Layoffs Begin at Daybreak Games

Potentially a good thing

# Feb 13 2015 at 10:40 AM Rating: Decent

undeadmasters

Scholar

234 posts

I think this might be a good thing because EQ has been stagnant for a very long time. Speaking particularly about Rain of Fear just about all of the zones were copy and paste from other zones, there was hardly anything new. The old team was simply taking things that were already in the game, copying it to a new zone and bumping the level up. And if you were lucky, the mob MAYBE got its name changed slightly in variation from something like "a mammoth" to "a giant mammoth". You could even say that some of The Darkened Sea zones look exactly like some of The Buried Sea zones even. I'm looking forward to seeing what these changes result in, whether it be the end of our games or some legitimate new content.

Potentially a good thing

# Feb 14 2015 at 10:03 AM Rating: Good

Moonlight55

Sage

94 posts

undeadmasters wrote:

I think this might be a good thing because EQ has been stagnant for a very long time. Speaking particularly about Rain of Fear just about all of the zones were copy and paste from other zones, there was hardly anything new. The old team was simply taking things that were already in the game, copying it to a new zone and bumping the level up. And if you were lucky, the mob MAYBE got its name changed slightly in variation from something like "a mammoth" to "a giant mammoth". You could even say that some of The Darkened Sea zones look exactly like some of The Buried Sea zones even. I'm looking forward to seeing what these changes result in, whether it be the end of our games or some legitimate new content.

You do realize....you kill spiders, snakes and wasps at level 1, and you continue to kill spiders, snakes and wasps all the way to current level. You get a little bit more stats on armor and weapons with each expansion....as with each new spell level... It's wash and repeat...like Kevin Costner in JFK saying "Back and to the left."
In the grand scheme of things....Nothing changes....nothing.
Veil of Alaris....all people did was ***** and moan it was too hard and too confusing.
I like the way the did the lore and revamped old zones since SoD.
What I didn't like is how they crumbled to the gimmienow crowd.

Potentially a good thing

# Feb 14 2015 at 3:29 PM Rating: Decent

undeadmasters

Scholar

234 posts

Snakes, spiders, bears, etc. can be very much included. Can't forget gorillas, skeletons and bandits either. There's a lot of straight over copy and paste that would be really nice to see stop.

Plot Twist

# Feb 12 2015 at 11:14 PM Rating: Decent

Adani

Scholar

269 posts

https://forums.station.sony.com/landmark/index.php?threads/quick-update-02-12-2015.53409/

Hello Landmarkians!

As most of you have heard by now, there have been some staff changes in the EverQuest Next and Landmark teams this week. While we've known that changes were coming for a little while now, we weren't able to discuss them until the details were finalized. I wanted to apologize for any anxiety this may have caused, but for the sake of everyone involved, it was simply the right way to handle it. While we don't have all of the details of how this is going to affect our schedules, timetables or the Blueprint yet, we wanted to make sure you know we're still here, we're still listening to all your great feedback and we're working to get you those answers just as soon as we can!

EverQuest Next and Landmark are games that involve lots of *very* large plans, so please bear with us as we take the time to review and reorganize the schedules. As soon as we have something we feel comfortable with, we'll be updating the entire team - which still includes all of you, of course - with our new plans and with details about how things will be rolling out in the near future.

We skipped Landmark Live this week, but we'll be back on Tuesday, Feb 17 at 10:00am PST to talk about the hotfix we'll be doing (hopefully) that afternoon and the following update information. Keep your eyes on the Landmark Live forum for any updates or changes.

We'll also be doing the Workshop Show next week, so join us on Thursday, Feb 19 at 11:00am PST where Rosie and company will be talking more about Qeynos and a ton of the things players have been building in that particular style.

Also, the entire team is thankful for all the warm thoughts and best wishes. The outpouring from the community has been amazing and is proof that we're not just a game company with a great community, we're a family.

Plot Twist

# Feb 13 2015 at 8:55 AM Rating: Excellent

gloryb

Scholar

44 posts

It is very hard to wish the new company warm wishes when they go into SoE and knock off some of the best talent and people who KNOW the EQs inside out. That is just stupid. And it was done so you could keep "company" people on who have no clue what EQ is all about. We do not want EQ changed to YOUR view of how things should be. Those of us who are dedicated players love the game the way it is and that means keeping the people on who created the current games and who were creating an EQ Next for us the way we like our games.

