[News] Decipher RPG Product Lines Transferred

[redwood973]

This is way to early for any speculation. But I must admit it sounds like CODA Trek is dead. You don't fire the cooks in the middle of making a meal to transfer it to another kitchen, to let other cooks who didnt work on it finish it.

I have not really paid much attention to the CODA game being an ICON user still, but it seemed to me alot were using the new game. At leaste here on the boards anyway. I assume lack of profit to me the problem. Did Decipher ever release sales figrues for CODA Trek?

[Don Mappin]

Originally posted by redwood973
This is way to early for any speculation. [SNIP]

I have not really paid much attention to the CODA game being an ICON user still, but it seemed to me alot were using the new game. [SNIP]
I assume lack of profit to me the problem.

The irony being that you've begun speculating yourself.

[Greg Smith]

The layoffs suck. My sympathies guys.

A couple of interesting quotes from Matt Colville (former LUG & Decipher employee) over at www.rpg.net :

Decipher will probably outsource the game (Lotr) to someone else, they had already shopped it around by the time I'd left in November.

Decipher still has all the licenses it had last week. They didn't announce that they were canceling the lines, which is what makes me think they're going to take the dozen+ books they had finished, and print them.

(on the Lotr leather-bound book)
I think I might understand why they're doing this.

If they're planning on ramping up production, and now's about the time when that should happen, something like a new leatherbound version of the game is probably a good idea. There are a lot of people who know there's a LotR game, but who haven't tried it yet. This would get people thinking about it again, increase mindshare. People don't need to buy it, just have it in their head again.

Then new products come out (and there's got to be something like 10 fully layed out and approved books sitting over there by now. There were 8 or so ready to print when I left. And let me say again, I served as director of the studio (for whatever that's worth) for my last month there, and worked for them for 3 years before that, when I say TE isn't the problem, I'm serious) and people buy them. The current fans are going to buy these books anyway.

[Balok]

I emailed customer support yesterday. Either they're not saying anything more, or they're not saying anything more to me.

I asked them who would be staying and who leaving. I also asked what effect this would have on the production schedule.

If they answer, I'll post it.

[Capt Daniel Hunter]

Damn, I'm sorry to see Jesse and co laid off, that really sucks I'd hate to see CODA Trek share the same fate as ICON, but it doesn't sound good.

Though if it did, I suspect that would be the nudge I'd need to swap back to ICON.

Either way, what the heck are Decipher smoking???

[qerlin]

yup...'bout what i expected. at least they paid their writers. i'm still waiting on a ton o' cash from various publications; damn 'pay on publication!'

fortunately, we've got all the gear necessary to play the game. i did want that worlds book, though...

[Balok]

Matt Colville says that at the time of his departure, there were eight books ready for publication. And that he believes an additional two have been completed.

One can only speculate as to why the corporation hasn't published these books.

One possibilty is that they haven't made any money on what they have published, so they're minimizing their losses by not buying printing. But this seems unlikely, since if it were true, it's hard to understand why they wouldn't have cut the RPG Studio loose long before this -- why pay folks if you don't think you can make money from their work?

Another possibility is that their two busy to publish the books; there are too few Decipher staffers to do all the work required. This seems unlikely because the usual cure for that is to hire more staff. If you're making money, you can afford it.

A third option is that Decipher is heavily leveraged from purchasing licenses, and is struggling under the weight of it. They can't afford to buy printing, even though it would make them money. They're making just barely enough to pay their debts and keep their corporate staff paid. I think this might be the case. Laying off the studio leaves them with a smaller payroll and plenty of material to publish, while they find new writers for when this runs out. Unfortunately, I suspect this is at best a stop gab measure.

The fourth option, of course, is something I haven't thought of. They're so reticient it's difficult to see inside and form reliable theories.

So, it's just a gut feeling right now, but I see Decipher exiting the RPG business in 2004, with perhaps one or two more books published in each line. I think there's only an outside chance the company will close its doors entirely, but I'll be very surprised if there's still a Star Trek licensee at this time next year.

[Ezri's Toy]

Rather than speculate without basis, let's consider what we know:

• Decipher's web notice states that they are moving their RPG studio to VA. They did not say that they were closing up shop nor discontinuing their RPG lines.
• Some, but not all, of the L.A. staffers have been laid off.
• There are a number of CODA Trek books that are finished (in computer) or in the layout stage and are awaiting to be printed.

Based on this (and only this), what can be inferred ?

• Moving a division means laying off replaceable personnel and keeping necessary personnel. I think that all the graphic design and other production personnel would be laid off and the only personnel to be kept would be your RPG studio head and your product line developers/editors (ST and LOTR, respectively). The studio head and line developers would be kept in order to keep consistency in your product lines while all other personnel would be replaced by others at starting employee wages who would also be responsible for their own moving expenses.
  
