After the ZeniMax layoff, The Elder Scrolls Online may never be the same

Unfortunately, this doesn't really come as a surprise The Elder Scrolls Online Developer ZeniMax Online Studios has suffered as a result of Microsoft's recent job cuts, but recent developments reveal just how bad things are for the Maryland outfit. Zenimax Online's workforce has been cut by more than 200 as part of Microsoft's latest cooling, including several senior roles, including studio head Joseph Barba, a 14-year company veteran.

Other notable impacted roles include Director of Studio Operations, Director of Studio Games, Studio Art Manager, and VP of Global Sales and Business Development. This is a startling turn of events, doubly so when viewed in the context of The Elder Scrolls Online As an MMO, a genre that needs constant support more than any other. With many eliminations, there is a strong chance The Elder Scrolls Online As fate may meet Fate 2 Not long ago, though still had a healthy player base. This is obviously a shame on many levels, but such a mass exodus of talent could have more significant consequences for ZeniMax Online down the road.

As mentioned above, The Elder Scrolls Online Being an online game requires more attention, and such a large reduction in head count is almost certainly going to have knock-on effects for the game's content going forward. More interesting, however, is what this could mean for ZeniMax Online Studio – a developer with the word “online” in its name. It's highly unlikely that this particular branch of ZeniMax is going to downscale going forward, making small, single-player games, or small-scope multiplayer games. It's hard to guess what ZeniMax, and by extension Microsoft, has planned for the studio, but at this point a shutdown seems a bit more likely than a comeback.

Naturally, Zenimax's public-facing statements about its future are more optimistic. In a letter received by Game File, E.S.O Producer Susan Kath and studio game director Rich Lambert wrote that “they have great faith in continued growth. E.S.O“Under the new leadership of Josh Henderson and Nick Giacomini; Henderson was previously head of business operations, while Giacomini was promoted from director of product management to director of games. The Elder Scrolls Online Just last year. The pair will apparently co-head the studio.

These statements are hard to understand, and even harder to take at face value. There hasn't been much status quo on Xbox lately — the brand bought billions of dollars worth of studios just a few years ago, and now many of them have closed or downsized, hence the promises of “continuous growth” in the game. E.S.O Can feel rude. If ZeniMax Online really plans to grow The Elder Scrolls OnlineConsidering the exodus of this talent, it will probably be in for a tough time. The leadership structure was overhauled after more than half a dozen senior roles were eliminated E.S.O It's passed the ten-year mark (an increasingly rare milestone in the live-services space) now appended. Like Id Software before it, consistently strong performance wasn't enough to save ZeniMax from the dreaded “Xbox reset”.

The future of ZeniMax Online Studio suddenly appears to be in jeopardy

Again, over 200 roles at ZeniMax Online were eliminated this summer, and while I'm sure at least some of these roles will be filled again in the coming months and years, replacing the loss of talent and experience isn't so easy. This is especially true for the affected leadership and managerial positions: there's really no telling how the team will respond during a time when there are so many sudden changes in leadership and the chain-of-command, and a busy time for the industry to boot. Even if Zenimax decides to invest heavily in its new talent (something that seems incredibly unlikely, given the reason for Xbox's mass cutbacks), it may not be the best fit for the new talent. E.S.O. If it would be a thing E.S.O were struggling and needed new leadership, but that doesn't seem to be happening.

One of the reasons this kind of story is so depressing is that, from the consumer's perspective, these decisions seem so contradictory. You can improve your income and perceived growth by aggressively cutting roles, and maybe cut some company employees, but talented, dedicated people make plays at the end of the day. If a gaming company lays off thousands of people, it will lose all the ideas, support and expertise these people have to offer in the future. The combination of these ideas and experiences leads to amazing games, and you can't put a price on that.

ZeniMax is a microcosm of the larger issues of online position gaming

I don't mean to pick on anyone, but situations like these are how companies like BioWare and Konami fall from grace. We've seen how the departure of even one person (eg Casey Hudson, Hideo Kojima) can affect a studio's output and public perception for years. break up E.S.O Employees like Joseph Barba and Susan Kath may not be Hudson- or Kojima-level developers, but they still have decades of industry experience between them, and that will be extremely difficult to replicate, especially in the midst of a company-wide restructuring designed to deliberately cut costs.

I always hope that those affected by the discount will fall back on their feet, contribute their talents elsewhere and further enrich the industry, and this case is no different. But with tens of thousands of game industry workers laid off in just a few years, how many employees will simply move on to other fields, and how many starry-eyed, young developers will abandon their dreams in light of such a bleak industry landscape. One can only hope that studios like ZeniMax Online can weather this storm and that the industry will move towards more sustainable practices in the future.

issued

April 4, 2014

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and gore, sexual themes, use of alcohol, violence