When Sony drastically changed Star Wars Galaxies, they created such an uproar that they lost a ton of players, me included for one year. Then they eliminated a game that tons of us had put a lot on money and time into. I quit my Sony games for another year and I was not alone.

Now you are making their same mistakes. Listen to the players. Dave "Smokejumper" Georgeson is basically our game buddy and cheerleader who kept us involved and excited about the games. One huge mistake was dumping him and so on.

____________________________

Gloria
WoW:Glorye hunter, Dreadsa DK, REXXAR
EQ2 Dreadzal 95 SK and so on

Plot Twist

# Feb 13 2015 at 8:16 PM Rating: Default

Baeddon

Scholar

309 posts

gloryb wrote:

It is very hard to wish the new company warm wishes when they go into SoE and knock off some of the best talent and people who KNOW the EQs inside out. That is just stupid. And it was done so you could keep "company" people on who have no clue what EQ is all about. We do not want EQ changed to YOUR view of how things should be. Those of us who are dedicated players love the game the way it is and that means keeping the people on who created the current games and who were creating an EQ Next for us the way we like our games.

When Sony drastically changed Star Wars Galaxies, they created such an uproar that they lost a ton of players, me included for one year. Then they eliminated a game that tons of us had put a lot on money and time into. I quit my Sony games for another year and I was not alone.

Now you are making their same mistakes. Listen to the players. Dave "Smokejumper" Georgeson is basically our game buddy and cheerleader who kept us involved and excited about the games. One huge mistake was dumping him and so on.

Totally disagree. I'm absolutely not questioning Georgeson and Company's dedication and passion to the game. BUT EQ has been stagnant. I don't believe EQ was living to the maximum that it could be. Expac drips instead of drops was a wholly stupid idea (which from people I've communicated with tend more to agree than disagree with that statement... though I haven't polled a huge sample of the player base.) TDS. CotF. Nerfs. Counter-intuitive patches. XP changes for the sake of power and control instead of game state health. The list goes on and on. Sure, most of the time their intentions were in the right place, they certainly bled passion, Georgeson was certainly a cheerleader (for EQ Landmark and Next, anyway. When was the last time he tweeted about EQ 1 except when it was time to do an xpac tease? And even then, it was meh.) BUT he's been sacked and held accountable. I'd like to see some intuitive and fresh ideas, new challenges, new perspectives, positive but different attitudes. At least now there's a chance that will happen. An analogy for Americans, no matter what your opinions on Clinton, Bush, and Obama are, thank goodness we have term limits on presidency.

Plot Twist

# Feb 13 2015 at 10:23 AM Rating: Good

iyeni

Scholar

654 posts

this wasn't done by CN. it isn't about their company. it was done by Daybreak and had been a long time in coming according to insiders who know.

http://kotaku.com/big-layoffs-at-everquest-studio-today-1685243961

we need to stay positive and give this a chance. none of the existing soe games are being sunsetted. it is not over for eq1 or eq2. let's wait and see what they bring to us later. don't jump ship just yet.

we need to stay focused and positive and keep our heads.

as Kipling said:
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

____________________________

Success comes when preparation meets opportunity -- and EQ is no exception.

EQN still on

# Feb 13 2015 at 7:28 AM Rating: Default

Baeddon

Scholar

309 posts

As an exclusive EQ1 player... that's a shame.

#TrollingForTheSakeOfTrolling

Basically what I said in my post though. Business as usual, just a slightly different usual. Also, I still believe EQN is going to fragment the DB game family to the point of doing serious harm to many if not all of those games. But I digress from the topic at hand. Levelheaded, clear-seeing people saw exactly what the post said. You don't buy something and then kill the product to make money from it.

Plot Twist

# Feb 12 2015 at 4:50 PM Rating: Excellent

Baeddon

Scholar

309 posts

<Neutral tone, non-confrontation, written almost as devil's advocate, with intention of a different perspective and new ideas>

PLOT TWIST: The changes mean less payroll, more investment into development and EQ grows into a new golden age.

