layoffs?

[Mark]

WotC has traditionally laid off a number of people, including designers, at Christmastime after a new edition is released. However, when a new edition is no longer a single release, or three books in quick succession at the beginning of an edition's 3-4 year cycle, but rather what is meant to be the core rules are spread out in releases over two or three years, particularly when a game is so dependent on balance issues, then the company has to rely on a smaller design and editing team to ensure quality. Once we get beyond a few that are completely in the pipeline, I wonder what fans will be saying about the various releases?

[xechnao]

Originally Posted by Knight Otu

but I guess it isn't quite the blow you thought it was.

Half of what I had thought. Nevertheless it is still a significant number. The strange thing is that it sounds like veterans and senior staff was hit. It seems there are some strange working relations in this industry. I guess they benefit from the fact that it is hard to make money out of the hobby while they think there is enough of talent around, ready to be assumed as needed. Perhaps it is also true. Besides they are not after the next big thing. And perhaps they will even be hiring next time for less money.
Another suspicion that adds to my belief that the hobby needs to grow more in indie/self publishing.

[herald]

Hmm the D&D web site went down. That's a coincidence. Hope there is enought web folks to fix it.

[Derulbaskul]

Best wishes to all those who were affected. This is one of the things I really dislike about American business: layoffs are far too frequent (quick to hire and quick to fire).

A special shout-out to Julia Martin because it was her Faiths & Avatars that brought me back to gaming and to D&D. I still consider that one of the greatest RPG products of all time and if the face of Helen of Troy could launch a thousand ships, F&A is a book that could launch or inspire a thousand campaigns.

I didn't follow much of the furore surrounding the DDi when it first began because I wasn't interested in 4E but it was the quality and utility of the Compendium that convinced me that it was time to try 4E. Maybe the team responsible dropped the ball to begin with but I am very happy with the end result.

Best to all.

[Monte At Home]

Originally Posted by Piratecat

Major layoffs during the 3e era created some award-winning game companies: Green Ronin, Malhavoc Games, and quite a few more. I can only hope that layoffs during the 4e era do the same.

While I appreciate the good intent, I'm not sure how one might credit layoffs with the creation of Malhavoc Press. Neither Sue nor I were laid off, nor was our first major freelancer (Bruce Cordell). I suppose later on we used the talents of Sean Reynolds and Skip Williams, but we'd been around for a while at that point. I suppose you could say that some of the layoffs were indicative of the kinds of large changes that occurred at WotC which convinced me it was no longer a place I wanted to work at.

Not that I have any illusions about what would have happened had I stayed. I've no doubt that I would have been laid off. From a larger perspective than just yesterday, it's become clear that WotC's become a company that not only doesn't value experience, it avoids it. (And looks at least somewhat disdainfully, rather than fondly, upon its own past.) You have to stretch your definition of "old guard" to even apply to anyone there anymore. (This is likely a bottom line issue, since the longer you stay, the more you get paid.) When I was there, I worked among people like Skip Williams and Jeff Grubb--with that kind of perspective at hand, I was always the new guy. Which was fine by me. I had much to learn and always appreciated the perspective they could provide. Now, most of the people working on D&D weren't even there when I was there. That's how much turnover and change there's been. There's a real danger of losing continuity with these kinds of layoffs. Dangers involving making old mistakes and not remembering what was learned in old lessons.

It's a foolish and shortsighted management that lets people like Jonathan, Julia, and Dave go. Foolish. And a cold-hearted one that does it at Christmas. But this is not new outrage, it's old, tired outrage. This is the company that laid off Skip, and Jeff, and Sean, and other people of extraordinary talent and experience. It's par for the recent course.

Before I end this bitter ramble, let me just add that it's hard not to laugh at the shocking and perhaps pitiable ineptitude of a company that makes role playing games that would lay off Jonathan Tweet, very likely the best rpg designer, well, period.

I wish all of them the best, and have not a shred of doubt that they'll all go on to do bigger and better things.

[xechnao]

Originally Posted by Knight Otu

Wizards is in this building, occupying two floors and part of a third. 23 is probably quite a bit, but I guess it isn't quite the blow you thought it was.

Well someone at rpg.net seems to align more with the impression I have had.
He speaks for a staff of 100
RPGnet Forums - View Single Post - Layoffs at Wizards of the Coast

[balard]

Man! Dave Noonan! that's sad. He and JoT were my favorite designers and poster from WotC. I really hope for all the best for then. Can believe they fired Noonan and Tweet...

And Randy, I really like him and all, but WotC is know by his crap digital products. Sorry, I'm a Magic players and a user of magic online, had great hopes for the digital table, but by playing MOL since the V2 I never really got to exited by any of theirs promises. I really expected him to be kicked of anyway. Hope they can fetch his talents back as a developer for magic. He is good at it.

