So LucasArts (LA) wants them to make a follow up to the Star Wars Battlefront series. But someone somewhere screwed up when for 6 months no one is being paid. Six months half of a fiscal year. It also seems that LA changed their tactics when dealing with FRD. I can't say for sure since I wasnt there but apparently LA stopped sending people who like video games to meet with FRD and began sending a team accompanied by at least one lawyer. I cant WAIT to jump on to that issue but for now let us focus on the salt mines that are FRD.
38 Studios in Providence Rhode Island failed to pay their employees for a month before laying them off in a very brave and courteous manner (it wasn't). Now FRD does this for six months. FRD AND 38 both cite that their parent company or investor with held sufficient money in order to pay these people. Let us look at both sides of this shall we?
I want you to make toys to sell. You have many workers. I give you money to cover all expenses paying your workers buying tools and materials etc. We all know that when these toys go to sale I will make more money than what I gave you (that's the plan anyway). Sounds simple. No not according to FRD. They claim that LA intentionally sunk them and that it was malicious. Because look at it through LA's eyes: making money is stupid and not the goal of business at all. I am no Lucas fanboy by any stretch of the imagination but it just doesnt seem like a wise investment to kill a studio that has proven to turn a profit in the past. Makes about as much sense as this...
So no I personally don't think FRD is being completely honest here. 38 claims the same though citing that the governor of Rhode Island short changed them. Their ridiculous story is found here: http://lazyepsquared.blogspot.com/2012/05/38-studios-big-huge-games-and-curt.html
Now will I sit here and say that I know all about the inner woes for both companies? nah. Will I sit here and say that they don't budget correctly? yes I absolutely will.
When you fail to pay employees it is this thing called "illegal". A business should want to avoid illegal activity. To avoid situations where you may be doing things that are illegal in this business takes this other thing called "care". Let's say a fat publisher dropped some cash on my company and said to make the next Iron Man game or whatever. First thing's first. Figure out how many workers you need and figure out their equipment and hourly rate. Next figure a time frame. If the payroll portion exceeds how long it would take to make the game then you're good. If the payroll portion is projected to dry up three months before the game is finished you may need to reconsider or seek an audience with your investor BEFORE WORK BEGINS.
What I dont understand is "Hey boss I punched the numbers and we just dont have enough-payroll will be shortchanged by three months before launch.".... "Ok let's go ahead anyway." . OR not doing any projections. OR we budget correctly-everyone will be paid yet somehow when we get down to it the money is still gone. This means they are not adhering to their own budget they are breaking a cardinal law of business. Even here where I am at if we punch the numbers and a purchase is made and we end up saving 10 bucks on that purchase we do not allocate the extra ten somewhere else. Why? We planned on it being gone so to us it IS gone but not really. We seem to do the opposite in larger companies. We're running over budget in a few areas. Ok take it from...payroll? dafuq????
Just goes to show you that while video game making is a fun job it is still a business and the minute you forget that and the minute you rely on daddy war bucks to keep you alive you are living on borrowed time.
Now on to the lawyer business. A lawyer is in a room of people who havent been paid in a month this shit is laughable. This lawyer should be advising whoever that unpaid employees can get you sued or possibly thrown in jail. Yet there he is watching unpaid guys making sure THEY arent pulling anything fancy. God I love this world.
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