At least one industry insider disagrees with you:

"LAS VEGAS — Is the economic crisis that began last year actually a "blessing" for the videogame industry?

That’s what John Riccitiello, CEO of Electronic Arts, said Thursday at the DICE summit. Riccitiello said that while big players like EA will be able to ride out the recession, others will not — which will help to keep "junk" off shelves, he said.

"A lot of the riff-raff is going to go bankrupt," he said.

Riccitiello began his address by noting that Electronic Arts, which recently cut 11% of its workforce, had gotten "too fat." But Riccitiello cautioned the audience of game industry execs against simply cutting head counts, closing facilities, and reducing risk. "That’s a recipe that you follow at your peril," he said.

Riccititello said that at Electronic Arts, the company cut positions from senior executives all the way down the line, rather than just "cutting out the bottom of the organization," to trim the so-called fat.

He said that EA, in slimming down, attempted to become "stronger and leaner," not just smaller: "Start by deciding what’s important. Invest heavily in just those programs, and cut the rest."

Riccitiello says that EA is attempting to change its processes to better adapt to a business that now caters to a much broader demographic.

"We were a company that made multimillion dollar console games, and that’s just what we did. We brought those same skills into a world where the platforms are fundamentally different. We found out that in 2008 we were a square peg in a round hole, and we needed to shave the edges off," he said."

This game was ruined well before JTL. They released new bioengineering mechanics and left the users to figure out how to use it.

And....what is with this thread.  Do you have to be in or an alumnus of the game industry to have an opinion?

I wonder if any of those 41 were apart of the Vanguard development team.  That game can't seem to hold a crowd. :(

Originally posted by pgqsilver

I wonder if any of those 41 were apart of the Vanguard development team.  That game can't seem to hold a crowd. :(

How about the old Matrix online team?

Originally posted by jinxit

Originally posted by pgqsilver

I wonder if any of those 41 were apart of the Vanguard development team.  That game can't seem to hold a crowd. :(

 

How about the old Matrix online team?

The single dev on MxO left about a month before the closure announcement was made.

Originally posted by Obee

Originally posted by jinxit

Originally posted by pgqsilver

I wonder if any of those 41 were apart of the Vanguard development team.  That game can't seem to hold a crowd. :(

 

How about the old Matrix online team?

 

The single dev on MxO left about a month before the closure announcement was made.

 

 

Wait....they actually had a dev?

Stop rumour mongering!

Despite all the SOE bashing that goes on, EverQuest and even EverQuest II was/are/is still enjoyable.

When SOE came out with the announcement of having that Station Cash thing, there was a huge uproar thread on the EQ II forums with comments that I agree on of, "If you don't like it don't use it", and "The things in there aren't really game breaking or worth buying, except for experience potions". 

Originally posted by warty

agreed its easy to mock and make jokes but those poor people have lost their job.

 

probably from the parking lot ;)

I agree, I feel for anyone who has been layed off. The ones that should have been let go that caused the layoffs in the first place amazingly are the ones that always get to stay. They need to get rid of the people that change the successful MMOs so much and ruin them and the persons who come up with the RMT bullcrap.

Originally posted by Taram

Originally posted by m240gulf

Originally posted by Doggarth

WE might need to remember that in these economic times, a lay off of only 5% is not that bad.  That being said, I do feel for the 41 who are gone....

 

If this was any other industry, I would agree with you; however, the gaming industry is not feeling the recession at all. 

 

Wrong.  The gaming industry *is* feeling the recession.  Or have you failed to notice that several game companies have either cancelled their planned MMO's or collapsed entirely?  Seriously... don't make statements about an industry you aren't part of.  When budgets get tight the first thing to get cut is entertainment.  And typically people start cutting out things with recurring costs first to de-leverage their debt ratio.

I myself cancelled all but 1 MMO that I play, I used to carry 3 active subscriptions.  Now it's only 1.  And I know multiple people who have done the same. 

I'm going to have to disagree with you here.  The gaming industry is growing, true there are some companies like SOE hurting, but it's not because of the recession, but rather they are doing a poor job at running their company or too much competition like we are seeing in the MMO genre. 

http://www.switched.com/2009/04/03/gaming-industry-booming-despite-economy-research-shows/

http://www.masshightech.com/stories/2009/06/15/weekly15-In-dreary-economy-gaming-business-has-the-jobs.html

I will say it also depends on who you ask, here is a downturn in the gaming industry article (but it was in June, the one of the links above was from July 20th.)

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/16/sharp-downturn-for-video-game-industry/

Overall, the gaming industry healthy, just certain companies took riskes and lost out, ala, SOE with FreeRelms and especially with NGE.  If it wasn't for EQ and EQII, I doubt SOE would be as big as they are now.

Now as far as entertainment and recessions go, yes some people cut their entertainment budgets...true....however, not every entertainment industry feels the recession.  Look at this years movie ticket sales.

http://www.examiner.com/x-6449-NY-Entertainment-Industry-Examiner~y2009m5d2-What-recession--Box-office-sales-booming-in-2009

"In truth: not so much. A third of 2009 is behind us, and while most industries are reeling from the recession, the box office experts have not broken a sweat. Actually, most of them are high-fiving right now. Year to date, domestic box office sales are up 15% from 2008, and 21.8% from 2005. In fact, 2009 has been consistently breaking sales records every month. Three of the top ten April opening weekends in box office history happened this past month, including the number one of all time (Fast and Furious)."

the above is a quote which makes my point to some extent.

Entertainment as a whole does well in recessions, some will fail of course, but most do well and most hardly feel the recession.  SOE just made bad decisions and they are laying off people who had nothing to do with those decisions.  The ones who should be going in the heads of SOE, not the workers.

