layoffs?

[Henrix]

This is terrible news, I hope it works out fine for everybody involved!

Dave, I'll miss you on the podcast, it's been a pleasure hearing you there!

And I hope to get a chance to buy more excellent games you guys make, because I know you can make them!

(I see some small hope that this means we'll see more game material by Jonathan Tweet )

[JeffB]

My sympathies to all those involved- having been laid off recently myself, I totally understand the suckitude around the holidays. However, keeping a positive attitude is key. "Everything happens for a reason" is my motto.

[Cpt_Micha]

Seems like it's all DDI related.

DDI has been full of fail since it's inception. Talk about wasted potential. I mean really did anyone care for "pay for" designer blogs? I thought that was the third dumbest thing I've ever seen a company do. Okay maybe not third but certainly in the top 20 for gaming companies. (number one being Sega. Nuff Said)

Don't we you know... get those for free anyway by frequenting forums?

DDI should have been for things like the Fey Feature, and the various ecologies that we got from Dungeon and Dragon. Not "Lets interview a Designer!"

Sucks for Solice, I liked Solice. She did a good job (sorta) of help mending the forums at wotc.

[Kid Charlemagne]

Originally Posted by Herremann the Wise

Is this a typical cleaning out? Does this reflect on the success (or lack of) of DDI, or D&D in general? What should (if anything) be read into this?

I don't know; there was a round of layoffs not terribly long after 3.0 came out - this was around the time Monte Cook and Sean K. Reynolds left, though I'm not sure if they were laid off per se. There were two things going then, which match very closely with what's going on right now - a new edition of teh game had come out, and a recession hit. It stands to reason that more people are needed to work on D&D while the design of a new edition is going on then to maintain that edition's forward momentum, and of course in an economic downturn the pressure on the bottom line is even greater.

[delericho]

Losing a job always sucks, losing a job just before Christmas doubly so.

I wish I coould say this was a surprise, but it really isn't. Between the new edition being out, the economy, and WotC's habit of making cuts at this time, this really wasn't unexpected.

I hope all those affected find new employment soon.

[Sheridan]

A toy company that lays its workers off at the start of the Christmas season...

...how utterly devoid of a soul Hasbro/Wizards must be...

Best of luck to Dave and all those affected (I found out about this while making plans for my upcoming d20 Past/Pulp Heroes game, Dave).

...and for goodness sake, let's not worry about "the state of the game". If the company completely disappeared from the face of the Earth today, I'm still pretty sure we all still have enough "stuff" to keep on playing D&D for as long as we wish.

Best wishes to all those affected and a big "thank you" for all you've done.
*Sheridan

[Brix]

Post deleted - not the right place for that kind of rant, thanks ~ PS

[Stormtower]

As a fellow unemployed American, I'd like to offer my sympathy and condolences to all those laid off today. Some of the names on that list are highly responsible for many, many hours of enjoyable gaming had by all at my table. Best wishes to you, and stay positive. Know that your work on D&D over the years is appreciated.

PS. to Dave Noonan - great work on the podcasts and I will miss listening to your voice.

[Kid Charlemagne]

Originally Posted by Brix

Wasn't it part of the plan...

Ever wonder what a threadcrap was? This is an excellent example. Let's not have any more in this thread, k?

-Kid Charlemagne, ENWorld Mod

[silentounce]

Originally Posted by Sheridan

A toy company that lays its workers off at the start of the Christmas season...

...how utterly devoid of a soul Hasbro/Wizards must be...

Actually, would you rather have them WORK through the holidays and then lay them off? That sounds a bit more cruel doesn't it? Almost like they used them and then let them go. I'm sure they're all getting some kind of severance or being allowed to use their saved up vacation time. At least this way they get to spend the holidays with their family/friends. That, and there is never a "good time" for a layoff. Perhaps if they kept all these people for another month or two it could result in more layoffs because of budget overruns? Keeping them around through the holidays does no one a favor. So, before you start judging and saying careless remarks....

Now that that is out of the way, I give my best wishes to those out of work this holiday season. I work in recruitment, and let me tell you, it's getting very rough out there for everybody in nearly every industry.

