Hi, Recession!

Farethewell, John Deere Tractors Online, we barely knew ye. (John Deere Tractors Online is what we jokingly told people we were working on. Because, hey, tractors.)

Farethewell, John Deere Tractors Online, we barely knew ye. (John Deere Tractors Online is what we jokingly told people we were working on. Because, hey, tractors.)

So, I’m unemployed today.

Lots of games never ship. I’ve worked on two now. Suffice to say that it is getting old. :)

I don’t really want to talk too much here about my last project. As a condition of my severance I can’t discuss a great deal, and anything I say here will most likely be picked up by the MMO news sites (wave, wave!). Plus I’m still a bit sore since I think what we were working on was pretty damned cool (if nothing else, it was *nothing* like World of Warcraft) and I’m a sad panda that it won’t make it out the door.

This is also the first time in almost a decade that I don’t have something already queued up and ready to go the day I pick up my severance package. Which, given today’s climate, is KINDA FRIGHTENING, YOU KNOW? I have some possibilities (most of which involve our entire team – having the proven ability to come up with a client/server MMO prototype in 6 months is Kinda A Big Deal) but nothing definite.

Today I get to file for unemployment, for… um… pretty much the first time, ever.

Whee.

So, tomorrow, I’ll get back to snarky Youtube videos, promise.

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  • Athryn

    That means you get to devote more time to your blog, right right? :D

  • Shawn

    Sad to hear this Lum. I’m sure you’ll be picked up again soon, though. Best of luck!

  • bonedead

    Bring em on! I love snarky youtube videos.

  • EvilJohn

    I thought it was The Last StarFighter online? Anyway, sorry about the layoff, Good Luck with your job hunt.

  • Erik

    I’m sorry Lum. Getting laid off sucks. I hope you find something better soon.

  • http://www.greypawn.com GreyPawn

    Sorry to hear that, Scott. I myself got laid off in the 20% headcount reduction Sulake just went through. Community tends to be the first to be gutted. Filing for unemployment has never been more fun, so be sure to get an early start! A tip for those on the West Coast – the California Unemployment offices took a page from the classic “Zork Grand Inquisitor” Hades Courtesy Shuttle Phone when designing their automated phone tree system. It pulls out every cruel stop imaginable, and does everything short of calling your mother names. Highly recommended if you’ve suddenly found yourself with a lot of free time on your hands.

  • http://bigfootnetworks.com Arrakiv

    Sorry to hear. I ran into you and several people who were working at your studio a month or so ago, and it sounded like things were going well. Shame too, I was curious to find out what you guys were working on!

    For now, I offer you, and everyone else from over there, the best of luck.

  • Mann

    As much as I love the snarky YouTube videos, I was looking forward to your project much more.

    Sorry to hear you’re now amongst the underemployed. Here’s to me hoping you land on your feet quickly.

  • DJ Larkin

    Enjoy it, seriously. After Mythic laid me off, I realized I hadn’t had time to truly decompress in years. It was a great time.

  • http://www.imaekgaemz.com Patrick Rogers

    Welcome to the masses… I’ve been on the hunt since April, but you have a bit more weight than I do so I’m sure you’ll move on to something else soon enough… but in the meantime… Beer?

  • Goodgimp

    Best of luck, Lum, sorry to hear about the news.

  • http://dsob.wordpress.com geldonyetich

    Welcome back to the club. Stale donuts are in the living room. Today, we’re studying Perry Mason reruns and comparing and contrasting drywall patterns. But there’s signs things will pick up soon…

  • Peter S.

    Dude. :(

    Best of luck, sincerely. That’s a heck of a bummer.

  • AndyB

    Something we’re hearing from industry friends way to often these days. Best wishes in a speedy reemployment (if you so desire) and hopefully you can take some time to relax before hitting the timber again.

  • Freakazoid

    You got paid to stay quiet about a game that will never see the light of day?

    I can’t fathom why that’s necessary, but I hope the money was worth it.

  • http://tagn.wordpress.com/ wilhelm2451

    Ouch. Sorry to hear that things didn’t work out, all the more so because you felt it had something going for it. Best of luck out there.

    Looking at that picture I keep thinking “Free Tractor Ride for 3!”

  • Taymar

    :(

    I am sure you will get snapped up quickly. I hope so.

  • http://ddopl.com Sarr

    Hi!

    Get into Turbine! :) That’s the MMO developer with the highest potential now, I guess. Very innovative, and their plans actually work!

    I’d like to see you developing for D&D Online ; ). I think it’s at least worth thinking about, they seem to be constantly looking for talented people, maybe even whole teams too.

    Take care, and best of luck!

  • Rodalpho

    Sorry to hear it.

    Seriously consider interviewing in Montreal. Cold winters, true, but a great, great city, and it’s where all game development in north america is headed.

  • Blake

    Ugh that sucks man. Here’s hoping that you land on your feet quickly, though as was mentioned above I also hope that you get a brief time to relax and decompress as well.

