Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
Fallen Earth: Icarus Studios Restructures Company [Updated]
MikeB
Community ManagerAdministrator RarePosts: 6,555
Icarus Studios CEO James Hettinger has announced the restructure of the company's resources and staffing today.
Get the full details below:
“While this is a challenging step for us,” said Hettinger, “the steps were taken to maintain the growth, continued development and profitability of Fallen Earth.”
As a result of today’s reorganization and in an effort to maintain development, the combined companies will support core members of staff for ongoing customer service and continued development of Fallen Earth and company projects.
Team leads are continuing production and development on Fallen Earth Blood Sports Patch 1.4, scheduled for release on May 7. Community support and scheduled events, such as Slots Night, will continue as announced.
It sounds like everything is still on track, so we aren't too sure how these changes will affect players just yet.
Visit the official Fallen Earth website for more information on the game.
UPDATE: Fallen Earth Marketing Manager Jessica Orr offered us a comment regarding today's developments:
Our team will continue the development and production of Fallen Earth and the upcoming Blood Sports Content Patch 1.4. We will keep a solid customer support base, and production is on schedule. Players should notice little if any change in the game’s status.
UPDATE 2: Additional information was revealed by Fallen Earth's Circatrix on the official Fallen Earth forums:
Hi all. Thanks for your questions and for your interest in what's going on with the company. Some of you who know staff understand that this was a difficult step for us. As of today, there are 28 core staff members plus customer support staff and GMs. We believe in our product--we know we have a great game, and we have an amazing community. None of this will change. We are on time for Blood Sports Patch 1.4 next Friday, and we are on schedule for subsequent content updates. The decisions made today regarding staff are for the general health of the company and the game as a whole, and we don't anticipate any changes on the player side of things. Servers are up, customer support and GM guidance are still in place, and our production schedule is still on target. We appreciate your support and dedication to us personally, to our team, and to Fallen Earth.
Comments
Does this mean FE is not making enough money for the studio? i am sorry i am all confused by this news.
Think its a nice way of saying lay offs lmao
They basically lost their lead developer. They opted to replace him from within the company, than look outside for candidates. So promotions happened as certain people went up the ladder.
I'm not aware of any other changes.
Edit: Apparently some people got fired. Not sure why. "Restructuring" doesn't mean much.
Thats what comes to mind. If that's the case, its unfortunate.
Its weird we can see that the population is increasing in the game and has been for the past 6 months. The state of the game said it was increasing. Then all of a sudden patch 1.4 is pushed forward and is barely being tested in the test server and now lay - offs.
"You are the hero our legends have foretold will save our tribe, therefore please go kill 10 pigs."
For every one person joining, how many are leaving?
-Letting Derek Smart work on your game is like letting Osama bin Laden work in the White House. Something will burn.-
-And on the 8th day, man created God.-
No idea but the overall populations has been slowly increasing month by month. The game demographics has been very different from A titles which usually explode at the start and then quickly dwindle. Instead it started slow and has over time quietly expanded sort of like how Eve started.
"You are the hero our legends have foretold will save our tribe, therefore please go kill 10 pigs."
From the official forums:
Originally Posted by Circatrix
"Hi all. Thanks for your questions and for your interest in what's going on with the company. Some of you who know staff understand that this was a difficult step for us. As of today, there are 28 core staff members plus customer support staff and GMs. We believe in our product--we know we have a great game, and we have an amazing community. None of this will change. We are on time for Blood Sports Patch 1.4 next Friday, and we are on schedule for subsequent content updates. The decisions made today regarding staff are for the general health of the company and the game as a whole, and we don't anticipate any changes on the player side of things. Servers are up, customer support and GM guidance are still in place, and our production schedule is still on target. We appreciate your support and dedication to us personally, to our team, and to Fallen Earth."
REALITY CHECK
Strange thing to me is they are not being very forthcoming about what they actually did. All I hear is "everything is fine, things will be on time and customer support is up" without talking about what "re-structuring"
I play all ghame
More likely that the game is doing OK and just not as well as hoped from the investor perspective.
Probably some one on the board or key angle that got pissy about money and wanted some one's head.
What ever it is, I would not believe anything coming out of their offical channels.
Many companies are going under these days with out word one to anyone until the doors are locked.
I started Playing FallenEarth 2 months ago, having gotten the game and one month free on a promo. I didnt think i would like it, it being a post "end of times" shooter type mmorpg type game. But i found i love the Crafting system, the game play is solid and good, and the Quest lines are humorous enough to make up for some of them not being very long or as in depth as i might like. Leveling isnt instant as alot of newer games seem to do, I am very glad it takes time and effort to level.I would like to see it take a bit more to lvl still thou. I am an avid game player of mmorpg's and i would highly recomend this game. GM support in game is Very Good. Them making Changes in staffing goes with the territory of being a Game Producer, Change is going to happen in all companys, be glad they post the info freely and openly, unlike some "other " game companys. Another PLUS to this Game.
I hate news posts like this.
It's like going to the Oncologist and having him come into the room with your test results and saying "Well, I have some good news and some bad news for you..." and then putting his coat on and leaving. You are just left sitting there wondering WTF is going on...
