Massively

Snail confirms Age of Wushu dev layoffs

Jef Reahard — Thu, 30 May 2013 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO Industry, News Items, Free-to-Play, Age of Wushu

Earlier this morning Massively received multiple tips regarding layoffs at Age of Wushu publisher Snail Games. We contacted the company and were provided with an official statement by Director of Game Development David Baker.

Yes, there were a handful of layoffs at Snail Games USA yesterday. After the launch of Age of Wushu the team size was corrected to meet the size of the game and the community. The Age of Wushu team was expanded before launch and the necessary contractions were needed post-launch. Snail Games USA values all the employees that worked on Age of Wushu and continue to work on the Age of Wushu upcoming expansion for July. Layoffs are a hard part of working in the game industry and are necessary when team size becomes larger than what the development team needs.

[Thanks to everyone who tipped us.]

Snail confirms Age of Wushu dev layoffs originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 30 May 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Trion hit with another round of layoffs [Updated]

Jef Reahard — Fri, 17 May 2013 17:02:00 EST

Filed under: MMO Industry, News Items

IGN is reporting "massive" layoffs at Trion. Though the website doesn't cite any sources, it suggests that "well over half the company has been let go," and it also says that those affected may include as much as 80% of the company. An undisclosed IGN source says that "employees are being escorted out of the building and that senior leaders from various Trion teams may not receive severance due to 'undelivered services.'" [These claims have since been rebutted by a Trion Worlds representative, who told Massively directly that while there were indeed layoffs, the 80% number originally suggested by IGN was "grossly exaggerated." She further clarified that no one was escorted out of the building or denied severance as IGN's unnamed source alleged. Additionally, developers emphasized during today's official stream that the RIFT team is not affected by the layoffs.]

Trion recently announced a free-to-play offering for its RIFT MMORPG. It also launched Defiance earlier this year and partnered with Korea's XLGAMES to bring the company's ArcheAge sandbox MMO to western audiences.

Trion also provided the following official statement.

To best position Trion in a rapidly changing industry, we have reorganized our teams and are expanding our free to play offering. With Defiance, we delivered a great game that more than one million gamers registered to play and continue to enjoy. As we progress from launch to ongoing development of the game, we are adjusting our staffing levels to deliver new content and improved features. RIFT, and our other titles in development, were unaffected by these changes. We are very much looking forward to the free to play release of RIFT and are excited by the other new titles currently in development.

[Thank you to everyone who helped us develop this story.]

Trion hit with another round of layoffs [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 17 May 2013 17:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mythic community manager bids a sorrowful farewell

Beau Hindman — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Dark Age of Camelot, MMO Industry, Warhammer Online, News Items, Ultima Online, Free-to-Play

It looks as if yesterday's EA layoffs are hitting MMO gamers closer to home than originally thought. In a post today on BioWare's Warhammer Online forums, Mythic's Timothy Chappell announced that he has been let go. Chappell was the community manager for Warhammer Online, Ultima Online, and Dark Age of Camelot.

I am very sorry to say that I was informed that my position was no longer needed. Though I had many titles I was handling for Mythic, I grew to love and appreciate all the communities and only wish I could have had more time or resources to get more involved with them. Though I had only been in the position for a little over a year, I will miss a great many of you and hope that you keep in touch.

The news is of particular concern for Warhammer, which also lost its lead developer earlier this week. Ultima Online, by contrast, assured players of its continuing operation in a producer's letter last week.

[Thanks to Fozee for the tip!]

Mythic community manager bids a sorrowful farewell originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EA suffers additional layoffs

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: MMO Industry, Mobile, Miscellaneous

Citing a reorganization to focus on new technologies and mobile development, EA announced that it has let another round of its employees go. No firm numbers or estimates on how many were fired have been officially released, however.

The publisher released the following statement on its blog:

In recent weeks, EA has aligned all elements of its organizational structure behind priorities in new technologies and mobile. This has led to some difficult decisions to reduce the workforce in some locations. We are extremely grateful for the contributions made by each of our employees - those that are leaving EA will be missed by their colleagues and friends.

These are hard but essential changes as we focus on delivering great games and showing players around the world why to spend their time with us.

A Gamasutra source said that the EA Partners publishing label has been abolished in the reorganization, although the games it was handling are still in the works.

EA suffers additional layoffs originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 25 Apr 2013 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EA hit with layoffs, specific teams not disclosed [Updated]

Jef Reahard — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business Models, MMO Industry, News Items, Mobile

Electronic Arts has laid off an undisclosed number of staff. The company tells Joystiq that it is "sharpening its focus to provide games for new platforms and mobile. In some cases, this involves reducing team sizes as we evolve into a more efficient organization."

Joystiq says that 60 to 70 permanent employees were let go from the EA Mobile Montreal office, with over 100 contractors also affected. "If you walk through the office all you see is a bunch of already cleared-out desks, and people cleaning out their desks," a source told the website.

Update: As to the rumors and tips we've received about the layoff impact on EA's MMO lineup, we contacted EA for a response, but EA declined to comment specifically on Mythic or BioWare, providing us instead with the same statement given Joystiq.

