D&D General WotC Founder Peter Adkison On Hasbro's Layoffs

Peter Adkison, who owned Wizards of the Coast until it was sold to Hasbro in 1999, oversaw the relaunch of Dungeons & Dragons with D&D 3rd Edition. Today, he commented on this week's round of Hasbro layoffs, which have ripped through WotC. Adkison left WotC in 2000 and currently runs a production company called Hostile Work Environment.

Like many of you, I'm saddened to learn about the layoffs at Hasbro.

Caveat: I have no idea of what’s happening behind the scenes at WotC. If you’re asking who’s at fault, or to what extent it was or was not justified, that’s outside the scope of my knowledge. This post is about my own reflections.

When I read about the layoffs at Hasbro my immediate feeling was shame. Shame for when I did the same thing, at the same company (WotC, before we sold it to Hasbro).

I have made lots of mistakes, tons of them, more than I can even remember. And while I regret those mistakes, and I’m sad for those hurt, I realize it’s part of learning and it’s part of being human.

But layoffs, when handed poorly, or when they are unnecessary, aren’t just mistakes. They are failings of character. Those times when I had a failure of character, those are the moments that haunt me.

 

[TheSword]

Call me crazy, but the buck should always stop with the executives. If the company is in financial trouble, they should be the first to feel the pain.

I wonder how many people could receive at least 6 months of severance with CC's $9.4M total comp...

So he isn’t actually paid $9m cash is he? The majority is bonus through stock options which are tied to the success of the company and couldn’t be used to pay for employee salary either way.

Don’t get me wrong I’d say $1m is still an outrageous amount to earn for a yearly salary for any person but I think folks have to look at the market. Presumably Chris has some skills and experience that makes Hasbro’s board feel they will see that money back and then quite a bit extra and that it was worth them paying it.

Regarding the bonus element, the company I work only has 50% of bonus paid on financial performance, 25% is based on hitting carbon/energy reduction targets, and 25% is based on Employee engagement/satisfaction. That’s a more ethical way of paying bonuses in my opinion.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Get paid $9 million in total compensation to be in charge of D&D, MtG, and others? I don't think it is.

I get that you don't. Please don't assume that what you'd be willing to do, and for how much, necessarily applies to anyone else.

 

[Sacrosanct]

I get that you don't. Please don't assume that what you'd be willing to do, and for how much, necessarily applies to anyone else.

I'm saying most people complaining about Chris's salary wouldn't have any problems accepting it if they were offered it and wouldn't demand less. If you're saying it's more likely that people would say 'No thanks, pay me a lot less and I'll do it.", then I find that...improbable.

 

[Scribe]

I'm saying most people complaining about Chris's salary wouldn't have any problems accepting it if they were offered it and wouldn't demand less. If you're saying it's more likely that people would say 'No thanks, pay me a lot less and I'll do it.", then I find that...improbable.

Man, nobody needs 9 million. If someone said 'I'll pay you 100K for 5 years, and after that 5 years you get a severance of 5 million' I'd play CEO in a heartbeat.

 

[Sacrosanct]

Man, nobody needs 9 million. If someone said 'I'll pay you 100K for 5 years, and after that 5 years you get a severance of 5 million' I'd play CEO in a heartbeat.

That's not what I'm saying, offering you a low amount right off. I'm saying they are giving you the job offer at $9 million right up front. I doubt most people would say "No thanks, I don't need to make nearly that much." Most people would take the money. Why? Because it happens all the time.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I'm saying most people complaining about Chris's salary wouldn't have any problems accepting it if they were offered it and wouldn't demand less

Please stop saying that. You are projecting your own values on everyone else. I cannot imagine you would like the same being done to you.

 

[Sacrosanct]

Please stop saying that. You are projecting your own values on everyone else. I cannot imagine you would like the same being done to you.

I'm saying people in general, not you specifically or everyone else. I have no idea why it seems like you're taking it personally. And I stand by my comment. I bet if you ran the data, you'd find that people generally don't ask for less money when offered a salary.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I'm saying people in general, not you specifically or everyone else. I have no idea why it seems like you're taking it personally.

Please just speak for yourself instead of deciding that the rest of the world thinks like you do.

 

[Incenjucar]

I'm saying people in general, not you specifically or everyone else. I have no idea why it seems like you're taking it personally. And I stand by my comment. I bet if you ran the data, you'd find that people generally don't ask for less money when offered a salary.

"Most people complaining" implies people in this discussion.

 

[Sacrosanct]

Please just speak for yourself instead of deciding that the rest of the world thinks like you do.

How many people accept the offer (or ask for more) compared to how many ask to be paid significantly less? I feel safe in saying it's valid generalization to say the first is a much greater % than the latter. I wouldn't think this is in dispute, but apparently you feel it is.