Look, everyone here is all sad and what not. People... GOOD people, lose jobs, that sucks. But it's life. And it really does suck. That doesn't AUTOMATICALLY mean EQ is going to suffer. People fear the worst. And I'll grant you that is possible. BUT what I don't see anyone saying is maybe things really are going to get better. Of course, if as many people canceled their subs actually did cancel their subs, they've essentially killed EQ anyway and this is a moot point.

I was never optimistic about EQNext. I think it was going to fragment SOE so much that everything else would suffer. Maybe that will still happen or maybe it won't. But none of us know what actually will be the result in one year (unless of course everyone stops playing now, of course) or two years or three years down the line.

I'll give the benefit of doubt to the new team. Personally what I think will happen is business as usual. Patches will get done, some people will moan, some people will praise, others will troll for the sake of trolling. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth, but no more and no less than the last 5 years of EQ. And sure, things could get worse as most of these posts are believing. But I didn't see many that said "Yeah, this is the start of a new glorious beginning, being option three: things improve.

I don't know the future any more than any of the rest of you reading this. But for now, I'm going to continue to enjoy Everquest and hope to do so for quite a while.

Plot Twist

# Feb 12 2015 at 9:51 PM Rating: Good

iyeni

Scholar

654 posts

i agree that we should stay positive and give it a chance. People don't realize the damage a negative post can do. yeah they think they are just spouting off steam. but there are people who read the forums that believe all they read. not just teenagers, but grown-ups too. i have had several people write to me asking if it will turn out alright because they are upset by what they read in the forums.

i try to explain that when people are worried, they tend to spout off and say the worst things. but it doesn't help. there are people with problems with depression, autism and other real problems who play this game as therapy. when they see a lot of negativity around every change that comes to the game, even when it is good but also when it is confusing, they become worried and more depressed. they think that the people writing have an inside edge somehow. so they believe that the game is over and they might as well quit.

please, when you write in any forum, consider the impact of your words. not on the devs or the company because really you have very little impact on them, but on the people who are hanging on your every word and believing the worst.

when people get worried and depressed, they sometimes think a permanent solution is better than waiting to see if it will work out. that could mean quitting, if they aren't too involved in the game, or something worse. we have a responsibility to those around us. choose your words wisely.

____________________________

Success comes when preparation meets opportunity -- and EQ is no exception.

Plot Twist

# Feb 12 2015 at 11:00 PM Rating: Excellent

Adani

Scholar

269 posts

http://www.reddit.com/r/Planetside/comments/2vm5nl/dont_hate_on_columbus_novadaybreak/

[Former Dev's Post]Don't hate on Columbus Nova/DayBreak (self.Planetside)

submitted 1 day ago * by dcareySOEx2

Hey guys,

I came on to say goodbye to you guys (at least in my current role, prepare for lurking), but after scanning the front page I wanted to change the flavor of the post a bit.

Columbus Nova deserves no hate in all this. They are more like white knights than negative forces here. SOE needed a shake up/new direction, and CN provided that. They have done nothing but been gracious in their new ownership, and they went out of their way to make sure that Devs and support teams that got laid off were taken care of. Right now things seem ******, and of course for the folks that were let go, today was rough, but CN and DB were both very open about the need for restructuring. This wasn't a surprise to folks in the company.

Gaming is a tough industry, and not for everyone. I've seen lots of people come and go, both good and otherwise. The fact is, there are no (or at least, extremely few) permanent gaming jobs. If you want to have just one job in your career, don't pick gaming, or even computer software. It's just the nature of the beast in such a pioneering industry. But the flip side is that there is always a new opportunity awaiting, it just may require a move to a new location or some other sacrifice.

Most of the let go folks will be working in the gaming industry soon. The rest may decide to move on to other, less volatile lines of work. But no one I talked to regrets their time making games for folks to enjoy. It's a rare job that lets you bring pleasure to so many people's lives.