• Considering the amount of money spent on the number of books that are finished or nearly finished, it would automatically be a financial loss if the books were not printed and distributed. Since Decipher is NOT closing up shop, the determining factor in finishing those books would be whether the remaining expense in printing and distribution would outweigh the overall expected profit margin from each product. In the long run, it might cost Decipher more to NOT produce the finished books than to shelve them.

At this point, we have no indication that the RPG lines are going away. If they are not, then it is likely that the other books will be produced eventually.

[D.S.McBride]

I was extremely ignorant in my previous posts and neglected to offer my condolences to those Decipher staffers who have been let go. To all of you: Only the best, and may this be the first step on the road toward better and brighter things for all. I've been in this situation more than once, and it's surprising how often it turns out to be true.

As an aside - regarding what we do and don't know - I believe that Don mentioned in the thread-starter that likely the entire Decipher RPG department has suffered the same fate as Jesse, et al. From Matt Colville's remark about outsourcing, the impression I get is that the remaining "RPG" staff in Virginia are going to be administrative personnel responsible for figuring out exactly how to clean up this particular boondoggle with the least amount of time and financial expense on Decipher's behalf.

Will we ever see another Trek book coming out under the Decipher banner? I don't know, and I wouldn't want to offer odds on it happening one way or the other. I would be willing to lay a dollar (Canadian funds - what, you think I'm going to risk real money here?) on this much, though: it'll probably be at least middle-late into this year before we start to hear any noises about when Worlds or any of the other egregiously overdue books are scheduled to stock the shelves. Just a hunch.

[jeffearley]

I have learned my lesson. I unfortunately pre-ordered all four of the books in the middle of the year. I have to contact usacomicbooks.com and see if there is a way to refund my money. I hope and pray that we will hear something soon regarding the four books that were advertised just in this months new star trek communicator magazine. Hopefully they will print the books and see if they can recoup some of their money. It seems weird how we kept hearing that worlds was going to print and they were working on a stng sourcebook and this basically slid under the radar and sent us all into a state of perplexity. Lets hope everything will work out. I feel for the people at decipher who were laid off, they were a talented group, they will land on their feet somewhere. Long Live Star Trek rpg!!!

[Phantom]

Originally posted by jeffearley
I...It seems weird how we kept hearing that worlds was going to print and they were working on a stng sourcebook ...

Sorry to hear about the lay offs, i'm sure they will be snatched up by other companies soon.

As to the above quote, similar thing happened with the Dune series first with LUG then with WOTC. It is my understanding at least one book for Dune is sitting next to the Lost Ark in a warehouse somewhere never to see the light of day. But, at least WOTC put the word out that they would be cancelling the RPG, even if it was 1 week before scheduled release.

[First of Two]

Is there any conceivable way in which this could possibly be considered a good thing? Because I can't see it.

Ah, well. Coda Trek, we hardly knew ye. Think I'll start buying the B5 sourcebooks.

[prophetsteve]

I feel horrible for all those who got laid off. However, I especially feel bad for Jesse.

I mean, his last job at White Wolf seemed to be a thankless job. He replaced the beloved Phil Brucato and took over just before Mage Revised was announced. Berated and accused by a vocal portion of the Mage fanbase for changes that he didn't even institute (ironically, it was Phil who instituted the much hated Avatar-Storm) and for shifting the focus (again, already started by the time he took over). While personally I didn't jive with all the changes, I understood why the changes were made and was overall quite happy with the results.

So he finally leaves WW and heads to Decipher and heads the Star Trek line. Now he gets laid off before (IIRC) a single book that he was directly involved in producing gets published.

D*mn.

Best of luck Jesse and all those who were downsized. Lets hope we get to see your involved in the industry again soon.

[Aitrus Colso]

First off, may I wish best of luck to the staff that got laid off. I know you're all top-quality professionals, and you shouldn't have trouble finding jobs somewhere within the field.

Secondly, I picked a great time to get into the game, didn't I? Well, I will still hold out hope that they may decide to continue printing the books, even if they only give us the ones that are finished or are almost so.

However, I must say that, in the past few years, I've been more and more disappointed in Decipher as a whole. I've been playing the Star Trek CCG for years now, and I've been steadily watching it die around me. There used to be a pretty steady tournament scene around me here, but it started to falter about the time Holodeck Adventures came out late in 2001, early 2002, and many of the old-time players quit. I haven't been to a tournament in over a year and a half, and haven't bought any cards for it in over four months, and I had to go out of town to do that.

All I can say is, Decipher, don't let that happen to the license as a whole. I know you can do a good job with it; you've done it in the past. Just remember that this is one of your oldest licenses and that there are people who still love it. Don't let it die out just because you can make a quick buck on these anime properties. Remember us old-timers, alright?

[Karg]

Condolences to all the staffers affected

if this is the demise (And i hope not) this would trully SUCK. I've been waiting for the Mirror Universe book since LUG anounced it's release