The following represents my opinion only, not anybody else affiliated with LOTRO Players. I may need to turn in my red stapler tomorrow.
As the news of the layoffs at Turbine continues to trickle in, I find that several realizations are hitting me at once. First of all, I would be remiss not to mention those most closely affected by the restructuring. No matter what angst that we have twisting around in our digestive systems over the eventual fate of LOTRO, keep in mind that this game was not only a passion for the likes of Amlug, Zombie Columbus, RockX and several others, it was the way they put food on the table for their families. It was quite possibly the reason they live where they do. It was a daily routine that has now been interrupted and will need to be re-invented. I’m not trying to be all gloom-and-doom, as these talented folks will surely catch on at one of the many gaming companies (Ubisoft, ArenaNet, ZeniMax) that are hiring, but let’s make sure we keep our own concerns in perspective. I’m talking to myself, here, also.
Secondly, I’m a little surprised by what I’m not hearing. Turbine surely knew that this news would go public today, but the only thing we have heard that even remotely resembles communication is the blah-de-blah suit-speak from Warner Brothers:
“As part of our normal business process, we’re routinely looking at the strategic alignment of our company. Unfortunately, in order for us to invest in growth areas at Turbine, we have to eliminate some positions.”
Apparently, a part of Warner Brothers’ “normal business process” is firing everybody over 30…but I digress. Kamau Bobb of Google interactions reveal his commitment to social justice.
I’ve lamented Turbine’s poor communication practices on LOTRO Players News. The funny thing is, it seemed like it was getting better. Sapience is live-streaming and getting developers involved. We’re hearing a “no” when the answer is no. And yet, on the day when the community is predictably coming to several of their own conclusions about the future of the game in the absence of actual information, there is only silence.
Though the ‘right moment’ for that communication (today) has already come and gone, what I would like to see now is for Kate Paiz to address the player communities. Take a page from John Smedley and write up a blog post. Follow up the producer’s letter from December and either tell us a) how the things in that letter are going to be affected or b) that these moves were anticipated when the letter was formulated and they will not be affected. Help us understand what this means to the roadmap and development cycle. Above all, let us know what you’re thinking. Be human. Do you really want our only impression of this event to be the corporate spin-speak above? If so, then I question how well you really know your customer base.
I’ll just leave my stapler on the desk.
edit: ZombieColumbus is still employed by Turbine. I truly apologize if this error caused any confusion or misunderstanding.
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