EA hit with layoffs, specific teams not disclosed [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Apr 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Disney shutters LucasArts

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 13:45:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-Fi, MMO Industry, News Items, Free-to-Play, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Sunsets

Following Disney's acquisition of Star Wars and its related companies and properties, gaming fans have wondered what might happen to developer LucasArts. Out of all of the possible scenarios, the worst has happened: Disney has stopped development in the studio and laid off its employees.

From the official Disney statement:

"After evaluating our position in the games market, we've decided to shift LucasArts from an internal development to a licensing model, minimizing the company's risk while achieving a broader portfolio of quality Star Wars games. As a result of this change, we've had layoffs across the organization. We are incredibly appreciative and proud of the talented teams who have been developing our new titles."

Massively conveys its sympathies to those affected by the decision. There's no word yet how this might affect Star Wars: The Old Republic, if at all.

Disney shutters LucasArts originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 03 Apr 2013 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Otherland developer RealU lays off 'most of its staff'

Jef Reahard — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, MMO Industry, News Items, Otherland

Otherland developer RealU has laid off "most of its staff," according to a community manager's post on the game's official forums from earlier this month. The upcoming sci-fi cyberpunk title based on the works of author Tad Williams was set to be published by free-to-play giant gamigo. According to the post, gamigo "had and has very limited influence on this decision."

RealU is a subsidiary of German publisher dtp, which "is currently in insolvency." The post indicates that RealU continues to hold the rights to Otherland in both Europe and North America, and it is currently looking into opportunities to finish the title "at another location."

[Thanks Ainilome!]

Otherland developer RealU lays off 'most of its staff' originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 29 Mar 2013 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NCsoft West confirms layoffs

Elisabeth Cardy — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Real-Life, Aion, MMO Industry, News Items

NCsoft has gone through some "restructuring," leading to the termination of several employee and contract positions.

Aion Community Manager Felicia Johnson stated on Twitter that she no longer works for NCsoft. When asked for comment and confirmation, NCsoft PR responded with the following statement:

"In an effort to put a greater focus on the success of the Western-developed games from NCSOFT, and the long-term services MMOs require, the company announced further restructuring allowing for focused support from the studio's internal publishing services. As a result of the realignment, several employees and contract positions were affected. This was a very tough decision to make and wish the best for all NCSOFT employees in their next ventures."

Our best wishes, as ever, go out to those affected.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in.]

NCsoft West confirms layoffs originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 28 Mar 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMO devs most in danger of layoffs, study claims

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO Industry, Mobile, Consoles, Miscellaneous

In an attempt to answer the question of whether the games industry is dying or not, Twisted Pixel Lead Developer Dan Teasdale conducted research into all of the layoffs of 2012 and believes he has found that, among other things, MMO developers had the highest risk of being fired.

"Looking at the the raw number of people affected, MMO teams laid off more developers than console teams," Teasdale argues. He notes that 38% of video game industry layoffs hit MMO studios, although only 26% of MMO studios did any firing. Layoffs in Boston and Austin, including the closure of 38 Studios, accounted for a third of all industry layoffs, which could look good or bad depending on the total number of studios in those two cities relative to the rest of the industry (info hard to come by and not included in the study).

One upshot of the report was that MMO studios tended to lay off fewer people when firings happened in comparison to social, mobile, and console studios. "While this probably isn't a surprise, it's a clear indication that it's way harder to survive as a social or MMO developer than a console developer," he concludes. However, the analysis does not break down the types of employees laid off, such as designers vs. support, community, and temporary contractors, roles common in the MMO industry.

Continue reading MMO devs most in danger of layoffs, study claims

MMO devs most in danger of layoffs, study claims originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 21 Mar 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not So Massively: Jay Wilson steps down, layoffs at Gas Powered Games

Brendan Drain — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Video, Business Models, Culture, Game Mechanics, Launches, New Titles, Patches, News Items, Free-to-Play, Dev Diaries, Not So Massively, MOBA, League of Legends, Diablo III, Crowdfunding

Gas Powered Games laid off 80% of its workforce this week as the studio's future became uncertain. CEO Chris Taylor revealed that if his Kickstarter campaign for new action RPG Wildman fails, the company will have to close its doors. Jay Wilson stepped down as Diablo III's Lead Game Designer to move on to other projects but assured players that the game will continue to be regularly updated. With less than a week to go until Path of Exile opens its doors to the public, two Massively freelancers recently tried the game and delivered their verdicts.

Rise of Immortals released its new All Random All Mid game mode that promises short casual matches, while Dota 2 revealed its new Least Played mode that forces players to pick heroes they ordinarily avoid. Heroes of Newerth's new ranged agility hero, Bushwack, hit the servers last Friday, and League of Legends announced early details of its upcoming support champion, Thresh. For those who've ever wanted to get into competitive League of Legends gaming, Riot Games also published an infographic this week showing the path to this season's competitive championship tournament.

