In Their Own Words: Chris Bowden
2016-04-26
EA Staff
There are so many different opportunities to work in gaming all over the world.
Meet Chris Bowden, the Asia Pacific Brand Engagement Manager from Sydney Australia.
Hi Chris! How long have you been at EA?
I joined the FIFA Data Collection team as a Data Editor back in 2010, where I helped ensure Hyundai A-League teams were represented as accurately as possible in FIFA 11. I worked on team formations and line-ups, player attribute ratings and skins, and player transfers.
What is your job at EA now?
I’m the Brand Engagement Manager for EA SPORTS in the Asia Pacific region, working out of EA Australia in Sydney.
What does a Brand Engagement Manager do?
I am responsible for marketing our fantastic games to players all across Oceania, Asia, the Middle East and Africa through a variety of mediums such as social media, club partnerships, eSports events – you name it!
How do you market to so many different countries and cultures?
We work with local talent in each region who speak to fans in a familiar voice. I’ve launched both EA SPORTS UFC and EA SPORTS UFC 2 with the help of Mark Hunt and Robert Whittaker who are adored by Australian and New Zealander MMA fans.
What is your favorite perk of your job?
Having the opportunity to meet footballers! So far, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Pelé, Luis Suarez, David Villa, Romelu Lukaku, Peter Crouch, Kevin Mirallas, Glen Johnson, José Enrique, Socceroos legend Tim Cahill and the entire Real Madrid squad in Melbourne last year when announcing their global partnership with us.
What are some of the challenges you face in your role?
Working across multiple languages brings its challenges but we of course have teams of translators to assist us. I’ve been trying my best to learn as much Arabic, Chinese and Japanese as I can!
What has been the highlight of your career at EA?
Commentating the Fox Fans League FIFA 15 tournament last year. I was sat alongside FOX SPORTS’ own Simon Hill and Andy Harper to call the action in the first ever eSports competition to be broadcast live on national television. It was an honour to be a part of such a significant milestone in Australian video gaming history.
What is your favorite thing about the working environment at EA?
The shared love for football in the office makes coming to work every day something that everyone looks forward to. We all discuss world football results daily, watch live matches, play FIFA 16 at lunchtime, and have heated conversation about our own office futsal team which everyone takes quite seriously. That shared passion makes EA my favorite place in the world.
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