I’ve been trying to figure out what I was going to write in this post for a few hours now, and nothing seems good enough. I can’t find the appropriate words to convey just exactly what I’m feeling. I’m hurt. Angry. Frustrated. Stunned. Of course this has to do with Daybreak Games letting go pretty much everyone I ever liked from the company formerly known as SOE. Currently known as Heartbreak Games to many of us.
I owe the people of SOE a lot. Back in February 2009 they flew me out to San Diego (my first time there) to interview their EverQuest, EverQuest II, and Vanguard teams for Beckett Massive Online Gamer. It was hectic and exciting. I was barely there for 24 hours. I had lunch with Christie (Kiara), Alan (Brenlo), and Aimee (Ashlanne). None of them are with the company any longer, and neither are the other people I met. Tiffany (Amnerys), Lydia (Zatozia), heck most of the teams I interviewed are no longer there either. It would have been easier for me to have asked who was staying, instead of who was leaving.
Out of all the messages I saw from those who were being let go, none were angry. None were spewing hatred at their fate. They were all thankful. They were sad, of course, but they assured everyone they would move on to better things. That they had gained so much from their jobs. They had bonded with friends that were more like family. As I read comments from people who had been there for 6, 12, 14 years and no longer had a job, it made me think about how much these people had affected lives outside of their own. Outside of their workplace. It made me think about all of the good they have done over the years. How thankless their job could be some days.
I hope they realize just a fraction of the good they did. I wish them nothing but the best in their future endeavors.