Slavicsek to leave WotC

[Talok]

I seriously doubt all of that makes up for constantly worrying if you are the one to get the axe this time. I'd love to make RPG's for a living, but I wouldn't take a job at WotC because I know a layoff is just around the corner.

 

[Dannager]

I seriously doubt all of that makes up for constantly worrying if you are the one to get the axe this time. I'd love to make RPG's for a living, but I wouldn't take a job at WotC because I know a layoff is just around the corner.

And, in this hypothetical situation, someone will be very happy to take the job you just turned down.

 

[mudbunny]

I seriously doubt all of that makes up for constantly worrying if you are the one to get the axe this time. I'd love to make RPG's for a living, but I wouldn't take a job at WotC because I know a layoff is just around the corner.

For you, it wouldn't be worth it. But for people who are interested in writing for D&D, it would be totally worth it.

It is totally similar to playing football or hockey. You know that, at any moment, you could have a career-ending injury. For some people, that wouldn't be worth it. For many others, the chance to get paid to do something they love would be totally worth it, no matter the downside.

 

[billd91]

On the contrary. By all reports, WotC is an awesome place to work. If someone is at the level of skill and experience where they are aiming to work at WotC, they would have to have been living in some sort of weird space-time distortion to *not* realize that there are regular layoffs at WotC.

<snip>

I doubt that you would find very many people who would regret their time at WotC.

There may not be many regrets for working there, but I have also seen reports that working there is not always so happy or awesome at times... mainly around layoff times.

 

[mudbunny]

There may not be many regrets for working there, but I have also seen reports that working there is not always so happy or awesome at times... mainly around layoff times.

That's a given. Don't get me wrong, it *always* sucks around layoff time, both for those that got laid off as well as those that didn't. But, no-one goes to work at WotC without knowing that.

Also, how much do these layoffs affect other, non-D&D parts of the company?

 

[Dragonbait]

Also, how much do these layoffs affect other, non-D&D parts of the company?

Apparently very little. I talked to one of guys IT department who sets up all new employee computers, connects them to the company's network and disconnects them when people leave. He was not aware of all the layoffs in the company, as perceived by the D&D crowd. It makes me wonder how many people in the WotC machine are actually part of the D&D team as compared to the Magic crew.

 

[Evenglare]

If you are single, and want to get a job just to be laid off in a couple years, then yeah its an OK place to work. However if you have a family to provide for , and want stability, why would ANYONE choose to work for wizards. They should just have like an intern thing or something. Sure people's dreams and all of that, but not being able to live is more imporant that living your dream for what... a year? Maybe 2? If you are really lucky maybe 5, or 10 ? So its a job, not a career. I'll pass.

 

[Mournblade94]

If you are single, and want to get a job just to be laid off in a couple years, then yeah its an OK place to work. However if you have a family to provide for , and want stability, why would ANYONE choose to work for wizards. They should just have like an intern thing or something. Sure people's dreams and all of that, but not being able to live is more imporant that living your dream for what... a year? Maybe 2? If you are really lucky maybe 5, or 10 ? So its a job, not a career. I'll pass.

Simple. A successful stint at WOTC is GOLD on a resume. You do a successful stint at WOTC, get laid off, then apply for jobs at other gaming companies... like Blizzard, NCsoft, Bioware. Ofcourse there are the tabletop companies, but the real money is in the video games. Go work for WOTC for a year, and your name is now at the top for these companies. I am not talking programming I am talking simply game design and IP.

Jeff Grubb is now with Guild Wars, and there are alot of names in the Mass Effect and Dragon Age (Video game) credits that I recognize from old tabletop games.

 

[Maggan]

If you are single, and want to get a job just to be laid off in a couple years, then yeah its an OK place to work. However if you have a family to provide for , and want stability, why would ANYONE choose to work for wizards. They should just have like an intern thing or something. Sure people's dreams and all of that, but not being able to live is more imporant that living your dream for what... a year? Maybe 2? If you are really lucky maybe 5, or 10 ? So its a job, not a career. I'll pass.

To me that sounds a lot like any other employment I've had, I work in IT. A couple years here, a couple years there. Not many companies can offer permanent solutions to employment, so I don't see WotC as very different in this regard. Slaviscek did 18 years at the place, which is a spectacular run at any place.

/M

 

[amethal]

Jeff Grubb is now with Guild Wars, and there are alot of names in the Mass Effect and Dragon Age (Video game) credits that I recognize from old tabletop games.

I for one had heard of Jeff Grubb years before I'd ever heard of WotC .....