Curse

phangarrot · Jun 22, 2006, 09:41 PM // 21:41

Just heard that the official support team for Guild Wars (headquartered in Austin) was laid off today. The only remaining official support appear to be some tier-1 clerks in India, and a handful of mid-level managers in Austin. The move appears to be a cost-cutting measure in reaction to disasterous sales results from other NCsoft properties such as Auto Assault. Any technical bugs with the game, starting today, will go unaddressed, which means this game I just bought is now essentially a $50 brick.

I'd suggest complaining about this, but I don't even know who you would complain to anymore! Emails can be sent from http://support.plaync.com/ : click on HELP on the left, then KNOWLEDGE BASE, and then on the right select the ASK A QUESTION tab. I guess we just have to fix the game ourselves, from now on!

kvndoom · Jun 22, 2006, 09:48 PM // 21:48

Got a link for that? Can we get a confirm from Gaile on this too? Totally not good if it's true.

Zinger314 · Jun 23, 2006, 12:23 AM // 00:23

His thread was deleted from GWO.

phangarrot · Jun 23, 2006, 01:21 AM // 01:21

Sorry guys, this wasn't an email exchange with the company, this was lunch with someone in the industry here in Austin. The support staff for Guild Wars was apparently not extensive to start with (don't have numbers), but it's now essentially non-existant.

I'd suggest contacting the company for more details, but, like I say, who do you contact at this point? I'm fairly sure any tech support emails are not being answered from this point on, at any rate. It's a sorry affair, considering how well GW's is doing, and coming just days after the big 2 million announcement.

Loviatar · Jun 23, 2006, 01:22 AM // 01:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by phangarrot

Sorry guys, this wasn't an email exchange with the company, this was lunch with someone in the industry here in Austin. The support staff for Guild Wars was apparently not extensive to start with (don't have numbers), but it's now essentially non-existant.

I'd suggest contacting the company for more details, but, like I say, who do you contact at this point? I'm fairly sure any tech support emails are not being answered from this point on, at any rate. It's a sorry affair, considering how well GW's is doing, and coming just days after the big 2 million announcement.

trolling idiot

phangarrot · Jun 23, 2006, 01:24 AM // 01:24

I did my best. Good luck.

Linda Heartilly · Jun 23, 2006, 07:17 AM // 07:17

Hilarious...

ducktape · Jun 23, 2006, 05:21 PM // 17:21

Complete BS.

I have a ticket that's been open with them for a while, they e-mailed me twice yesterday. Both times I was e-mailed from people who worked there a couple weeks ago.

The support team is still there, they still answer e-mails, and apparently the same people still work there.

viper008 · Jun 23, 2006, 08:15 PM // 20:15

I just went Auto Assault forum and found this.

Some of it seems to be true and one of the Dev's confirmed it

http://boards.autoassault.com/showfl...part=1#167622s

http://boards.autoassault.com/showfl...4#Post16 7634

Quote]NCsoft’s Austin business has announced an immediate restructuring within its organization that included the difficult task of reducing members of its workforce. The online games industry is one that is continually changing with the scaling up and down of business based on product launches and product development schedules.

Over the past two and a half years NCsoft has launched six major titles into the North American market and has grown with each title launch. As the company continues to grow its live products and prepares its next set of major online game releases for later in 2006 and 2007, the company sees a slowdown in its launch pattern and the need to streamline its business.

For this reason, NCsoft has reduced its 300 person workforce in Austin by approximately 70 people to accommodate this change. This decision has no impact on the schedules of any projects currently in development and service to NCsoft’s current games will continue without interruption[/Quote]

Darksun · Jun 23, 2006, 08:50 PM // 20:50

Not good. Support is the LAST THING online game co. need to be lax on...

Loviatar · Jun 23, 2006, 10:10 PM // 22:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Markaedw

The forum did not say anything about e-mail support, it talks about some dev teams getting the axe. What is says to me is that the games that have slow sales or other wise suck won't be getting any updates, or any further support.

I suspect that several titles will be shut down soon.

reading comprehension 101 everybody.

there is nothing in that concerning support of games period.

this is in anticipation of slower launches in the future and has no effect on already launched games.

Quote:

Over the past two and a half years NCsoft has launched six major titles into the North American market and has grown with each title launch. As the company continues to grow its live products and prepares its next set of major online game releases for later in 2006 and 2007, the company sees a slowdown in its launch pattern and the need to streamline its business.

Loviatar · Jun 23, 2006, 10:57 PM // 22:57

and here it is..............support for game LAUNCHES not game support.

Quote:

NCsoft Austin, located in Austin, Texas, is a subsidiary of NCsoft. The Austin office was founded in April 2001 by legendary game designer, Richard Garriott, a.k.a Lord British, his brother, Robert Garriott, and Starr Long, the creator of Ultima Online. They have teamed up with Lineage creator Jake Song in Austin to recruit a group of the world’s top designers of massively multiplayer online games.