There are 3 types of people in the world.
1.) Those who make things happen
2.) Those who watch things happen
3.) And those who wonder "What the %#*& just happened?!"
I knew this was gonna happen sooner or later. Game is freakin awesome but the elitist community attitude is ruining it. Any time some new players asks for much needed changes example fast travel. They are told to get lost because it ruins immersion for some few beta testers who for some reason think they own the game. They basically told all of them to leave so thats what players have been doing..leaving. Even big guilds like Wolves Of Wars are bleeding players. FOE broke up long time ago. S3 is empty as always and new players can't be bothered to play any further then sector 1.
Even niche game needs money for development. Today they layed off half of the staff what will happen tomorrow if they are unable to turn in profit? this game needs lots of new players..period. This is what happens when you keep telling people to leave instead of trying to solve their problems and concerns.
28 core staff members ?
I work in internet company that does a mere plugin. And we have over 40 staff. And thats after restructuring and is bare minimum.
There is no way a MMO could be anything except on life support with just 28 staff members.
Basically the truth is - game is on its way to die...
BUT What the hell happened ?
I thought Fallen Earth was a good and popular in the MMO community !
I mean it might not have WOW numbers , but it was doing good for Indy game..surely.
Its a good game but they are losing a lot of players because they listen to a very vocal minority. The new fatigue system (which majority of players were against) was implemented anyways and its also caused a lot of players to leave not to mention continuous nerfing of crafting xp. You would be surprised how many players ctaft in game, pissing them off is a bad idea. Thanks to that vocal minority of PVP players who hated crafting and didn't like the fact that crafters are gaining level just through making stuff.
Most indie games have less than that when they are CREATING their game. How many developers does Darkfall, Xyson or Mortal Online have? How many does EvE have?
Theres no telling whats going on inside icarus right now.
The worst thing they just did. Is sealing their own coffin as company.
Simply by only releasing half the information and now let speculation roam free on the internet.
How stupid can they be! Either they keep their mouth shut or they release all the information.
What they do now. Is just the most stupid thing they could have done.
A real shame to see this game going down too. Especially as the MMO scene needs these kind of games to survive!
I guess we will be stuck with WoW fantasy themepark games for a long time to come. With stupid cash shops and RMT along with it.
Here are a few of FE's problems.
Fast leveling game. Problems? For the Combat types, once you hit 45 there's not much to do. Only a couple "dungeons" that can be complete in 1 day. PvP? This is a Crafters game and that's the crowd that was attracted to it, not PvP folks.
Crafting was this games only reason for any long terms subscribers. Problem here, is, crafting can get very frustrating at times do to a lack of storeage or lack of mats. Also, certain craft lines simply take too long to finish and require way too much time gathering materials.(Advanced Vehicle books take 3-4 days to make and require hundreds of hours of scavenging)
Instead of players enjoying S4 and looking forward to Housing, we have a major overhaul of the entire game that has been worked on for months.
They took a crafting game and, instead of adding to the game and cater to your current player base, they are trying to change it into more of a PvP friendly game.
Simply put, descisions made, even during Alpha and after release were wrong.
Oh, and btw folks, "restructuring" is corporate speak for firing people because the company is losing money.
Well we will be because people dont support indie titles when they come along. For all the claims people make on these forums about wanting change, they sure have a habit of totally and utterly rejecting anything that doesnt resemble the game that exsists inside their head or their rose tinted view of games from 10 years ago. The same will happen with games like Xyson, watch this space.
It is because the users of this website do not represent majority of gamers world wide. Most of the players here are living in the past and hate anything that is new. They wan't niche games but niche games fail to turn in profits. There is a reason why games like WOW are popular. thats what players want these days. like it or not but thats the truth.
Well if that is the case, sounds like SOE executives at work again.and Sounds like a bunch of spoiled griefers are running the game.
Also nerfing XP is a good sign that they are simply trying to elongate the end game.
What ever and typical corporate fumbling and so what else is new?
Thats pretty much whats happening. Die hard fans can put all the spins the way and try to give excuses that 'its a niche game'. But sad facts is that studio is not making profit and layed off half of its staff. Unless they fix the game and listen to majority of players nothing will change. New players will come and never venture beyond first sector and leave. If they try to raise concern they will be told GO BACK TO WOW and that is exactly what they are doing.
I hate when information is posted like this. I know it is very rare to get all the information from an MMO company but one great thing about Icarus is how upfront and open they are. This is the kind of BS i expect from Cryptic, SOE or Flagship........not Icarus.
Playing: PO, EVE
Waiting for: WoD
Favourite MMOs: VG, EVE, FE and DDO
Any person who expresses rage and loathing for an MMO is preposterous. He or she is like a person who has put on full armor and attacked a hot fudge sundae.
Well, according to Escapist, they are about to close the door and say goodbye. How much truth is in it, we will see but its never good news to see a game developer go down. Especially indie ones.
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/7.191941-Fallen-Earth-Developer-Icarus-Studios-Closes-Up-Shop
Great little studio, game is refreshing too. Hope they pull through streets ahead of lots indies.