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Monolith Layoffs In Wake of MXO Deal

Posted by Zonk on from the on-the-street dept.

Blues has details on the aftermath of the Matrix Online sale. Over 80 employees are now without jobs as a result of the MMOG's move to SOE. The 80 people are "out of a workforce of 200, although at least 25 of those being laid off are those being offered jobs at nearby Sony Online Entertainment."

23 comments

  1. Backdoors by Fr05t · · Score: 2, Funny

    I hope they left back doors in the code, and will go on to make loads of cash ebaying virtual items.

    1. Re:Backdoors by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      to who?

      all 7 people who currently play MxO are already devs

  2. Was This The Plan? by blueZhift · · Score: 3, Insightful

    It really sucks that all of those people are being laid off, but I wonder if in the bigger scheme of things this was Monolith's plan all along. Monolith knew that the MMORPG market was a tough one and that it was probably saturated. But they had one of the premiere properties, The Matrix. Maybe they just decided to finish the thing and see what happened in terms of popularity. If the title was successful and generated good buzz, they would then cash out and sell to someone with the deep pockets needed to keep it going. Many of us MMORPG players complain about monthly fees and buggy releases and expansions. But it really takes truckloads of money to develop, release, and maintain even a successful and popular MMORPG. Perhaps Monolith knew they couldn't do this over the long haul.

    Well, just my wild speculations...

    --
    To the making of books there is no end, so let's get started
    1. Re:Was This The Plan? by 1019 · · Score: 1

      I doubt the company as a whole planned to layoff the majority of the employees just to sell out to The SOE Empire for a quick buck. Employees who probably thought they'd be there to see their product through longer than..how long was it, a few months?

      --
      shame on us / for all we have done / and all we ever were / just zeroes and ones
    2. Re:Was This The Plan? by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 1

      But they had one of the premiere properties, The Matrix.

      The Matrix is probably Hollywood's most hyperactive property when the movies was being released. Atari bet the corporate farm on "Enter The Matrix" video game (which did sell quite a few copies) but it wasn't a miracle franchise and the next version of the game will probably go nowhere. Monolith bet their corporate farm on the MMORPG and are paying the price for a franchise that's ran out of gas after the movies came out.

      I'm hoping the fad to own a MMORPG will eventually wear out it's welcome among the corporate game companies, and allow a niche company to come in with a great MMORPG that will probably trick the corporate game companies back into MMORPGs because they see someone making money. Go figure.

      BTW, PC games are dying! Long live the consoles!

    3. Re:Was This The Plan? by will_die · · Score: 1

      But they had one of the premiere properties, The Matrix.
      Only until movie #2 was released, after that point the product line was dead.
      If the movies had stayed on par with the first then The matrix online would of had a huge amount of sales, after all look at SWG and how many copies it sold by the name only. However with the last 2 movies killing the product line it also killed huge amounts of interest in the games.

  3. I'd say you hit it on the head by Toxygen · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I know a few different stories about businesses opening a new shop or starting a new department that used this exact philosophy. In some they will actually tell you up front when you're hired that they don't know how busy they will be, but they expect that not everyone will be needed after the startup phase. Sure it's sad to see people lose jobs, but in my experience the leftover staff was more than able to keep up the same level of productivity without resorting to overtime or weekend work.

    Darwinism in action, combined with a "better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it" approach. Props to the business world for recognizing what wheels are really turning.

  4. And 55 MXO Employess Sigh... by oahazmatt · · Score: 2, Interesting

    "...Why didn't I take the blue pill?"

    --
    Those who believe the Internet is private,
    find their privates are on the Internet.
  5. great move by trevick · · Score: 3, Interesting

    That's too bad for the employees being laid off, but this is probably the only thing that could save this game. Selling it to SOE really makes sense for both parties. WBIE still has creative control and (I'm presuming) would be paid royalties of some sort for the MxO and DC Comics MMO licenses. And SOE gets two new properties that make its Station All-Access Pass much more attractive.

    1. Re:great move by will_die · · Score: 1

      The only thing I see SOE getting from it is the DC MMORPG. With CoH having a decent population, and a Marvel MMORPG in the works SOE needed hero based one and the the DC name is really about it if you want instant name recognition.
      The rights MxO really does not add much, and I would not be surprise if it was more a packaged deal, if you want the DC MMORPG you have to take MxO.
      As for station access, according to the head of SOE, early this year, they have around 30,000 people that subscribe to it.Unless the players of MxO are already playing some other SOE game they will not be subscribing to it, and with all the bad reviews of MxO most people who have station access are not going to waste money purchasing the box so they can play it.