To all of then, my best wishes and all the luck they can get. Hope to see their writing soon.

At least Mearls are still there...

[The Ghost]

Best wishes to those who have lost their jobs.

Given the current economic downturn and the names let go by WotC - this looks to be a purely bottom line decision. And that is sad because they are loosing A LOT of talent.

[Mokona]

I heard of some more layoffs, not sure:

Barry Holldorf (Dir. of Facilities and Business Services)
Ian Wilkinson (Director of Operations)
Nate Heiss

It looks like a lot of the layoffs were at the Director level making Wizards of the Coast less top heavy with management positions. Also they can save more cash with highly paid director layoffs than line workers thus laying off fewer total people to reach their budget savings.

[GoodKingJayIII]

Wow. Haven't posted here in a while. I'm very sorry to hear about this round of layoffs, but I'm particularly sad to see Dave Noonan and Jonathan Tweet go. Those guys do great work, and Wizards needs more designers like them.

[Simplicity]

That's a pretty sad list. You have to look pretty hard these days to find a company that isn't laying people off. While I feel it's a long-term mistake for Wizards to be letting these people go, the economy is not what it was. WotC needs to control costs right now. They could very easily employ fewer people and/or stretch out their releases more. 4e releases have been rather breakneck.

The DnDInsider layoffs annoy me in that I felt that *for once* Wizards had finally released a successful app (the compendium) and were about to follow it up with another (the character builder). That was a lot of effort for them. Not to mention that the magazines were actually starting to turn people around with their quality content. How many potential subscribers will be lost now that people question whether the magazines are going to persist for a year?

[dnddays]

Noonan was top notch, I think letting him go was a mistake. Player's Handbook II for 3e was an incredible book. Randy Buehler, on the other hand, had to go. That guy has been running Magic into the ground for years.

[Filcher]

Originally Posted by xechnao

Well someone at rpg.net seems to align more with the impression I have had.
He speaks for a staff of 100
RPGnet Forums - View Single Post - Layoffs at Wizards of the Coast

Industry email list calls their staff directory at 400+. I don't know one way or the other. Drader, do you trust the numbers?

[Darrin Drader]

Originally Posted by Filcher

Industry email list calls their staff directory at 400+. I don't know one way or the other. Drader, do you trust the numbers?

I've been too far removed for too long to be overly helpful in this regard. My assumption was that headcount had been trending down for the past few years and that it was much lower than 400, but it's entirely possible that I'm completely wrong.

I'd also just like to thank Monte for sharing his perspective, with which I happen to fully agree.

[Moniker]

From other writers at Wizards I've spoken to, promotion is a death sentence. And since experience in the industry typically leads to a directorial position...it speaks miles of where WotC seems themselves as a company.

I know these are hard financial times, and I am sure it was a hard decision to make. Yet let history speak for itself. As a consumer, I'll speak with my pocketbook in 2009 when it comes time to renew my DDI subscription and during the Christmas season when it comes to gifting WotC products to friends. Disappointed doesn't begin to describe how I feel right now about my favorite gaming company, especially in lieu of the holiday season.

[El Mahdi]

My condolences to those let go. I sincerely hope this isn't the last time we see your names on RPG products. If and when you guys get work (whether freelancing for WoTC or 3pp), and I see your names on the products, I'll know they are top-notch and support you with buying them. Take care of yourselves and we'll hope to see you all around the boards.

[Lorion]

"Hello and welcome to the D&D podcast. I'm David Noonan..."

[redsnowdude]

Today makes me sad that WOTC is so financially driven that they would layoff solid game designers. I know it isn't a new practice, but it is definately a stupid one. I won't renew my DDI subscription.

[Carteeg_Struve]

As much as my own opinions for WotC has deteriorated over the last 20 months, I have to grind my teeth over the firings, especially considering the timing.

"Here's your Christmas bonus!"
"It's a pink slip..."
"MERRY CHRISTMAS!"

I hope the talent that has left or been booted from WotC continues to make great products either with other companies, new companies, or heck... if they gang together under a new name. Either way, I'm sure somebody somewhere will jump on these guys.

"And the 2009 first round draft pick for Paizo is... Jonathan Tweet!"


Good luck to everyone. I hope they do well.



Oh. And I nominate the following as "Sig-Worthy Comment of the Year" (that's an Ennie award.. right?):

Originally Posted by Monte At Home

"it's become clear that WotC's become a company that not only doesn't value experience, it avoids it."

[Foxman]

I just want to say thank you for all the hard work to those who were laid and my best wishes this christmas season. Sadly I can't think of anything else to add that isnt pretty much a me-too of an above post...