Is Now the Time to Send WOTC a Real Message?

[Nathal]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Boycott

You're lucky. Is the company you work for privately held, by any chance? The only companies I've ever heard of who truly care for their employees are not publicly traded companies. Stockholders are interested in short term profit, not long term ethical behavior, in my experience.

Yes, and that is a VERY good point you make. My for-profit company is private, owned by a non-profit organization. I prefer to work for privately held companies.

After reading all of the material concerning boycott, I now agree strongly that it is not the right thing to do. I was very angry on behalf of fellow creatives. Quality of future product will do the rest.

~Dan Cross,
getting a grip.

 

[Luddite]

You shouldn't do that; You have no idea where that ear's been.

Consequently, I don't blame anything on England. In fact, I blame England on Rome.

Type fast and look what it gets me... Though blaming things on England and Ancient Rome seems about right.

I had the pleasure of attending a talk with Terry Prattchet and he gave his summary of English History as taught in Enlish Public Schools :

"First the Romans came, built all the roads, and left. Then in 1066, William the Conquerer came and we had all the King!"

-The Luddite

 

[shadow]

A Lament for WotC!

O mighty Wizards! dost thou lie so low?
Are all thy conquests, glories, triumphs, spoils,
Shrunk to this little measure? Fare thee well.

 

[Holy Bovine]

Posted by Nathal

That is not true all of the time. I now work for a company where that is not true. It is a smaller company all things considered, but we have been around for nearly 100 years. I've survived two rounds of layoffs after 9-11, but those that remained did so because they worked the hardest. The salaries were not the issue; it was the work ethic in each case. When the company ran into more trouble, they cut our salaries by 2%. Why? Because the president felt he'd rather cut off his own left hand than cut good staff that had been there for 30 years. In fact, the president of the company his own salary by 6% and announced such. In some cases (when people where layed off rather than fired) They gave their ex-employess 6 months of health insurance plus severance pay and a letter of reccomndation written by the president.

And how do you know that WotC doesn't do anything like this for their employees? Do you work there? Are you privy to the hiring/firing processes that make up Hasbro and WotC? Possibly you are - in which case forgive me and I will move along. However even if WotC kicks people out on the street and has them beaten with d20's I cannot for the life of me figure out why a boycott would be in anyone's interest, least of all a fan's.

If WotC publishes garbage, don't buy (is there an echo in here?) there are plenty of reviewers around now to help you avoid bad product. I personally have everything I need from WotC - PHB, DMG and the OGL. I have purchased more 3rd party stuff than I ever will from WotC (this hasn't changed much since the old TSR days - I was always the one to buy non-D&D games to try out). I have noticed that the really talented people that WotC has let go (and those who have left of their own accord) seem to do very well for themselves outside of WotC.

I can understand feeling bad for people losing their jobs (everyone I know has been there at some point in their lives and it is truly the most scary of times) but this has been happening across North America for the better part of a year - I honestly am amazed that WotC has been shrunk even more. Hasbro is on life support and sinking fast IMO - a third of their net worth gone in less than a year - and there is little chance of any meaningful economic recovery in the near future. Expert to see this kind of thing at or just before Christmas as well (and remember you read it here first folks )


EDIT - just re-reading for flame control and some parts may sound flamish here - please that is not the case - those are actually genuine question at the beginning! Just want to make sure everything is happy-happy here!

 

[alsih2o]

As for people saying this discussion sounds like a bunch of fanboys, well you are on one of the best known DND sites....

one of?!??! one of??? boy, talk about stuff that will get a thread shut down....

 

[Nathal]

And how do you know that WotC doesn't do anything like this for their employees? Do you work there? Are you privy to the hiring/firing processes that make up Hasbro and WotC? Possibly you are - in which case forgive me and I will move along.

I never worked there, and have no insider information on the hiring/firing processes of the company. I got the impression that these people were treated like dirt from the letters I've seen posted. I would be happy to be wrong in my impression.

I have noticed that the really talented people that WotC has let go (and those who have left of their own accord) seem to do very well for themselves outside of WotC.

Not many freelancers can make a living writing D20 material. Monte Cook may be the exception, but I don't think many (if any) of those guys are rich or can hope to make a decent living. Best advice for a freelancer in the RPG industry is "don't quit your day job". Ironic advice for ex-WOTC employees.

 

[WizarDru]

Not many freelancers can make a living writing D20 material. Monte Cook may be the exception, but I don't think many (if any) of those guys are rich or can hope to make a decent living. Best advice for a freelancer in the RPG industry is "don't quit your day job". Ironic advice for ex-WOTC employees.

Not really, since that advice is the same for full-time RPG designers. The fact of the matter is, no one gets into RPG writing of any kind with the expectation of getting rich. Remember, WOTC made it's money on CCGs, not RPGs. If you discount folks like Peter Adkinson and the first group who got to cash in on Hasbro's buy-out, you can count the number of folks who've gotten rich from writing RPGs on one-hand...with or without fingers. Neither Steve Jackson nor Gary Gygax are rich beyond the dreams of avarice, successful as they are. Monte makes a living, and a good one...but he's not living off his portfolio, AFAIK.

I have no idea how the layoffs are being handled at WOTC...but if previous layoffs are any indication, they may not be getting treated that badly. However, the only people who might be able to tell us probably are forbidden from doing so by their termination agreements. Most likely, Hasbro has had them sign agreements as part of their severance package. All I know is that I don't have a single friend or relative now who hasn't been laid off or let go in the last two years. As I said, things are tough everywhere....WOTC is hardly immune.

 

[Cassiel666]

Re: A Lament for WotC!

O mighty Wizards! dost thou lie so low?
Are all thy conquests, glories, triumphs, spoils,
Shrunk to this little measure? Fare thee well.

Did you really have to go to the trouble of blank verse? Even with the line-initial inversion in 3...

Little measure indeed. That, my friend, is the measure of Dante and Shakespeare. Not even the the hexameter is greater...

 

[Nathal]

Not really, since that advice is the same for full-time RPG designers. The fact of the matter is, no one gets into RPG writing of any kind with the expectation of getting rich. Remember, WOTC made it's money on CCGs, not RPGs. If you discount folks like Peter Adkinson and the first group who got to cash in on Hasbro's buy-out, you can count the number of folks who've gotten rich from writing RPGs on one-hand...with or without fingers. Neither Steve Jackson nor Gary Gygax are rich beyond the dreams of avarice, successful as they are. Monte makes a living, and a good one...but he's not living off his portfolio, AFAIK

You're right, getting rich is not a realistic goal. Of course, the writers working for WOTC made at least $30,000 a year...I hope. I'd be surprised if freelancing would net them even $10,000 a year. Most full-time freelance writers could not survive without the wife's day-job. Then again, I've never made more than $22K a year (with my day job), so I guess perceived success depends on ones current income.

Hey, you live in Malvern? I used to live in Wayne, PA. I'm now near the philadelphia airport. Small world.

 

[WizarDru]

Hey, you live in Malvern? I used to live in Wayne, PA. I'm now near the philadelphia airport. Small world.

Cool, it's always nice to see more ENWorld folks in the area. Yeah, personally, I'd call where I live Frazer, but the Postal zones are wiggy around here. I used to work in Chesterbrook, but the post office called it Wayne. Made for fun when people came to visit the office.

You gonna be going to Shorecon in October?