Dismayed and Torn: Daybreak Layoff Response
So, as most folks probably already know, it was announced today that Daybreak (formerly SOE) will be laying off a number of staff. For money reasons, of course. Only, the folks on the chopping block are some of the most passionate people I know on the team, such as Dave Georgeson (Smokejumper) and Linda Carlson (Brasse).
Yeah, I'm sorry folks but it's true. LM, eqn, eq and eqii are no longer guided by moi. Other dreamers will steer now.
— David Georgeson (@DaveGeorgeson) February 11, 2015
I may not have written a lot about Landmark lately, but Smokejumper has been a huge part of this beta experience for me. From the moment you launch the game, he welcomed the community and set the feel for the Landmark world. His passion, and the passion of Brasse, shown through in all the games they were a part of. They made it welcoming and inclusive. It was part of what I loved about the community… and their loss will be widely felt.
And while I don’t wish evil on anyone, I marvel that someone as sharply sarcastic as Smed still remains. You can call me out for holding a grudge, but I still haven’t forgotten his snide comments on the “disgusting PVE carebear servers” that would launch with H1Z1, and how he’d just have to deal with the fact that casuals who don’t like KOS PVP are playing his game. That was a total turn off, an absolute contrast to the welcoming feeling I got from games such as Landmark.
The part I’m torn about… do I continue to play Daybreak games?
I know these people put so much of themselves into these creations. I’ve put lots of money and time into some of these games myself (EQ2). Do I leave the games they worked on in frustration of the company’s direction? Or do I continue to play (even if I play very casually) because they did put so much of themselves into these games, that they’d want people to continue to enjoy them, even if they’re not on the team anymore?
Even Smokejumper requests:
Don’t stop loving the games folks. These are your homes and worlds. Make ’em real. I want to play too. 🙂 — David Georgeson (@DaveGeorgeson) February 11, 2015
It’s rather hard… Where to stand on this? Either way, it’s crushing news and a really bad move (IMHO) for those in charge at Daybreak. I wish the best to those who are being forced to move on. 🙁
