Nexon America Restructures, Undisclosed Number of Employees Laid Off - General News

SBFord

Nexon America Restructures, Undisclosed Number of Employees Laid Off - General News

GamesIndustry.biz is reporting that an undisclosed number of Nexon America employees have been laid off as a result of

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BillMurphy

Yeah, Hyper Universe has to be part of it too. That was the pet project of the Nexon America CEO, despite everyone saying “don’t do a MOBA.”

SBFord

That and LawBreakers....ugh. The MOBA bubble has burst are team shooters next?

Aeander

SBFord said:

That and LawBreakers....ugh. The MOBA bubble has burst are team shooters next?

I consider Gigantic to be much more of a hero shooter than a moba. So, yes. 

MadFrenchie

SBFord said:

That and LawBreakers....ugh. The MOBA bubble has burst are team shooters next?

I think it's time.  Though, there are certain takes that we haven't seen that I wish we had...  Like a Transformers hero shooter.

moosecatlol

I'm surprised this didn't happen sooner. Guess this means no MS2, despite creating English Translations and hiring English VAs.

btdt

Look on the bright side... means a whole slew of new kickstarters shortly.

Whenever there are layoffs, the kickstarters flourish.

Albatroes

The timing of LawBreakers honestly spelled its doom from the beginning so much so that even a blind man could see it. Dont tell me people here honestly thought Hyper Universe honestly stood a chance? Especially given that NCSoft shut down MxM which seemed to be doing alright (I know the 2 aren't related company wise but in terms of the market, they are).

amtarace

Nexon office in Berlin is also closing soon.

BruceYee

MadFrenchie said:

SBFord said:

That and LawBreakers....ugh. The MOBA bubble has burst are team shooters next?

I think it's time.  Though, there are certain takes that we haven't seen that I wish we had...  Like a Transformers hero shooter.

There was one already by Jagex that shut down after selling founder packs for hundreds of dollars.

BruceYee

I don't mean for my comment to come off as racist/sexist but there's no other way to say this, a lot of the dudes in their games look like ladies and there is a crazy overuse of cutesy stuff and pastel colors which isn't my personal preference. If I'm gonna choose to play a male avatar I want it to actually look like a guy. Many eastern games also don't have much depth and feel like not a lot of effort was put into making them like they copy/pasted from the thousand other generic eastern games that came before. Along with all those things tack on the bad reputation of eastern game companies for shutting down games or bots or cash shops. Square I think is the exception cause they earned their reputation over decades in the west and aren't just trying to come for the quick buck like some of the others.

geburahsan

Hyper Universe could have fared better if they didnt start with the censorship bullcrap (lost over 2/3 of its fanbase thanks to that genious move). Its more famous for its censorship that even managed to affect the Kr version as well, more than any other aspect of the game

Sovrath

BruceYee said:

I don't mean for my comment to come off as racist/sexist but there's no other way to say this, a lot of the dudes in their games look like ladies and there is a crazy overuse of cutesy stuff and pastel colors which isn't my personal preference. If I'm gonna choose to play a male avatar I want it to actually look like a guy.

That's probably a cultural thing. I mean, you think you know what a "dude" looks like because you observe what other "dudes" around you look like.

But in other countries, they are doing the exact same thing. Of course one doesn't want to generalize but perhaps they look at people in the west and think 'god, dudes don't even look like men, they look like slack jawed overcompensating uneducated brutes. Who can't dress ...

Again, that's probably way off base and is a generalization. I do hate to do that. But ... maybe there is some truth here and there?

I couldn't say. I might also suggest that preferences for what a man or woman "looks like" also change over time let alone by geography.

I've also read that preferences for what a "guy" should look like can even be different from rural to urban settings.

Heck, in the interest of TMI, I have hair on my chest. I once dated a woman who hated that as she thought men should have smooth chests. But, but ... aren't guys supposed to have hairy chests?!?!?! Yet I also knew a woman who loved guys with hair on their chests as that was manly. Well, "whatever".

But yeah, of course you should make your characters look like whatever you think a dude should look like. Just be open to the fact that perhaps other cultures or just "different people" in general might look at your dude and laugh as "that's not really what a dude should look like".

On topic, always a shame that people get laid off. I just don't see the value of being in the game industry as it just seems unprofessional and mercurial with bad hours, dealing with pissy fans and then you just get laid off only to have to scrounge for another job "hopefully" in the area you live.

Talorion

I was working 5 Years for Nexon and this "restructuring" reason is just bullshit. The truth is that this is the result of countless mistakes and failed desicions made by the managers and directors board. This also include the CEO Owen Mahoney. They all was blind for facts and correction request from all the operation departments. You can also check this from emloyers feedback by checking the glassdoor website..

