SOE Lays off 41 Full-Time Employees

# Jul 23 2009 at 8:11 AM Rating: Decent

__DEL__1592318091801

2 posts

Oh wow lots of lay off's

Longterm effects

# Jul 20 2009 at 10:18 PM Rating: Decent

__DEL__1592776577408

2 posts

It would be really interesting to see what departments at Sony were hit hardest by the layoffs.

I am not worried for eq2 short term, there are far worse performers in the Sony product catalog(Planetside, Vanguard, SWG..)

However there is a connection between how much resources they put into a game and how many subscribers it has. Less people working on a game means less new content, less stable servers, worse CS etc. These factors will lead to people leaving.

Reduced staffing on a game will contribute to less subscribers which will mean even less staff which will reduce the subscription numbers even further. There is a bad downward spiral here.

this is very bad

# Jul 20 2009 at 7:33 PM Rating: Default

__DEL__1591798944897

62 posts

matrix online is closing now i fear eq is next i mean with all the attention free realms is getting and eq2 heck my moneys on the next 2 games closing being eq and swg ive herd people from fan fare say vanguard looks like its geting better

I'm pretty sure this is just a side effect of the economy

# Jul 20 2009 at 11:04 AM Rating: Decent

__DEL__1606090786665

4 posts

I'm pretty sure this is a sign of the economy, not just SOE specific. I run my own business and damn times are tight right now. Cashflow is a real issue, and it seems that no company, big or small, is able to sidestep the muck we're in atm. Instead of bashing SOE, take a look at all of the criminals who took part in tanking the economy who are getting off scott-free - the whole mortgage crisis should have been called the mortgage scandal, but instead we just threw our hands up like "we can't trace it back to anyone in particular, these packages just got resold too many times, so no one is guilty, and our government should just bail out the most powerful and influential banks so they remain stable while the little guy in the economy eats crow for the next 4 years."

Good stuff - my heart goes out to the 41 and the countless other Americans who are feeling this crunch on the front lines.

EQ1 team lost?

# Jul 19 2009 at 5:53 AM Rating: Decent

Aroidan

11 posts

would be nice if we could find out if anyone from EQ1 team was included in the fateful 41. I feel badly for any of them, regardless which team they are on, but obviously, being an EQ1 gamer, that is a bit closer to home. After all, SoE did take a large chunk of EQ1 team and have them devote time to FreeRealms, rather than work on the new expansion that is due. As a result, we are getting a halfazzed expansion that will be SO unfinished that they have to release it in 2 parts over the coming year, November and April.....

good luck 41

# Jul 18 2009 at 8:12 PM Rating: Decent

__DEL__1593971653739

8 posts

best wishes and hope to land a job soon

remember "you can't see the mountain from the top."
good luck

they just closed

# Jul 18 2009 at 2:11 PM Rating: Decent

__DEL__1684714758096

2 posts

Matrix online folks..

Ring a bell ??

Figures

# Jul 17 2009 at 5:24 PM Rating: Decent

__DEL__1592293080567

5 posts

I totally understand whats happening! People are sick of SOE all they do is treat their customers like they are worthless. Its about time people realized how all everquest and other sony games do is worry about the bottom line instead of making their customers happy. See if yoou make your customers happy they will stay around. But what really seems to happen is the programmers sell hacks to people and farm **** with their own personal toons to stay at the top of the leaderboards giving real gamers no chance. How do you think these hacking companies online get the update hacks up within hours of the patches or the hacks are down for days only at times when its a double exp weekend? The answer is they rip people off! Everyone has already figured it out.... SOE sucks.

Figures

# Jul 17 2009 at 6:24 PM Rating: Decent

__DEL__1592345620963

494 posts

How does your rant have anything to do with the news post?

Figures

# Jul 31 2009 at 11:24 PM Rating: Decent

__DEL__1592293080567

5 posts

The logic is that people from SOE are losing their jobs because people are not playing SOE games anymore. Because everyone is wise to the underhanded BS..... Did not know I had to spell it out for u... Which has everything to do with the post.

Figures

# Jul 17 2009 at 6:23 PM Rating: Excellent

-REDACTED-

Guru

6,786 posts

Wow, think your tin foil hat's on a bit tight there.

Figures

# Jul 31 2009 at 11:30 PM Rating: Decent

__DEL__1592293080567

5 posts

Wow a tin foil hat on to tight what a joke obviously you have know idea what SOE is up 2... I got 5 85 toons in eq I think I may know what I am talking about considering I know programmers that play EQ and these people also run hack and plat sale sites. Noob.. At least thats what they say and why would they lie?? You tell me how it makes sense that hacks are only down on double exp weekends and everytime there is a patch for EQ with in an hr all hacks are up unless its a double exp day the next day or something to that efect. Really you need to have some kind of insite as an adminastrator before you call someone names which is the first I have heard of one talking crap to a paying customer.... or should I say used to pay because I wont again after that BS. Maybe you will lose your job now nice customer service jerk.....

Figures

# Jul 18 2009 at 10:33 AM Rating: Decent

Lizzoraus

41 posts

SoE is wasting money with free realms imo, they should of focused on the games they currently have.

____________________________

Figures

# Jul 20 2009 at 2:40 AM Rating: Decent

__DEL__1593971669816

4 posts

I guess I can see their logic. Free Realms fills a unique niche as a truly casual MMO with decent production value. As of now, it has no competition. EQ1 and 2, on the other hand...

Lawl

# Jul 17 2009 at 1:38 PM Rating: Decent

__DEL__1600042647530

Scholar

40 posts

Nobody from Free Realms let go. SURPRISE!

Lawl

# Jul 21 2009 at 11:59 AM Rating: Excellent

-REDACTED-

Guru

6,786 posts

Voodoman wrote:

Nobody from Free Realms let go. SURPRISE!

So far there have been no public notices of who has and hasn't been laid off.

Hmmm

# Jul 17 2009 at 1:27 PM Rating: Good

__DEL__1618186926191

12 posts

That stinks, but I guess that's how it goes in this industry. I hope most of those people land on their feet. If they are skilled I don't doubt most of them will.