Raven Software FAQ

Pros

+ AAA title development + Culture + Amazing Benefits + Competitive Salary + Family picnics and parties + Room to grow and the support to do so

Cons

For me, this is a labor of love and true passion. Even with that being said, when it comes time to crunch, I lose sight of what a healthy work life balance means. Fortunately, time to crunch doesn't forever.

Advice to Management

Thank you for creating a home away from home and for providing me with all the necessary tools to turn my passion into a career. I am forever grateful for all of the opportunities that i have been presented with.

Pros

I'm in QA, the food /Friday breakfast and parties were prime. People were usually pretty nice. Very little crunch(compared to the other studio we were working with) which was shockingly nice.

Cons

QA and TEA's or "Juniors" are just meat for the game dev grinder that are kept around to keep you from getting bonus', PTO, and decent pay. I saw two really stellar junior environment artists get told: "oooo sorry, we just can't swing hiring you on as an associate, good luck looking for a new job!" and then when they left (they found jobs thank god) they hired an associate not a month later. QA is viewed as not being a game dev and treated like second class citizens. No room for growth, so leave if you want to move up or get a raise. I'm thinking of leaving shortly.

Advice to Management

I know you're part of the scum that is Activision and you say "oooo we're not as bad as XYZ Activision studio, so be grateful you don't have it that bad" is not a good thing. Being better than absolute trash practices is not reason to celebrate.

Pros

I'm in QA, the food /Friday breakfast and parties were prime. People were usually pretty nice. Very little crunch(compared to the other studio we were working with) which was shockingly nice.

Cons

QA and TEA's or "Juniors" are just meat for the game dev grinder that are kept around to keep you from getting bonus', PTO, and decent pay. I saw two really stellar junior environment artists get told: "oooo sorry, we just can't swing hiring you on as an associate, good luck looking for a new job!" and then when they left (they found jobs thank god) they hired an associate not a month later. QA is viewed as not being a game dev and treated like second class citizens. No room for growth, so leave if you want to move up or get a raise. I'm thinking of leaving shortly.

Advice to Management

I know you're part of the scum that is Activision and you say "oooo we're not as bad as XYZ Activision studio, so be grateful you don't have it that bad" is not a good thing. Being better than absolute trash practices is not reason to celebrate.

Pros

Working on the number 1 game Call of Duty. Even if you are not an active Call of Duty gamer, the opportunities are great and allows you to bring your creativity to the development. Work/life balance second to none. Madison offers fantastic cost of living and no long commutes to work. 15 minutes...seriously 15 minutes door to door. Surrounded by lakes and beautiful countryside with great outdoor activities

Cons

It's Wisconsin, so be prepared for winter...it's coming. Spring, summer and Autumn are beautiful.

Advice to Management

Continue to push the studio brand and become a bigger name in the Call of Duty development unit.

Pros

They care about your well being, physically and mentally, they've raised their cultural game. They're inclusive, and always interested in opinions and new ideas. They've worked on and developed some of the most iconic games in history. They're driven and when asked to help other studios from Activision, they were such an incredible support, they've been asked to work on and owned, pieces of every single Call of Duty product for the last dozen years. HR is very supportive and the company is filled with folks who are incredibly good at what they do. They have an amazing mentorship program for anyone who wants to be a part of it or learn something new. Madison Wisconsin is beautiful, there are places here in Wisconsin that will take your breath away. The food has become incredibly diverse in the last 5 years.. You never know what new game is on the horizon. Each day is something new. Oh, and I'll bet you look a long while before you find a gaming studio that has people that have been there over 20 years. Raven has loads, more than any other Activision studio. Some have been here over 30 with new employees coming in all the time. Most come here and stay.

Cons

Being an incredible support studio is wonderful, you get to work on something new all the time and it's very lucrative! Occasionally, when a new IP presents, you've got a lot of super talented people that would love to drive and own the challenge. That's not an insurmountable hurdle and not a bad problem to have. Most of the folks at Raven have the years and talent to back them up so they could Run a new IP. But it does occasionally cause tension, which more often than not, is soon lost to the drive for "Gold" in the end.

Advice to Management

Supporting every iteration of the massive Call of Duty franchise is incredible, even honorable, and lucrative! COD would not be what it is today without Raven Software, on so many levels. My advice is to keep those original IP fires stoked. Separate a team (which has revolving employees) to gain a fresh perspective and dive into new ideas and games. Ideas that don't necessarily follow existing formulas. Raven HAS the talent to break the mold and shock the world. Offer something new to today's gamer! Dedicate a small portion of the week to new Intellectual Properties. Finally rotate talent in teams, don't let them get comfortable in permanent positions. ;) Give them fresh challenges and new problems to solve. you'll wind up with more proficient teams and new perspectives. :)