›

Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

Sign In Register

Quick Links

Updated & Confirmed: ArenaNet Announces Layoffs, How Many As Yet Uknown

SBFordSBFord Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129
edited February 2019 in News & Features Discussion

imageUpdated & Confirmed: ArenaNet Announces Layoffs, How Many As Yet Uknown - MMORPG.com

UPDATE: Lead Game Designer Jennifer Scheurle has confirmed the layoffs via Twitter. The employee meetings have been completed as of this writing, while those affected are processing the news.

Kotaku has just published an article suggesting that ArenaNet is j"planning big layoffs" according to one person inside the company. The article further states that, while the number is not yet known, it will be a "significant number of people".

Read the full story here



¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 


Post edited by SBFord on
«13

Comments

  • SBFordSBFord Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129
    The industry is being shaken to its core lately. But so many of these companies have operated using "unsustainable" business models as mentioned by NCS's CEO.

    Sorry to hear about this as GW2 has always been one of my favorite MMOs.
    SovrathMadFrenchiedinognThupli[Deleted User]AlomargoemoeRain_Deathraveninfomatzparpinand 6 others.


    ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 


  • SBFordSBFord Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129
    The article said that there are about 400 employees.
    Javiso


    ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 


  • AeanderAeander Member LegendaryPosts: 7,836
    I could see it. They have a particular development cadence down and their financial reports, while still profitable, aren't earth shattering.

    I predict layoffs to employees involved in WvW, PvP, and MAYBE raiding. Living World and Expansion teams should be fine, as they are the lifeblood of the game.
    ThupliRain_DeathravenrojoArcueid
  • Octagon7711Octagon7711 Member LegendaryPosts: 9,000
    You look around and see other companies doing large layoffs to increase profits, so you figure that you will do it too. Next would be turning employees into seasonal contractors.
    [Deleted User]infomatz

    "We all do the best we can based on life experience, point of view, and our ability to believe in ourselves." - Naropa      "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are."  SR Covey

  • AeanderAeander Member LegendaryPosts: 7,836
    parrotpholk said:
    Octagon7711 said:
    You look around and see other companies doing large layoffs to increase profits, so you figure that you will do it too. Next would be turning employees into seasonal contractors.
    One has to wonder if NCSoft would CoH them if things do not improve.  Should have been about time for an expansion or new game announcement from Arenanet but this would put that in doubt,
    They said months ago that Expansion 3 would come after Season 5. If anything, NCSoft might strong arm them into shortening this time frame.
    rojoArcueid
  • SBFordSBFord Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129
    I'm really hoping that, if nothing else, that ANet goes off on its own. But blaming "increased costs for development in the west" is a strong shot at US developers.
    [Deleted User]Octagon7711Thupli[Deleted User]infomatzPottedPlant22ThaharScotty787


    ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 


  • Truvidien88Truvidien88 Member UncommonPosts: 462
    edited February 2019
    Didn't Kano (Don't remember his name) say this was gonna happen?
    GdemamiThupligervaise1
  • WizardryWizardry Member LegendaryPosts: 19,332
    edited February 2019
    If i was in charge or CEO,i would have no answers,they went down the wrong path imo and eventually it will fail.
    They were lucky to get this far,when they started down the b2p path,it was a relatively new gimmick,so it worked to be deceptive,not anymore,too many developers all vying for the same dollar.

    They claimed AAA without a subscription,that NEVER materialized,housing,actual guild wars just to name a couple areas that could have brought the game forward.Cheap lazy content like zone completions is just well lame and imo not fun at all.
    As a mmorpg developer you are suppose to be conveying the perception of living in a world and bringing forth immersion,NOBODY in the history of mankind stops and says "oh wait,have i completed all of this area".
    So their  ideas share the same shalllow reasoning as other developers, i call it the anti rpg game design.Loo kat Atlas,very good reason to scoff at the developer,but it has an eco system/weather/alpha creatures attacking the weak,building and a VERY realistic feel to the game and yes even on water and building ships.Atlas has several layers more game play and more of a role play feel than GW2 which pretends to be a rpg.
    AeanderNeonSaruLokkjeWhiteLanternCelciusturinmacleodTacticalZombeh

    Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.

