At Massively we must often report on declining subscription numbers and subsequent layoffs in the MMO industry, just as we do when the games we love are healthy and growing. When you look beyond the numbers though, such industry statistics are ultimately about people whose lives have been negatively impacted. They face uncertainty in their career and likely have tough times ahead.
Case in point: We've written about the Mythic Entertainment layoffs from the view of an outside observer of the MMO industry, but of course there's a side to this that only someone who's worked there can really convey. Some have a story they'd like to tell, like Jeremy Monken, former games reviewer for a D.C. newspaper turned Warhammer Online GM at Mythic Entertainment.
Jeremy explains how he found and lost his first job in the MMO industry, in his article at The Escapist titled "Casualty of Warhammer". It's written from the perspective of someone who, rather than being angry about having lost a job he really loved, laments the industry realities that led up to his separation from the Mythic team. "Casualty of Warhammer" is an excellent piece and a sobering reminder that Jeremy's experience is, unfortunately, shared with many people who have created and maintained our favorite games.