Back to the subject - if you guys feel angry or betrayed, it would be misdirected to place that at the feet of the new company. They didn't bring in new staff to replace us, or say we did a ****** job and treat us poorly - they looked at the bottom line and the numbers just didn't line up. The new layout lines up now, and the goal is that DB can be successful and move on from this and eventually expand again. Saying "I'm cancelling my sub" or "I'm never buying another thing in PS2" isn't the right tactic, as much as the former Devs appreciate the intent of your support. If you want to make a positive impact, then keep doing what you're doing - if you like the game, play it. Give feedback. Get your friends to play. Buy what you want to, and what you feel gives you value. If you aren't happy, tell DB through the means you do now, social media and /bug reports. The game will grow or shrink depending on how you guys act, which is how it should be. If you make a statement on principal for the dearly departed devs, you will be hurting the remaining staff who have worked just as hard to make you guys a game you like to play. They may not be all names you know, but trust me, they put their blood, sweat, and tears into this.

TL;DR - CN didn't do this, it was something that had to be done. CN is providing a chance for the games you love to continue going

-David C, former PS2 Producer

Edit: Ugh seeing the 'former dev' post header brought things home; I'll miss you and your well-meaning pitchforks :-(

Plot Twist

# Feb 13 2015 at 3:17 AM Rating: Excellent

Urgon

Scholar

20 posts

I agree with David C.

After years in the gaming industry, I choose to leave it, not because of a lack of love for it, but because a rough road of layoffs, lack of work, re-hiring, and having to prove yourself 'once again' to a new management crew. It is a very tough industry.

As a businessman in an un-related industry now, these things make all the sense in the world .. and ultimately make for a healthier company in terms of allowing them the financial stability they need to really push into new gaming worlds & support their old ones.

To all that lost their jobs at Sony/Day Break, I wish you well in your future endeavors, whether game related or not. There is a bright future out there for you,and your years of service are a benefit to your next employer.

Good luck,
~Urg

not the end of the world

# Feb 12 2015 at 4:24 PM Rating: Excellent

iyeni

Scholar

654 posts

i received permission to share this today so i am sharing it:

Wilcox, Brad

11:04 AM (5 hours ago)

to me

Certainly. Also feel free to share my twitter account as that is a great way to communicate as well, see below.

----------------------------------------------

Brad Wilcox

Vice President, Customer Service

Daybreak Games

www.soe.com

Phone: 858.577.3929

Email: bwilcox@soe.sony.com

Twitter: @thegreatmutato

From: Mydera LeBlanc [mailto:ringswithin@gmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, February 12, 2015 9:03 AM
To: Wilcox, Brad

may i please share your email with my friends in my guild and on the forum?

On Thu, Feb 12, 2015 at 10:59 AM, Wilcox, Brad <bwilcox@soe.sony.com> wrote:

I can understand your worry. There were a lot of good people that we let go yesterday. Many that I have worked with for years and years, some of my closest friends. It is a sad time. But I can assure you that we will continue making the best online games and push the limits of online gaming while serving the existing dedicated player base. I am a gamer myself, have developed a great love for many games.

I continue to play and associate with the friends I made in the early days of EverQuest even though we are all no literally in different parts of the world. I love the community that these games bring and will work to make sure it continues.

-Brad

Darkness consumes the land Daybreak unlikely !

# Feb 12 2015 at 11:35 AM Rating: Excellent

SilverValor

Guru

114 posts

I am heartbroken Dave and Linda got the axe. These are two people who have such a strong passion for their work. Good fantasy is all about heart. I know of no other people with such a big heart for fantasy.

I've decided to move along in a new chapter of gaming. I've played Everquest on and off since 99.
I have so many great memories of adventure and playing with great people. I cancelled my all access
sub. I'm moving forward to new untold adventures.

In closing, Columbus Nova you can kiss my bottom! Smiley: lol

Somewhat Predictable

# Feb 12 2015 at 11:00 AM Rating: Good

__DEL__1645402694632

1 post

If a lot of people took off the PR blinders they would have seen this disaster coming. No real updates in forever? Check. The head PR guy leaves over philosophical differences? Check. Shifting focus to Minecraft Jr. instead of the AAA MMO you revealed to the world years ago? Check. Pushing out a DayZ clone in the middle of all of this? Check. Columbus Nova bought SOE not for it's potential MMOs but it's potential in other areas, like Player Studio and the SOEmote systems etc. If anything called EQN ever gets released now it'll be the 4th "vision" of it.

