test content
  • Games
  • Social
  • Arc News
  • Support
  • Zen
What is the Arc Client?
Install Arc
Forums > Home› Star Trek Online General Discussion

cryptic layoff's - the death of STO!?

borgx666borgx666 Member Posts: 127 Arc User
edited March 2015 in Star Trek Online General Discussion
just read a report that cryptic has layed off 18 people!?
So what will this mean for Star Trek Online?
Your thoughts...

Full report - http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2015-03-18-perfect-world-cuts-staff-report
Sto%20Final.png
Post edited by borgx666 on
«1

Comments

  • UnknownUnknown
    edited March 2015
    This content has been removed.
  • ricardo58ricardo58 Member Posts: 19 Arc User
    edited March 2015
    Yep, I think we already had enough Doom & Gloom for the week.
  • shevetshevet Member Posts: 1,667 Arc User
    edited March 2015
    A little late to the party - though I suppose we can always use some more rumours and doomsaying. They certainly seem to be popular.

    (Such hard news as emerged over the past couple of days - and precious little there was, too - suggests that the main impact of the layoffs is being felt elsewhere than STO.)
    8b6YIel.png?1
  • jellico1jellico1 Member Posts: 2,719
    edited March 2015
    Maybe a wake up call

    Not at the Doom stage yet
    Jellico....Engineer ground.....Da'val Romulan space Sci
    Saphire.. Science ground......Ko'el Romulan space Tac
    Leva........Tactical ground.....Koj Romulan space Eng

    JJ-Verse will never be Canon or considered Lore...It will always be JJ-Verse
  • meimeitoomeimeitoo Member Posts: 12,594 Arc User
    edited March 2015
    valoreah wrote: »
    I think STO will be just fine and this thread will be closed shortly.

    Nevertheless, out of sheer courtesy, it would be nice if PWE/Cryptic didn't leave us hanging here, and came with some sort of official statement (EP maybe?) as to what these layoffs mean to STO -- if anything at all.
    3lsZz0w.jpg
  • jermbotjermbot Member Posts: 801 Arc User
    edited March 2015
    I'm going to go ahead and say 'meh' to this idea that we as the players need to be informed of hiring and firing decisions at Cryptic.

    Delays in scheduled content and changes in development plans are valid things to demand information about. But if these lay offs result in none of those things, and given the run up usually necessary for development it's likely it won't, then we as players don't need to know.

    It may not even be healthy for the community as a whole. The gods know we receive enough paranoia about STO's pending demise from simple content balancing, can you imagine what would happen if Cryptic told us about every time the size of the STO team was increased, and then reduced?
  • gonaliusgonalius Member Posts: 893 Arc User
    edited March 2015
    Obviously the game is going bust, seeing as they're still hiring expensive voice actors. I mean its obvious!

    EDIT: Most likely most the staff laid off are those who were brought in to work on the Xbox One version of Neverwinter, and when their work was completed, they left! Alright, it seems a few more snuck out the door with them, but I'd wager that's who the majority were - Contract Workers.
  • meimeitoomeimeitoo Member Posts: 12,594 Arc User
    edited March 2015
    jermbot wrote: »
    I'm going to go ahead and say 'meh' to this idea that we as the players need to be informed of hiring and firing decisions at Cryptic.

    Delays in scheduled content and changes in development plans are valid things to demand information about. But if these lay offs result in none of those things, and given the run up usually necessary for development it's likely it won't, then we as players don't need to know.

    It may not even be healthy for the community as a whole. The gods know we receive enough paranoia about STO's pending demise from simple content balancing, can you imagine what would happen if Cryptic told us about every time the size of the STO team was increased, and then reduced?


    Who's demanding anything?! I was talking about 'sheer courtesy.'

    And this not just an internal matter of Cryptic hiring/firing people. This is about the publisher of the game, PWE, massively laying off people. It's no more than reasonable, and polite, to tell your customers what that means to their game in question.
    3lsZz0w.jpg
  • nickcastletonnickcastleton Member Posts: 1,212 Arc User
    edited March 2015
    IM GONNA SING THE DOOM SONG NOW
    0bzJyzP.gif





    "It appears we have lost our sex appeal, captain."- Tuvok
  • roadghostroadghost Member Posts: 394 Arc User
    edited March 2015
    meimeitoo wrote: »
    Who's demanding anything?! I was talking about 'sheer courtesy.'