Continue reading Not So Massively: Jay Wilson steps down, layoffs at Gas Powered Games

Not So Massively: Jay Wilson steps down, layoffs at Gas Powered Games originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 21 Jan 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Funcom restructures Montreal branch, keeps games operational

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Age of Conan, Anarchy Online, MMO Industry, News Items, The Secret World, Miscellaneous

Funcom is taking hedge trimmers to its Montreal offices today. Senior Game Designer Tanya Short posted the following this afternoon on her Twitter account: "When your branch shuts down, I guess it's less like being fired and more like honorable discharge. Thanks for going down with the ship! Bye!"

Massively contacted Funcom for an official statement. Director of Communications Erling Ellingsen confirmed layoffs but assured us that Funcom's games will continue on: "We are currently in a restructuring process and the Montreal office is part of that process along with our other branches. This process unfortunately involves a reduction in staff, but the studio is not closing down. It will continue on, but in a different form and function than today. Anarchy Online, as well as The Secret World and Age of Conan, will definitely continue to operate and be an important part of the company's focus going forward." He said that the studio would provide more details when it had finished with the process.

Funcom previously stated that it was restructuring the company to make it more profitable. The Montreal office was established in 2009 and employed 110 people.

Funcom restructures Montreal branch, keeps games operational originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 17 Jan 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Enter at Your Own Rift: What the Trion layoffs mean for RIFT

Karen Bryan — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO Industry, Opinion, RIFT, Enter at Your Own Rift

It's been almost a week since we first heard about the layoffs at Trion, yet there are still more questions than answers about the depth and scope of them. How many people were let go? Were they all from the RIFT team? And why was it timed just a few months after the expansion launched? It's hard to read about the layoffs and not see it as a bad sign for the game, but there may be other factors to consider.

So what does this mean for RIFT? Let's consider that question in this week's Enter at your own Rift.

Continue reading Enter at Your Own Rift: What the Trion layoffs mean for RIFT

Enter at Your Own Rift: What the Trion layoffs mean for RIFT originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 19 Dec 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Portalarium hit with layoffs

Elisabeth Cardy — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Real-Life, Events (Real-World), MMO Industry, News Items

If there's one thing that sucks, badly, about December, it's layoffs. Portalarium, Richard Garriott's social games studio, has been reducing in-house redundancies.

Senior programmer Paul Evans broke the news Friday on Twitter, saying that Portalarium "had to lay off people" and that he was one of those people. He also said that "the whole thing was a surprise."

Portalarium representatives confirmed to GamesIndustry International that the studio is "reducing staff to the appropriate levels to support and grow [its] recently launched products."

As ever, we wish the best to those affected.

Portalarium hit with layoffs originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 17 Dec 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Elite: Dangerous developer lays off 14 staffers

Jef Reahard — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-Fi, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Sandbox

Elite: Dangerous developer Frontier handed out lumps of Christmas coal to several staffers last week according to a report at Eurogamer. "Frontier regretfully has given a total of 14 people (from a staff of 233) notice that their roles are redundant, across art (nine), animation (three), and audio (two) disciplines. This is due to the changing mix of skills requirements for our current and future projects -- it is not a reflection on the company's prospects, which remain healthy," said company managing director David Walsh.

Frontier was founded by Elite co-creator David Braben in 1994. The company's Kickstarter project has raised nearly £800,000 against its £1,250,000 goal with 18 days left to go.

Elite: Dangerous developer lays off 14 staffers originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 17 Dec 2012 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Square Enix confirms layoff rumors, denies any impact on MMO operation

Eliot Lefebvre — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Final Fantasy XI, MMO Industry, News Items, Final Fantasy XIV, Miscellaneous

It's an unfortunate reality that layoffs are somewhat common in the gaming industry, and more often than not that means that games get cancelled or shut down. This weekend, Massively has been inundated with rumors that Square Enix has become the latest studio to suffer that reality. Tipsters suggested the company had laid off several people from its office in LA, people whose termination might impact the game's online offerings such as Wakfu and the upcoming relaunch of Final Fantasy XIV.

Only part of these rumors appears to be true. Senior Director of Public Relations Riley Brennan has told Massively that the layoffs did occur for restructuring purposes but that the workforce reduction will have no impact on the company's online titles, though we don't still don't know which titles or departments were affected.

In order to ensure it is operating effectively, the Square Enix Los Angeles office has reduced its workforce. This was a difficult decision and we wish the best for those affected by these changes. The decision will not have any impact on the operations of MMO titles. Customers can expect those services to continue, including the upcoming launch of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn.

While we're certainly happy to hear that our games will continue to operate without incident, our best wishes go out to those affected by this round of layoffs.

[Thanks as always to our anonymous tipsters!]

Square Enix confirms layoff rumors, denies any impact on MMO operation originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 16 Dec 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Trion Worlds goes through 'workforce reduction'

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO Industry, RIFT, Miscellaneous, Defiance

It's a gloomy day for Trion Worlds, as word has come down that the independent developer is handing out pink slips to some of its staff. The studio confirmed the layoffs in an official statement:

As a response to market conditions, product timelines and the natural evolution of our company, we have made some organizational changes, which include a workforce reduction. This was a difficult decision and we wish the best for those affected by these changes. At Trion, we remain focused on delivering top quality online game experiences, and are committed to supporting RIFT and launching our highly anticipated new titles Defiance, Warface, and End of Nations in 2013.

