Massive Layoffs at FFG

Shasarak · January 07, 2020, 08:05:33 PM

Massive Layoffs at FFG

Just saw this come through. Sad to see all those RPG staff being laid off.

Opaopajr · January 07, 2020, 08:29:40 PM

But are those proprietary layoffs? :confused:

(

My sympathies to the newly unemployed. Not a pleasant way to return from the holiday season.)

HappyDaze · January 07, 2020, 09:48:25 PM

That's really shitty for those that lost their jobs, but it's hardly surprising regarding their RPGs. Take a look at their forum page for RPGs, and you can see almost a dozen lines they don't actually support plus Genesys, Star Wars, and L5R--and that's not counting their "archived" dead game lines.

Omega · January 07, 2020, 10:36:14 PM

Sadly yeah they did this to themselves. Edition treadmilling and just giving the proverbial axe to support does not engender customer confidence.

But FFG does periodically do a purge and then hire new blood. Pretty sure they did one about 10 years ago?

Spinachcat · January 07, 2020, 10:48:45 PM

I wonder if they're dropping the Star Wars license.

Any word on when that's up for renewal?

Ratman_tf · January 07, 2020, 11:11:24 PM

I saw this on the X-Wing miniatures forum.

https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/topic/304182-trouble-at-ffg/

I wasn't shocked about the online division. The online app builder for X-Wing is both atrociusly bad, and necessary to play the game. Most players agree that the 3rd party app builders saved their bacon.

Sad to hear about the RPG division. I didn't play their games, but layoffs are always bad news.

tenbones · January 08, 2020, 01:15:47 AM

Yeah apparently all their RPG staff has been slagged. Sad news for them. FFG Star Wars had really good production. The game is pretty complete, they were down to just doing Era books and gear/ship books. So maybe they can get by with hired-guns and but I have no idea how they'll be able to afford that license...

It was good while it lasted, and I'll keep their stuff on the shelf with my WEG Star Wars stuff and use it proudly.

HappyDaze · January 08, 2020, 01:38:51 AM

Quote from: tenbones;1118446Yeah apparently all their RPG staff has been slagged. Sad news for them. FFG Star Wars had really good production. The game is pretty complete, they were down to just doing Era books and gear/ship books. So maybe they can get by with hired-guns and but I have no idea how they'll be able to afford that license...

It was good while it lasted, and I'll keep their stuff on the shelf with my WEG Star Wars stuff and use it proudly.

My understanding is that the licensed is packaged with things like X-wing. As long as that makes money, they'll keep going even if the RPG hangs out on life support waiting to die.

Snark Knight · January 08, 2020, 06:56:00 AM

Hopefully the books stay in production even if the staff, very sadly, were given the boot. The problem with the Star Wars line is, to my understanding, that due to the bizarre licensing contract PDFs technically come under video games? So unless you want to squint at passable-to-awful quality pictures people have taken on their phones, the books going out of print would truly do a number on the game. Nevermind the dice... though, I expect those would live on unofficially via Etscy or whatever.

I do enjoy FFG products a great deal, but the longevity of their lines will always be in doubt.

Sounds like it was due to Asmodee downsizing.

HappyDaze · January 08, 2020, 07:58:52 AM

Quote from: Snark Knight;1118454Hopefully the books stay in production even if the staff, very sadly, were given the boot. The problem with the Star Wars line is, to my understanding, that due to the bizarre licensing contract PDFs technically come under video games? So unless you want to squint at passable-to-awful quality pictures people have taken on their phones, the books going out of print would truly do a number on the game. Nevermind the dice... though, I expect those would live on unofficially via Etscy or whatever.

I do enjoy FFG products a great deal, but the longevity of their lines will always be in doubt.

Sounds like it was due to Asmodee downsizing.

I considered picking up the PDFs of their L5R, but then remembered that it requires yet another unique set of dice (distinct from the interchangeable Star Wars/Genesys dice) and decided I'll keep on giving it a pass.

tenbones · January 08, 2020, 11:05:27 AM

As much as the dice-issue was a HUGE roadblock for me. I came around on them. It took the pressure of my group and my desire to run Old Republic games in a "not d6" system to get me there. And watching a bunch of Runeslinger videos... but in the end, it came together. No regrets.

Omega · January 08, 2020, 11:19:10 AM

I wonder id any of their board games that rode the edition treadmil did poorly and effected the decision. I doubt it as the new Arkham Horror seems to be selling ok. But Eldritch Horror, the card games, etc seem to not be moving. But that may just be local quirks.

Atsuku Nare · January 08, 2020, 11:59:39 AM

People on Reddit and Big Purplex are speculating that they'll keep doing some RPG stuff with freelancers, like a lot of the game companies these days. Make no mistake, this still royally sucks for the people laid off and I wish them a quick recovery, but maybe things aren't quite as dead as it seems.

I admit to loving the narrative dice system, all the way back to Warhammer third edition. I think Genesys is a great game, and I hope they release lots more stuff for it.

nope · January 08, 2020, 12:08:01 PM

Quote from: Atsuku Nare;1118478Warhammer third edition

You shut your mouth and be cleansed, fiend. :mad:

lordmalachdrim · January 08, 2020, 01:20:20 PM

Do we know for a fact that they are laying people off or is it currently just rumor and speculation?