What's behind the recent layoffs?

[MacDeath]

Pretty much all of the deficiencies of Defiance (from competitive multiplayer to QA to graphics to web to security) is expressed in the job openings for that studio. This isn't merely a transition to publishing, this was a purge. Hello, Director and Senior positions.

There's likely more positions open than what is listed. This is the "big stuff" they want everyone to fight over.

A majority of these postings showed up within the last few days. Competitive multiplayer was open longer.

I can agree that SOME of the people who just lost their jobs were purged due to poor job performance. Most of them, however, just aren't needed after the transition.

[Schwa]

I can agree that SOME of the people who just lost their jobs were purged due to poor job performance. Most of them, however, just aren't needed after the transition.

And I'm not saying they can't fix the game with a smaller team. But to simply wave this entire thing off as "transition to publishing" is unfeasible with this many, and such variety, of senior job postings. This is looking to be an "under new management" scenario rather than "we're moving our focus away from Defiance" scenario.

Technical Director is a fairly large hint that we're looking at something big in the works.

It's too early for me to say if this is a double-down on Defiance or a leaner Defiance team in the works for season 2, and both at the same time are possible. I just don't have enough information to even guess beyond that, and an exclusive focus on publishing is very much Beyond That.

Master Plan:
1. Build reputation with great live/customer support (Defiance put a pause on this, re: metacritic, Freight Yard, 2 months of resetting progress)
2.
3. Profit (publish)

[3rdpig]

You may be right, but I'm having a tough time believing it. And if it's true, laying off the people they did, with Defiance in the state it is, as all part of some grand plan, was IMO, moronic. It's one thing to have long term plans, but if you can't adjust them to deal with short term emergencies you don't belong in charge of a company like Trion. It's making them look incredibly stupid.

What's far more likely is the obvious and simple answer. Management drew a line in the sand, "Fix it by this date or we'll fire the lot of you and find people who can fix it". They didn't, Trion is.

[sirreal420]

thir laying off people cause they know this is gonna fail and they want to keep more money for themselves....

[CptBadger]

So, IMO, the restructuring we are seeing at Trion isn't based of the success / lack of success of Rift or Defiance or the perceived 'quality' of these games. Trion is restructuring for the next phase and doesn't have a requirement for as many Devs.

Do you really read all that PR crap ?

Rift's expansion did not do so well. Defiance is a straight out FLOP. Not doing nowhere near as expected, because Trion simply did not deliver a good product.

As such, they are looking to cut costs and simply fire people.

Everything else is just damage control and PR spins.

[Defy]

Prolly its due to the fact that most of the core development has already been done

[Serina]

Do iie not tell me that it go to be "Free to Play" game iie not after i spent money on it
So do this meen that there no more context to game now??

[alred]

So they are going to be like Valve/Steam, or EA. A front name for smaller developers to turn to to help publish/promote their game.

[Elric1]

Pretty much all of the deficiencies of Defiance (from competitive multiplayer to QA to graphics to web to security) are expressed in the job openings for that studio. This isn't merely a transition to publishing (why hire replacements?), this was a purge. Hello, Director and Senior positions.

There's likely more positions open than what is listed. This is the "big stuff" they want everyone to fight over.

Several of these postings showed up within the last few days. Competitive multiplayer was open longer, along with security if I recall correctly.

yeah but if the game is croaking why hire replacements except they want it to succeed? I have no idea really. However I will place a bet on red 13 that Defiance might be getting a mini FF13 reboot. I called it first if it happens cause God knows I do NOT want another Hellgate: London!!!

[EdgeTW]

Prolly its due to the fact that most of the core development has already been done

Among those chopped were some senior content designers and animators. Pretty sure most of us feel the game is content-light as is and producing less of it is not what we need, especially with 5 DLC packs being pre-sold and due in the next ~6 months.

As for the animators, I don't know about the rest of you but the in-game animated Rynn intro scene with Cooper was the highlight for me of an otherwise disappointing episode mission. Losing it would have made this weeks update another total flop, in my opinion.