Shinobe

amtarace said:

Nexon office in Berlin is also closing soon.

I am near this office, it is basicaly closed.

I am sorry for the ppl, but it all started with their payment policy and how they have handle their players tbh.

kitarad

Easy to make these MOBAs and people jump on the train. It was time the whole train derailed.

Aeander

kitarad said:

Easy to make these MOBAs and people jump on the train. 

That's precisely why we see so many of them. It may be a risky market, but it also only requires a single map, a selection of non-visual gear, and a starting roster of about 20 heroes to potentially succeed. The development time is significantly lower than other genres, and if a moba succeeds, it provides long term work for the development team. 

Aeander

Torval said:

Nexon, the parent company, is like EA, Microsoft, Sony, etc. The subsidiaries get enough rope to hang themselves and if their grand ideas don't pan out (as if they ever do), then it's the chopping block.

Wait, so they're hung and beheaded? Isn't that a bit overkill?

TiamatRoar

I used to play tons of Nexon's various games, not really caring about the publishing company behind them.  In the end, I dropped all their games over time not because I hated Nexon, but because the games themselves stopped being fun or were shut down DESPITE being fun, in both cases due to Nexon America dropping the ball on them with really stupid decisions, policies, lack of dealing with exploiters, and monetization decisions, all of which the fault lay solely with them.

Maybe they wouldn't have needed Hyper Universe and Lawbreakers to bail them out if they didn't keep mishandling all their other games.  I feel bad for the laymen but the company totally had it coming.  Heck, it still HAS it coming ideally considering that odds are the people most at fault are likely to still keep their jobs anyways.  Bah.

As an aside, thanks to costing me so many games I used to love to play, I do hate the company NOW, but I'd still play some of their games if they were any good or you know, STILL AROUND instead of shut down by Nexon.  But that hasn't happened in a freakishly long time (and I'm not into MOBAs so oh well).

SaltyDog79

Aeander said:

Torval said:

Nexon, the parent company, is like EA, Microsoft, Sony, etc. The subsidiaries get enough rope to hang themselves and if their grand ideas don't pan out (as if they ever do), then it's the chopping block.

Wait, so they're hung and beheaded? Isn't that a bit overkill?

Just make sure you do it in that order. If you go with the beheading first... hanging starts to become slightly more difficult.

Quizzical

geburahsan said:

Hyper Universe could have fared better if they didnt start with the censorship bullcrap (lost over 2/3 of its fanbase thanks to that genious move). Its more famous for its censorship that even managed to affect the Kr version as well, more than any other aspect of the game

Do you really believe that 2/3 of the players left because they made a few characters show about an inch less of skin?  Really?  Some people like to squawk loudly about that, but basically no one is going to say that the game is fun but they're quitting because a few characters now show slightly less skin than before.

Quizzical

Part of the problem with Hyper Universe is the lack of a playerbase, obviously.  But part of the problem is also that there's nothing there for a non-whale to buy.  Want to throw hundreds of dollars at buying "permanent" skins for a game that people generally believe will be shut down soon?  Even a whale who would gladly do so if they expected the game to be around for many years might flinch at that.

Theocritus

DMKano said:

SBFord said:

That and LawBreakers....ugh. The MOBA bubble has burst are team shooters next?

Lawbreakers has been dead for a while.

Moba market is the most difficult to break into by far - its just not worth trying IMO

I imagine if people want a MOBA they just jump into one of the titans in the industry anyway...once Blizzard threw their hat into the ring it was going to be difficult for new companies.

Wizardry

Nexon KR will be in trouble if their greed ruins the incoming FFXI mobile version.People can only be pushed sop far,once you cross that line they stop supporting you.I supported SOE and Square religiously,not anymore.I bought Wow...Diablo3,hearthstone"hundreds $$"i won't give Blizzard another dollar either.Ea is on that same chopping block.These businesses and their CEO and top execs want to see bonuses and their greed is overwhelming,they see a popular trend and try to cash in on it big time for more than it is worth.

These moba's are not even remotely good games,the 3 atop are driven by Esport/sponsors/$$$ and NOT by the game.If your late to the party or just jump on the bandwagon,forget it.NOBODY is busting past Dota/LOL and HOTS is only there because it is Blizzard and no other reason.

As to Nexon,i feel a very high majority consider them a greedy cash shop enterprise,they will stab themselves in the foot with their greed and get themselves all fired or laid off.

time007

nooooooooooooooooooo whats going to happen to 40 year old mabinogi nooooooooooooooooooo

AriesTiger

I wonder why I never heard of Hyper Universe? Never seen anything about it until just now and I'm a huge fan of the "pickup and play" style of MOBAs.