Twitter was ablaze over the subject, saying that as many as 30 people were let go. One staff member wrote, "I managed to survive this time. Lots of REALLY good people got let go though." Another indicated which jobs were lost: "Not a good day. If anyone has a lead for a Sr. EQ or Assistant Lead QA job, please let me know."

Trion recently brought End of Nations in-house after Petroglyph suffered its own round of layoffs.

[Source: Trion Worlds press statement]

Trion Worlds goes through 'workforce reduction' originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 11 Dec 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Petroglyph lays off End of Nations developers

Jef Reahard — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Free-to-Play, MMORTS

Petroglyph Games has laid off 30 staffers from its Las Vegas-based studio. "Well, it appears this winter break will be extended indefinitely," tweeted End of Nations designer Adam Stevens. "Layoffs at Petroglyph. Looking like I'll be leaving Las Vegas."

Last week we reported on End of Nations' open beta postponement, and publisher Trion Worlds also began refunding purchases made by the MMORTS title's closed beta participants. According to Gamasutra, Petroglyph stated that it had "identified several key areas of the game which need polish and improvement," and even went so far as to remove a link to End of Nations from the company's official forums.

Late last month, community manager Myell Erik noted that "End of Nations has not been cancelled," but the game's latest delay means that sci-fi real-time strategy aficionados won't see it until 2013 at the earliest.

Petroglyph lays off End of Nations developers originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 05 Dec 2012 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NCsoft offices undergoing 'realignment'

Eliot Lefebvre — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO Industry, News Items, Miscellaneous

The hits just keep on coming for NCsoft. In the wake of City of Heroes' closure, the publisher's Seattle offices are apparently undergoing "realignment." The company has denied that the Seattle office is closing but has noted that several positions in the office have been terminated as a result of recent events. No details were released regarding how many people have been let go or how this will affect titles under NCsoft's aegis.

NCsoft made a similar round of layoffs last year in October, with several offices hit with large staff reductions. This round comes in the wake of continued losses for the company, including a 12% reduction in revenue in 2011, major losses already posted from earlier in 2012, and a stock price that is currently half of what it was earlier in the year. Our best wishes go out to all those affected by these layoffs.

NCsoft offices undergoing 'realignment' originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Dec 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Turbine hit with unspecified number of layoffs

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO Industry, Free-to-Play, Legal, Miscellaneous

The Boston Globe is reporting that Turbine has laid off an unspecified number of employees today due to restructuring. It's unclear how many of the 400-person workforce were let go.

Warner Bros. Entertainment Group Spokeswoman Remi Sklar issued the following statement: "As part of the continual review of our business operations and fluctuating market conditions, we have had to make reductions in our Turbine workforce. The group continues to remain an integral part of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment."

Former Community Specialist Suzie Owen acknowledged on Twitter that she was one of those let go: "Looking for work in the Boston-Providence area. Any links would be most appreciated. I am unable to relocate at this time."

Turbine recently hired several game industry veterans to include in its teams. Massively contacted Turbine for further clarification and received the same quote.

Turbine hit with unspecified number of layoffs originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 25 Oct 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bigpoint cutting 120 jobs, abandoning U.S. development

Jef Reahard — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Business Models, MMO Industry, News Items, Free-to-Play, Browser, Casual

Browser game outfit Bigpoint can be forgiven if it doesn't look fondly on 2012. Last summer the firm noted for Battlestar Galactica Online and an upcoming Game of Thrones spinoff vacated its mobile development business and jettisoned a couple of executives. Now GamesIndustry.biz reports that the free-to-play company is cutting 120 jobs. Bigpoint will shutter its San Francisco development office (approximately 40 jobs) as well as terminate 80 employees at its Hamburg location.

"We have seen that developing games in the U.S. is not really the most efficient way for us at the moment," CEO Heiko Hubertz tells GamesIndustry. "The games that we have developed in the last two years haven't been that successful, and the San Francisco area and Bay Area is quite a competitive market. San Francisco is, after New York, one of the most expensive cities you can live in in the US, so the people are quite expensive."

Hubertz will abdicate his CEO duties for an executive chairman position later this year. Bigpoint has yet to name a replacement. Hubertz also indicated that none of Bigpoint's current titles will be affected and that the company will continue making games.

Bigpoint cutting 120 jobs, abandoning U.S. development originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 23 Oct 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A Mild-Mannered Reporter: A personal tribute to Paragon Studios

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, MMO Industry, Opinion, Free-to-Play, A Mild-Mannered Reporter

When I started my career at Massively, I wasn't hired to be the City of Heroes guy. I wasn't hired to be the anything guy, although I quickly earned a reputation. It was a few months after I got hired that I got the opportunity to start doing a pair of weekly columns, one on City of Heroes and one about the online Final Fantasy installments. This was due to the fact that my affection for City of Heroes was well-known on staff, and I was already knee-deep in the game, so...

It wasn't quite three years ago, but it was close enough. And I've said many times that my professional career has been tied in directly with City of Heroes because of that. As I've grown as a writer and a journalist, I've been working alongside City of Heroes. So today I'm not going to talk as much about the game itself. I'm going to talk about the people of Paragon Studios, some of whom I had the good fortune to interact with over the years and all of whom seem to be absolutely astonishing human beings.

