I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall when they pulled him into the office and told him he was out. I would be willing to bet you could hear his tirade 2 floors down.
I saw this guys rage at a EQ fan at a SOE fan faire once and knew it was just a matter of time.
I wish you the best of luck Smed... sorry you had to go through all that personal crap from haters. I might not of agreed with every decision you have made over the years, but I appreciate your risk taking to try and push the online game genre forward.
I might not post often, but I've been playing MMORPG's since the first EQ, and I lurk around on these forums almost daily. The amount of hate that a lot of you send towards people like Smed, and also McQuaid, makes me sick at times. We all need to remember that these people are human and are not going to be perfect. Maybe instead of nitpicking every single mistake that is made to the point that mass hate is generated towards people like Smed, we should be grateful that we have the opportunities to play these games at all. Risks must be taken in order for things to move forward and progress, we should respect those who take risks not scorn them. I personally found it refreshing to see someone who wasn't afraid to speak their mind, regardless of their position within a company. The amount of tip toeing around issues and this PR spun - always gotta be politically correct - BS that occurs in today's world is absolutely ridiculous! All so someone who is just looking a reason to get mad in the first place isn't offended. More people should speak their mind like Smed, I think the world would be better off...
Anyways, I'll crawl back into my hole and continue to go back into lurk mode now that I've spoken my mind on this issue... lol.
Have a well earned break and sort this stuff out with LQ then come back to DBG with an new position in the company. Sounds like a bit of a holiday. Look forward to having back at the helm in some capacity.
Yes, this was way overdue. I never understood how someone with his temperament was the manager of anything. I think his comments on twitter showed how frustrated he really was......... he is worn out I think. And, he has worn out his welcome at Daybreak!
Proud MMORPG.com member since March 2004! Make PvE GREAT Again!
Amazing to me that destroying several games didn't result in his removal, but 140 characters or less in today's absurdly PC world could.
This to me is the truth of the matter as well. Not enough of what this man was doing on a weekly/monthly basis was even covered by the news sites like these. Apparently people can turn a blind eye if the hype is large enough for the IP you're behind the wheel of and SOE has been full of hype for years now with very little substance to back things up. I don't in any way condone the actions of DDOS punks who mistakenly call themselves hackers but at the same time it's smart NOT to provoke anyone. duh.
I didn't really play any of the games he was involved in so I can't really say anything either way, but seems like he brought this on himself taunting a bunch of script kiddies.
I didn't really play any of the games he was involved in so I can't really say anything either way, but seems like he brought this on himself taunting a bunch of script kiddies.
TO be fait it was the script-kiddies that "started it" with the constant ddos-ing and then it just escalated from there. After all if someone called in a bomb-threat on you, posted pics of your parents defaced graves and made very personal threats to you,... You would be fairly pissed too.
Not saying that acting like a douche on the web should not be answered in the same... But what LS did was in essence taking a baseball bat to someone for them bragging that they made awesome helmets. There are proper levels of resonse and then there is "loco for coco-puffs while putting your underpants on your head over reaction" guess what i think LS did.
No i do not agree with all the choices smed have done over the years... But this insane over reacting have to stop... I know a little whiff of power can be very intoxicating. But the number of times that destroying someones life or threaten them with bodily harm are a valid form of argument can be counted on a maimed hands five fingers.
What really makes me sad is to see how people are responding to this.
I might have felt he made strange decissions, might not have agreed with many things he has done. But he was still one of the few CEO's that actually was closer to us gamers then most who sit on their high horses and hardly speak out.
Actually I feel a part ashamed to be a gamer seeing some of the responses people placed all over the forums.
Wish JS best of luck and hope he stay's in the industrie, the industrie he helped building, without him this genre would have been completely different and for sure there would have not been a WoW.
Wow... this is great news! Jon Smedley has been of the most narrow minded gaming CEOs ever. His ideas have been paramount. He did not value other ideas but his own. I have read quite some interviews with him and he has made this point clear more than once.
Without him, EQNext might really have a chance to become a great game and even get some advertising. JS always told us: games don't need advertising :rolleyes:
Wow... this is great news! Jon Smedley has been of the most narrow minded gaming CEOs ever. His ideas have been paramount. He did not value other ideas but his own. I have read quite some interviews with him and he has made this point clear more than once.
I have never once gotten that impression from any interview I have read or conversation I have had with him. Can you link to an article or interview you read that led you to that conclusion?
There isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to play, if you want to use a screwdriver to put nails into wood, have at it, simply don't complain when the guy next to you with the hammer is doing it much better and easier. - Allein "Graphics are often supplied by Engines that (some) MMORPG's are built in" - Spuffyre
Originally posted by DelCabon Way overdue. Never understood how someone with his temperament was the manager of anything. Kudos he made it as far as he did but it was inevitable that he would be the instrument of his own undoing.
Yeah. Weird how they would allow a man who has made them billions of dollars to stick around despite having a big mouth. It's almost like they're in business to make money, not friends.....
What makes you think he made Sony billions of dollars?
The last 10 years of SOE were marked by failed projects, dozen+ cancelled games, entire studios closed down, failed acquisitions, multiple rounds of 100+ employee layoffs, etc etc.
Keeping Smed around is pretty much the reason SOE wasn't making money for the last 10 years.
Lol some of you in your pathetic hate are not reading it properly. He hasn't left the company he has taken time off and a position will be made avaliable on his return.
Get some rest John then come back fresh.
John has been fired from his CEO position and his employers are seeking his replacement. .
If he returns, and that is a big if, just what demoted position do you think he is going to be allowed to occupy and how "fresh" do you think he is going to be not running the company he built?
If you were Columbus Nova, what value do you see in having John Smedly in charge of anything at your company?
Originally posted by DelCabon Way overdue. Never understood how someone with his temperament was the manager of anything. Kudos he made it as far as he did but it was inevitable that he would be the instrument of his own undoing.
Yeah. Weird how they would allow a man who has made them billions of dollars to stick around despite having a big mouth. It's almost like they're in business to make money, not friends.....
What makes you think he made Sony billions of dollars?
The last 10 years of SOE were marked by failed projects, dozen+ cancelled games, entire studios closed down, failed acquisitions, multiple rounds of 100+ employee layoffs, etc etc.
Keeping Smed around is pretty much the reason SOE wasn't making money for the last 10 years.
I remember being online when EQ1 broke the record for most number of people online subbing to 1 game. At that time it was 500k. Thats about 7.5 mill a month at that time. Add in the many years even at 100-200k subbers for just one game, billion is not hard to get to. You call it a failure with games cancelled but just about every studio over the past 17 years has closed games. Its common. As people move to new games and old games are not supported by the community. They get closed. But I forgot, what you are spinning is negative so it must be true, thats how the internet keeps working. P.S. DGC has been in hiring mode for a while now, cant be as bad as you wish, hope, pray for. Sorry!!!
I see some are using an excuse or lullaby to back up Smedley.
I can say truly i was a huge Smedley fan.SOE was my fave studio for many years,but that is no excuse for the last 5+ years of failure.
You cannot say well his EQ1 had the record subs therefor he is the king of gaming for the rest of his life.
Smedley spent a lot of time BRAGGING and that never flies.He was bragging that Freerealms would likely hit 100 million players then the game closes down a few years later.He took a ton of initial spending on the TCG game then closed it down very quickly and that game had a lot of potential IF he was serious about it.
Perfect example is FFXIV,Square was SERIOUS about their game,they never gave up and threw in the towel and screwed those players over.
Point is you cannot make excuses for Smedley about what he did to ruin a company and yes he ruined the company,that is FACT and why it sold out.I have never in all my years of gaming seen such a community reaction to a game as we did with SWG,that again is more proof he ruined the company.
Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.
Originally posted by DelCabon Way overdue. Never understood how someone with his temperament was the manager of anything. Kudos he made it as far as he did but it was inevitable that he would be the instrument of his own undoing.
Yeah. Weird how they would allow a man who has made them billions of dollars to stick around despite having a big mouth. It's almost like they're in business to make money, not friends.....
What makes you think he made Sony billions of dollars?
The last 10 years of SOE were marked by failed projects, dozen+ cancelled games, entire studios closed down, failed acquisitions, multiple rounds of 100+ employee layoffs, etc etc.
Keeping Smed around is pretty much the reason SOE wasn't making money for the last 10 years.
I remember being online when EQ1 broke the record for most number of people online subbing to 1 game. At that time it was 500k. Thats about 7.5 mill a month at that time. Add in the many years even at 100-200k subbers for just one game, billion is not hard to get to. You call it a failure with games cancelled but just about every studio over the past 17 years has closed games. Its common. As people move to new games and old games are not supported by the community. They get closed. But I forgot, what you are spinning is negative so it must be true, thats how the internet keeps working. P.S. DGC has been in hiring mode for a while now, cant be as bad as you wish, hope, pray for. Sorry!!!
