Turbine - Restructures

[Produktion_Malphunktion]

MajMal said that Turbine was in transition the other day. Now there are layoffs... Trouble in DDO is a real possibility.

Can we start comparing DDO to the Detroit Lions yet?

I did? this is not what I meant if I did.

This stuff will not effect DDO in the long term.

[Cam_Neely]

This stuff will not effect DDO in the long term.

Cause in the long term we are all dead. But what you are saying is it does impact DDO in the short term. Care to share?

[Postumus]

At this point we don't exactly know.
Game Companies routinely downsize (right size, layoffs) after the release of a major expansion. Turbine had two this year with Riders of Rohan just dropping. That could be it.
Turbine's third game "Ashron's Call" has been rumored for months to be on the chopping block, or retrofitted to be FTP or ... This could be the prelude to that.
Finally this could be administrative staff, considering the full intergration to WBIE, but less likely.
My guess is the first option, but that is just a guess.

My guess is that it is either the first option, a result of the new high level hires (which often preludes a restructuring but usually not so quickly), or a combination of both.

[Cyr]

How deep were the cuts in the DDO side of the office?

Any departments hit harder then others or this just a general tightening of the belt?

[Daemoneyes]

I did? this is not what I meant if I did.

This stuff will not effect DDO in the long term.

Euphemism?

[Alrik_Fassbauer]

I assume that the current layoffs consist of those who had been additionally hired for making MOTU.

[Galeria]

I know the forum is full of Internet-anonymous smart-alecks, just waiting to get in a dig.

However, I am very sorry to hear this, and I hope it doesn't affect our side of the house too much. Layoffs are generally morale killers and sad times.

Condolences.

[Ague]

I did? this is not what I meant if I did.

This stuff will not effect DDO in the long term.

I hope you didn't lose any of your Q/A guys, Maj...

[Ungood]

To those who may be losing their jobs, or have lost their jobs. I hope things work out for you all, and that tomorrow is a better day for you. My best wishes to you, and your family in this time. Life happens, lay-offs happen, life goes on.

I don't think it's smart, or makes you sound with it to mock people who are getting laid off. People are just that, people, and kicking them as they go out the door is simply rude.

How this affects Turbine and DDO, I am not sure. I would like to believe in the best of things, that streamlining the structure and consolidation of the workforce will result in a more effective process to make the product. Meh. I can hope.


Perhaps, just the idea of downsizing will be enough to make the rest of the staff jump on their toes and put their best foot forward. Who knows.

[Seikojin]

Bummer. May sound greedy of me, but I hope it is LoTRO cuts, not ddo ones.

[Sarzor]

[Insert Facepalm Image] Did you just ask in any form for less makers-of-the-game communication? to a company that's having layoffs?

Do you wear a wig perchance? Some small farm animal on your head?

Maybe you should offer Majmal 5 million dollars to his favorite charity if he gives you transcripts of his daily activities.

I think he is trying to say that if a company releases shoddy work (which a failed special event would be indicative, as would a general malaise with MotU or other content) it is not surprising that "heads are rolling" so as to speak. It it is simply due to business cycles, that is a separate thing, but I know my company often hires a bunch of people for major projects, and when the project is finished fires most of them, except the ones who show the most promise. People coding poorly or insufficiently QC-ing content is grounds to not be kept.

That being said, I'm never happy to see people released, and given the low state of quality, I wonder how quality can possibly rise with less people. Perhaps resources will be reallocated to ensure quality, but given past track record I have little faith in that.

[Qhualor]

I assume that the current layoffs consist of those who had been additionally hired for making MOTU.

my thoughts exactly when i read the OP. turbine hired extra people for MOTU and now that is over (as far as i know) nothing else big is coming. i do remember reading about turbine hiring extra people to take on MOTU, so the layoffs now makes sense to me. staff back to where it was before? bad timing though to read something like this with all the doom threads lately.

[Hellllboy]

MajMal said that Turbine was in transition the other day. Now there are layoffs... Trouble in DDO is a real possibility.

Can we start comparing DDO to the Detroit Lions yet?

No comparison

<--Lions Fan

They are more like a...Cleveland or something...

[samthedagger]

Bad news. Large corporations do this all the time to maximize profits in the short-term and it is often damaging to the economy and really a disservice to workers. We know they hired extra people to put out the Xpack. Why couldn't you get those people working on a second Xpack? Unless DDO is doing terribly right now financially, and I don't think it is, why could you not find work for these people to do and improve your product? This silly business cycles are part of the problem with our whole economic system. There is no incentive for employers to keep productive employees during certain periods. There ought to be.

[twigzz]

there is no place for sarcasm when people are losing jobs

Sorry but you failed the socially acceptable behavior check

Never made the roll, never wanted to be socially accepted.

If people need jobs all they have to do is come to Michigan, we have them all!

[Vint]

I doubt a single DDO expansion pack would have a serious effect on the companies overall revenue one way or the other.

I am NOT promoting doom and gloom, but I think it is a good enough reason to put less effort into DDO. They have huge amounts of money and I am very sure that they are not hurting for money.

When Pepsi released the "Pepsi Clear" (years ago) it was not very popular and was canceled rather quickly. Pepsi did not suffer enough to go out of business, but it was a flop. Some (not me) may think that this is the way Turbine may be looking at DDO.

[Kalari]

Its never good news period for companies to have to "Restructure" but I find it very insensitive for people to blame things like "Mabars being shut down" for this. There is someone from the LOTRO community specialist team that was let go she tweeted about looking for work. These are real people who are being put back out into an already rough job market. The gaming world especially on the corporate end is rough, many companies are downsizing and many talented people are losing their jobs. I just hope they can find work and not be too displaced by this decision

[Fafnir]

Sorry to hear. Best wishes to all those affected.

[Hordo]

To one and all @ Turbine that remain: I'm glad you still have your jobs. Agree or disagree most of us on the Forums don't wish Real Life ill to folks...I love this game, you love this game, we're on the same team in that respect.

To those who did get let go, good luck and may you be re-employed very soon. My best to you and your families.

Hordo

[THAC0]

Layoffs are never good day to have at work. Victims have to worry about finding a new job...and Survivors end up getting double the work and worry about a 2nd round of layoffs.