Continue reading A Mild-Mannered Reporter: A personal tribute to Paragon Studios

A Mild-Mannered Reporter: A personal tribute to Paragon Studios originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 19 Sep 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Anarchy Online's director leaves the game

Eliot Lefebvre — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-Fi, Anarchy Online, MMO Industry, News Items, Free-to-Play

Parting is such sweet sorrow, and fans of Anarchy Online are receiving a full dose of that sorrow. Fia Tjernberg, the game's current director, has announced in a forum post that she is leaving her post as director due to the deteriorating health of a family member and the numerous Funcom layoffs. As she puts it, her departure ensures that the existing staff will have less pressure to reduce its numbers, which she feels is better for the health of the game in the long run.

Tjernberg stresses that the team behind Anarchy Online has completed or nearly completed a number of wonderful projects that improve the overall game experience, including the graphical revamp, which is slated to be released in the near future. At this time there has been no announcement of who will be the game's next director. This comes in the wake of Tjernberg's previous statements regarding the layoffs and Anarchy Online and last week's announcement that senior content designer Brad McAtee is departing the game.

[Thanks to David for the tip!]

Anarchy Online's director leaves the game originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 18 Sep 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Anarchy Online feels the impact of Funcom layoffs, recommits to engine upgrade

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-Fi, Anarchy Online, Free-to-Play, Dev Diaries

Game Director Fia Tjernberg begins her monthly development update for Anarchy Online on a somber note, saying that the layoffs at Funcom have put a hold on the team's growth and a number of planned projects, such as the improved character creation system.

Tjernberg did transition into a more upbeat tone as she emphasized that the team is still progressing with the graphical update: "Our Dreamworld engine upgrade is still one of our top priorities! We believe this is an important step in evolving AO and building for the future, and as this work is done in parallel to the rest of our commitments, we do not have to delay any other content because of this!"

Other topics of the letter include a report from AO-Con, improvements to seasonal content, testing the new player experience, strengthening the community, and discussions revolving around the game's PvP.

Anarchy Online feels the impact of Funcom layoffs, recommits to engine upgrade originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 06 Sep 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Funcom layoffs confirmed as temporary [Updated]

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Horror, Sci-Fi, Age of Conan, Anarchy Online, MMO Industry, The Secret World, Legal

Apparently having suffered a mediocre launch with The Secret World and a severe dip in its stock value, Funcom has announced temporary layoffs to its staff. The layoffs are part of a company-wide cost-cutting strategy in response to TSW's failure to hit expected sales scenarios, which Funcom predicted in a press release earlier this month. The layoffs appear to confirm parts of the anonymous tip we referenced in our Secret World column last Thursday.

Funcom Director of Communications Erling Ellingsen confirmed the layoffs to Gamer.no, stating that operations on Funcom's three MMOs will continue and that The Secret World's revenue model will continue as planned.

Unconfirmed reports put the layoffs at 50% to 60% of the studio's workforce. "We're in the middle of the process and we can not go into more detail now," Ellingsen said. On its Twitter feed, Funcom posted the following: "Thank you for your warm thoughts and support. More information to come soon."

[Update: Funcom has made a new statement to Massively in light of the layoffs, stressing that the layoffs are temporary. "As we announced in the stock notice that went out on August 10th, Funcom is in the process of reducing operational costs and this process includes temporary layoffs as well as other initiatives. As we are currently in the middle of this process we can not provide any further comment at the present time. Rest assured however that we have long-term plans for the company and that we remain fully committed to all of our games. We aim to provide more information soon."]

Funcom layoffs confirmed as temporary [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TERA publisher En Masse hit with layoffs [Updated]

Jef Reahard — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 14:10:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO Industry, News Items, TERA

En Masse Entertainment community manager Evan "Scapes" Berman has tweeted that layoffs are underway at the publisher responsible for bringing TERA to the western market.

"Layoffs have occurred at En Masse. I was hit," Berman wrote.

TERA launched on May 1st in North America and May 3rd in Europe after an extensive "westernization" development cycle that tweaked the native Korean client. Massively has contacted En Masse for an official statement and we'll keep you posted as this story develops.

[Update: En Masse has responded to our comment request with a statement from publishing vice president Chris Lee. We've placed the statement behind the break.]

Continue reading TERA publisher En Masse hit with layoffs [Updated]

TERA publisher En Masse hit with layoffs [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 08 Aug 2012 14:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Star Trek: Infinite Space canned

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 08:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-Fi, MMO Industry, Browser

Sorry Trekkies, but if you were hoping for a second Star Trek MMO, you're going to be waiting for some time. Gameforge announced that it is cancelling Star Trek: Infinite Space effective immediately. This doesn't come as a complete surprise, as the publisher put the beta on hold last year in a desperate search for a co-publishing partnership.

Gameforge explained the decision in a statement: "Since autumn 2011 we made many efforts to find a publishing and marketing partner for Star Trek: Infinite Space. Unfortunately, our efforts were not successful. So we have decided with a heavy heart to finally abandon the project Star Trek: Infinite Space."

