Curse

SanMatteo · Feb 12, 2009, 09:10 AM // 09:10

current source (italian language): http://www.multiplayer.it/notizia.php?id=60893
old source: http://www.developmag.com/news/30478...velopment-team

are sorry to hear that many good guys have to go back home ...

[Update]: on the Journal page of Regina on wiki u can read this:

Quote:

Changes at NCsoft West – 11 February 2009
You've probably all heard the game media’s reports about NCsoft West restructuring, and so you've probably got a lot of questions about how this affects Guild Wars, Guild Wars 2, and community support. The changes at NCsoft West basically mean we at ArenaNet will have more control over our games and game-related services like community, localization, and QA. With these departments located in-house, ArenaNet will be better positioned to provide world-class quality games and service to our players.

In terms of the Guild Wars Community Team, the NCsoft West changes mean all Guild Wars community managers will work right here at the ArenaNet studio. Unfortunately, in the short term this may mean that Guild Wars Community Team will be a little short-staffed. We will try to ensure the impact is minimal. In the long run, having all ArenaNet community managers at the studio will improve the flow of information between community managers and developers, as well as between community managers and players.

Guild Wars 2 development won’t be affected by the changes at NCsoft West, and in the long term it will mean good things for the quality and support we’re able to give Guild Wars 2.

on the talk page of Regina on wiki, u can read this:

Quote:

Restructuring
err...So what happens to Martin and Peter? -- ****** 00:49, 12 February 2009 (UTC)

Like all the community managers at NCsoft West Europe, they've unfortunately been let go. D-: It was a pretty big shock to all of us, to be honest. --Regina Buenaobra 00:54, 12 February 2009 (UTC)

Jon: I've actually been working with a fairly heavy workload ever since I started at ArenaNet. Before I joined, the in-house Community Team had two full time staff and a third person working part time. At the moment, it's just me, without any assistance.
I spoke to Peter earlier and he's trying to stay in good spirits. Martin and the others all went to the pub after the news. I really feel for them. They're all good people. --Regina Buenaobra 01:03, 12 February 2009 (UTC)

The changes mean good things for the company from a broad perspective. I just wish it didn't have to have this human cost, and especially in this economy. --Regina Buenaobra 02:29, 12 February 2009 (UTC)

To my knowledge, customer support has not been affected. --Regina Buenaobra 03:02, 12 February 2009 (UTC)

Extracted from: http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/User_...naobra/Journal

Gun Pierson · Feb 12, 2009, 09:25 AM // 09:25

I had a feeling NCsoft wants to get out the European scene.

Don't know if it's the plan but protectionism sux in times of crisis, yet the usa does it too with the car industry and steel. History showed that protectionism gives exactly the opposite effect when dealing with a global crisis.

Lonesamurai · Feb 12, 2009, 09:27 AM // 09:27

This sucks ass!

Martin Kerstein got the chop yesterday... no moving staff to other offices, just made them redundant...

Snograt · Feb 12, 2009, 10:22 AM // 10:22

Wow, that really sucks.

Does that mean the community day at the Troc is off, then?

tasha · Feb 12, 2009, 10:30 AM // 10:30

Um people might want to READ the linked thread.

Quote:

NCsoft closing Brighton development team...But publishing and QA interests are expected to remain in place, says source

NCsoft is to close its European development team just a year after its founding...

Martin has been involved with Guild Wars more than a year, so according to what the report is saying his role isn't at risk - that and he's community relations, not development. I'd wait for a comment from HIM before jumping to that conclusion.

Still sad to see though - I hope everyone who is directly affected by this get roles at the third party developers NCSoft are involving, or elsewhere in the UK development scene.

SkekSister · Feb 12, 2009, 10:37 AM // 10:37

That article is dated SEPT 2008, it was posted and discussed here at the time. I was there for interview about a month before that, good job I didn't end up working there ...

SanMatteo · Feb 12, 2009, 10:45 AM // 10:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by SkekSister

That article is dated SEPT 2008, it was posted and discussed here at the time. I was there for interview about a month before that, good job I didn't end up working there ...

