NCsoft Brighton to Axe Dev Team


Aero_

 

Posted

Sauce

[ QUOTE ]
NCsoft will cease all development operations at its Brighton, UK-based studio, reports Develop.

According to the site, up to 50 staff were notified earlier this week of plans to close the development team just a year after its launch.

The move reportedly follows the decision to cancel an untitled MMO that was in development.

UK publishing and QA operations, which are based at the same offices, are set to remain in place.

We’ve contacted NCsoft for confirmation of the report.


[/ QUOTE ]
Untitled MMO?


 

Posted

I read this last night, but decided not to post anything until an official announcement was made confirming or denying it...


@FloatingFatMan

Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

 

Posted

Well it was going to be around at some stage. I mean it's not like EDGE has low traffic...

I'm just curious as to what title they are referring to.


 

Posted

Looks like Bridger might want his old job back.


 

Posted

It hadn't got one yet.

I hope though that they offer to move said team sideways into other departments.


 

Posted

Just noticed this at Massively.com,

You alright there guys?


 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
Just noticed this at Massively.com,

You alright there guys?

[/ QUOTE ]

I've got Google Alerts set up for "City Of Heroes" and my mailbox has been getting spammed all day with that story.

So it's obviously true, as it's on teh intarwebs.

Shame about that. Wonder if all that money spent on the COH licence caused it? (Given that NC Austin laid people off too)


"Idealism is such a wonderful thing. All you really need is someone rational to put it to proper use." - Kerr Avon

Myopic Aardvark on Twitter

 

Posted

More likely all the money spent on TR.


 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
Just noticed this at Massively.com,

You alright there guys?

[/ QUOTE ]

Check out the twitter feed on Rockjaw's Blog.

I think ths answer is 'no'.


The wisdom of Shadowe: Ghostraptor: The Shadowe is wise ...; FFM: Shadowe is no longer wise. ; Techbot_Alpha: Also, what Shadowe said. It seems he is still somewhat wise ; Bull Throttle: Shadowe was unwise in this instance...; Rock_Powerfist: in this instance Shadowe is wise.; Techbot_Alpha: Shadowe is very wise *nods*; Zortel: *Quotable line about Shadowe being wise goes here.*

 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Just noticed this at Massively.com,

You alright there guys?

[/ QUOTE ]

Check out the twitter feed on Rockjaw's Blog.

I think ths answer is 'no'.

[/ QUOTE ]

Holy [censored]... oh dear, oh dear. This does not bode well. What about the other COH folks? If their boss is gone, then who's going to replace him?

Sorry you got made redundant RJ. Hope everything works out for you


"Idealism is such a wonderful thing. All you really need is someone rational to put it to proper use." - Kerr Avon

Myopic Aardvark on Twitter

 

Posted

*Puts up his umbrella*

Looks like the brown stuff is hitting the rotary device...


@FloatingFatMan

Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

 

Posted

Holy brown stuff.

Never thought it was that serious.

They were mentioning something about UK publishing and QA operations for an untitled MMO.... not the European community support team. :O


 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Just noticed this at Massively.com,

You alright there guys?

[/ QUOTE ]

Check out the twitter feed on Rockjaw's Blog.

I think ths answer is 'no'.

[/ QUOTE ]

I got that twitter earlier and can summ it up by going "eeeeep"

Lets hope then and everyone else get some concreete news. Nothing worse than teh intersweb rumor mill.


 

Posted

Bad form, bad form indeed from NCsoft - things are not looking too good for the future now. For those caught up in it, sorry to hear what's happened and I hope you guys find a new job soon.

With the rumours that Tabula Rasa might be next on the chopping block (a pity if true as it has improved somewhat) it's certainly going to raise questions about the entire product line. If Brighton wasn't safe, how long until someone high up decides our EU servers aren't worth it and we're all shipped off stateside?

I'm far more concerned about what's going to happen to the staff rather than us mind.

It seems to be the season for this sort of thing alas, as Microsoft announced they're shutting Ensemble Studios (Halo Wars) next year too.