    And this not just an internal matter of Cryptic hiring/firing people. This is about the publisher of the game, PWE, massively laying off people. It's no more than reasonable, and polite, to tell your customers what that means to their game in question.

    Yeah, just like Starbucks and McDonalds have someone standing at the entrance to tell all their customers what each round of layoffs means for their next Big Mac or Mocha Latte.

    Oh wait...
  • mustrumridcully0mustrumridcully0 Member Posts: 12,963 Arc User
    edited March 2015
    Yes, it's all over. Transfer all your EC and unbound items to my account, so it can be safely destroyed before STO closes down.
    Star Trek Online Advancement: You start with lowbie gear, you end with Lobi gear.
  • jermbotjermbot Member Posts: 801 Arc User
    edited March 2015
    meimeitoo wrote: »
    Who's demanding anything?! I was talking about 'sheer courtesy.'

    And this not just an internal matter of Cryptic hiring/firing people. This is about the publisher of the game, PWE, massively laying off people. It's no more than reasonable, and polite, to tell your customers what that means to their game in question.

    Didn't say you were.

    But in terms of these massive lay offs, 2 of them have been established to be related to Star Trek Online. And while I could see how you might prefer if they pop in and say "Hey, this won't effect the game in the forseeable future." which is probably true but only half the story.

    The real story is that at least on developer, Matt Miller, was let go with there being no indication of if he'll ever be replaced. Matt Miller, as a developer, was responsible or integral to at least some of STO's future development. Some of his projects will be reassigned to other developers, some of his projects will be dropped. Which ones, we do not know. But even better than that, we do not even know what these projects were because there has been no change to what limited information we have about future development.

    So while they could probably make some fans feel better by coming out and saying, "We lost at least one developer, some projects have been reassigned, others have been dropped, we are not in a position to tell you what those projects were." I don't think it would do enough good to justify the conspiracy fuel.
  • vsilverwings1vsilverwings1 Member Posts: 572 Arc User
    edited March 2015
    I don't see anything directly as a result of or affecting STO.

    That being said if it's bad well it's bad and DOOM!
    If STO is actually doing okay or even good when NW got hit I ask myself, why?

    I imagine STO is being held up by the IP and that's it. Take away the IP and you've got another NW. The community, I feel, is already struggling to tolerate the way STO is going so I wonder how long the IP will keep players retained before they have had enough and/or move on. This could have STO's future on very thin ice so really even if it was doing well I'd wonder how secure that would be.

    Interestingly STO was subscription then went f2p so we've had to adjust to f2p.
    NW though was f2p from the start so there's been no transition from enjoying things for free to having to pay. This has me wondering if the IP is the reason as I'd expect the policies of both games to be the same or very similar, don't know as I don't play NW.

    So my views are somewhat speculative so we'll have to wait and see if STO gets affected or policy changes (yeah right!).
  • peterconnorfirstpeterconnorfirst Member Posts: 6,225 Arc User
    edited March 2015
    I would not worry OP, the game is going to be fine. I bet even better in the future.

    For all we know STO just lost a designer and a community manager. Probably due to current game design and customer relations. ;)

    Everybody who has been around the past 5 moth in game and/or forums can easily get his/her own ideas.

    Also pleas don’t make doom threads. Make awesome prospect threads as possible result out of the current situation so it can live. :)
    animated.gif
    Looking for a fun PvE fleet? Join us at Omega Combat Division today.
    felisean wrote: »
    teamwork to reach a goal is awesome and highly appreciated
  • meimeitoomeimeitoo Member Posts: 12,594 Arc User
    edited March 2015
    jermbot wrote: »
    Didn't say you were.

    But in terms of these massive lay offs, 2 of them have been established to be related to Star Trek Online. And while I could see how you might prefer if they pop in and say "Hey, this won't effect the game in the forseeable future." which is probably true but only half the story.

    The real story is that at least on developer, Matt Miller, was let go with there being no indication of if he'll ever be replaced. Matt Miller, as a developer, was responsible or integral to at least some of STO's future development. Some of his projects will be reassigned to other developers, some of his projects will be dropped. Which ones, we do not know. But even better than that, we do not even know what these projects were because there has been no change to what limited information we have about future development.