    2. Re:great move by glowimperial · · Score: 1

      SOE does get two new properties to add to its Station Pass system, but can they handle 2 more properties. SOE's ability to deliver working, high quality product is already stretched very thin. I'd hate to see Sony screw up two more projects because they couldn't apply the resources needed to develop them.

    3. Re:great move by Bellum+Aeternus · · Score: 1

      Even SOE can't make this game any worse. I've never seen a more unstable and buggy release of any softwaer. Heck, these guys even made MS look good - and that's saying something!

      --
      - I voted for Nintendo and against Bush
  6. Lies! by OmgTEHMATRICKS · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    They weren't laid off. They were just flushed down a waterpark-like tube and drowned in sewers that spanned hundreds of miles.

  7. Losing your job sucks. by CrazyJim1 · · Score: 1

    I feel bad that they lost their job, but Matrix Online was a tremendous failure of a MMOG. There was absolutely no depth, and the gameplay consisted of,"Run across the road, go to building X, run through some rooms, exit building, go to building Y, run through some rooms, get experience." I'm highly displeased at the quality of high budget video games. Can't someone make a MMOG where your decisions in combat aren't the same every battle? Can't someone make a MMOG that doesn't involve massive repetition? Can't someone make a MMOG that's fun?

    --
    God spoke to me.
    1. Re:Losing your job sucks. by patio11 · · Score: 1
      Can't someone make a MMOG that's fun?
      Two million people are too busy playing World of Warcraft to answer your rhetorical question.
      --
      Help poke pirates in the eyepatch, arr.
    2. Re:Losing your job sucks. by Legion55 · · Score: 1

      Hmm, seems like most games are like that. I guess I would not consider it a failure because it brought in some very interesting ideas. Instant changing of your abilities being one of them. That no other MMO has tried to do. The missions are as you say, but the critical missions helped to tell parts of the story. You could also go to the exisle hideouts or the constructs and fight there. The contructs being full PvP for those that liked that style of play. The community in the game is very good and helps to make it fun. I like to explore and there is plenty of area to do that and you can find some unique areas

    3. Re:Losing your job sucks. by CrazyJim2 · · Score: 1

      I hate how all games, not just MMOs, are like that. It seems like all I can do when I play GTA is drive around and kill people. Over and over! Then when I play Super Mario Bros all I can do is jump on turtles and eat mushrooms. Over and over! Or when I'm world-ranked in Warcraft all I do is build stuff and destroy enemies. Why can't someone make a game with every conceivable gameplay element in it. Oh and it should be free and look better than Doom 3 and it should also run on my old Tandy. Just because you don't like a style of gameplay, doesn't mean it's bad. There are lots of people having fun with massives right now. Now if only Gobots Online would come out...

      --
      "But theres things mightier than a sword, and there are things mightier than pens. Guns and rap." - CrazyJim1
    4. Re:Losing your job sucks. by Shihar · · Score: 2, Interesting

      You know the industry is completely stagnent when the following are considered earth shattering 'innovations' in gameplay.

      1) The ability to change your skills.
      2) The bare semblance of a story.
      3) PvP arenas
      4) "some unique areas"

      Wake me up when the MMORPG industry shows even and the faintest signs of innovation. Until then, excuse me while I completely avoid these complete drought in creativity. Remember that period after Doom and before Quake when everyone and their dog made a shitty unoriginal FPS trying to capitalize off Doom? This period is roughly a hundred times worse, but for MMORPGs instead of FPS.

  8. Run across the road, go to building X by glrotate · · Score: 1

    As opposed to: Run to campsite, wait for X to spaw, kill X, take X's weapon, clothing, head to Y. Get experience?

  9. If its not the customer players , its the employee by Jestor+Rodo · · Score: 1

    Man, SOE is a scum bucket dirt hole of a company, don't you think? ( If you don't think then SOE will enjoy your business). The lose of jobs in the "arrangement" sux. I heard a rumor that a new Star Wars MMOG was about to start with no mention of SOE. Count me in. Lets see how SOE can ruin the DC Super Heros that same way they screw over the Star Wars Franchise. Man SOE is nasty and Love that Jestor - SOE doesn't!

  10. Apply today! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/jobs/