Unconfirmed: More Layoffs at WotC

[Shemeska]

I believe that this has been happening since before WotC was purchased by Hasbro. Also, from what I recall being mentioned by people here on ENWorld, Hasbro is very much a "hands off" style of owner unless things pear-shaped.

From what I was told by people there at the time, the failure (and expenditures) of Gleemax (and the outsourced DDI) actually got Hasbro's attention, and it was not happy. Not a clue how things have been since then.

How often would they hire D&D developers via an open posting as opposed to directly contacting a freelancer that they have experience with and whose work they like? (Not trying to be patronizing or anything. I honestly don't know and would be curious to find out how it is done.)

Not a clue. I've occasionally heard from career freelancers about interviews, and once about an open development position call, and once Andy Collins pitching an editor position that would report to him. But I don't freelance fulltime, so I don't much pay attention to how the whole thing works. Others who have actually been through the process might know more about how the positions tend to be filled (I suspect a lot of internal transfers up however probably muck with an outside perception of drastic losses, but maybe not. No way to know without a copy of the company directory a year ago versus now, etc).

 

[JLowder]

Dreams also have a way of dying hideous deaths under the aegis of bad management.

Just sayin'.

--Erik

Yes indeed.

I was rereading Animal Farm the other day. A version set in Renton would not require all that many changes.

Cheers,
Jim Lowder

 

[mudbunny]

From what I was told by people there at the time, the failure (and expenditures) of Gleemax (and the outsourced DDI) actually got Hasbro's attention, and it was not happy. Not a clue how things have been since then.

I am fairly certain that Gleemax is a good definition of something going pear-shaped.

 

[Twowolves]

It seems to me like it is a strategy of bringing in new people, picking their creative minds for a while, then cycling some of them out to make space for new brains to pick rather than expect the many current ones to come up with new ideas.

Fresh meat = Fresh ideas

Ah yes, the "New Coke" business model....

 

[Silverblade The Ench]

Pleased to meet you. Hope you guess my game.

Oh, going by WOTC's HASBORG-inspired floundering I'd say...you are the weakest link, Lorraine Williams, goodbye! Er, welcome back!

*rimshot!*

 

[Silverblade The Ench]

Steel WInd
damn well said!
needs pinned by dart gun to the bum of every stupid exec and politician in the world, we're tlaking about D&D but it's equally asvalid about any government, business, group, nation etc out there.

The most important asset ANY nation, government or company has, is it's PEOPLE, not it's bloody idiot IP, Copyright patents etc, because only real things, real PEOPLE matter.

 

[Mark]

You're using some imprecise terms that are a little confusing. WotC may want all of their properties to out perform their previous mark, but that's not how companies are run. Companies are run to make a profit. If one quarter their profit is $1M, and the next their profit is $2, they don't need to keep increasing their profit, or their previous mark. If they make a 5% return on their investments one quarter, they don't necessarily need to improve on that number the next quarter. That's just unrealistic. They would be happy if they could get consistent growth every quarter--say, 3% every quarter, or more likely an average of 3% every quarter (or whatever).

WotC has multiple properties and they do hope the properties all out perform their previous mark, and that is how all companies are run.

Collectively. They hope that their properties outperform their previous mark collectively.

Further, but they don't expect every investment in their property will be profitable.

Do you not understand that is what I posted as the following?

When a corporation holds properties, it generally tries to do something with them, either in-house or through licensing. WotC does both with D&D and they do indeed hope but cannot guarantee that those efforts will be entirely fruitful.

No one claimed that Hasbro is staffed by morons, but by claiming that their business practices are self-destructive, you certainly imply it.

Can't seem to find where you claim I posted that, please link to it for me.

And, if you have a problem with the term 'going under' then I point out that you never clarified the difference between 'suicidal' and 'self-destructive.'

Never posted either that I can find, please link to it for me.

And, I already explained why the conclusion of Hasbro being satisfied with their practices is a reasonable conclusion.

It doesn't seem to be necessarily supported and might even be untrue if you consider that the regular layoffs in the D&D departments of WotC suggest otherwise (i.e. dissatisfaction).

Scheduled lay offs, on the other hand, are a very stable way of managing your workforce.

They are a way of making your workforce constantly nervous and less than productive as they divide their time between working and keeping abreast of other employment opportunties. That's not stability.

MtG certainly gets a mention in some quarterly reports. But, mind you, a quarterly report will mention the positive and negative aspects of a company, and likely ignore the average aspects of a company.

What negative aspects have been mentioned during the quarterly reports? You're citing non-mentions as evidence of averageness and thus success?

And, regarding lay offs in other WotC departments, your earlier claim that: (. . .)

Is probably not a good claim to make given that there's no evidence to support it (and, claiming the opposite is probably not a good claim either, for the same reason).

The evidence to support that there are layoffs in the D&D departments is the layoffs in the D&D departments. There is no evidenced to support that there are as many (any?) layoffs in other areas. If there are, please show them.

 

[ggroy]

Oh, going by WOTC's HASBORG-inspired floundering I'd say...you are the weakest link, Lorraine Williams, goodbye! Er, welcome back!

*rimshot!*

(sung to the tune of "Sympathy for the Devil" by the Rolling Stones)

"Please allow me to introduce myself
I'm a woman of wealth and taste
I've been around for a long, long year
Stole many a gamer's soul and faith

And I was 'round when Gary Gygax
Had his moment of doubt and pain
Made damn sure that Pilate
Washed his hands and sealed his fate

Pleased to meet you
Hope you guessed my name
But what's puzzling you
Is the nature of my game

I stuck around Lake Geneva
When I saw it was a time for a change
Killed Gary Gygax and his ministers
Gamers screamed in vain"

 

[Mark]

(. . .) we've had plenty of folks in the know confirm that D&D itself has been successful. Often here on these boards.

How many still work for WotC? Have they successfulled themselves right out of a job? Business is always looking good and the future is always looking great and then suddenly you're looking for work. It's a successfuling shame, if you ask me, though I like the new definition of successful we've developed.

Since I'm not one of those tinfoil hat conspiracy types who's going to claim that WotC has been lying to us about the success of D&D, I'll take those comments at face value.

And, really? You're going with the "tinfoil hat" trope as a way to counter the argument that seeing layoffs is a sign that not all is well? Brilliant. You've successfulled yourself pretty good there.

 

[mudbunny]

The presence of regular layoffs does not provide an indication of the success (or not) of a company or industry. Layoffs could mean that there is not enough money coming in. They could also mean that there are younger, more talented people that have been hired at a lower salary.

Without any other info (and to be realistic, we don't have any other info), the only thing that is indicated by regular layoffs is that there have been regular layoffs.