Pat and Bee's Life

At the speed of crazy!


Wednesday, October 19, 2011

So Glad I Don't Play EVE Anymore

WARNING! I see CCP coming to a very catastrophic diversion of roads here very shortly. ANNNND there it is!

It's hard to say how I'll feel about the CCP 20% layoffs after a few days. It's even harder to say how I'd feel if it didn't directly impact people that I've known for years and feel privileged to call friends.

If I was a player and CCP just laid off my community staff, I'd probably be fuming. I'd probably say this was a clear indication of what CCP Hilmarr meant by " restore the partnership of trust upon which our success depends" in his letter earlier this month. He also said:

In the last months, we’ve taken a hard look at everything, including my leadership. What I can say for now is that we’ve taken action to ensure these mistakes are never repeated. We have reexamined our processes, hired experienced industry professionals for key leadership positions, reassessed our priorities, moved personnel around and, above all else, recognized our limitations.
 I would have to say that if you think firing community people is the way to restore the trust of your community - you are an unmitigated fool. Now, I'm not necessarily saying it wasn't the right business move - but it sure as hell wasn't handled well from a community standpoint. Probably because they laid them all off....

Getting rid of people who are passionate about and supportive of, a game which has made giant steps in the wrong direction - is a direct command to immediately quit and take your $15 a month elsewhere.

Since I don't play EVE anymore, I'll simply say: What the hell were you thinking CCP? I realize having to lay off people is a part of the business. But did you really choose the right people to lay off? Community folks who were loved, supported, and passionate about your product? Who took the flack while you made mistake after mistake and paid no attention to the cry of horror at the outcome?

My issue here is less the layoffs (Sper and beans aside) as the words coming out of CCP are not matching the actions. Again. And again. And again. Hence why my money no longer goes there.

Can they recover? Maybe. I guess it depends on what they accomplish from this re-focus. If in three months they start taking names and kicking ass, I might retract the thoughts. But for now, this is just another step towards the "Put up or shut up" where CCP just isn't putting anything at all up.

I will have to take a look at this in a week or two and see where I stand.

Sper and beans, you have my undying thanks for what you've accomplished in EVE, a world I truly love. For years I've been a fan of your work and I've loved CCP as a company, even when people denied me interviews and previews of upcoming ingame stuff. I feel really sad I never had a chance to work professionally with CCP.

To the ex-CCP folks - I'm sorry that they chose not to keep you. I hope you all go on to do something you are just as passionate about. Players out there deserve it.

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