Infinite Space was to be a browser-based title set in the war-torn Deep Space Nine era of Star Trek. The publisher had obtained the assistance of Trek staples such as Nana Visitor, René Auberjonois, and Denise and Michael Okuda.

Star Trek: Infinite Space canned originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 08 Aug 2012 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SWTOR executive producer leaves BioWare; new layoffs rumored [Updated: BioWare responds]

Jef Reahard — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 13:45:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-Fi, MMO Industry, New Titles, Rumors, Star Wars: The Old Republic

Star Wars: The Old Republic's Rich Vogel is no longer with BioWare, according to a report at Gamasutra. Vogel served as SWTOR's executive producer and is an MMO industry veteran of 20 years on various titles, including Star Wars Galaxies, Ultima Online, and Meridian 59.

The article also mentions emerging reports that BioWare's Austin campus is laying off workers as of this morning, though Vogel's departure apparently precedes these new developments. It's unclear whether the cuts are a continuation of the restructuring begun last May or a new round of layoffs.

Vogel signed on with BioWare in 2005 and most recently made headlines for a GDC 2012 presentation that highlighted SWTOR's project management apparatus.

[Update: EA BioWare has issued a statement confirming restructuring within its Austin studio, attributing it to ongoing staff reductions started this past May. The full statement is below the break.]

Continue reading SWTOR executive producer leaves BioWare; new layoffs rumored [Updated: BioWare responds]

SWTOR executive producer leaves BioWare; new layoffs rumored [Updated: BioWare responds] originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 17 Jul 2012 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hyperspace Beacon: PR nightmare

Larry Everett — Tue, 29 May 2012 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-Fi, Opinion, Rumors, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Hyperspace Beacon

It's my sincerest hope that we never again have a news week like we did last week. Every mistake that could be made in MMO development was made this past week.

Obviously, the biggest news revolved around the 38 Studios fiasco. Perhaps it's hard when you're in the midst of a development cycle and concentrating on deadlines and milestones to see the larger picture and the proverbial writing on the wall. It should have been obvious to the developers behind the scenes the project was doomed, but I say that with 20/20 hindsight.

Of course, Star Wars: The Old Republic won't be outdone by 38 Studios. BioWare had to flood the feeds with its own bad news in the form of layoffs. Then almost in the same breath, it announced that the game will be merging servers. I guess SWTOR couldn't be outdone by itself, either. It had to add insult to its own injury. Although the timing of the layoffs was a bit surprising, those of us observing from the outside could see the server merges coming.

The stories in Star Wars aren't just about good conquering evil, but they are also about redemption and good coming out of a bad situation. The tragedy of Luke's aunt and uncle being killed was the catalyst that started his journey to becoming a great hero and Jedi Knight. Darth Vader was ultimately redeemed when he killed the emperor. But is there the same redemption for SWTOR? Will it ultimately become the great game everyone was hoping that it would be?

Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: PR nightmare

Hyperspace Beacon: PR nightmare originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 May 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BioWare responds to SWTOR layoffs

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 29 May 2012 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-Fi, MMO Industry, Star Wars: The Old Republic

If anyone knows just how brutal and unforgiving the MMO industry can be, it is certainly the folks at BioWare. Last week delivered a one-two punch to the studio, as the team had to contend with layoffs while breaking the news of server merges to the playerbase. Star Wars: The Old Republic Associate Lead Designer Emmanuel Lusinchi admitted that this came with the territory: "The MMO is the toughest part of the game industry without a doubt, and we live in tough economic times in general."

Despite the layoffs, Lusinchi said that the development team is still "one of the biggest" in the industry and has detailed plans for SWTOR's future. Still, that didn't make dealing with the realities of the job cuts any easier.

"On a personal level it's quite difficult to have people that you've been working with for a long time that you know personally, you go to their barbecue and you meet their families and it's never easy," he said. "I doubt it'd be easy in any industry for anyone, but it happens."

BioWare responds to SWTOR layoffs originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 May 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jagex closing down browser-based 8Realms

Jef Reahard — Mon, 28 May 2012 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Business Models, Economy, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Free-to-Play, Browser

More MMO layoffs are in the news this week as noted free-to-play maker Jagex is shuttering its browser-based 8Realms project. A source told Massively that the social empire-building game "has been a major (and very expensive) flop. Many of us are losing our jobs, some are being moved to other departments."

We contacted Jagex for an official comment and were provided a statement by COO Daniel Clough: "Jagex has always been committed to creating fun and compelling games. During the 8Realms beta it has become clear that the game doesn't meet our high expectations for success and we are therefore channeling our focus on other exciting opportunities in the pipeline."

Jagex closing down browser-based 8Realms originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 May 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: Lessons from 38 Studios

Brendan Drain — Sun, 27 May 2012 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-Fi, EVE Online, Business Models, Culture, Events (Real-World), MMO Industry, Opinion, EVE Evolved, Sandbox

This week we heard the news that Kingdoms of Amalur developer 38 Studios shut down and let go all 379 full-time staff. It's always a tragedy when good developers are made jobless, especially if the job losses come out of nowhere and hit people who have only recently been hired. 38 Studios was still hiring people shortly before it collapsed, and some of those recent hires were ex-CCP developers who were part of the 20% of staff fired at the end of last year.