Sure, there was a time when SOE was making 100+ million a year with huge (very huge) profit margins. It was a massive success story.
But that was over a decade ago and since then the company has been dominated by non-stop downsizings, closures, cancellations and a player base that has dwindled to a tiny fraction of it former size. Some of the playerbase was driven away by Smed running his mouth at them (which the person I was addressing seems to think isn't a big deal for a CEO).
All of which relates to the quote I was referencing that suggests Smed was somehow bringing in MULTIPLE BILLIONS of dollars and is the type of leader that any company would want to keep around.
Consider that over the last 10 or so years SEO went from the undisputed MMO leader to a company that struggles to crowd fund pre-alpha games I think he could not be further from the truth in suggesting Smeds depature wasn't way overdue.
I think it is beyond question that Smed was in charge for far to long and the division failed as a result of that. Even if he was a massive success 17 years ago.
Also suggesting that it is common for companies to close a single game as if it accurately represents what happened at SOE is nothing short of putting lipstick on a pig and just short of lying. Hiding from the negatives and being disingenuous doesn't equate to being a positive or optimistic person.
Smeghead needs to get out of gaming all together, he has the touch or death anything he is around and the reason I never bothered with another Sony title.
He looks a little like Al Bundy, maybe selling shoes would be better and safer for the world..LOL
Lol some of you in your pathetic hate are not reading it properly. He hasn't left the company he has taken time off and a position will be made avaliable on his return.
Get some rest John then come back fresh.
John has been fired from his CEO position and his employers are seeking his replacement. .
If he returns, and that is a big if, just what demoted position do you think he is going to be allowed to occupy and how "fresh" do you think he is going to be not running the company he built?
If you were Columbus Nova, what value do you see in having John Smedly in charge of anything at your company?
Show me the link that says John got fired. Don't show me what we have already read and try to convince me that's what it means.
And don't tell me that when someone steps down it's because they were fired or about to be fired.
Show me the link or write from DBG that they fired John.
Originally posted by DelCabon Way overdue. Never understood how someone with his temperament was the manager of anything. Kudos he made it as far as he did but it was inevitable that he would be the instrument of his own undoing.
Yeah. Weird how they would allow a man who has made them billions of dollars to stick around despite having a big mouth. It's almost like they're in business to make money, not friends.....
What makes you think he made Sony billions of dollars?
The last 10 years of SOE were marked by failed projects, dozen+ cancelled games, entire studios closed down, failed acquisitions, multiple rounds of 100+ employee layoffs, etc etc.
Keeping Smed around is pretty much the reason SOE wasn't making money for the last 10 years.
I remember being online when EQ1 broke the record for most number of people online subbing to 1 game. At that time it was 500k. Thats about 7.5 mill a month at that time. Add in the many years even at 100-200k subbers for just one game, billion is not hard to get to. You call it a failure with games cancelled but just about every studio over the past 17 years has closed games. Its common. As people move to new games and old games are not supported by the community. They get closed. But I forgot, what you are spinning is negative so it must be true, thats how the internet keeps working. P.S. DGC has been in hiring mode for a while now, cant be as bad as you wish, hope, pray for. Sorry!!!
Sure, there was a time when SOE was making 100+ million a year with huge (very huge) profit margins. It was a massive success story.
But that was over a decade ago and since then the company has been dominated by non-stop downsizings, closures, cancellations and a player base that has dwindled to a tiny fraction of it former size. Some of the playerbase was driven away by Smed running his mouth at them.
All of which relates to the quote I was referencing that suggests Smed was bringing in MULTIPLE BILLIONS of dollars and is the type of leader that any company would keep around.
Consider that over the last 10 or so years SEO went from the undisputed MMO leader to a company that struggles to crowd fund pre-alpha games.
I think it is beyond question that Smed was in charge for far to long and the division failed as a result of that. Even if he was a massive success 17 years ago.
Also suggesting that it is common for companies to close games as if it accurately represents what happened at SOE is nothing short of putting lipstick on a pig and just short of lying. Hiding from the negatives and being disingenuous doesn't equate to being a positive or optimistic person.
If you say so. Funny CN a huge investment firm that knows how to make money, left him in charge. When Smed stepped down, his best friend Russ who started this all with him is now the CEO. I dont see CN pushing someone in charge they want. My guess there are good reasons why. Of corse for you that means more gloom and doom calling as thats all you ever do on these forums. I have gone through your history and you dont talk positive about any games. Thats why your rep here is what it is. EQN could release this week and have 3 mill sales and active subs and you would find a way to spin it as bad. Why are you on these forums? Do you even like any MMOs? If you do why dont you ever talk about them?