Quote:

The NCsoft Austin development team’s goal is to provide the next generation of massively multiplayer role playing games. The focus of their products will be on fun, accessibility, and rich content. Having pioneered the online game industry, this team is poised to revolutionize the marketplace with its future products.

NCsoft Austin is also the home for NC Interactive, the support arm of NCsoft in North America. That group is comprised of community relations, web design, marketing, PR, quality assurance, customer support and localization specialists whose responsibility is to provide the support needs for the North American launch of Lineage and other NCsoft products.

phangarrot · Jun 23, 2006, 11:06 PM // 23:06

Several of you are expending an amusing amount of energy pretending this didn't happen. It would be nice to get an apology.

http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/new...php?story=9837

I'll repeat, regarding GW, the support staff and QA staff is gone, with no plans to replace them or support/QA the game from this point on. Please see my original post for details on how to contact the company.

milan · Jun 24, 2006, 12:00 AM // 00:00

so far you have a press release stating that 70 out of 300 people at a single ncsoft office are being laid off, then we have an unconfirmed anonymous post on a 'dev only' board giving % figures of teams that are being laid off.

Probably best to believe neither, stop stockpiling tinned food and ammunition and wait and see what happens.

Tarun · Jun 24, 2006, 12:20 AM // 00:20

Quote:

Following rumors yesterday that NCsoft's U.S. MMO division had instigated significant layoffs that included 80 percent of its GMs, 90 percent of its tech support staff, and 75 percent of its QA staff, as well as a number of people from other areas within the company, the company has now issued an official statement confirming 70 redundancies.

NCSoft owns ArenaNet, which is common sense with the smallest bit of research. But it seems some don't understand that, yet complain about "reading comprehension 101". That means that any ANet games are also impacted. Yes, it says MMO division. That includes Guild Wars because it is an MMORPG. Just check every gaming website out there and get the facts.

Loviatar · Jun 24, 2006, 12:35 AM // 00:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tarun

NCSoft owns ArenaNet, which is common sense with the smallest bit of research. But it seems some don't understand that, yet complain about "reading comprehension 101". That means that any ANet games are also impacted. Yes, it says MMO division. That includes Guild Wars because it is an MMORPG. Just check every gaming website out there and get the facts.

are you really saying those assorted 70 people some of whom were LAUNCH SUPPORT NOT GAME SUPPORT were actually handling the auto assault, lineage , COH/COV , and GW tech support?

did you note that this fits perfectly with the announcement of planned slowing of NEW launches ?

fewer new launches and they get rid of some launch support.

amazing co inki dink isnt it

Tarun · Jun 24, 2006, 12:44 AM // 00:44

You spoke of reading comprehension 101, Loviatar. Go back and read this story in full.

Here are the key points, bolded and underlined for you to read and comprehend easily.

Quote:

significant layoffs that included 80 percent of its GMs, 90 percent of its tech support staff, and 75 percent of its QA staff, as well as a number of people from other areas within the company

GMs, QA staff and tech support. Hm, that to me says it's game support too bud.

Omega X · Jun 24, 2006, 12:51 AM // 00:51

OUCH!

SO it is true. Gamasutra doesn't lie either.

Customer Support wasn't really too good to begin with, but now its gonna be utter garbage. Way to set everything back NC Soft...

Apparently they are blaming this on low Auto Assault sales and Tabula Rasa.

Mustache Mayhem · Jun 24, 2006, 12:56 AM // 00:56

alot of people got the big red bush boot and had thier moms call to tell them- told you video games will get you nothing boy! nothing! and now they are roaming the streets with crack

Loviatar · Jun 24, 2006, 01:20 AM // 01:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tarun

You spoke of reading comprehension 101, Loviatar. Go back and read this story in full.

Here are the key points, bolded and underlined for you to read and comprehend easily.

GMs, QA staff and tech support. Hm, that to me says it's game support too bud.

hi

want the OFFICIAL news?

well here it is

note the bottom bold and tell me what you think it means

Quote:

NCSoft has now responded with an official statement confirming layoffs, though not necessarily in the percentages cited in the F13 posting, commenting: “NCsoft's Austin business has announced an immediate restructuring within its organization that included the difficult task of reducing members of its workforce. The online games industry is one that is continually changing with the scaling up and down of business based on product launches and product development schedules. Over the past two and a half years NCsoft has launched six major titles into the North American market and has grown with each title launch.”

The statement concludes: “As the company continues to grow its live products and prepares its next set of major online game releases for later in 2006 and 2007, the company sees a slowdown in its launch pattern and the need to streamline its business. For this reason, NCsoft has reduced its 300 person workforce in Austin by approximately 70 people to accommodate this change. This decision has no impact on the schedules of any projects currently in development and service to NCsoft's current games will continue without interruption.”