Opinion: WotcC pulls the trigger, again! Is the start of a TPK for D&D?

 
The web has been abuzz with the announcement of seasonal layoffs at Wizards of the Coast. Some of the casualties of this latest include well known names like Dave Noonan and Jonathon Tweet Steve Winters and Rich Baker [Edit: Thanks, Jeff!]. Some sources are putting the number of “executions” as high as 24 people out of a staff of 100.

It is no secret to people who know me as a gamer that I am not a big fan of the table-top MMO that WotC produced, D&D 4th Edition. Sure there are some good aspects to the 4th Edition, but for me personally, there are not enough high points to merit buying all of the books and miniatures that seem to be required to run the game. Great for WotC profits, not great for my style of play. Rant aside, the latest D&D outing and the layoffs seem to be indicative of WotC’s soulless profit driven approach to RPGs.

I understand the need to make money, but there was a time when RPG companies cared more about the players and good games, than they did about profit margins. We all worried when WotC bought D&D in the 90s, and now we see why. Back in the “golden days” of table top gaming, designers were like professional sports players before free agency. Those writers and designers stayed with the same company and provided continuity for storied game systems like D&D. Sadly, just like professional sports, companies and designers have broken the unwritten RPG code of Bushido and become Ronin. WotC has established itself as a Shogun who is happy to clean out the Samurai stables and they seem to do it during the holidays. There is nothing that spreads holiday cheer like unemployment…

Having WotC on any game designer’s resume is sure to open potential employers eyes, but that could work against these RPG superstars. Folks like Dave Noonan and Jonathan Tweet are not divas but could a company like Mystical Throne Entertainment afford guys like this? So where do these folks go and do they use their new found freedom for good or evil? What happens next – do these newly minted un-willing “free agents” combine forces to start a new company or do they focus their talents on creating third part products for the wildly successful Pathfinder setting?
No matter what these talented developers and designers decide to do, WotC has made a bad choice. I doubt we will ever know all of the reasons why these layoffs occurred, but personally I hope that this is not the last straw in the RPG world for talents like Andrew Finch, Stacy Longstreet, William Myers, Randy Buehler, Julia Martin and Jennifer Powers. Here is to hoping and praying that this isn’t a sign of impending doom for D&D.

Here is part of a statement by now former WotC, Bill Slavicsek, that shows the caliber of the folks WotC is losing: “My professional time with D&D may be coming to an end, but the game and its worlds will always be near and dear to my heart. I am a gamer, first and foremost, and it’s the game I always go back to for inspiration and fun. So, until our paths cross again, do what I’m still doing and… keep playing!”

If that had been me, I don’t think I could have been gracious. It is my sincere hope that each and every one of the effected folks finds what they are looking for in their future. As for the future of D&D let’s hope this isn’t the first hit in an encounter that could result in a TPK.
 

About Cape Rust

Cape Rust is an international man of thespionage. Born and raised in San Antonio Texas, he joined the U.S. Army where he served 12 years six as a Military Policeman and six as an all source Military Intelligence Analyst. Being a fat, bald version of James Bond, his geek interests are wide (like his belly) and varied. His collection of gadgets (electronic and travel related) are only rivaled by the amount of pockets found on most items of clothing he wears.

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