Big layoffs at SOE today. I'm not sure how many got let go, but I was called into a meeting room with about fifty other people, the execs, the human resources person and financial person. They told us we were being let go. There were more people being let go in customer service and in the Austin office, so quite a few people. We are all officially employed for two more months but we were asked to clean out our desks today. October 28 is my official termination date.
It was too bad to see all those people losing their jobs. I'm sure a lot of them were living paycheck to paycheck. As for me, I'm more fortunate than most, and I'm going to be treating this as a "sabbatical" from the industry. It's a chance to re-tool my career and try a few new things. For starters, I'm going to be spending more time writing and drawing you-know-what.
I've seen this coming for a couple of years, as some of the company's biggest projects have not been as profitable as they hoped. But SOE gave us a very generous package and I have absolutely no hard feelings towards the company or any of the execs.
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16 comments:
Tom, any company that can look at their list of employees and add you to the lay off list is hurting.
Bottom lines are rearing their ugly heads every where.
I'm glad you are in great shape to get some personal work done.
Your Robot epic may pave a way for that sort of thing being all that you do.
Inspire us with cool stuff.
I agree with what Ellis said. But I am glad you saw it coming! ...
Jeez, Tommy, I am really sorry to hear that. The industry deals another OOF to the gut of so many old and dear friends...dang.
But for us empathetic bystanders, the silver lining (in the form of a robot epic) is already illuminating the sky. We expect it to be illuminating book shelves someday soon!
ECCC is still taking Artist Alley submissions!
In all honestly I'm surprised that this hasn't happened a lot sooner. MMOs are really expensive to make and maintain... you pretty much need to have a mega-hit on your hands in order to just break even.
What about some of our other friends there... Jeff, Rich, Rosie, Patrick? I assume that Joe is still there.
Out of the old group, everyone else is okay. The industry is going through a lot a changes for sure. I just hope that EQ Next can turn it around for them so nobody else gets laid off.
Sorry to hear Tom. What a bummer. At least you were prepared for it. SD is really sucking these days for artists
Saw a bunch of posts on Facebook concerning the layoffs. Just found you were in their midst, Tom. You have the best attitude about this and I think you'll fare well. Looking forward to the increased comic output!
These are trying times for artists. At Unite, the message is pretty clear: Anything and everything that can be crowd-sorced is and will continue to be in greater numbers. The industry itself is growing, and opportunities for artists are there, but the business model is now built around things like the Unity Asset Store, Second Life's Marketplace, and Steam Workshop. Artists now need to be savvy businessmen/women like never before.
Savvy business person I am not.
Writing another check to the bronze foundry today reminded me of this (the check being for $100 more than the payment I rec'd for the piece...oof!)
That's really tough Marty. I'd want you well compensated for something like that Bronze.
This is the second payment I guess. The first was the profit happening.
"But SOE gave us a very generous package and I have absolutely no hard feelings towards the company or any of the execs. "
I was under the impression you were an exec Tom. Shows you what I know.
Me,and exec? Ha ha! The two times in my video game career that I was promoted up to "Art Lead" (once at BlueSky and once at Sony) I ended up soon resigning. As soon as I was just minimally exposed to the crap people "in the middle" have to take I said, "NOT FOR ME!" Rick, as an art director, have you ever felt that way, or do you like being a manager?
Tom Moon: it is only your virtuous ability to resist employing yr physical superiority to pummel both underling and overseer alike that stifled yr executive career.
Seriously, whenever I am lectured to by "successful" people about how much more deserving they are of their lucre than the rest of humanity because they, the lucre-holders, are "superior," I always think of you, Tom Moon, and imagine a slightly different world (one that existed not so long ago) where might made right.
You would be the 1%, Tommy! (You and Kevin Baca.)
But it's true middle mgt. ain't much fun.
Tom: Yes.
Sorry to hear about this Tom. On the somewhat bright side, there has never been a better time to invest in personal projects! The traditional AAA game development model is rushing towards extinction while indie games are not only becoming the poster children for sensible, passionate, innovative development, but, most likely, the future of gaming altogether. Creators are finally realizing their projects without any of the fatal trappings of traditional game studios: bloated budgets, bizarre milestones, marketing restrictions, and the rogues' gallery of individuals who have no interest in game development outside of clawing their way to the top of the corporate world. It's a breath of fresh air having cheap (or free) toolsets, plenty of available talent, and effective crowdsourcing models whether you're writing a book or making a game. Good luck with things! It's their loss, not yours.
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