The shutdown of 38 Studios is a sobering reminder of the problems in EVE Online's development that led to monoclegate. Both studios were mismanaged, with the jobs of hundreds of developers gambled on the outcome of poorly researched business decisions. EVE Online thankfully survived CCP's failed microtransaction gamble, but 38 Studios' Project Copernicus may never see the light of day.

In this week's EVE Evolved opinion piece, I look into the similar circumstances that forced CCP Games and 38 Studios to fire staff, and draw some lessons from them for which I believe the industry should take heed.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Lessons from 38 Studios

EVE Evolved: Lessons from 38 Studios originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 27 May 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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38 Studios lays off entire staff, sells Big Huge Games [Updated]

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 24 May 2012 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO Industry, Legal, Miscellaneous

The 38 Studios disaster continues to unfold today, as the troubled studio laid off its entire staff and may be selling off its Big Huge Games division in Boston. Boston's Fox 25 News speculates that the studio may close by this weekend.

38 Studios CM Charles Dane confirmed being laid off on Twitter: "Now on the market. I had an awesome run with 38 Studios, but this dream is now ending."

Word is that the company is also selling its subsidiary, Big Huge Games. Big Huge Games is the maker of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, 38 Studios' single-player prequel to its Copernicus MMO. This would not be the first time that Big Huge Games was sold by its parent company, as the studio experienced the same event back in 2009.

Oh his Facebook page, Curt Schilling stressed that Reckoning did quite well in sales. "I wanted to clear up some misinformation around 38 Studios' first product, Reckoning. Sales of Reckoning outperformed EA's expectations and sold more than 1.2 million units in the game's first 90 days in the market."

[Update]: Developer Ryan Shwayder has also confirmed the layoffs via his personal blog.

38 Studios lays off entire staff, sells Big Huge Games [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 May 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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38 Studios appears to be getting no new help

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 23 May 2012 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO Industry, News Items, Legal, Miscellaneous

The bad news continues to accumulate for Rhode Island developer 38 Studios. According to Rhode Island governor Lincoln Chafee, the company has received a grand total of no outside investment. It also has not received any of the tax credits that it requested, leaving the studio still deep in the hole. Chafee has stated that he is doing everything in his power to prevent the studio's closure.

Staff members are also leaving the company at an alarming rate, with CEO Jen MacLean and senior VP of product development John Blakely both confirming their departures from the company. The hiring of both individuals was trumpeted as a mark of success as recently as March of this year, and Blakely was still employed by 38 Studios as recently as Monday evening. There's even talk of the company's health insurance running out. None of this news suggests that Curt Schilling's company will make a quick turnaround -- if indeed it makes a turnaround at all.

38 Studios appears to be getting no new help originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 23 May 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fallen Earth team dwindles further, but the game still lives

Shawn Schuster — Tue, 22 May 2012 23:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-Fi, Fallen Earth, MMO Industry, Free-to-Play, Post-Apocalyptic

Earlier tonight we got word of a rumor regarding Fallen Earth's development team dwindling down to three remaining content designers: a scripter, an artist and a game designer. Concerned over what has turned out to be a horrible week of layoffs, we shot an email to GamersFirst, which quickly responded:

"We had a large contractor crew on FE and we are focusing on creating our own employee pool to manage the game. We did decide to not renew some of our contractors. As you probably know that we are going to focus on our own home grown IPs like APB Reloaded, Fallen Earth, Hailan Rising and Taikodom. We have already stopped servicing Knight Online and we will be stopping service of War Rock from June 1. As a result we will using our own pool of experienced staff to manage the complete operations of Fallen Earth. Key game design folks like Marie still continue to be at the helm in North Carolina. Fallen Earth has also been licensed in South America and we will close to licensing it in Russia, Turkey and Asia. We are absolutely committed to making it grow across the globe."

While it appears that the game itself is not in trouble, we'll be sure to keep our eye on the situation for further developments.

Fallen Earth team dwindles further, but the game still lives originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 May 2012 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Layoffs confirmed for 38 Studios, Rhode Island takes no action

Eliot Lefebvre — Mon, 21 May 2012 22:30:00 EST

Filed under: MMO Industry, News Items, Legal, Miscellaneous

If last week's Project Copernicus flythrough had been a hopeful note, the latest news out of 38 Studios is another downturn. Following a meeting today, the Rhode Island EDC board decided to take no action to help the ailing company at this time. Governor Lincoln Chafee said following the meeting that the financial situation of the studio remains unchanged from last week, but did note that the company has seen some layoffs and underwent unspecified internal shifts.

Founder Curt Schilling did not directly respond to press inquiries, stating that he would answer questions when he is able to do so. He did, however, state that he was not taking further taxpayer money. Whether or not there will be a company there to take any money in the near future is still very much in doubt, however, and while Chafee has been a bit more diplomatic about aiding the studio, he has stressed that any assistance would be far on the conservative side.

