WotC Layoffs (1000 - 60 = 940 employees left???)

[KDLadage]

This news story is from icv2.com:

WotC Lays Off 60
Company-Wide Reorganization

September 07, 2002
Wizards of the Coast has eliminated 60 employees as part of a company-wide reorganization. While the layoffs are quite wide-spread (ranging from senior VPs to game designers with considerable experience including Jeff Grubb and J.D. Wiker), the number of positions eliminated represents only 6% of WOTC's approximately 1000 employees. In a statement that was e-mailed to ICv2, WOTC's Chief Operating Officer, Loren Greenwood expressed his feelings about the changes:

"The past two years have been challenging ones for Wizards of the Coast. It is with great sadness that today we must announce some organizational changes. Today's organizational changes are designed to help drive our business into the future to improve our performance and our long-term profitability. Unfortunately, some positions have been eliminated. Employees leaving the company will receive a competitive severance program including pay and benefits continuation, career transition services, and support."

A company spokesperson told ICv2 that contrary to rumors, WotC was not moving to Rhode Island, the home base of parent company Hasbro, though Greenwood, in his statement, did note that "as part of Hasbro's U.S. Games Segment, we can take advantage of the leverage afforded by utilizing shared services available across the broader Hasbro organization instead of maintaining duplicate functions at additional expense," which would appear to indicate that at least some of the positions eliminated in the Seattle area involved tasks that will now be done by Hasbro employees in other locations.

I find the 1000 employees number to be a bit large... all other estimates I have seen put them at about 250 or so.

Anyone else have any hard numbers on WotC?

 

[Darkness]

Hmm... Does that number include retail people, store clerks (unless they sold the stores; can't remember ATM ), etc.?

 

[Arravis]

They are probably counting the WoTC stores as well... but are there any left? I heard they were closing them down. There's never been any in my area and I've never even been to one, so I don't have a clue on them.

 

[Darklance]

They are probably counting the WoTC stores as well... but are there any left? I heard they were closing them down. There's never been any in my area and I've never even been to one, so I don't have a clue on them.

There are none near me and I've been hearing that rumor for at least two years but every time I go on vacation I find at least one.

 

[Fast Learner]

Friday's ENWorld front page news says there are about 250 people at WOTC now.

IIRC the Wizards stores were sold to another company.

 

[Erik Mona]

Well, I guess that proves that ICV2 has no idea what it's talking about. . .

--Erik

 

[Rashak Mani]

All I can imagine is that Hasbro has bought many smaller groups without much thought of how they can be integrated into the parent company. Now they are full of debt or bad results and have to cut fast anything, anywhere.

What does Hasbro get from having D&D under their wing ?

 

[jasamcarl]

um

Please don't exaggerate..they are simply doing either what should have been done long ago, or are responding to current market conditions. Either way, change does not equate with doom. Every change in labor allocation does not indicate mismanegment or evil.

 

[DerianCypher]

Well, there is a WoTC store about 40 min from where I live. It's in the City of Montclair. I hope they don't shut that place down! The store in general is really nice. Prices aren't too bad, clean enviroment, great foodcourt just down the way. But I do know that it is linked somehow to the Gamekeeper set of stores (The bags at the WoTC are gamekeeper bags now). Does Hasbro own Gamekeeper?

 

[KnowTheToe]

Re: um

Please don't exaggerate..they are simply doing either what should have been done long ago, or are responding to current market conditions. Either way, change does not equate with doom. Every change in labor allocation does not indicate mismanegment or evil.

YES IT DOES!!! and btw, I don't appreciate your optimism