WotC's Annual Xmas Layoffs

[Pramas]

Not quite accurate.

Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, Jeremy Crawford, Kim Mohan, and Matt Sernett are still at WotC. Chris Sims was let go but recently came back. Ed Stark left WotC on his own initiative to move into the video game industry (I spent 10 months working with him at Vigil Games on the Warhammer 40K MMO). I believe Michelle Carter quit after Bill Slavicsek was laid off but I'm not 100% sure of that.

 

[Logan_Bonner]

JINX! Dammit, Pramas!

 

[mcmillan]

Additional Design and Development
Greg Bilsland,

Greg is still at WOTC unless you're breaking more news

 

[Pour]

Not to take this even further off course, but given the current skeletal staff and the idea new, affordable talent will be replacing more expensive, veteran designers, any ideas whose getting the invite? My guesses, and feel free to confirm or deny guys, Claudio Posaz, Matt James, and Ari Marmell going full time within the next few months.

 

[Nemesis Destiny]

That anyone is willing to work in this industry given the staffing practises of its juggernaut employer tells you something of the dedication these people bring to their work - a fact that escapes corporate management year after year, but hey, they'll get their bonuses for making the bottom line look good, so "who cares?" - right?

Fail.

 

[Morrus]

Not to take this even further off course, but given the current skeletal staff and the idea new, affordable talent will be replacing more expensive, veteran designers, any ideas whose getting the invite? My guesses, and feel free to confirm or deny guys, Claudio Posaz, Matt James, and Ari Marmell going full time within the next few months.

Well, I dunno how that works legally, but Claudio lives in Brazil with his family. I can't imagine a risky move to the US which could end at any moment would tempt him. But I could be wrong - hey, [MENTION=607]Klaus[/MENTION], whaddya say?

 

[Klaus]

Well, I dunno how that works legally, but Claudio lives in Brazil with his family. I can't imagine a risky move to the US which could end at any moment would tempt him. But I could be wrong - hey, [MENTION=607]Klaus[/MENTION], whaddya say?

I'd be tempted. Not sure if my B1/B2 visa would cover it, though.

But no invites, guys, sorry.

 

[ColinMcComb]

From a purely business perspective, I can understand why WotC is doing this. It makes sense from a short-term financial perspective, it makes shareholders happy to see the productivity gains and immediate savings, and it frees up salaries from a 20-year veteran and someone with an even longer pedigree.

From a personal standpoint, it's pure garbage. Rich was hired at TSR a couple of months after me, and from Day 1 he established himself as a strong, creative designer, and he only became more knowledgeable thereafter. As for Steve Winter: he has always been a deeply intelligent, generous man, and he was the last real bastion of historical perspective for D&D at Hasbro. This is, in other words, a damn shame, and more importantly, a long-term loss for the company.

 

[jffdougan]

on shareholder value

Many people have pointed out that this probably relates to the end of the Hasbro fiscal year and the need to please shareholders.

Why don't we become shareholders? It would certainly give an additional edge to any letters that may be directed toward the WotC/Hasbro management (and I was at one point contemplating sending a letter to Hasbro's CEO addressing the degree to which some failures in the PR department were harming one of their brands), and actually give us some clout in making our opinions known.

Hey, maybe it's a pipe dream, but....

(Incidentally, HAS closed today at $34.30.)

 

[ggroy]

Why don't we become shareholders? It would certainly give an additional edge to any letters that may be directed toward the WotC/Hasbro management (and I was at one point contemplating sending a letter to Hasbro's CEO addressing the degree to which some failures in the PR department were harming one of their brands), and actually give us some clout in making our opinions known.

They will certainly listen to anybody (or a block of shareholders) who owns more than 50% of the outstanding shares.

There's around 128.98 million HAS shares outstanding and a float of around 114.81 million HAS shares.

HAS Key Statistics | Hasbro, Inc. Stock - Yahoo! Finance

Anybody have $2.3 billion laying around to buy up more than 50% of HAS shares?