I don't know if the date is shown by a typographical error or what else. i know, however, that Regina has issued a clarification on its wiki page with the current date, 02/11/2009, u can found there
http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/User:Regina_Buenaobra/Journal#Changes_at_NCsoft_West_.E2.80.93_11_Februa ry_2009

may be i've linked the incorrect article, sorry to all, my bad, but the information is correct.

*Darcy* · Feb 12, 2009, 10:51 AM // 10:51

Here is a link to the original discussion post
http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/s...ghlight=NCWest

If you read down a few posts, there is a quote from the is article. So relax, old news that is recirculating.

SkekSister · Feb 12, 2009, 10:53 AM // 10:53

Must be a similar article. I remember the day of the redundancies in the Brighton office as it's literally just round the corner from where I live.

Various folks were talking about it in the pub between my home and their offices. Games dev is a very small incestuous world and news like that travels like wildfire.

SanMatteo · Feb 12, 2009, 12:00 PM // 12:00

wait a moment.....
if u read the talk page of Regina on wiki u can find this:

Quote:

err...So what happens to Martin and Peter? -- ****** 00:49, 12 February 2009 (UTC)

Like all the community managers at NCsoft West Europe, they've unfortunately been let go. D-: It was a pretty big shock to all of us, to be honest. --Regina Buenaobra 00:54, 12 February 2009 (UTC)

honestly, i think that rumors are dramatically real, i hope that Regina can come here to reply....

I've nothing wrong ... unfortunately ...

Fril Estelin · Feb 12, 2009, 12:14 PM // 12:14

Regina continues with these two posts:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Regina Buenaobra

Jon: I've actually been working with a fairly heavy workload ever since I started at ArenaNet. Before I joined, the in-house Community Team had two full time staff and a third person working part time. At the moment, it's just me, without any assistance.
I spoke to Peter earlier and he's trying to stay in good spirits. Martin and the others all went to the pub after the news. I really feel for them. They're all good people.

Quote:

The changes mean good things for the company from a broad perspective. I just wish it didn't have to have this human cost, and especially in this economy.

Very distrubing news: good for the company but Martin and Peter had to go? Seriously, this is much more annoying that the silence on GW2, these guys have been there for so long and we've already been through a pretty big change (Gaile to Regina). I hope they're going to immediately find a new good job, they deserve it.

No words from Martin and Peter on their wiki talkpage (or it was in German or Spanish

), I hope they'll be in London the day after tomorrow, they deserve a big, big, huge cheer and ty.

A very sad day for GW (I can already hear the people requesting a "goodbye to Martin and Peter" event...) I can't imagine Regina's workload, alone managing CR/M, good luck Regina.

Gun Pierson · Feb 12, 2009, 12:16 PM // 12:16

I was first a bit interested in Aion, but knowing this I won't buy the game just out of principle. Not that it matters ofcourse, they will have enough sales in the east.

But if they use protectionism so will I, western produced games are more designed for the western market anyway. Koreans etc. have other gaming needs.

Gonna buy Grand Ages Rome instead, which is develloped in Europe. They have somewhat a business model like Anet, releasing campaigns or expansions.

http://www.haemimontgames.com/

'...including the unique "team city" option, allowing up to 4 players to govern one city.'

Martin and Peter, you might wanne check out that software house, they have talent.

Fril Estelin · Feb 12, 2009, 12:26 PM // 12:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gun Pierson

But if they use protectionism so will I, western produced games are more designed for the western market anyway. Koreans etc. have other gaming needs.

Tbh I had the same thought, but I think we shouldn't jump the guns, there's absolutely no proof that this restructuring (which started in Sept 08) is going to affect us directly. Regina mentioned staff will have to be in Seattle, they maybe don't want to deal with communicating accross the ocean (different time zones, different laws) and simply want things to move more smoothly. Maybe we'll have new European CR/Ms, but not in Brighton (

).