One more thing, I vote for no new editions of D&D. Just look at the history. Release of 2 ed(1989) followed by the early '90s recession, 3.0(2000) came out followed by the burst of the dotcom bubble and the last recession, and now 4th ed comes out leading to the current economic crisis/recession. Last three recessions coincide with last three editions of D&D? Just like the drop in pirates and the increase in global warming, it can't be a coincidence. And now with the rise in piracy we're all hearing about in the news weather forecasters are saying that it's going to be a very cold, harsh winter?




Hope maybe I cheered someone up with that.

[Drkfathr1]

Always terrible news to hear of more lay-offs, regardless of the reason. I hate to see this during the holiday season too, I wish companies had a better way of doing this, but I understand why it seems to happen at this time of year.

Best wishes to all affected. Hopefully new jobs won't be long in coming, I'd say they all have the kind of talent that others will be looking for.

[TerraDave]

These have become so predictable they are painfull.

Though the fact that this is the second round, and mongoose mats recent anouncements, would seem to imply that while 4E is going well, it could be doing better.

Randy Buehler was, with 20/20 hindsight, clearly the wrong man in the wrong job. I very much hope he can find a position which better uses his talents.

Jonathan Tweet, largely the father of "d20" and hence the biggest force in RPGs for almost 10 years, may have been hurt by the demise of Dreamblade. Still his long association with Wizards makes this almost shocking. (except for my first point). It also removes the last person at WotC who had a significant role in creating 3E.

And there is David Noonan. Practically the face of D&D R&D, who did some very good 3E work, and was heavily involved in developing 4E (though his credit for it seemed limited). What can you say?

I do hope things work out for them. The timing is terrible. But things usually do.

[Raven Crowking]

My condolences as well. Here's to speedy reemployment in a job you enjoy.


RC

[xechnao]

Bad. Hope things sort out for the better ASAP.

[Angellis_ater]

My best wishes for the future for all of those laid off. I hope to one day be able to work side to side with many of you, and you've been inspirations for me and those like me who strive to design for a living.

Take care!

[Verys Arkon]

I'm sad to see so many titans let go, especially this time of year. Like everyone else here, I hope they find new positions soon.

I'll especially miss Dave Noonan - his pre-4e blogs really got me excited for 4e, and the podcasts with Mearls were something I always looked forward to. I hope Martial Power wont be the last book with his name on it.

I thought the DDI had finally hit its stride. The magazines were being released with quality material and on time, the communication had improved immensly, and the software was coming along it seemed. I hope such a dramatic upheaval doesn't derail all their progress.

Good luck in the future, and I hope to see your work again soon.

Verys

[dmccoy1693]

Good luck to you all. May you roll a 20 on your future interviews and may your interviewers all be 1st level commoners (so bring house cats).

[Zinovia]

My condolences to all those who were recently laid off. I was shocked to see some of the names on that list. I hope you all manage to find some new great jobs soon (or as soon as you want to go back to work!).

Thank you for the innumerable hours of enjoyment I have spent playing D&D (3.0, 3.5 and 4E) with my friends. My husband and I had given up on D&D after 1st ed, but the great work done by Jonathan and the rest of the 3E team brought us back to the game after many years. Then 4E came out just as we were wrapping up our 6 year long 3.5 game, and I'm playing two 4E campaigns now and loving it.

Dave, thanks for all your work on 4E and for the great podcasts. I enjoyed listening to them and was always happy to see a new episode come out. If you are interested in continuing with a gaming podcast, I really think there's room out there for one that talks about 4E (given the apparent podfade of Radio Free Hommlet ). Or talk about whatever you like - I'd subscribe!

I'm sorry that so many talented people were hit by this layoff. Know that we do appreciate all the hard work you put in on our favorite games.

[lexoanvil]

wow i don't know how to feel about this. i cant get enough of your podcast and other game content dave. i hope things work out for you and anyone else on this list.

[Rugult]

Dave,

As many people have already commented on here; I hope everything works out well for you and that you have a merry Xmas.

About the layoffs; I would just tell people not to come to any sudden conclusions. Every company nowadays is cutting back to the economy, and I doubt WotC is any different. If these were related to a deeper problem, then I'd guess we'd see a bit more then layoffs in the next few months...