 

Posted

Ouchies. Fingers crossed for as many people as possible on the Brighton team, and commiserations/good luck for those on the wrong side of the line.


 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Just noticed this at Massively.com,

You alright there guys?

[/ QUOTE ]

Check out the twitter feed on Rockjaw's Blog.

I think ths answer is 'no'.

[/ QUOTE ]

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Ballz.
Commiserations/good luck to all involved.


 

Posted

I think that, before we all start to cry that DOOM™ is upon us, that we REALLY REALLY need some kind of official comment on this...


@FloatingFatMan

Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
Never thought it was that serious.

They were mentioning something about UK publishing and QA operations for an untitled MMO.... not the European community support team. :O

[/ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
UK publishing and QA operations, which are based at the same offices, are set to remain in place.

[/ QUOTE ]

What that line from your original post is saying is that the staff who handle punlishing (i.e. european game distribution) and QA (i.e checking patches and such) will be remaining at the Brighton site.

Now, since the EU Community Team is actually the team of people who get stuck with the job of dealing with us lot while trying to do their real jobs at the same time, they should be fine because it's logical that they come from the QA section. That's conjecture, however.

Really, we're back to where we were when the game launched. EU operations, QA and publishing in Brighton. No development team. I'm sad that people who I know (Bridger in particular) moved over to development and now possibly regret that, but I don't see this as a doom situation for the european operation. It may be, but I don't see that from the evidence.

And I can hearily commiserate with those now looking for new jobs. Been there, still doing that.


Disclaimer: The above may be humerous, or at least may be an attempt at humour. Try reading it that way.
Posts are OOC unless noted to be IC, or in an IC thread.

 

Posted

I agree with FFM - my fingers are well and truly crossed.


@Wild Red

"In the Rogue Isles, loyalty goes to the highest bidder." Wild Red

 

Posted

Is this what GhostRaptor was implying when he said enigmatically in a post he wondered where we would all be living?

Sorry to hear it guys and I hope as many as possible whether the storm.


 

Posted

... Damn. Damn, damn, damn.

Damn.

I've got my fingers crossed for all concerned in this, here's hoping things work out, or at least don't go to hell in a hand cart. Not even that worried about CoHEU to be honest. Cause it's the people behind it that helped make some of the game what it was.

Zortel passes over the Luck's, Sturdies, a couple of Insights and one or two Enrages.

Seriously... Would it help if we all went out and bought NCSoft products? Cause I could get TR and Eye of the North, maybe!


 

Posted

I'm with Zortel... Sod CoHEU, it's the staff I'm worried about! Morale must be pretty sucky there right now...

*big hugs* for everyone there, and I REALLY hope things will be OK for you guys...


@FloatingFatMan

Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
I'm with Zortel... Sod CoHEU, it's the staff I'm worried about! Morale must be pretty sucky there right now...

*big hugs* for everyone there, and I REALLY hope things will be OK for you guys...

[/ QUOTE ]
Aye. No one enjoys losing their jobs.

On a side note, Palladium posted this on the French boards :
[ QUOTE ]
Un article de presse devrait être publié dans les prochaines heures, sachez juste que City of n'est pas affecté, le jeu se porte au mieux depuis longtemps et reste l'un des produits phare de NCsoft, malgré ce que certains peuvent penser.

[/ QUOTE ]
A press release should be available from NCsoft in the next couple of hours. Know that "City of" won't be affected by this. The game is alive and at it's peak for quite some time now and is set to stay as one of NCsoft's leading titles, regardless of what some might think.


 

Posted

"Know that City of won't be affected, the game is alive and at it's peak for quite some time now and is set to stay as a leading title of Ncsoft, regardless of what some might think.
"

Now I love City Of as much as anyone else but to be honest. I don't give a damn about it at the moment. For me COH is all about the community and the rednames are a huge part of that. I really don't like the idea of a coh future without rockjaw and all of the other awesome ncsoft europe guys.