Introduction
Ramin Afshar: My name is Ramin Afshar, and I am a software engineer in the Data Collection group at Electronic Arts Canada. I am originally from Tehran/Iran, and moved to Canada in 1995. I joined the Central Database Group at Electronic Arts Canada in 2005 where I was working on a text asset localization tool. The text asset localization is the conversion of the English game text into non-English languages that a game is shipped in. I have been working in the Data Collection group since January 2007.
Would you please explain a little bit about your job (task process) especially when you are involving with FIFA production?
Ramin Afshar: The Data Collection group is responsible for collecting all the team, and player data that is used in all of the EA football titles. Data Collection producers, with help of our data editors, gather and store the latest information about teams and players in our football database. As a software engineer in the Data Collection group I am responsible to create, and maintain the software tools necessary for our producers to do their work.
One of the applications I have been working on is the EA Football Talent Scout web site. Football fans who are willing to join our community of data editors and data reviewers can register using this web site. You can access this site at: https://www.eafootballtalentscout.com
Another web application I have been working on is an application called Football World Wide Editor. Producers and our football community use this application to enter, and update latest football information into our main database. We also maintain export tools that grab this football information from the database, and export it in formats that are usable for different football products.
You probably are a football fan, what are your favourite football club and player?
Ramin Afshar: I like to watch a good match, but I am not following any specific league or competition, other than the World Cup of course.
Are you trying to hear directly from FIFA fans in order to develop the game more based on fans needs?
Ramin Afshar: I can talk only about the Data Collection group. Our football community of editors, and reviewers are among the most knowledgeable football fans in the world, and they are not only contribute directly in making our games as realistic as possible, but also they provide us with feedback, that in many cases reflect in our group’s future plans.
What national team or club you like to see in FIFA 09?
Ramin Afshar: You’ll have to forgive me but I’m unable to talk about any future projects at this stage.
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