    So while they could probably make some fans feel better by coming out and saying, "We lost at least one developer, some projects have been reassigned, others have been dropped, we are not in a position to tell you what those projects were." I don't think it would do enough good to justify the conspiracy fuel.


    Not all that worried myself. really. :) Just a bit surprised that they gave it the silent treatment, is all. But your explanation as to why makes sense. Thx.
    3lsZz0w.jpg
  • dirlettiadirlettia Member Posts: 1,632 Arc User
    edited March 2015
    So the fact that Cryptic is hiring still makes people think they are in trouble?

    http://crypticstudios.com/openings

    Companies streamline and reorganise all the time.
    Still waiting to be able to use forum titles
  • evilmark444evilmark444 Member Posts: 7,030 Arc User
    edited March 2015
    This doom thread is doomed.
    Lifetime Subscriber since Beta
    vTgrogp.jpeg
    ^ Click image to listen to my favorite Trek theme song! ^
  • UnknownUnknown
    edited March 2015
    This content has been removed.
  • captaintrueheartcaptaintrueheart Member Posts: 296 Arc User
    edited March 2015
    dirlettia wrote: »
    So the fact that Cryptic is hiring still makes people think they are in trouble?

    http://crypticstudios.com/openings

    Companies streamline and reorganise all the time.

    Advertising for positions and actually filling them are two different things...

    The truth is at some point the game will go into "maintenance mode" and then eventually shut down. Whether that's going to come about in 6 months or 6 years or longer remains to be seen but one good indicator that things are going to change is a reduction in staff.

    How sustainable is their F2P business model? Eventually people will get tired of the lockboxes and once the revenue dries up it's a short ride to the end...
    =/\= ================================= =/\=
    Captain Ariel Trueheart Department of Temporal Investigations
    U.S.S. Valkyrie - NCC 991701
    =/\= ================================= =/\=
  • captainmal3captainmal3 Member Posts: 436 Arc User
    edited March 2015
    STO lost like two people, and only one of those was even a dev. I'd hardly call this the 'death of STO'.
  • p4hajujup4hajuju Member Posts: 214 Arc User
    edited March 2015
    The end is nigh!
    Galavant!
    "Use Temporal Skills to NERF EVERYTHING before it happened!" -Unknown source.
  • spacehermitspacehermit Member Posts: 358 Arc User
    edited March 2015
    Obviously all these new Delta Recruits will be able to have new career specialisations as Devs and Community Managers. :rolleyes:
  • lan451lan451 Member Posts: 3,386 Arc User
    edited March 2015
    Death of STO? Nah. The only thing that's dead around here is the ability to use the forum's search function before making redundant threads.
    JWZrsUV.jpg
    Mine Trap Supporter
  • mirrorchaosmirrorchaos Member Posts: 9,844 Arc User
    edited March 2015
    borgx666 wrote: »
    just read a report that cryptic has layed off 18 people!?
    So what will this mean for Star Trek Online?
    Your thoughts...

    Full report - http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2015-03-18-perfect-world-cuts-staff-report

    doom threads are not allowed.
    T6 Miranda Hero Ship FTW.
    Been around since Dec 2010 on STO and bought LTS in Apr 2013 for STO.
  • UnknownUnknown
    edited March 2015
    This content has been removed.
  • lucho80lucho80 Member Posts: 6,600 Bug Hunter
    edited March 2015
    Maybe the PWE employees suffer from this:

    https://modelviewculture.com/pieces/the-expendables-how-game-development-standards-are-inherently-harmful
  • philipclaybergphilipclayberg Member Posts: 1,680
    edited March 2015
    p4hajuju wrote: »
    The end is nigh!

    "We're doomed. We'll never make it." (character from animated "Gulliver's Travels")
  • nyxadrillnyxadrill Member Posts: 1,242 Arc User
    edited March 2015
    Lan451 wrote:
    Death of STO? Nah. The only thing that's dead around here is the ability to use the forum's search function before making redundant threads.

    valoreah wrote: »
    ^ Thread win! :)

    Agreed, Lan wins the interwebs for today :)
    server_hamster6.png
  • lan451lan451 Member Posts: 3,386 Arc User
    edited March 2015
    I have my moments. :P
    JWZrsUV.jpg
    Mine Trap Supporter
  • cpc2011acpc2011a Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited March 2015
    Any bets on how long before Trendy gives this thread the flick?
This discussion has been closed.