Just reposting the recent article from PC Gamer website. Hope the people affected can find new work quickly.

http://www.pcgamer.com/2012/12/12/trion-worlds-hit-by-lay-offs/

some further info on just what type of positions Trion laid off from Rift

http://forums.riftgame.com/rift-general-discussions/general-discussion/347056-who-trion-cut-adventuring-google.html

Originally posted by velmax
These people were singed on a contract to work only for  The Storm Legion expansion. Just like swtor layed-off for swtor launch, and other games have done as well. Some times companies higher people for a specific project not to work as a career, then to lay them off.

I can tell you didnt look at the link, because you couldnt be more wrong.

Also, Bioware laying off people was a big deal because they specifically stated they were retaining their entire team.

In fact, the only instance I can see of employees being laid off after an expansion release is LOTRO last year.

PUBLIC INFORMATION found using google/linkedin.  There is nothing not easily available tot he pbulic.  Not my own research, see thread for more details.  this is not the complete list, just people with public profiles.

Condolences to these employees, hopefully Rft on their resume gets them a job fast

-http://www.linkedin.com/in/jefftallon

heres another one, the head cleric dev:

-http://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewakelley

Not to seem unsympathetic, but doesn't this consistantly happen with every title, every time they release a game or expansion?

Anyhow, I hope that all the people affected have a chance to take a great holiday with their family and enjoy some well-earned time off before they get to work on another project.  I'm also hoping that the people affected have this as a financial viability.

Originally posted by Rydeson
     That doesn't paint a pretty picture for the future..  I guess that means that Storm Legion is the first and last expansion for Rift..  Does this mean that Rift will now go into maintenance mode?  I'm sure they will toss a bone out there to keep the player base happy, but it looks like any longer term major content is done, since 1/3 of the staff were told bye bye.. 

Hmm. I'm not sure you or a lot of folks in this thread know how the industry works.

MMO development, for the most part, is a contract job. 

There are a few permanent employees of a studio, but only a few. 

When the studio has a project. It hires people on contract to complete the work. When the work is finished, the contract ends.

Thus, what would you expect from a studio that just finished and released an expansion, an expansion that is larger than the original game I might add? 

Well, I would expect quite a few contracts would  come to an end.

I'm not saying that Rift/storm legion is doing as well as hoped. I'm not saying that they aren't having issues. 

But they are developing a game which works in conjunction with a television series on a station which specifically targets the demographics for this genre. 

Plus they are hiring at their san diego office: http://trionworlds.com/en/careers/san-diego/

So let's not scream the sky is falling just yet.

Originally posted by Dantae87
OH NO i totally just subbed to this game and now its dying!.....wtf am i gonna play now GRRRRR

assuming sarcasm, the game isnt dying.  It will probably just move to a 3month patch cycle instead of 6 weeks.

Originally posted by Alyvian
trion world employs more as 500 people, will just leave it at that.

You sure about that? I tried looking up their employee base and found nothing.

I highly doubt they employ anywhere near that many people. Blizzard maybe, but Trion Worlds? Gimme a break. There might be like 25 permanent people tops; everything else is contract work.

They just laid off a bunch of people because they just finished Storm Legion. And thus, ended the contracts which were hired to create Storm Legion. This is how the industry works.

You have no proof they employ 500+ people. You have no proof they laid them off because of Obamacare or tax hikes, which is what you are implying. What you are implying isn't mathmatically possible or probable. You are a tool of the conservative propaganda machine.

I will just leave it at that.

edit: 25 is definately way under the mark. I re-read the article and it is quite clear that Rift alone 'had' around 120, down to around 80. Their new game may have a hefty staff though - due to its development and scope. So I'll concede they 'may' have 500 total employees. 

Originally posted by eyelolled

Not to seem unsympathetic, but doesn't this consistantly happen with every title, every time they release a game or expansion?

 

no, it does not

As a matter of fact, this almost never happens.

Originally posted by strangiato2112

Originally posted by eyelolled

Not to seem unsympathetic, but doesn't this consistantly happen with every title, every time they release a game or expansion?

 

no, it does not

 

As a matter of fact, this almost never happens.

B.S.

The vast majority of video game development is contract labor. 

Studios have few permanent employees.

They contract the work and then lay people off. Y'know, like, let's hire a bunch of new folks to develop Storm Legion, then lay them off.

This happens with nearly EVERY game. Period.

When it doesn't, that is the anomoly.

Originally posted by strangiato2112

Originally posted by eyelolled

Not to seem unsympathetic, but doesn't this consistantly happen with every title, every time they release a game or expansion?

 

no, it does not

 

As a matter of fact, this almost never happens.

Really? I'd have to go back and look but I thought TSW, TERA, NCsoft, etc all had layoffs shortly after their games launched.  Like I said, I hope everything works out for those effected.

Originally posted by Zorgo

Originally posted by Rydeson
     That doesn't paint a pretty picture for the future..  I guess that means that Storm Legion is the first and last expansion for Rift..  Does this mean that Rift will now go into maintenance mode?  I'm sure they will toss a bone out there to keep the player base happy, but it looks like any longer term major content is done, since 1/3 of the staff were told bye bye.. 

Hmm. I'm not sure you or a lot of folks in this thread know how the industry works.

MMO development, for the most part, is a contract job. 

There are a few permanent employees of a studio, but only a few. 

When the studio has a project. It hires people on contract to complete the work. When the work is finished, the contract ends.

Thus, what would you expect from a studio that just finished and released an expansion, an expansion that is larger than the original game I might add? 

Well, I would expect quite a few contracts would  come to an end.

I'm not saying that Rift/storm legion is doing as well as hoped. I'm not saying that they aren't having issues. 

But they are developing a game which works in conjunction with a television series on a station which specifically targets the demographics for this genre. 

Plus they are hiring at their san diego office: http://trionworlds.com/en/careers/san-diego/

So let's not scream the sky is falling just yet.

 

Have you even read the info?  Sure, there were a couple contract guys scattered in there...but many people who have been with the company since day 1 were let go.  The guy that created and maintained one of the 4 classes was let go.  

ANyone who says this is standard is pretty clueless as to both the situation and the industry.  Contract workers being let go isnt news, its not layoffs, it just happens and no one says a word about.  Something like this is HUGE, for a game to let go this many longer term, quality people.  And this is just people with public profiles, and not even all of them.  Add in the rest + the ones with private profiles or the ones that use different methods than linkedin (artists for instance have better tools for employment searches).

And hiring at their San Diego office?  Any good company is ALWAYS hiring, even if they only have one employee other than the owner.  If the right candidate comes along, the owner would be foolish not to consider them over what he already has.  Hiring does not always mean adding positions.

The sky isnt falling but its certainly cracked.  And its more than likely End of Nation's fault, not Rift's.  But Rift has clearly paid the price.

Originally posted by eyelolled

Originally posted by strangiato2112

Originally posted by eyelolled

Not to seem unsympathetic, but doesn't this consistantly happen with every title, every time they release a game or expansion?

 

no, it does not

 

As a matter of fact, this almost never happens.

Really? I'd have to go back and look but I thought TSW, TERA, NCsoft, etc all had layoffs shortly after their games launched.  Like I said, I hope everything works out for those effected.

As you can see by my above post - I agree with you.

I hope it works out for them too; but look at it this way;

These guys have Storm Legion to put on their resume for the next contract. That's more than most people who are in the application pool.