Comments
I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall when they pulled him into the office and told him he was out. I would be willing to bet you could hear his tirade 2 floors down.
I saw this guys rage at a EQ fan at a SOE fan faire once and knew it was just a matter of time.
I wish you the best of luck Smed... sorry you had to go through all that personal crap from haters. I might not of agreed with every decision you have made over the years, but I appreciate your risk taking to try and push the online game genre forward.
I might not post often, but I've been playing MMORPG's since the first EQ, and I lurk around on these forums almost daily. The amount of hate that a lot of you send towards people like Smed, and also McQuaid, makes me sick at times. We all need to remember that these people are human and are not going to be perfect. Maybe instead of nitpicking every single mistake that is made to the point that mass hate is generated towards people like Smed, we should be grateful that we have the opportunities to play these games at all. Risks must be taken in order for things to move forward and progress, we should respect those who take risks not scorn them. I personally found it refreshing to see someone who wasn't afraid to speak their mind, regardless of their position within a company. The amount of tip toeing around issues and this PR spun - always gotta be politically correct - BS that occurs in today's world is absolutely ridiculous! All so someone who is just looking a reason to get mad in the first place isn't offended. More people should speak their mind like Smed, I think the world would be better off...
Anyways, I'll crawl back into my hole and continue to go back into lurk mode now that I've spoken my mind on this issue... lol.
Doubtful, if he had been the whole thing would have had to have been censored
Yes, this was way overdue. I never understood how someone with his temperament was the manager of anything. I think his comments on twitter showed how frustrated he really was......... he is worn out I think. And, he has worn out his welcome at Daybreak!
Proud MMORPG.com member since March 2004! Make PvE GREAT Again!
And there was much rejoicing.
People don't ask questions to get answers - they ask questions to show how smart they are. - Dogbert
This to me is the truth of the matter as well. Not enough of what this man was doing on a weekly/monthly basis was even covered by the news sites like these. Apparently people can turn a blind eye if the hype is large enough for the IP you're behind the wheel of and SOE has been full of hype for years now with very little substance to back things up. I don't in any way condone the actions of DDOS punks who mistakenly call themselves hackers but at the same time it's smart NOT to provoke anyone. duh.
Best thing he could've done for Daybreak really.
I wish him the best in other pursuits. May God bless him greatly in any field NOT video game related.
I literally LOL'd at work when I saw this title.
I didn't really play any of the games he was involved in so I can't really say anything either way, but seems like he brought this on himself taunting a bunch of script kiddies.
....Only thing that comes to mind.
TO be fait it was the script-kiddies that "started it" with the constant ddos-ing and then it just escalated from there. After all if someone called in a bomb-threat on you, posted pics of your parents defaced graves and made very personal threats to you,... You would be fairly pissed too.
Not saying that acting like a douche on the web should not be answered in the same... But what LS did was in essence taking a baseball bat to someone for them bragging that they made awesome helmets. There are proper levels of resonse and then there is "loco for coco-puffs while putting your underpants on your head over reaction" guess what i think LS did.
No i do not agree with all the choices smed have done over the years... But this insane over reacting have to stop... I know a little whiff of power can be very intoxicating. But the number of times that destroying someones life or threaten them with bodily harm are a valid form of argument can be counted on a maimed hands five fingers.
This have been a good conversation
What really makes me sad is to see how people are responding to this.
I might have felt he made strange decissions, might not have agreed with many things he has done. But he was still one of the few CEO's that actually was closer to us gamers then most who sit on their high horses and hardly speak out.
Actually I feel a part ashamed to be a gamer seeing some of the responses people placed all over the forums.
Wish JS best of luck and hope he stay's in the industrie, the industrie he helped building, without him this genre would have been completely different and for sure there would have not been a WoW.
Wow... this is great news! Jon Smedley has been of the most narrow minded gaming CEOs ever. His ideas have been paramount. He did not value other ideas but his own. I have read quite some interviews with him and he has made this point clear more than once.
Without him, EQNext might really have a chance to become a great game and even get some advertising. JS always told us: games don't need advertising :rolleyes:
At least, once the damage has been done, does it really matter whether or not he's in charge? at this point DBC is probably doomed regardless.