  • Octagon7711Octagon7711 Member LegendaryPosts: 9,000
    Unfortunately this is happening everywhere and just not in the gaming industry.  Mass layoffs, cutting corners to save money, reduction of quality to save money while increasing prices.  A race to die with the most toys, without thinking about the people who may have gotten screwed over along the way.
    GdemamiSolancerobii

    "We all do the best we can based on life experience, point of view, and our ability to believe in ourselves." - Naropa      "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are."  SR Covey

  • Slapshot1188Slapshot1188 Member LegendaryPosts: 16,984
    It's "Follow the Leader" time... as stocks go up when layoffs are announced (cost cutting). So the use the cover of the prior company (in this case ATI/BLIZ) in order to make their own.

    Short term it will give them a stock bump but long term it may come back to bite them.
    GdemamiSBFord[Deleted User]Octagon7711infomatzSolancerTuor7Scotty787

    All time classic  MY NEW FAVORITE POST!  (Keep laying those bricks)

    "I should point out that no other company has shipped out a beta on a disc before this." - Official Mortal Online Lead Community Moderator

    Proudly wearing the Harbinger badge since Dec 23, 2017. 

    Coined the phrase "Role-Playing a Development Team" January 2018

    "Oddly Slap is the main reason I stay in these forums." - Mystichaze April 9th 2018

  • AeanderAeander Member LegendaryPosts: 7,836
    Truvidien88 said:
    Didn't Kano (Don't remember his name) say this was gonna happen?
    Kano says that after EVERY quarterly financial report. He doesn't actually have Anet connections, just a common sense read of basic financial numbers and a hate-boner for Arenanet. It is only now, when mass layoffs are industry-wide, that he happens to be right.
    Truvidien88CelciusCryomatrixexile01TacticalZombeh
  • AlteiirAlteiir Member UncommonPosts: 33

    Aeander said:

    I could see it. They have a particular development cadence down and their financial reports, while still profitable, aren't earth shattering.

    I predict layoffs to employees involved in WvW, PvP, and MAYBE raiding. Living World and Expansion teams should be fine, as they are the lifeblood of the game.



    I pray to god that they don't lay off the WvW dev team...its literally (no joke) 1 guy named Raymond. Thats why there are no substantial changes to WvW and the promised alliance system has been postponed for 2 years now.
    Octagon7711
  • AeanderAeander Member LegendaryPosts: 7,836
    Alteiir said:

    Aeander said:

    I could see it. They have a particular development cadence down and their financial reports, while still profitable, aren't earth shattering.

    I predict layoffs to employees involved in WvW, PvP, and MAYBE raiding. Living World and Expansion teams should be fine, as they are the lifeblood of the game.



    I pray to god that they don't lay off the WvW dev team...its literally (no joke) 1 guy named Raymond. Thats why there are no substantial changes to WvW and the promised alliance system has been postponed for 2 years now.
    I didn't know that. I could totally believe it to, whether you're joking or not.
  • AlteiirAlteiir Member UncommonPosts: 33

    Aeander said:


    Alteiir said:



    Aeander said:


    I could see it. They have a particular development cadence down and their financial reports, while still profitable, aren't earth shattering.

    I predict layoffs to employees involved in WvW, PvP, and MAYBE raiding. Living World and Expansion teams should be fine, as they are the lifeblood of the game.






    I pray to god that they don't lay off the WvW dev team...its literally (no joke) 1 guy named Raymond. Thats why there are no substantial changes to WvW and the promised alliance system has been postponed for 2 years now.


    I didn't know that. I could totally believe it to, whether you're joking or not.



