeah, this role doesn't seem interesting. HR said it's product finance, which to me is total BS.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3801023&forum_id=2#34745712)

I'd want to know way more about the role before I make any decisions. In general, you want to be as close to game operations as humanly possible if you want upside in a game company.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3801023&forum_id=2#34745719)

Does one have to be a hardcore gamer to enjoy working at these firms? I'm not a gamer, so worried about being surrounded by aspie gaming freaks.

Also, what are exit opps like?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3801023&forum_id=2#34745755)

Required at Riot. They check pretty much everyone's LoL account before they make a hire. If you don't play they view it as a pretty strong sign you aren't a culture fit. Even for roles like finance (though obviously less so than things directly touching a game).

ATVI doesn't give a fuck -- Bobby doesn't play games and doesn't really enjoy them. ATVI is staffed out with a bunch of hardcore brand operators from P&G.

In general, the people at the tops of these companies are reasonably well adjusted humans that are really fucking smart. I know most of them to some extent and I like interacting with them. The hyper aspieness is more common at the middle and bottom portions of the company and they generally stick to themselves.

Exit ops are worse than other businesses of equivalent size. Games are insular, though they're becoming significantly less so. I'd generally not suggest going into games unless you have some underlying desire to be in them. You learn a bunch of hyper idiosyncratic stuff that just doesn't travel super well.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3801023&forum_id=2#34745781)

So, if this would bump you up two titles and no one else is offering the same, then go for it. Otherwise, I'd just take some extra caution.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3801023&forum_id=2#34745828)

For example, the last two years have been a great time to be at EA with the stock lurching forward. Base comp is lower but the stock makes up for it.

Comp at riot is decent but the gravy train has largely left the station after Tencent completed the acquisition.

ATVI is known to underpay. Kotick runs a very tight ship.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3801023&forum_id=2#34745799)

I can make up a big number so you feel terrible about yourself though. :D

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3801023&forum_id=2#34745848)

It's hard for me to comment on salary negotiations since I use a super unorthodox strategy on this stuff.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3801023&forum_id=2#34745859)

Then, regardless of whatever the first offer is, I say: "Not close."

EDIT: When asked why, I say they either don't expect me to do much, or they hope I'll do what they want me to do but don't want to value it correctly. Either way, they'll have to do better.

EDIT2: I have also countered with:

"More."

"Of what?"

"Everything."

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3801023&forum_id=2#34745878)

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3801023&forum_id=2#34745960)

When I left movies for games when I was down in LA people looked at me like I was fucking insane.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3801023&forum_id=2#34745936)

I don't check it much though. This is my first time back on xo in about a month.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3801023&forum_id=2#34746036)

https://venturebeat.com/2017/09/09/can-unicorn-dropbox-avoid-a-down-round-ipo/

Perks being cut:

http://www.businessinsider.com/cost-cutting-at-dropbox-and-silicon-valley-startups-2016-5

I'm not going to Google all this shit for you dude. It's well known, DropBox missed their window. The people who made out on it are early employees who sold their shares to later investors.

Slack, Atlassian and Okta, in descending order, are far more desirable than Dropbox.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3801023&forum_id=2#34749779)

Dude gaming is the worse place to be in tech. Maybe it’s worth it if you LOVE GAMING, but as a lawyer obviously you’ll be far from any game engineering. You can probably land something more legit in SV

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3801023&forum_id=2#34745837)

he went to some ttt law school in CA but opted to go into this field.

i really wonder what he makes.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3801023&forum_id=2#34800051)