I have never once gotten that impression from any interview I have read or conversation I have had with him. Can you link to an article or interview you read that led you to that conclusion?
There isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to play, if you want to use a screwdriver to put nails into wood, have at it, simply don't complain when the guy next to you with the hammer is doing it much better and easier. - Allein
"Graphics are often supplied by Engines that (some) MMORPG's are built in" - Spuffyre
What makes you think he made Sony billions of dollars?
The last 10 years of SOE were marked by failed projects, dozen+ cancelled games, entire studios closed down, failed acquisitions, multiple rounds of 100+ employee layoffs, etc etc.
Keeping Smed around is pretty much the reason SOE wasn't making money for the last 10 years.
John has been fired from his CEO position and his employers are seeking his replacement. .
If he returns, and that is a big if, just what demoted position do you think he is going to be allowed to occupy and how "fresh" do you think he is going to be not running the company he built?
If you were Columbus Nova, what value do you see in having John Smedly in charge of anything at your company?
I remember being online when EQ1 broke the record for most number of people online subbing to 1 game. At that time it was 500k. Thats about 7.5 mill a month at that time. Add in the many years even at 100-200k subbers for just one game, billion is not hard to get to. You call it a failure with games cancelled but just about every studio over the past 17 years has closed games. Its common. As people move to new games and old games are not supported by the community. They get closed. But I forgot, what you are spinning is negative so it must be true, thats how the internet keeps working. P.S. DGC has been in hiring mode for a while now, cant be as bad as you wish, hope, pray for. Sorry!!!
I see some are using an excuse or lullaby to back up Smedley.
I can say truly i was a huge Smedley fan.SOE was my fave studio for many years,but that is no excuse for the last 5+ years of failure.
You cannot say well his EQ1 had the record subs therefor he is the king of gaming for the rest of his life.
Smedley spent a lot of time BRAGGING and that never flies.He was bragging that Freerealms would likely hit 100 million players then the game closes down a few years later.He took a ton of initial spending on the TCG game then closed it down very quickly and that game had a lot of potential IF he was serious about it.
Perfect example is FFXIV,Square was SERIOUS about their game,they never gave up and threw in the towel and screwed those players over.
Point is you cannot make excuses for Smedley about what he did to ruin a company and yes he ruined the company,that is FACT and why it sold out.I have never in all my years of gaming seen such a community reaction to a game as we did with SWG,that again is more proof he ruined the company.
Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.
Sure, there was a time when SOE was making 100+ million a year with huge (very huge) profit margins. It was a massive success story.
But that was over a decade ago and since then the company has been dominated by non-stop downsizings, closures, cancellations and a player base that has dwindled to a tiny fraction of it former size. Some of the playerbase was driven away by Smed running his mouth at them (which the person I was addressing seems to think isn't a big deal for a CEO).
All of which relates to the quote I was referencing that suggests Smed was somehow bringing in MULTIPLE BILLIONS of dollars and is the type of leader that any company would want to keep around.
Consider that over the last 10 or so years SEO went from the undisputed MMO leader to a company that struggles to crowd fund pre-alpha games I think he could not be further from the truth in suggesting Smeds depature wasn't way overdue.
I think it is beyond question that Smed was in charge for far to long and the division failed as a result of that. Even if he was a massive success 17 years ago.
Also suggesting that it is common for companies to close a single game as if it accurately represents what happened at SOE is nothing short of putting lipstick on a pig and just short of lying. Hiding from the negatives and being disingenuous doesn't equate to being a positive or optimistic person.
Smeghead needs to get out of gaming all together, he has the touch or death anything he is around and the reason I never bothered with another Sony title.
He looks a little like Al Bundy, maybe selling shoes would be better and safer for the world..LOL
Show me the link that says John got fired. Don't show me what we have already read and try to convince me that's what it means.
And don't tell me that when someone steps down it's because they were fired or about to be fired.
Show me the link or write from DBG that they fired John.
I'll wait while you run along and fetch it.
If you say so. Funny CN a huge investment firm that knows how to make money, left him in charge. When Smed stepped down, his best friend Russ who started this all with him is now the CEO. I dont see CN pushing someone in charge they want. My guess there are good reasons why. Of corse for you that means more gloom and doom calling as thats all you ever do on these forums. I have gone through your history and you dont talk positive about any games. Thats why your rep here is what it is. EQN could release this week and have 3 mill sales and active subs and you would find a way to spin it as bad. Why are you on these forums? Do you even like any MMOs? If you do why dont you ever talk about them?