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All MMo`s cut back only employee`s after release so this is nothing new . according to this report since April they have cut back over 300 employee`s wether it`s acurate or not , who knows but that`s a big layoff .
http://connachttribune.ie/galway-jobs-blow-300-gone-software-firm/
If you read through the article it's not as worrying as it sounds:
Up to 200 employees were let go after just three weeks with the company – including a week of training.
“In April, the company said it wanted 200 more workers. They went through a week of training, worked for two weeks and were let go. These would have been people taken in on two to six-week contracts.
It’s understood that there are now just over 100 employees at the European customer services centre in the Rahoon Business Park (near B&Q).
It looks like these were short term Customer Service Reps hired to handle the flood of tickets that they predicted (correctly) would happen at release. They weren't programmers or devs or permanent employees of ZoS.
As I figured, the 'not so great' customer service folks people were running into I'm guessing.
I can tell you exactly what this was. Just after launch they moved their satellite Ireland cs office into their cs floor of their building. A lot of workers were let go and then re staffed with usa cs positions in maryland. In fact one of our own was hired because of that transition.
For anyone looking for work. ZeniMax is still hiring like mad.
Yeah, but can't work for home so I'll stick with what my state Vocation Rehab found for me to do part time even if working for ZO would be way more fun. =)
Too bad their offices are on the east coast, and not seattle, smile.
Hiring like mad for what? Customer Service isn't really my bag of tea, considering my social anxiety and whatnot.
I've always wanted to try, but never been too sure about what I can do at a MMO developer. I've figured that with my vast experience with this genre of game over the last couple of decades, I'd imagine there should be something. I've always figured content design, since I'm not a programmer and not an artist.
OMG I'd love to work for Zenimax. Too bad my experience is all in finance and accounting and I have never held a job in the game industry. Getting paid to make games would be awesome. Can't imagine I'd make it past the first interview though.
Interviewer - "So, you say you play ESO, what are your greatest likes and dislikes?"
Me - "Well, I sure do enjoy AvA, but whoever decided it should take 300 hours of mostly solo gameplay to reach max level is a complete moron."
Interviewer - "That was my decision."
So they actually do have an exit survey when you unsubscribe and while I was very polite in it. I don't think I would get to the interview part ;) nor do I wish to work for a game developer, I like my job making gadgets for the medical industry.
I don't want to crush anybody's dream, but I think if you guys want to work there you maybe hanven't read much about the games industry. I don't know any specifics about Zenimax, but in general, everything I read about the game industry says it's a very grindy profession - at least for the programmers. You always are reading about companies that ship a game and then lay off the development team. I suspect the customer service experience isn't any better.
Yeah as much as I love the idea of making games for a profession, the idea of spending 16+ hour days in a cubicle in front of a PC screen chewing away at some code/cud like some bad bovine metaphor just has no appeal. Even QA jobs aren't really that interesting unless you can do it from your own home office.
Alright, so they do have an exit survey. I didn't have a chance to cancel, they messed up my billing somehow and to fix it, I had to resub another month. I think I've mentioned that they needed one before, and I was about to find out for sure.
Also, yes, its a very volatile industry. That's a main reason that I've never taken jobs with companies outside of the Seattle area, I've not been in a position to pack up and move with the jobs. That's starting to change, now. Not the industry, but my ability to move around.
They didn't send the survey until a few days after the sub had expired.
Well, at least they sent one and hopefully most will respond and be honest.
I remember that Blizzard used to lay a guilt trip on you with a crying Orc. Just nothing more pitiful than that. LOL
I expected the layoffs. (I didn't expect them this soon, however). From what I've seen employee layoffs are just a single step towards a game going to free to play. I've said all along that this game will inevitably become FTP.
I should also mention that free to play is not a bad thing (IMO).
Galway is both good customer service and good localization.
I believe the latter is more what they're focusing on in this event.
For content changes or expectations, look for Maryland/DC Area changes.
