-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
RUMOR: Microsoft to cut many jobs, including Xbox EU marketing (could reach 12K cuts)
- Thread starter nynt9
- Start date
REMEMBER CITADEL
Banned
You don't like the things he says, so he should get fired, even though he's possibly (well, probably, otherwise he wouldn't be at his current position) doing a great job behind the scenes. And it's totally justified because he's rich, and he will have no trouble sliming (why, of course, what else could human scum such as himself do?) his way into another company. I have no words. This is so embarrassing. Fucking gamers.
Nobody is fine with 6000 people losing their jobs, but nobody is spewing ridiculous hate-fueled bullshit against 5999 of those people.
So, is this a good or bad time to start looking and applying for jobs at Microsoft's Reading (Xbox) division? (No sarcasm, I really don't know.)
Because, guess where I moved to over a year and a half ago while being jobless (still)...
Sigh...(not just for me, mostly for this latest batch of people losing their jobs in this messed up world we live in)
Because, guess where I moved to over a year and a half ago while being jobless (still)...
Sigh...(not just for me, mostly for this latest batch of people losing their jobs in this messed up world we live in)
Herbspiceguy
Member
Panajev2001a
GAF's Pleasant Genius
Unless those are not just his views but corporation-wide views... Still, you might want to tell him to shut up expecially in such a case as you are trying to manipulate people's perception of you and such things spilling out do more harm than good.
Benjamin1981
Member
Xbox Europe marketing deserves to be fired. All the ads for the Xbox One are atrocious.
Panajev2001a
GAF's Pleasant Genius
Alx
Member
Honestly, if the current marketing team was in charge of translating the content, I hope they outsource it to better suited companies and we'll get better results, because all the translations in French are awful. Mistakes everywhere, voice commands that don't even make sense, ...
I don't know if people deserve to be fired but MS's marketing at least here in Eastern Europe is literally nonexistent from the OG Xbox days till today...Sony on the other hand is on a whole other level, especially during the PS3 era they did a great job.
Well in western europe they just use the american ads and localize it so not really anything missed.
Sony on the other hand have their own ad campaign for europe atleast they try.
gamerforever
Banned
Choosing a player from the Premier League would naturally alienate fans and it was a dumb move, much like Sega plastering Dreamcast all over Arsenals kit, which I was disgusted by, being a Spurs fan!
Sony's Marketing has been pretty decent, but nothing like the PS1/ PS2 days imo.
A lot of Marketing these days really is more subtle.
somebody has to download the US Xbox ads and convert them to 50Hz. And then go and make the tea.
True but this isn't blind dislike. We have very good reasons here for our disdain.
At least 20 managers and directors, it's a big department.
I haven't seen an Xbox ad here on TV or magazines in years, hell there are a LOT of people here that don't know what an Xbox is. Videogames = Playstation here and I'm not only talking about gamers or even casual gamers, the PS brand is recognizable by almost everyone here.
Sony is pushing their system and games (for rental and purchase) from the the smallest videogame store to the biggest chain stores with some (rare though) TV ads and a steady amount of magazine ads...MS and Xbox on the other hand is nowhere to be found.
I saw a Xbox add here that featured a clip containing CoD and a NFL player scoring a "touchdown" whatever the fuck that is, but he looked hype. I could almost smell the american pie, even though ive never tasted one nor know its contents.
The advertising for Xbox ever since the original Xbox in Europe has been absolutely misguided. I would not call it shitty, like the initial PS3 advertising with the dead baby dolls, since it obviously works for the Murikan market and the dead baby dolls work for..nobody.
They are so obsessed with competing against Apple, yet never learn why Apple does the things they do. At no point do i ever think of the good ol US of A when i see a Apple ad or buy one of their products. The American eagle and the stars and stripes never appear. Because they present themselves as above that stupid bullshit, making them inherently more likeable. The Forza+FIFA bundle is a step in the right direction, people do like sim racers and football here, something i or any other muck on the street could have told them in 2001. No need for focus groups, expensive "marketing" people who do a half assed job or anything
PlayStation has never, ever been presented as "Japanese" or pushed anything Japanese on anyone.
The advertising for Xbox ever since the original Xbox in Europe has been absolutely misguided. I would not call it shitty, like the initial PS3 advertising with the dead baby dolls, since it obviously works for the Murikan market and the dead baby dolls work for..nobody.