Layoffs confirmed for 38 Studios, Rhode Island takes no action originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 21 May 2012 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WAR40K devs laid off, game will no longer be an MMO

Jef Reahard — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Warhammer 40k

The on-again off-again saga of Warhammer 40K is apparently off again, at least in regard to the title's future as an MMORPG. In early February we reported on some rumored THQ financial trouble, but the company later pooh-poohed the concerns and said that WAR40K was still on track.

Today, though, our sister site reports that Dark Millennium Online will axe the online portion of its lengthy moniker and the company will be producing the title as a single-player game going forward. A substantial number of jobs have also been cut, with 79 Vigil Games employees and 39 Relic Entertainment employees receiving pink slips.

WAR40K devs laid off, game will no longer be an MMO originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 29 Mar 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blizzard announces layoffs of 600 employees worldwide

Matt Daniel — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 13:15:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Economy, MMO Industry, News Items

Blizzard Entertainment, creator of the perennially popular World of Warcraft, announced today that it would be laying off 600 of its employees worldwide. While Blizzard takes care to note that WoW's development won't be impacted by the layoffs, we find it a bit difficult to take solace in that fact when hundreds of people are losing their jobs.

Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime commented on the layoffs, stating that "Constant evaluation of teams and processes is necessary for the long-term health of any business. Over the last several years, we've grown our organization tremendously and made large investments in our infrastructure in order to better serve our global community. However, as Blizzard and the industry have evolved we've also had to make some difficult decisions in order to address the changing needs of our company." Understandable, perhaps, considering the fluctuating nature of the industry, but we still wish those Blizzard employees hit by the layoffs the very best in their future endeavors. Good luck, folks.

Blizzard announces layoffs of 600 employees worldwide originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 29 Feb 2012 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GamersFirst sees a management shakeup

Eliot Lefebvre — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO Industry, News Items, Free-to-Play, All Points Bulletin

GamersFirst is in the minds of gamers for its successful relaunch of APB: Reloaded, which went from a lightning-fast shutdown to a successful free-to-play title. The company is also developing new games based on original IPs for future release. But there's some rumbling going on behind the scenes at the company, as the company's parent corporation, K2 Network, saw the resignation of its CEO, Joshua Hong. Bjorn Book-Larsson, former COO and CTO, has been promoted to the CEO position, with Hong's future uncertain.

The official statements claim that the transition of power was amicable and pre-arranged, but it also comes on the heels of worldwide layoffs from K2 and rumors of a power struggle behind the scenes. Rahul Sandil, the company's public relations chief, claimed that there was no truth to these rumors and that the plan was to move forward from simple localizations of titles developed in foreign markets. Sandil went on to confirm that APB: Reloaded continues to be a large-scale success for the company and that further development will be centered around work that Book-Larsson had already seen during his time as CTO and COO.

GamersFirst sees a management shakeup originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 16 Feb 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: Everything there is to know about Crucible

Brendan Drain — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-Fi, Trailers, Video, EVE Online, Expansions, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, PvP, News Items, Opinion, EVE Evolved, Dev Diaries, Sandbox

This summer's lackluster Incarna expansion and the ensuing microtransaction drama took a massive toll on EVE Online's player community and development staff. Players were quitting in droves, and CCP eventually had to lay off 20% of its staff worldwide. Two years of half-implemented expansions, broken features, and "first steps" that were never iterated on left players begging for a content-heavy expansion like Apocrypha or those released in EVE's early years. EVE is known for being practically a new game every six months, but since the blockbuster Apocrypha expansion, daily life in New Eden hasn't changed much at all.

To pull things back from the brink, CCP refocused development on EVE Online and gave developers a free pass to work on hundreds of small features and improvements. The company began flooding us with details on new ships, graphical updates, new gameplay mechanics, and desperately needed balance tweaks, and we loved every bit of it. Although it's mostly small features and gameplay tweaks, the Crucible expansion feels like a genuine rebirth for EVE Online. The types of changes made show that CCP knows exactly what players want from EVE and that the company is now willing to deliver it. With CCP's renewed focus on internet spaceships, the Crucible expansion feels like the start of a new era in the sandbox.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I pull together everything there is to know about the Crucible expansion that went live this week, from its turbulent origins to the awesome features and PvP updates it contains.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Everything there is to know about Crucible

EVE Evolved: Everything there is to know about Crucible originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 04 Dec 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blizzard says mass layoffs are 'just a rumor'

Matt Daniel — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: MMO Industry, News Items, Miscellaneous

Yesterday we ran a rumor that a senior level designer on Blizzard's Titan project, John Staats, had been laid off. We've received confirmation presumably from the man himself that he is no longer working at Blizzard, though the reasons for his firing are unknown. Rumors also ran wild that Blizzard had seen some kind of "mass layoffs," but Bashiok stopped by the forums today to put an end to that, saying, "Hey guys, out of respect for their privacy, we don't discuss individual employees, but the speculation circulating about 'massive layoffs at Blizzard' is just a rumor." Zahrym confirmed this on his personal Twitter account, as well. What Staats' absence will mean for the future of Titan remains to be seen, but we'll be sure to let you know as soon as we get word.

Blizzard says mass layoffs are 'just a rumor' originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 08 Nov 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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