Louisiana State University is expected to sign off on allocation of $30 million to build a new, 94,000 sq. ft. Digital Media Facility which will house an expanded game testing presence for Electronic Arts.
Louisiana State University is expected to sign off on allocation of $30 million to build a new, 94,000 sq. ft. Digital Media Facility which will house an expanded game testing presence for Electronic Arts on the campus. EA has been part of LSU since 2008, when it teamed up with the university and the state's department of economic development to establish a testing facility primarily used for EA Sports games. But with that facility reaching capacity, LSU is expected to begin constructing the new building this summer, with an opening targeted for the second half of 2012, according to a Baton Rouge Advocate report. EA will pay nearly $500,000 in annual rent to work in the facility, which is being constructed with a mix of state and federal development funds. The company could fill the space with up to 200 employees on top of the 400 staffers it already employs in Baton Rouge, according to the report. “This is a critical milestone,” Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Stephen Moret said, “It’s kind of given Louisiana credibility in the industry." The state has been actively courting the game industry in recent years, with a 25 percent tax credit on interactive media spending signed into law in 2009.
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