Sinking ship alarm...

My sinking ship alarm is getting louder each month, so I'm planning a career change. But I don't really want to go from the frying pan into the fire, so can anyone recommend a studio?
My dream company has:
- Producer who has enough experience and knows what he is doing. (They DO exist, I worked with one but he left some time ago.)
- Designer who doesn't just put any idea he has into the design document but actually sits down and works with me to implement them
- Management that hasn't retreated into the ivory tower
Any recommendations to get me started? And advice against specific companies?

P.S.: Company reads mails, so that is out of the question.
P.P.S.: Some cow-orkers I know that are members here have become part of the problem, so I don't really want access to the private section, at least not until I've got something new.
P.P.P.S.: What happened to the fatbabies boards? A hacking attempt, or did anybody post EA internals again?

 

do you have a world location and studio type in mind?

 

Preferably Europe, somewhere where I get around with English or German, and a console studio, first or second party, or third party with a good publisher relation.

 

Fatbabies is dead.

The back story on it is ... interesting ....

some really good detective work will reward you in the end though.

 

did this ship sink? what was the ship? give clues?

 

That wouldn't be fair towards the company that bought us a few years ago, as they're not part of the problem, or my co-workers who have to suffer along with me. And it isn't good style to slag off your old company if you're looking for somewhere new. And after all, once I'm gone they're somebody else's problem.
I'm quite successfully interviewing with a few interesting new places, so I'll be out soon.
(OT: While I found some interesting things that appeared on fatbabies on other forums, I can't believe they had anything to do with them closing down. Or did they? Any hints?)

 

It was not EA, although I heard their Lawyers were calling the owners rather often.

 

The main reason fatbabies was closed down was nothing to do with EA and everything to do with unfair, slanderous & venomous posts directed towards specific people in the English games industry. Legal action was taken.

 

Can someone PM me and let me know what the hell we're talking about?? This stuff sounds good.. i want in!

 

Let me into the private forums and more will be said.

 

Is that how it works nowadays?

"Psst... Dirty pictures..."

"Dirty pictures of your wife!"

It's just like kindergarten.

 

Go on, what?

 

--

 

Trust me, some cans of worms are not worth opening up again...

 

I'm not a terribly good detective, but I looked for mirrors/caches of fatbabies. The last index page I found had the newest post "The truth about <some company>", unfortunately the post itself was not mirrored.
But I'd imagine it was just a repeat of earlier posts, and their owner has got enough legal power to deal with governments, so that was a good enough reason for me. And after all, fatbabies was dead anyway.
By the way, I spoke with a recruiter from LucasArts. They obviously have interesting IP to work with, and it looks like they want to invest. Can somebody give me the inside scoop on them? I'm a bit worried about the last time they canned lots of projects and closed their games department. And I imagine there are lots of politics centred around Mr Lucas.

 

I think there are a couple of LucasArts threads floating around - if all else fails, post a new thread asking about the company - there are folks who've been there at one time or another here.

 

Looks like they're in the closed section... I was planning to go there once I've handed in my notice. What's the general tone? More recommended, or more advice against working there? You can PM me if you don't want to answer in the public section.

 

Apply for membership, and maybe you'll find out.

 

Once you have retired from the games industry, are using a zimmer frame to get around, have gone blind from old age and suck your food through a straw.

"Do I look bothered? Bothered? Do I? Look? Bothered?"

 

It's possible your application has gotten lost in the move to the new site. Maybe try resubmitting? The email changed, so check the 'How to Join' thread.