WoTC layoffs - Bill Slavicsek gone • Collecting General • The Acaeum

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WoTC layoffs - Bill Slavicsek gone
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JasonZavoda
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Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 8:33 pm

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/Article.aspx ... 3ampersand

I heard that there were several people let go but can't find a post confirming it.

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Zenopus
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Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2011 3:37 pm

I'm not really familiar with his work, but it sounds like he's responsible (being head of R&D for Games) for both the 3rd & 4th edition games? Does this reflect poor sales of 4th edition & perhaps a change of direction for the game?

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Blackmoor
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Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2011 4:12 pm

Perhaps he is taking the fall for the poor sales of 4th ed

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MetaSigma
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Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2011 8:36 pm

That's probably the case, but I'd guess the layoffs (if there have been any) are more of a general cost-saving measure. The same stupid corporate philosophy I've seen at work more than once--get rid of the people who've been around forever and who are drawing the larger salaries, then get the (now highly motivated) rookies to take over their duties. How can you go wrong? (Oh wait, that's how the current crop of game designing luminaries got their big titles...hmm.)

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Zenopus
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Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2011 10:19 pm

Just noticed there's three pages of discussion on this topic over on the Knights & Knaves Alehouse:

http://knights-n-knaves.com/phpbb3/view ... f=2&t=8640

Zenopus Archives website & blog: Exploring the Underworld of Holmes Basic D&D. Holmes Ref: Reference Sheets for Holmes Basic Referees, also compatible with OD&D plus the Greyhawk supplement

MetaSigma
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Posted: Sat Jun 25, 2011 8:45 am

I've read the three pages of thread at K&K, which references a review of B2 Keep on the Borderlands on RPG.net by Mike Mearls, the person who is apparently taking over Slaviczek's job as D&D Brand Manager. I've quoted the concluding paragraph of the review below, to show you just what sort of jackass is now in charge of "our" game (I couldn't believe my eyes!):

Clueless Jerk wrote:Think about it for a second. The Keep on the Borderlands was written after the Village of Hommlett, after the D series. Those modules weren't masterpieces, but they sure as heck had far more depth and coherence than this disaster of a gaming product. RPG's had crawled past the point where this module was considered acceptable. Yet, the marketing geniuses at TSR decided to bundle this baby in with the 1981 D&D Basic book. They decided that their target audience was so desperate for anything new that they could just print so much garbage and the dimwitted gamers would buy it all.

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bbarsh
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Posted: Sat Jun 25, 2011 10:04 am

Well tht sucks

And I could've bought these damn modules off the 1$ rack!!!

New modules for your Old School game http://pacesettergames.com/

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sauromatian
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Posted: Sat Jun 25, 2011 11:20 am

Clueless Jerk wrote:Yet the marketing geniuses at TSR decided to bundle this baby in with the 1981 D&D Basic book.

KotB appeared in 1980 with the last Holmes box. Consider them geniuses or not, TSR's marketers were presiding over a successful & expanding product, while today's are writing for a shrinking legacy audience.

mbassoc2003
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Posted: Sat Jun 25, 2011 12:05 pm

I think he misses the point.
The rules needed a campaign setting that had enough specifics to teach new players how to be DM and how adventures were written. That is the sole purpose behind B2. It encompasses dungeon, wildreness and settlement adventuring, and the widest array of different monster types they could fit in. I;d say it is perfectly fit for purpose. It is a teaching aid, and a hook for the D&D gameworld.

So WotC's D&D is run by an AH. Who really cares? Does anyone play the boardgame anymore? Is there a roleplaying game called D&D anymore? The who brand became a clusterf"ck with 3E. 4E seemed like an attempt to bayonet the dead.

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FormCritic
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Posted: Sat Jun 25, 2011 8:26 pm

Firings at WOTC? Too little too late.

It's been ugly listening to a guy like Mike Mearls trying to toe the party line and say that 4th Edition D&D is not seriously in trouble.

So, now Mike has to drive the big machine? Better get his resume' ready.

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Invincible Overlord
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Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2011 12:46 pm

Not only is WoTC making a few layoffs (and I think they are only a few, but I cannot substantiate that yet...), but they are also cutting back on advertising.

They did not have a presence at Origins 2011, neither in the dealer's room, or by hosting a M:TG tournament.

Seriously though... GAMA and WoTC need to kiss and make up or Origins is going to lose a lot of people next year (due to the push up of the schedule... first week of June for next year I believe...).

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benjoshua
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Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2011 7:34 pm

Invincible Overlord wrote:Seriously though... GAMA and WoTC need to kiss and make up or Origins is going to lose a lot of people next year (due to the push up of the schedule... first week of June for next year I believe...).

Same time as NTRPGCON?

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GreyM
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Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2011 7:52 pm

benjoshua wrote:
Same time as NTRPGCON?

Origins = May 30 -- June 3, 2012

NTRPGcon = June 07 - June 10 2012

benjoshua
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Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2011 11:09 am

GreyM wrote:
Origins = May 30 -- June 3, 2012

NTRPGcon = June 07 - June 10 2012

Whew! Still, one could argue there wouldn't be much overlap, but with NTRPGCON trying to grow, I'd like to see them have every advantage.

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Invincible Overlord
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Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2011 11:45 am

benjoshua wrote:
Whew! Still, one could argue there wouldn't be much overlap, but with NTRPGCON trying to grow, I'd like to see them have every advantage.

Right...

... and because Origins had to push back their schedule, it's now in conflict with a large-local convention in Michigan (I forgot the name...) that same weekend...

They should have sucked it up and kept the same schedule regardless of what Gencon did...

Badmike
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Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2011 12:34 pm

I don't think overlap with Origins will effect us at all. We are the same weekend as Soonercon (huge Oaklahoma con, Star Trek oriented but with gamers also) which is much closer and there has been little disruption from that.

Mike B.

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benjoshua
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Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2011 5:51 pm

Invincible Overlord wrote:
Right...

... and because Origins had to push back their schedule, it's now in conflict with a large-local convention in Michigan (I forgot the name...) that same weekend...

Michicon

http://metrodetroitgamers.wordpress.com ... /michicon/

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