The press review linked above mentions Eve subscriptions:
We understand how an announcement such as this can be perceived by our community and industry peers. We feel it is important to clearly address two questions that might arise.
First, EVE Online is in good health. Our subscriber numbers are higher today than they were a year ago. Unlike many other MMO’s on the market, we have continued to grow year-on-year since launch in 2003. However, over the past two months, our subscribers have gone down from their peak this summer. We attribute this to our own mistakes and poor communications with our players. We are correcting that now.
…
Wendelius
If their numbers are higher today than a year ago I can only conclude some mismanagement has been going on. They overstaffed to begin with and now need to make a correction.
They started staffing for WOD years ago. The last time I was at Gen Con, which was I think four years ago, White Wolf was already hiring in Atlanta for WOD.
They had been shorting EVE in terms of development for a while.
That’s a bad thing to do to your only significant revenue source.
Rather than allowing this to persist, we have made the decision to sharpen our focus. Sadly, this means reducing our staff. We estimate that around twenty percent of global positions will be affected by this process. These will be predominantly in our Atlanta, GA office, although select positions in our Reykjavik, Iceland office will be affected.
I think its more likely the drop in EvE sub numbers from the summer has investors pissed and demanding cuts to make up the loss in profits. Since the Atlanta employees are likely the most expensive for CCP, thats where the cuts happened. CCP is just trying to spin it as a “refocus” to win back some goodwill from the players.
Razgon
145
Evil corporate suits! They must be lying!
This comes as basically no surprise, even down to the month:
seriously, how will laying off people at the atlanta location improve EvE online? it won’t. they are just trying to spin it into something that benefits PR, much like the implementation of CSM in EvE was nothing but a PR sham.
IainC
148
Because CCP won’t be splitting finite resources between three different projects. Atlanta is making zero cash as they have not yet shipped a game but are costing mucho cash as there are (were, I guess) lots of employees there. Seems pretty straightforward to me.
Additionally, as someone with personal insight into the CSM I can assure you that it wasn’t and isn’t a ‘PR sham’.
It improves EVE because it means not laying off EVE people. In other words, some people had to go. They chose to protect EVE at the cost of WOD.
If you read, they are also putting some of the Atlanta staff they are keeping onto EVE development. Which means lower overall burn rate for the company, and additional resources into EVE itself.
I will be stunned if this game ever sees the light of day.
On its own it’ll help, because the Atlanta studio is not generating revenue and cutting back on a hundred–a hundred–employees (mostly in the US, where it’s probably more expensive to maintain these employees because of exchange rates, cost of living and such) will contribute to CCP’s bottom line. If they’re concentrating on Eve, this improvement of the bottom line will pay in dividends towards Eve.
And no, CSM is not a PR sham.
— Alan
There was a short statement by Chris McDonough, Senior Producer of World of Darkness, on the wodnews.net fan site last night.
Hey Guys, sorry I haven’t read all of the posts, been a long day and out buying drinks for some folks who are departing. Just wanted to say, this is not the end of World of Darkness, far from it. It is also not vapor ware, as we have been doihng playtests for a while. I have been involved in all of the descisions made surrounding this project and the current situation. I am also in charge of rallying the teams come Monday to refocus our efforts on getting this thing in shape. This is a tough spot, but I can promise you, we still have plenty of guys on staff.
Thanks,
Chris
http://www.wodnews.net/Forum/tabid/62/aft/455/afpg/3/Default.aspx
Richard Thomas, Creative Director of CCP | White Wolf, had this to say in the White Wolf forms. It mostly concerns the publishing side.
Sorry to have not responded earlier, but I have a lot of old friends that need to talk. Y’all saw the press release, and while I can’t comment on the WoDMMO decisions and how CCP needs to refocus on EVE, I can tell you that the products Eddy and I have been announcing these last few months with WW2.0 and the Onyx Path are all rolling ahead. nWoD, cWoD, Exalted: all still going to have releases as we’ve announced. Werewolf 20th Anniversary is still being worked on.
It’s a bad time for our friends- both from CCP and the oldWW crew- and Eddy and I would like to focus on them right now, so our outward communication with you folks might be spotty for a day or two.
Thanks-
http://forums.white-wolf.com/default.aspx?g=posts&m=1195521#post1195521
I see what you did there.
they did lay off Eve people actually, including the lead designer CCP Hammer and the DBA CCP Fallout. odd choices if they are refocusing on Eve. the choices make more sense if its purely cost oriented.
http://www.quartertothree.com/game-talk/showpost.php?p=2898438&postcount=926
Kunikos
156
Yeah, they laid off a whole bunch of EVE folks.
Bill
157
That sucks for CCP employees. If any of them want to remain on the East coast, Avalanche Studios is hiring in NYC…
Purely out curiosity, because it’s the south, and not to be pedantic, I looked up cost of living comparisons; Atlanta is about 11% cheaper. But that doesn’t change your overall argument.
http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/17/chris-mcdonough-talks-about-the-development-of-the-world-of-dark/
Of course, it’s sounding more and more that this will just be Eve2 in Vampire Drag. Without a heavy investment in User Generated Content, you’re just not going to be able to get a tabletop kind of feel going. I think even the LARPers who see themselves as cagey and sophisticated PVP plotters will get drowned in the waves of lolRPer PvP trolls.
If and when it comes out I’m still in. And I’m still, sure as shit, Nosferatu. Because when everything else goes to hell the sewers will be the only safe place to be.
And, who knows, I could be wrong about the inevitable suck PvP inflicts on RP communities. Drop a message in a bottle under the manhole lid if I’m wrong. I’ll send a lackey up to check things out for me.
If trolling LARPers is wrong, I don’t want to be right.
