Feldon From Kotaku:
Daybreak, the game studio behind EverQuest and H1Z1, is laying off a number of staff including David Georgeson, the man who has served as the face of EverQuest for many years,Kotaku has learned.
We don’t know just how many people Daybreak is letting go, as staff are being informed right now whether or not they will remain employed with the company.
The newly-titled Daybreak, which was called Sony Online Entertainment for close to two decades, went independent and changed its name last week after Sony sold it to a New York-based management firm. Although the company was all smiles about the deal in public, staff were immediately told that the company would be laying people off in order to become “profitable,” according to a person close to the studio.
“Most of management keeps trying to get people pumped up about the new direction, but no one knows for sure they’ll be a part of it yet,” said that person, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak with press about the layoffs.
I will trade one Brasse and one Smokejumper for a Head o’ Smed
I agree. Smed should have been first.
Should we begin to get scared?
You should have been worried before this..
Now you should be terrified..
I wonder how long before all production for EQ1 and 2 stop.
As in a previous comment, 15% layoffs?
Followed by price gouging the consumer base?
They barely had enough people to keep things going–and that was debateable! Now?
I always joked with my guild leader we’d be there when they tuned the servers off. I guess that day may be close at hand. 😥
Wellas much as I lovethe game. If they start gouging the customer base I will retire all my eq accounts and move on to other things. Seems like the end of an era here.
Scenario 3 – Rainbows & Unicorns
Keep on trucking until EQ Next releases, then terminate EQ1 and EQ2 and Landmark as a cost saving measure.
Scenario 2 – No Win Scenario
Cut EverQuest staff, transfer remaining staff to titles with more quick profit potential. Sell EverQuest license/franchise. Subscriptions? Contract null and void because the original company no longer exists.
Scenario 1 – Business As Usual
Cut EverQuest staff, transfer remaining staff to titles with more quick profit potential. Terminate EverQuest franchise, and use servers for other projects, and sell “excess” servers. Keep the money from customers with long term subscriptions, since the original contract is null and void.
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“The guilty party has his choice– death by electrocution, death by gas, death by phaser, death by hanging…” Spock
“The key word in your entire peroration, Mr. Spock, was… death.” Harry Mudd
Star Trek, “I, Mudd”