Only 5% in these day's of economic struggle, they must be doing something pretty good compared to most other company's across other industries.

Of course it's slightly news due to it being a MMORPG company and this a MMORPG website, but overall they must be doing something pretty good to only let go of 5% of their employies. And of course it's sad for those who lost there jobs. But it's definitly does not say anything about the state of SOE, unless people have no idea what is going on with the world around them.

Originally posted by Reklaw

Only 5% in these day's of economic struggle, they must be doing something pretty good compared to most other company's across other industries.

Of course it's slightly news due to it being a MMORPG company and this a MMORPG website, but overall they must be doing something pretty good to only let go of 5% of their employies. And of course it's sad for those who lost there jobs. But it's definitly does not say anything about the state of SOE, unless people have no idea what is going on with the world around them.

I am sorry, but you have absolutely no clue what you are talking about.

The current recession is just an excuse for many CEO's to lay off employees to cover up their last year failures and bad decisions.

And with SOE. Well John Smedly has made so many mistakes and stupid ignorant decisions. It's not even funny anymore.

And it's now these 41 employees who are paying the price for John Smedly's cluelessness over the past years! Nothing more! Nothing less!

Cheers

Originally posted by Reklaw

Only 5% in these day's of economic struggle, they must be doing something pretty good compared to most other company's across other industries.

Of course it's slightly news due to it being a MMORPG company and this a MMORPG website, but overall they must be doing something pretty good to only let go of 5% of their employies. And of course it's sad for those who lost there jobs. But it's definitly does not say anything about the state of SOE, unless people have no idea what is going on with the world around them.

Doing something right? 

What company releases a new product to claims of 4 millions users and has to lay of employees only a few months later? 

They should be swimming in money right now, not cutting jobs to reduce costs. 

Originally posted by Daffid011

Originally posted by Reklaw

Only 5% in these day's of economic struggle, they must be doing something pretty good compared to most other company's across other industries.

Of course it's slightly news due to it being a MMORPG company and this a MMORPG website, but overall they must be doing something pretty good to only let go of 5% of their employies. And of course it's sad for those who lost there jobs. But it's definitly does not say anything about the state of SOE, unless people have no idea what is going on with the world around them.

 

Doing something right? 

What company releases a new product to claims of 4 millions users and has to lay of employees only a few months later? 

They should be swimming in money right now, not cutting jobs to reduce costs. 

 

 

4 million user game that is free to play, I might add.

Sad to see anyone laid off and I hope its no one more from the VG side, those poor chaps have been stripped bear as it is.

Its still simple answer to get money back and thats release a SWG classic server - but hey we've all been down this road before and its history, not gonna say anymore re that.

Originally posted by sanders01

Originally posted by Daffid011

Originally posted by Reklaw

Only 5% in these day's of economic struggle, they must be doing something pretty good compared to most other company's across other industries.

Of course it's slightly news due to it being a MMORPG company and this a MMORPG website, but overall they must be doing something pretty good to only let go of 5% of their employies. And of course it's sad for those who lost there jobs. But it's definitly does not say anything about the state of SOE, unless people have no idea what is going on with the world around them.

 

Doing something right? 

What company releases a new product to claims of 4 millions users and has to lay of employees only a few months later? 

They should be swimming in money right now, not cutting jobs to reduce costs. 

 

 

4 million user game that is free to play, I might add.

4 million registered players then and an unknown number of active players(I'm betting a whole lot less than 4 mill though_

Like everyone else I'm guessing this 5% doesn't contain any of the people that really need to go

Search for the guilty, punish the innocent. 

Originally posted by krityc

 SoE has always been full of fail.

If not for EQ they wouldn't exist. They ruin every game they touch that has any sense of offering what the players want. The dude in charged should have been canned b4 these 41 people. Just because he was around when EQ launched he shouldn't have job security. EQ launched years ago with very little competition. It's a new day and age, and it's time to change the leadership imo.

In my opinion if SoE is really serious about regaining a leadership roll in the MMO world they should start trimming staff from the top down, not the bottom up.  How about they put some actual gamers in charge instead of bean counters?
 

For whatever reason (many of us blame the SOE leadership's arrogance coupled with their ostrich-like head in sand behavior), SOE never could get their head wrapped around the "Community Relations" concept, let alone understand how absolutely critical the community is in the success of an MMO.

I'd also like to correct SOE's release here -- I remind SOE that you cannot call yourself a leader at all if you know nothing of and care nothing about the community because the community actually justifies your existance.

I was working for SOE and yes the top people are the ones that screw up the most, you got brilliant guys at the mid and lower levels but the top guys are stuborn and arrogant, and yes their CEO Smedley does try to keep that delusion that they are #1 just because of EQ...

SOE is a classic example of how to fail if you do not follow the Blizzard example... But thats a different story.

Originally posted by Daffid011

Originally posted by Reklaw

Only 5% in these day's of economic struggle, they must be doing something pretty good compared to most other company's across other industries.

Of course it's slightly news due to it being a MMORPG company and this a MMORPG website, but overall they must be doing something pretty good to only let go of 5% of their employies. And of course it's sad for those who lost there jobs. But it's definitly does not say anything about the state of SOE, unless people have no idea what is going on with the world around them.

 

Doing something right? 

What company releases a new product to claims of 4 millions users and has to lay of employees only a few months later? 

They should be swimming in money right now, not cutting jobs to reduce costs. 

 

 

Anyway the article didn't state who was fired, just that 5% of SOE employies where fired.

Anyway with most company's over time they will need to get ride of some people, of course this isn't a cool thing but it's how it works, lets say they had 15 people on their admin.staff, the tasks they performed now is still done only not by people but perhaps by some program, cutting cost making more profit.

But hey let's not really think cause SOE is evil.......right........