Why is NCsoft Austin moving to Seattle?
Although some of the restructuring is philosophical, with the company now focusing more intently on “AAA list” titles like Guild Wars and Lineage II, some of the motivation for the decision to move the publishing headquarters from Austin to Seattle was strictly practical.
“On the basic level, it is very difficult, and in fact now impossible, to get a nonstop flight from Austin to Seattle,” explained Reid.
…yeah. I think I’ll refrain from comment. And stuff.
#1 by Freakazoid on September 18th, 2008
Seattle is a cool place to vacation at. Naturally, if you want to make it a permanent vacation, you gotta take everything with you.
You should have moved with them, then you could hang out with me!
#2 by Zappa on September 19th, 2008
While I love Seattle I would not want to live there as they have this lack of sun (same reason I do not want to move to Pacifica)
#3 by Vivianne Draper on September 19th, 2008
There aren’t any large software corporations located close to Seattle AT ALL
#4 by Jeff Freeman on September 19th, 2008
Good job on the refraining from comment.
Out of curiosity, have you checked your blood pressure lately?
#5 by Vetarnias on September 19th, 2008
I’m pretty sure someone is going to name-drop Richard Florida at some point. Excluding myself, of course, even though I did just that.
#6 by etherealwolf on September 19th, 2008
wonder if there was a tax incentive tied to the move
#7 by Brandon Reinhart on September 19th, 2008
Lord British, the Studio Slayer
#8 by Gabe on September 19th, 2008
Richard Florida, you say? One of his books was part of what led me to move from Detroit to Austin after doing research into “Cool Cities”. Austin wasn’t really the top, but was consistently highly ranked in terms of IT, Music, Tolerance, low traffic and WARM!
#9 by J. on September 19th, 2008
It’s not as though this hasn’t been said before. SXSW Screenburn panel, April 2006, as reported by Evan van Zelfden in Gamasutra:
“I don’t know what the city or the state can do about that,” [Gordon] Walton said, “But anything is better than nothing right now. Because Warren and I fly places, to be supplicants, to people with money. Our relationships, in the long-term, aren’t what they should be. Because the people we’re dealing with, really don’t want to be here. They think, ‘Oh, that’s going to be a pain in the butt, going to Austin,’ because they have to fly sixteen ways from Sunday to get here.”
Warren [Spector] concurred, “That sounds crazy, but it’s absolutely true. People will not come to Austin to talk to us. We always have to go to them, and it’s a real issue. The lack of direct flights – I can’t believe I’m actually saying that in public – is an actual hindrance.”
#10 by Gabe on September 19th, 2008
I LIKE that the three “bigger” cities around us take much of the “big-time” business. But I suspect that those cities aren’t high-tech or creative enough to locate high-style software headquarters there. Austin is still growing, but it doesn’t attract too much of the HUGE MULTINATIONAL companies. Sure we have a handful, but i think part of the character of Austin is that we aren’t the big business hub that is Houston or Dallas. And we won’t be any day soon… those are huge and established cities. We’re a BIG “small” town in Austin. There are sacrifices for this–Austin isn’t the best place to collaborate from unless you’re really keen on telepresence.
Totally one of my favorite Austin aspects: it isn’t super-HQ worthy, but it still totally pops with culture.
#11 by J. on September 19th, 2008
“Austin is still growing, but it doesn’t attract too much of the HUGE MULTINATIONAL companies.”
Like Apple, Samsung, AMD, Intel, Motorola or Tokyo Electron?
Oh wait, yeah, they all have offices in Austin.
#12 by J. on September 19th, 2008
And 3M. I always forget 3M.
#13 by Gabe on September 19th, 2008
@ J.
Sorry if i wasn’t clear. I was referring to attracting U.S. headquarter–not simply having offices in austin. So take out Apple (Cuppertino, CA), AMD (Sunnyvale), Samsung (NY/New Jersey), Motorola, Intel (Santa Clara). Before researching your list, i thought i would have more than a couple left.
NCsoft is not closing the austin office. In fact, they are hiring in austin. http://www.plaync.com/us/jobs/ .. but perhaps not the jobs most would be interested in.
#14 by J. on September 19th, 2008
AMD’s HQ is technically Silicon Valley, but it employs way more people in Austin.
#15 by kfsone on September 19th, 2008
Actually, the reason Playnet is located in Bedford TX is how convenient it was for DFW Int airport. I leave it as an exercise to the reader on deciding what /that/ says
#16 by Adam on September 20th, 2008
Speaking of Texas versus Washington…
I was born and raised in Texas for my first 30 years, moved to Seattle for 7 years, then recently moved back. Frankly, my first year transition in Seattle was a bitch with the constant wet, cool, dark weather, gray clouds and the old houses with high prices, but then it really grew on me (and not just the moss). An hour drive to the beach or the rain forest or the snow covered mountains. Heck, I could see the snow peak of Mt. Rainier every day driving to work. Beautiful tall evergreen trees and an actual Fall season where leaves change color for more than 5 minutes. The most pleasant sunny yet mild summers you could ever imagine. Sitting on the back porch watching huge bald eagles flying overhead. One time, we watched the Northern Lights shimmer green in the night sky from my front yard, which was a hell of a treat. After a while, I was truly loving it there.
My first year back in Texas, even as a previously die-hard Texan, I feel like I landed on an alien planet with a big drop in general IQ and quality of life around me. It’s hard to explain, but basically I feel like I now live in a low rent, flat, dirty air, sun-cooked, religious books section of a Walmart for fat, retarded people. Yes, even here in Austin.
I guess since I was born here, I had to move away and come back to notice what a crap hole Texas can really be. Move to Seattle if you can afford it.
#17 by Mr_PeaCH on September 22nd, 2008
With a title like “Flying is Hard” I certainly expected to find a ‘Taxi to Victory!’ reference within the first 10 posts. Unless people just felt that was a bit too obvious or something. /harumph