Daybreak layoffs grrrrrrrr

# Feb 12 2015 at 9:47 AM Rating: Good

gloryb

Scholar

44 posts

Daybreak just laid off the heart, soul and imagination of the SOE games. What boobs. Guess that is what you get when non-creative people try to work with creative games that have rocked our world for years now. I am so angry about this that I am ready to start replaying World of Warcraft and Rift. If they dumb down any of the EQ games, I am out of there. Last time I was this angry about any games, was when Star Wars Galaxies was eliminated. There were still a ton of us that loved that game.

____________________________

Gloria
WoW:Glorye hunter, Dreadsa DK, REXXAR
EQ2 Dreadzal 95 SK and so on

It isnt the end of the world

# Feb 12 2015 at 7:23 AM Rating: Default

__DEL__1646612285021

Scholar

34 posts

More than likely the firm is going to consolidate the game selection and the teams down into something smaller and more compact to deliver on the titles they keep. These names, and this action were more than likely decided a while ago when they acquisition was originally looked at. I wouldn't be surprised if some of these people knew this day was coming.

I agree with some of the other comments on the forum, they need to do a little house cleaning. The idea that these guys will cram garbage ideas down the players throats with out at least acknowledging the comments back is what did their undoing. Everyone of these people had a hand in their lay off because the player base is eroding. I Know of at least 30 alternate accounts that have been cancelled because of the TDS expansion, i would bet the number in our guild is more like 100 when I poll the raiders over the last year (those who no longer play after December).

With PS4 and Xbone starting to finally rev up the game selection I find myself opting to Play Dragon Age Origin instead of log into the game to do anything in TDS. I have my level 105, maxxed aa and could care less to do much of anything more than once in TDS because, to me, it isn't a fun expansion. I cancelled 2 accounts of 3 accounts and switched mains to a solo class. Once they get rid of solo classes I will cancel the final one.

I really hope the layoffs are the start of change in the way the devs handle the comments back on their decision.

So long, friends. Be well.

# Feb 12 2015 at 6:05 AM Rating: Good

Cresta

Scholar

22 posts

â€Brasse" Linda... I truly truly so sad that they let you go.
We've been coming to Fan Faire (I prefer call that way..) for years and we always look forward seeing your new outfit, your smile.
You've been always friendly to us and to everyone. so talented, sweet lady.
Freaking Daybreak don't know what they're doing. and just lost great asset of company.

This goes to Dave, and others.
Dave's been great! always pleasant, witty, funny, nice to talk with.
I still remember, I didn't know who he was, I grabbed him in EQ2 tournament and asked to show me how it works.
He took a long time to show me how to play very patiently.
Later I found out who he was. never met such a friendly directer. (and handsome!)

I miss you guys all. Good luck, everyone.
and GD SOE for selling, and GD Draybreak or whatever :(

Rough roads behind and ahead

# Feb 12 2015 at 3:04 AM Rating: Good

__DEL__1661127387387

Scholar

35 posts

I'm sorry to "see" good people being let go or laid off. I surely hope that they were compensated in some way. As for playing EQ, I have been active less and less over the past couple of years. The one thing that I can point at was the month that SOE shut down after data(?) was compromised. I don't think that anyone is immune to such criminal activity, so I don't blame SOE. But, the month off freed up time that I spent playing the game.

Since I don't adventure much at all, my complaints are few. Of them, most are about housing and coin. My FTP (free to play) account characters still have access to the tax merchant that usually sells bags of coin (doubloons, etc.). My FTP still has crowns, but the bags of coin did not and do not appear as choices to "purchase". By the way, on my paying account, the bags of coin do not work now, for the past several days. I wonder why THAT is.

But I digress, anyway, I really hope that they don't do away with playing EQ on the PC. I gave Everquest Online adventures a try and really didn't like the play style.

Sorry to bore you, but I also tried to submit a petition and now I can't even do that. Technical problems in and out of game. I guess we're not welcome.

GAH!