Gun Pierson · Feb 12, 2009, 12:34 PM // 12:34

You're right Fril, we shouldn't jump the guns, yet I have a bad feeling about this one. Also USA is going the protectionism way too. 'The staff will have to be in Seattle' only adds to that observation.

The crisis began around the end of august/beginning of september 2008. It was not well known amongst the public at that time, but the finacial world etc already knew what was coming.

BladeWind · Feb 12, 2009, 01:21 PM // 13:21

If what is shown is true(which is shocking) i really do feel for the brighton lot, living in england i know how hard it is at the moment on the economy and to get new jobs, this is very grave news.

It will be interesting to see what "The changes mean good things for the company from a broad perspectiveproduces.

I personaly cant see how this can be achieved with a break down in community relations on the european front, but its to late now.

~Regards

Daniel Frozenwind

FoxBat · Feb 12, 2009, 01:55 PM // 13:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gun Pierson

But if they use protectionism so will I

WTH is this protectionism crap?

They sunk a ton of money into Tabula Rasa and are paying for it now. NCSoft can't afford to sustain american and euro departments when the games from either basically target US AND Europe, aka "the west." Something had to be cut, so they keep the most important/successful parts (aka Guild Wars), consolidate everything in one place to cut costs. There's more business in America so that's where the staff goes, they will still localize their games to all these euro languages and have their own regional rules/deals I'm sure.

I mean this is a South Korean company and still has offices in Japan and China... sounds just like a bunch of protectionist yankees?

Edit: and yeah, it's a good point, NCSoft West has a lot riding on GW2... they have spectacular failures like Tabula Rasa to pay off, and the closest any of their other games has to come to "success" is CoH, if you can call it that.

Fril Estelin · Feb 12, 2009, 02:36 PM // 14:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gun Pierson

You're right Fril, we shouldn't jump the guns, yet I have a bad feeling about this one. Also USA is going the protectionism way too. 'The staff will have to be in Seattle' only adds to that observation.

The crisis began around the end of august/beginning of september 2008. It was not well known amongst the public at that time, but the finacial world etc already knew what was coming.

Completely true, but if that's what Anet has to do to survive, then so be it. I guess this "shrinking" can also be seen as protectionism, but it's also the effect of the natural pressure of world market on all economies. I can also imagine how hard it was for them to synchronise over the Atlantic Ocean+the whole US continent with 12h(?) of time shift.

I'm as much of a European as you guys are, I'm just saying it's too early to judge the situation. Exactly like when Gaile changed jobs and Regina came, we now know (I say "we" but we have different opinions) what is the result of that (no thread derailing please!).

Btw, this "economic shrinking" also puts the "Anet silence on GW2" under a slightly renewed light: they have to make a big "bang" to make sure that they'll be able to survive in a depressive market (where protectionism may make things even worse, this is a global problem that has to be tackled globally). So it maybe "caution" rather than "vaporware".

zwei2stein · Feb 12, 2009, 02:47 PM // 14:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by BladeWind

It will be interesting to see what "The changes mean good things for the company from a broad perspectiveproduces

It means that it is better to let go few employees if it means that company stays healthy.

If company retains people which it can't afford, it will go bankrupt. They can be excellent workers and people, but letting them go means that people which are staying will get paycheck next month. If you let them stay it can as well mean that no-one gets paycheck next month and everyone gets laid off.

Look, they are the *lucky* ones. They probably got severance and have better chance of getting another job than if company waited a bit more. If company waited half a year they would land up in totally f*cked up job market, while now its just a lil bit f*ed up.

lilraceangel3 · Feb 12, 2009, 03:29 PM // 15:29

*panics and throws herself off the balth statue in TOA* welcome to the train wreck we call an economy.

Shadowmoon · Feb 12, 2009, 04:56 PM // 16:56

Don't worry this is part of Anets plan for a great media splash for gw2. I mean what better way to not make ripples in the media with not having any non english speaking CMs in europe. Don't worry its all going according to the master plan.
/sarcasm off