Layoffs and Closing?
polycounter lvl 18
I have heard that Treyarch and Raven have laid of quite a bit of people, along with NSpace closing its doors. Were any people affected here, as id is hiring and would like to help where I might be able to.
Spark
Spark
Replies
Spark
Good luck guys...
Rayph: Thanks for the email, sent you something back.
AE.: Damn, havent heard of anything coming from EA, but yeah soon as the 4th quarter comes by, they seem to drop quite a bit of people.
http://38studios.com/jobs
Obviously alot of various emotions were coming out as we shared beers at the bar. A few people I talked to felt like a big burden had been lifted in a certain sense and remain positive and excited for future endeavors.
It is a very rough time to try to find a new job. I think studios are not taking many risks and hiring few new employees even if you have many years of experience.
The vibe I'm getting is the "generalist" artist is what is in demand. That being "concept/model/texture" a asset from start to finish. While an individual might be very good or stellar in a couple of the skill sets, they always ask about all three and would rather hire/pay someone to do it all. Which in itself makes the criteria for future employment even that much harder.
Activision is cutting everywhere, it seems.
I think the old rule of "jack of all trades master of none" still holds true and that people should master one thing before looking to master another. Studios are now in a position where they can ask for masters of more than one discipline, which actually paints a much bleaker picture for the traditional generalist.
I really hope we don't see what happened at Mythic, happen to Blizzard... I know they're different companies and Blizzard carries a lot more clout but I have to wonder if layoffs are coming... so much hiring and a few titles wrapping up... Activision is a giant gaping maw, and its hungry.
Seriously scary sh!t if that ever goes down.
Sure, standards expected of green hires have undoubtedly increased, but I wonder how much different the seasonal / production cycle redundancy situations have changed in the last two or three years (or however long it is since the economy officially shit the bed)?
Still, heartfelt commiserations to all those affected. Seems like a lot of genuine talent let go, and I hope they don't struggle too much to find a new gig.
Vigil is still looking for some senior level people as well. Just another place for anyone affected to hopefully find a new home.
3 years here. I got you beat
Not a competition of course, there's no pride in being unemployed for this long. But it may make someone feel better. At any case, I think it's just a sign of the times. I remember back in the day where everything was booming, people were saying not to worry, that even if the economy takes a downturn, the gaming industry would be unaffected. Never really thought that's true to be honest.
The one upside to all of this is that I'm looking forward to the days when I can tell young people about how tough we had it during the "amazing depression", or whatever history labels this. I could say, "back when I was your age, we didn't even have hands, We had flippers! And we made the best of it."
EA has layoffs every November. It's inevitable. I was apart of the Pandemic closure last year. Even long before, when we were bought in 07, EA layed off a significant amount of regular EA staff to make up that cost of that purchase. But in most places the cold reality is, if the project your working on has weak numbers, be cautious, be ready, be alert. Unless your working on a hit or potential hit, there is really no reason to let your guard down. My advise is to have faith in your self and keep the drive alive. Don't put faith in the stability of dev houses. You'll be let down almost every time.
Is that just the smaller studios or the larger ones as well? I know that generalists are very good for smaller studios' schedules because of the lack of people in those studios... Do larger studios need generalists as much?
Anyway, best of luck to all of those affected. And good thing that you're helping, Spark.
The other thing I have noticed is studios will trim down yet still will have way too much work on their hands to get done, thus working people even harder, bringing on people for contract work , outsourcing, etc. So in my eyes it's not solving anything, just causing more turmoil.
If you have a great modeling team wouldn't you like to let them model more and pass the assets to a texture artist/artists, thus increasing productivity and hopefully quality if it's handed off to a talented individual that can compliment the model? But that's not the thinking on the management / business side. They are more concerned about the dollar at cutting costs.
There has to be strong leadership and good decision making, otherwise most likely problems will ensue within the project.
Sad hope all bounce back soon!
Good luck also.
By the way, anyone/kind hearted soul reading this want to be generous I'd love to give anything a shot.
We work hard to get our dream job and being laid off after snagging your first job must be such a horrible experience to go through. I feel sorry for those that have been dropped and I seriously hope the industry stops being a bloated multi million system and starts to fail. In doing so companies may be forced to realise that we're no longer interested in the same games over and over and we want something original and unique. So hopefully they'll hire those that aren't quite as skilled as those already in the "circle" but have better, creative ideas to drive this industry forward.
I didn't spend 10 grand and spend 10 years of my life to work for an industry that lays people off at the first instant of a complete game.
One of the oldest studios (passed down) in Aus.
Sorry to everyone affected. Dropping the cat metaphor yet again, but I'm sure you'll all land on your feet. Polycount is a ridiculously over-talented pool of individuals. I'm sure everyone will find employment soon.