(Prior CIG Employee Recently Released) Something Has To Change
CONCERN
For all levels of Star Citizen fans, I thought I would get this out there as both a Backer, then an employee of CIG, then a Backer. I was employed with CIG for over 7 years. Prior to my employment, I was a backer for 2 years, and it was my dream job to be able to help make this dream project come true. Unfortunately, that came to a fold this year.
I want to make this abundantly clear: my opinion is what I am giving, not fact. I am expressing this as an educated person on both sides of the fence, twice (Backer -> Employee -> Backer), and believe my experience is worthwhile posting.
I have always (And will always) hold a fond memory of CIG in my heart. Everyone was so welcoming, I made some fantastic friends, and they treated me well through my entire employment, whether it was HR assistance or COVID goodie bags to get you through the gloom, they put out the stops and I will always admire them for that. When I walked into the office at Wilmslow way back when we were a rag-tag team ready to shape the world, we did, up to a point.
Where the problem arises, is through the project itself. We worked tirelessly to deliver on every front - Support, Sales, Marketing, Trailers, Marketing Art, QA, Office Ops, Player Experience, and the lot. The one part that affected the project the most it seems - was the game itself.
Don't get me wrong - the devs at CIG are VERY talented. I see comments like "It must be a stain against you to work at CIG". Those commentators are forgetting the revolutionary tech that has been created along the way, and they should be applauded for that. They are making tools and systems that will be used for games seen for generations to come, so please put the respect for them that they deserve.
Also, not only do I see negative comments about individuals within CIG, but I have also been personally doxxed by a certain man called DS himself. Apparently, I was meeting with people in car parks to share project secrets and should be waterboarded (His words!). Imagine doing your day-to-day job and having to put up with that. Please, take into consideration that there are really great people who are working on this project with no skin in the game and who just want to do the best job they can do - they shouldn't be belittled by the entire internet.
Onto business. I was a veteran of the project with over 7 years of experience in multiple departments (Having been instrumental in setting up some of them) and having unique knowledge of systems within Europe. I moved my home closer to work - my fantastic wife enabled me to move closer to work and she got a different job so I could progress.
Through a few meetings, I was dismissed. Not for poor performance. I didn't buy it and had a colleague of mine attend my last meeting to make sure I wasn't missing something. Surely they wouldn't get rid of someone who was a high-performing asset, who could have been useful to ANY team within CIG, who could have helped steer the ship essentially.
I want to reiterate everything is my opinion and not indicative of CIG, their reputation, spending, project trajectory, employees, etc.
In my opinion, they have incorrectly calculated their trajectory and player spending through 2023 and beyond. I believe that after so many years of the project not delivering, it's time to start grasping at small straws at least. I believe the fact that I do not want to play the game because the progress resets, the features are not complete, the guides are atrocious and in general, the future is unclear (For anyone at any level) shows CIG really needs to change their stance on what they do, how they do it, and how they communicate it.
In my opinion, they have over-invested in the Manchester office they have just built. They are more bothered about the wall art than they are about investing in additional staff. I personally saw a hiring freeze whilst spending $$$'s on making the office look like a piece of space art. It's fantastic to walk into, but as soon as I found out I was being laid off, I looked at everything differently. Some of the art was the same as my salary or multiple people's salary. Looking up the costs of office furniture (FURNITURE, not equipment) you could pay someone with two office fitments. TWO. there are a large number of offices, and when I heard the hiring freeze kicked in, and then they were having layoffs, I had to speak my mind.
The future for this project: They have to keep generating additional cash or it folds. If you do not buy certain elements, people lose their jobs, the game gets delayed, etc. I can't offer my exact recommendation, because my good friends lose their jobs, and they are fantastic at their jobs and don't deserve it at all. That being said, everyone who is buying the ridiculously priced items is propping up the project completely.
I was personally involved in the Cutlass Steel pricing. I suggested a ceiling figure of the ship based on its capabilities in comparison to the other Cutlass ships and its competitors (The Cutlass Black is notoriously undervalued, but still....). Despite my recommendation, the price got HIKED because "Surely people will buy it, it's a Cutlass".
This is a perfect example of what happens when people vote with their wallets - it makes them realize that it was a bad decision and that they should learn going forward. I think this is the key to going forward for the entire project. I think that the team can deliver key gameplay improvements going forward that encourage players to play and return, rather than trying to drip-feed concepts to people who may never fly them (I'm looking at you BMM). People "play the CCU game" to get a $500 ship for $250. Thats insane. I personally won't be spending a nickel or dime until the game is delivered, because I became a concierge backer over a period of 5 years and I still don't want to play the game as it is today, which hurts me because I contributed directly to it and want it to succeed. I'm just not going to perpetually test a product that, at this point, should be released.
Despite every conversation I had, despite every advantage I had for myself in the company, I was laid off, and I am so thankful I was. I now have more time with my family which is the most important thing to me. I now work for a company where every contribution I make is heard, and more importantly, it makes an impact on the company itself. I would never have left CIG if I wasn't pushed. I worked damn f*cking hard at it, and I'm proud of my work that has led to multiple successful teams.
I wish them the absolute best of luck, but I also hope that the people who genuinely want the project to succeed speak their minds, vote with their wallets, criticize where it's appropriate and champion where milestones are reached. We have a dream, and someone is trying to make it a reality, but don't get caught up in that dream if the reality is being shoved blocks down the road every time you get an update (or don't).