    I swear I'm not. Its the mode I play the most. You can look up topics of it. Its kind of the rolling joke among WvW players atm. Here's some people on reddit talking about it too.
    https://www.reddit.com/r/Guildwars2/comments/alo18f/is_wvw_development_paused/
  • SovrathSovrath Member LegendaryPosts: 32,003
    edited February 2019
    Wizardry said:
    Loo kat Atlas,very good reason to scoff at the developer,but it has an eco system/weather/alpha creatures attacking the weak,building and a VERY realistic feel to the game and yes even on water and building ships.Atlas has several layers more game play and more of a role play feel than GW2 which pretends to be a rpg.
    Not every game is trying to be a world emulator.

    To that point, not every game should be a world emulator.

    it's "my" taste but some games are just "games." That's what they are trying to be, first and foremost. And some players like it that way. Like some players want storyin an mmorpg.

    I should add that not every game is trying to be, or has to be, realistic.

    Just different tastes.
    SBFordTacticalZombeh
    Like Skyrim? Need more content? Try my Skyrim mod "Godfred's Tomb." 

    Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w


    Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547

    Try the "Special Edition." 'Cause it's "Special." https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/64878/?tab=description

    Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo 
  • SBFordSBFord Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129
    The employee meetings are complete and it is no longer rumor: ArenaNet is laying off an unknown number of employees. Read more in this string from Lead Game Designer Jennifer Scheurle:


    Octagon7711infomatz


    ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 


  • AlteiirAlteiir Member UncommonPosts: 33
    Its still a pretty popular mode. Tier 1,2,3 still see full queues of people on weekends. The reason they don't touch it too much is because they don't know how to develop it. When they added the desert borderland it was very poorly received and they invested a lot of time and money into a mode that people generally didn't like, but wvw fans still stick by the mode because its still pretty fun. 
    Octagon7711[Deleted User]infomatz
  • AeanderAeander Member LegendaryPosts: 7,836
    SBFord said:
    The employee meetings are complete and it is no longer rumor: ArenaNet is laying off an unknown number of employees. Read more in this string from Lead Game Designer Jennifer Scheurle:


    At least Anet is trying to be classy about a bad situation that NCSoft has forced on them.

    They aren't Telltale or Activision Blizzard.
    SBFordOctagon7711AlomarrojoArcueid
  • XiaokiXiaoki Member EpicPosts: 3,848

    SBFord said:

    The article said that there are about 400 employees.



    Yeah, sorry, but that is WAAAAY too many employees.

    400 employees for a developer that makes one game that only generates around $15 million in revenue a quarter is a recipe for disaster.
    [Deleted User]Gorwe
  • Octagon7711Octagon7711 Member LegendaryPosts: 9,000
    Raymond is about to get very busy with that new mount they plan to add there.

    "We all do the best we can based on life experience, point of view, and our ability to believe in ourselves." - Naropa      "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are."  SR Covey

  • AeanderAeander Member LegendaryPosts: 7,836
    Xiaoki said:

    SBFord said:

    The article said that there are about 400 employees.



    Yeah, sorry, but that is WAAAAY too many employees.

    400 employees for a developer that makes one game that only generates around $15 million in revenue a quarter is a recipe for disaster.
    But that is also indicative of large unannounced development. They didn't have 400 employees prior to launch. They had over 200. 
  • XAleX360XAleX360 Member UncommonPosts: 516
    Personally I hope Microsoft buys them. They're practically neighbours, too.

    Executive Editor (Games) http://www.wccftech.com

  • ThupliThupli Member RarePosts: 1,318
    edited February 2019
    I wonder if the gw1 model was more stable financially... Is, not having to manage as much of the network as a full mmo like gw2 requires.
    Post edited by Thupli on

  • AeanderAeander Member LegendaryPosts: 7,836
    XAleX360 said:
    Personally I hope Microsoft buys them. They're practically neighbours, too.
    Could reunite them with their former cofounders at Undead Labs. And then hopefully put them on something better than the concentrated mediocrity that is State of Decay. 
  • MargraveMargrave Member RarePosts: 1,362
    Sad to hear. Not good times on the mmorpg front. WoW may have milked it dry.
    Gdemami
Sign In or Register to comment.