More lay-offs at WOTC! [Merged]

[Furn_Darkside]

Who can compete? White Wolf?

I wouldn't be surprised at all if 4th Edition had White Wolf's paw print on it in a few years.
[/i]

Ugh, I really hope not.

FD

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

Just out of curiousity, what would happen to the corporate culture of WotC if the 2nd article's rumor is true about moving the operation to the home office?

The culture of WOTC has been dead since Peter left. Well, really since before he left-- I suppose it was one of the reasons WHY he left.

Its one thing if you are at different companies and they both happen to do lay-offs, but dropping both people from the same company at the same time is just wrong.

That is odd. This happened in my own little division: husband and wife were laid off at the same time. When someone realized what had been done, they actually brought the wife back to work for three months or so. She just sat there every day, doing nothing, collecting a paycheck.

My hope is that Peter comes back and "rescues" the D&D brand. I'm not worried about D&D-- it will live on, with or without WOTC/Hasbro, thanks to the OGL-- but it would be great to see Peter set up shop with all this old talent.

And then hire me, too, of course.


Wulf

 

[TiQuinn]

Just a guess, but I would say that Monte Cook's Malhavok Press' best selling adventure or supplement has no where near the sales of the worst selling WoTC adventure or supplement.

And yet, this could be the best thing for our hobby. A small company doesn't need to have the margins, revenues, and profits that a company like Hasbro requires. As far as I know, Monte Cook has indicated that Malhavok has exceeded his expectations by a lot. This bodes very well, IMO.

 

[Ranger REG]

My hope is that Peter comes back and "rescues" the D&D brand. I'm not worried about D&D-- it will live on, with or without WOTC/Hasbro, thanks to the OGL-- but it would be great to see Peter set up shop with all this old talent.

Why? He's the guy that gave in to pressure to sell his company to Hasbro. Then he's the guy who abandon his own company rather than continue to fight the parent company.

No offense but I prefer someone with guts and a rebel at heart.

 

[LadyGargoyle]

Deleted - Accidently used my wife's account. _James

 

[Xeriar]

I am not sure if that is true beyond fans like us- people who participate in our hobby through this website and others like it.

I have some doubts the casual player even notices- last night I had to explain to the two casual players in my group who Gary Gygax is and what he did for d&d.

Respectfully submitted
FD

Casual players...

Who spends the money, hmm? Casual players who just purchase the PHB, or people like me who have dumped over ten thousand dollars into the hobby as a whole (fear my library ?

Beyond which, who GMs these games? Do the casual players care -that- much what they play?

 

[LadyGargoyle]

deleted - double post - I give up. - James

 

[Gadodel]

I wonder which company some of these folks will start working for? Or will they get out of the gaming business altogether?

Hmmm...I'd like to see Skip Williams continue on, somewhere.

 

[Zaruthustran]

If Hasbro lets enough people go until "D&D" doesn't automatically mean "WOTC", but instead is associated with some other companies then it's going to be pretty rough for them.

I mean, if you change Coca-Cola by diluting it's consistency and quality and another cola company comes out there with your old employees and starts making Coca-Cola like everyone likes it then you've effectively shot your brand name in it's foot in the interest of checking your bottom line. This wouldn't be a big problem for WOTC except they put out the OGL in the interests of supporting their line without having to pay for it themselves.

Sorry, I don't follow your reasoning. "D&D" is owned by WotC; whether the term becomes associated with other companies or not, only WotC can put out D&D core rule books. Layoffs and numbers/popularity of d20 publishers are irrelevant to WotC's ownership of the D&D brand. Every single one of us, every one, will buy 4th edition when it comes out.

Your Coca-Cola analogy is incorrect. What's being diluted? WotC's work is done. It's made D&D 3E. No one else can start "making Coca-Cola like everyone likes it" because no one else can make Coca-Cola.

A more correct analogy would be D&D is Coca-Cola, and all the d20 publishers are making Rum and Coke, Jack and Coke, Southern Comfort and Coke, etc. Point being, they all use Coke, and each "X and Coke" sale sells more Coke, and increases the total number of people enjoying Coke-based drinks.

The OGL ensures the consistency of mechanics but no game company can make a d20 product that includes character creation and combat rules. Meaning, they all have to use the rules as found in WotC's core rulebooks. Meaning, if some third-party publisher creates a wildly popular setting, then that's GOOD for WotC, because everyone who wants to play in that setting will want a core rulebook. Cha ching, without the cost of developing and marketing the setting.

(apologies if I misunderstand the OGL)

-z

 

[Zaruthustran]

more

And sorry to rant on, but the layoffs are a GOOD THING for players. Free of stodgy WotC and its demands of huge sales with low risk, all these creative people are now free to go nuts. They can create what they want, when they want, how they want. Free of "design-by-comittee" and last minute changes by Legal and Marketing, these fine folks will create more creative D&D product, faster.

This is a good thing. I mean, look what Monte's been able to accomplish! And to great personal financial success, to boot! He's happier, wealthier, and we've had the opportunity to enjoy more of his stuff than we'd have been able to enjoy if he'd stayed at WotC.

This is zero comfort to the folks with the pink slips, however. What's best for D&D/WotC/gamers is not really what's best for the individual designers now out of a job. I truly, truly hope that they're able to find gainful employment, and that we gamers support them with by buying their stuff.

-z

PS: it'd be cool if a bunch got together and formed their own publishing house. A "United Artists" of games.