    Sorry to hear, also, that Hannah Montana Online: The Porn years will never see the light of day. :(

  • Walt Yarbrough

    Best of Luck, Scott.

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  • Adam MacDonald

    Very sorry Scott — hope you hear from someone soon. All the best.

  • http://wowpanda.blogspot.com/ wowpanda

    Don’t worry too much. When I got laid off I was rather depressed, it was 2001 when the tech industry got crushed hard. So I went for a masters degree, and looking back it was a fun time, with different fast food restaurants, dollar movies, all close to where I live. The only thing that bring me down from time to time is that I was unemployed at the time.

  • http://www.cuppycake.org Cuppycake

    Ugh, not you too. This is totally sucky. =(

  • Votan

    Sorry to hear that Scott, I am sure you will get something soon.

  • http://iggepsrealm.blogspot.com/2009/09/here-bot-there-bot.html Iggep

    Dang man, sorry to hear that. Won’t patronize you with some slogan, so I’ll just say stick in there. I’ve often found in my own life that one door closing tends to open another somewhere else.

  • EpicSquirt

    Define “client/server MMO prototype” please.

  • Caya

    Sorry to welcome you in this sadly growing club :( . Best of luck with the job hunt, and try to look at the bright side of this (I know, I know, I’m not good at it either) – you really find time for stuff you’ve put off for years, now manage to find the *motivation* for it too and you’re all set ;) .

  • IronAngel

    :( Sorry to hear it, Scott.

  • http://blog.weflyspitfires.com We Fly Spitfires

    Doh, sorry dude :(

    If it’s on consolation, if I ever win the Euro Millions, I’d hire you and your team to make The Most Awesome MMORPG Ever!

  • Tremayne

    That sucks. Have you tried asking Cryptic – they should be in the market for a designer with a clue about PvP design?

  • Fraeg

    Well that photo suckered me for sure. My first thought was “Hell, he is throwing in the towel and is going to farm organic beets in the hills of northern California”

    Best of luck, I am confident you will land on two feet.

  • dartwick

    That sucks Lum. I hope you get something going soon.

  • http://mikedarga.blogspot.com Mike Darga

    Sorry to hear that Scott. I’m not sure if you’re looking to stay in Austin, but there are lots of places recruiting lately up here in the bay.

    I know Vigil is looking for a system designer for the 40k MMO, and I believe that’s in your neck of the woods.

  • Longasc

    I hope you will soon get a better job and that you can create a game that does not only earn you money, but will fill you with pride to have been part of the team.

  • http://iggepsrealm.blogspot.com/2009/09/here-bot-there-bot.html Iggep

    Please send Bioware your resume. I want SWTOR to be an utterly fantastic game. So want that!

  • http://www.psychochild.org/ Brian ‘Psychochild’ Green

    Sorry to hear, Scott. I know what it’s like to be running full-steam on a project only to get the rug pulled out from under you. In my case it was the company owners selling the company to Ubisoft and not keeping a license to work on the MMO we were making. *sigh* People just don’t understand how hard it is to keep a project that isn’t a WoW clone going.

    Drop me a line if you need anything, Scott. I don’t have any cherry jobs lined up, but perhaps I know someone who could use your skills.

  • http://stabbedup.blogspot.com/ Stabs

    Very sorry to hear.

    I hope someone steps in and rescues the project as has occasionally happened in the industry before. I’m sure what you were working on deserves to be made. I know I’d love to try it.

  • Michelle

    Wow Scott, sorry to hear the news. Like several others on here my game company said sayonara to me a few weeks back. Recession sucks. You have a ton of talent though, so I expect you won’t collect too many of those unemployment checks. In the mean time, make us happy and blog more!

  • Demetra

    Best of luck Lum. I can’t believe you will be on the shelf for long. I was laid off in June but with a pretty good severance package. Since it was the first time I have had more than a week off at once in 35 years I’ve actually enjoyed it.

  • Verkain

    Sorry to hear that Scott. Hopefully some intelligent developer snaps you up soon!

  • http://goamsy.blogspot.com Ritchian

    That’s too bad, Lum. Enjoy the break and you’ll be re-employed rapidly. In the mean time, snarky YouTube videos will grant you some solace.

  • Guy

    That sucks! Try to enjoy your time off, though.

  • Gabe

    Well, in this economy, take what you can get. Normally i wouldn’t condone it, but in this economy, it is totally appropriate to eat your cat. In this economy, you can justify anything with “in this economy.”

    Hold out for another great gig, man.

  • UnSub

    If you can delivery a working prototype MMO in six months, you’ll fit right into Cryptic’s production schedule…

  • Jackbnimble

    Wow, that bites, well I truely hope you fined something else that’s good soon.

  • Vetarnias

    I hope this latest experience does not dampen your interest in working in the games industry. Still, your work on those cancelled projects must appear very futile indeed.

  • gith

    Sorry to hear that chap. Something’ll turn up soon, i’m sure =)

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