# Feb 12 2015 at 1:15 AM Rating: Good

Tormentor

Scholar

199 posts

I've never been one of the doom and gloom crowd while in my time in EQ but I have to say this is one time I may jump on the wagon . Lucky for me out accounts were due to renew ( 3 accounts in total ) and was going to pay up for another year on each when all this started, now I'm glad that I've waited. I still love EQ and have the passion to play but if there isn't going to be one because they want to make consul games and mobile apps as I've read throughout all the boards and posts then I guess I'll have to look somewhere else.
Its hard to think of going somewhere when you have been here from EQ launch but what's a Dark Elf going to do :(

Dave Georgeson needed to be fired

# Feb 12 2015 at 12:39 AM Rating: Default

__DEL__1674433029620

6 posts

Dave Georgeson needed to be fired. I thought his days may be numbered when he introduced EQ Next & Landmark. Seriously?

Any company that refuses to listen to it's base that keeps begging for a new progression server deserves what it gets. Maybe this will now change.

# Feb 11 2015 at 8:31 PM Rating: Good

samples1

21 posts

And how stupid do I feel I spent 100.00 on Landmark...Gratz guys ya got me.

Terrible

# Feb 11 2015 at 8:13 PM Rating: Good

tombiggy

509 posts

Very sorry to hear. As sad as I am over video games, Im even more sensitive to the fact that this effects real people with real lives. Wishing them nothing but the best in the future.

____________________________

Cactuszach Rathebringer- [EQ]85 Human Pally Karana
-retired

Cactuszach- [FFXI] 75 Galka Monk Hades server
-retired

Cactuszach- [LOTRO] 50 Dwarf Guardian Vilya server
-retired

Press release leaves more questions than answers.

# Feb 11 2015 at 7:47 PM Rating: Excellent

__DEL__1716164186677

Guru

610 posts

My sincerest, best wishes to those who were let go in all of their future endeavours.

I am really sorry and concerned to hear this so soon after the acquisition. Especially as the layoffs include EQnext staff at a time when the game is supposedly still in development stages and yet to be released..

This does not send a positive message to the player base and/or prospective customers of SOE games including EQnext and makes one wonder what their master plan for EQnext is...far less my beloved EQ and all other SOE games..

More relevant information on their reasoning or short term plans in the press release would have helped alleviate the many players who are probably now wondering what the future holds for their favourite online games.

This is a public relations blunder imho by their marketing team - if it exists as a working unit as yet.

I hope they get it right. I really do.

Find a NEW job now

# Feb 11 2015 at 7:24 PM Rating: Decent

baumie

21 posts

There's going to be more cuts because the corporate gods think they know more then the people that have worked there for years do. They are going to do more cuts, and they will call it down sizing. Soon there won't be enough people working there to do all the jobs rite, then it wont be the gods fault, it will be the employs fault. So the game is going to start doing a real nose dive into a big deep hole that they won't be able to get out of and then that will be it.

bad news day

# Feb 11 2015 at 7:09 PM Rating: Excellent

__DEL__1697415410975

Scholar

204 posts

If you look at the titles of the people laid off, so far it's the expendable units: producers, community relations, spare artists. The trouble will come when they cut into the development crew. EQ is already running on a skeleton crew, right? Even less staff would mean longer expansion cycles. Perhaps "the benefactors" won't cut staff too deeply, since they probably want EQ and other existing brands to remain lucrative and supported.
This is a sad day indeed, but it could have been much worse. In any case, I always thought EQ would have its plug pulled due to one of two reasons: dying community interest, or the dev team deciding collectively that they'd had enough and wanted to pack it in. Now it's most likely that EQ will be shuttered for cost saving measures, if it happens at all...

sounds familiar

# Feb 11 2015 at 5:32 PM Rating: Good

Lingum

Scholar

105 posts

So when are the data breaches going to begin?

Bummer

# Feb 11 2015 at 5:16 PM Rating: Decent

Larth

https://eq.magelo.com/profile/1007622

1,253 posts

http://kotaku.com/big-layoffs-at-everquest-studio-today-1685243961?utm_campaign=Socialflow_Kotaku_Twitter&utm_source=Kotaku_Twitter&utm_medium=Socialflow

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