They are so obsessed with competing against Apple, yet never learn why Apple does the things they do. At no point do i ever think of the good ol US of A when i see a Apple ad or buy one of their products. The American eagle and the stars and stripes never appear. Because they present themselves as above that stupid bullshit, making them inherently more likeable. The Forza+FIFA bundle is a step in the right direction, people do like sim racers and football here, something i or any other muck on the street could have told them in 2001. No need for focus groups, expensive "marketing" people who do a half assed job or anything
PlayStation has never, ever been presented as "Japanese" or pushed anything Japanese on anyone.
thekiddfran
Member
Where there is smoke there is fire. This isn't the first time I have heard this being talked about on the internet. Microsoft is going a huge change at the moment
DirgeExtinction
Member
If true, this is going to be horrible for all those affected. 
For some reason, this feels bigger than Sony's cuts. Is it?
For some reason, this feels bigger than Sony's cuts. Is it?
Banjo-Kazooie
Member
Says a lot about you if that's what you got out of this article lol.
ultratruman
Banned
They spent less on advertising this year anyway.
Can we take as confirmation that the Xbox division, taken as separate from their EAD division, isn't profitable?
Can we take as confirmation that the Xbox division, taken as separate from their EAD division, isn't profitable?
lighthouse777
Member
they just bought Nokia and this always happens with the merging of two companies
as some jobs become redundant
do not read so much into the merger
as some jobs become redundant
do not read so much into the merger
SMOK3Y
Generous Member
that's not what I said
That's just ridiculous. His job is not to please random people on NeoGAF with sensible quotes on IGN. It's disgusting to want someone to lose their job over something like that.
Ray Wonder
Founder of the Wounded Tagless Children
Yusef is going to be fine if he's not on xbox. I'd rather him not be there, so if he gets fired that's fine with me. He'll find another job quickly. It's not like he's going to be hurting for money if it does happen.
The other 5999, that's terrible. But alas, it's just a rumor.
The other 5999, that's terrible. But alas, it's just a rumor.
REMEMBER CITADEL
Banned
And nobody has said that they were fine with all those people losing their jobs, so your very starting point was a strawman.
Are you serious? We've been calling for Iwata to be fired for years. Lots of people wanted Ballmer gone, and Mattrick, and Kutaragi, and I'm sure many others.
These are millionaire executives we're talking about, Mehdi included. None of them have to worry about paying their gas bill or feeding their families.
As for Mehdi, he should have been fired along with Mattrick. He's been nothing but publicly detrimental to the brand.
I'm bummed about the actual men and women working for an honest paycheck every day that are potentially losing their jobs over this.
But I will say that I won't shed a single tear if a front-facing Xbox spokesperson like Mehdi gets replaced by someone who actually knows how to present his or her ideas to their consumers.
Mehdi has crafted himself an image of a slimy, snarky and dim-witted businessman with no love for the industry aside for Microsoft's bottom line.
In my opinion, guys like Mehdi should not hold prominent PR positions, and I hope they are shifting personnel around. I don't want the man to be kicked to the curb but his public presence is hurting the company's image. Keep him backstage pulling the strings if need be.
But I will say that I won't shed a single tear if a front-facing Xbox spokesperson like Mehdi gets replaced by someone who actually knows how to present his or her ideas to their consumers.
Mehdi has crafted himself an image of a slimy, snarky and dim-witted businessman with no love for the industry aside for Microsoft's bottom line.
In my opinion, guys like Mehdi should not hold prominent PR positions, and I hope they are shifting personnel around. I don't want the man to be kicked to the curb but his public presence is hurting the company's image. Keep him backstage pulling the strings if need be.
Diprosalic
Banned
The XB1 hasn't even launched in many countries in Europe.
wat? is this a joke?
Why exactly is your girlfriend's favorite Microsoft spokesperson relevant to a rant against GAF hive mind?
To be clear, you hardly ever can deal with any sort of criticism towards Microsoft or Xbox, regardless of whether it's justified.
Not officially no, but you can get them in many places, including the flag in your avatar, without much of a problem.
Have you ever heard them annunciate PlayStation at the end of a trailer or commercial?
You're absolutely right. The whole team needs to be fired pronto.
I feel sorry for the people working at Nokia. I bet there'll be a lot of jobs in Finland vanishing into thin air.
Diprosalic
Banned
sure yeah, i mean they just sit there with zero advertisement.
Here in the Netherlands, I get semi-daily e-mails from big gaming chains that they have Xbox Ones in stock ever since it launched in germany.
Sure, it's not a microsoft sponsored marketing campaign, but people who are interested in gaming certainly haven't missed the fact that you can purchase one right now.
constantstatic
Member
Having been laid off twice now in the last 4 years I hope everyone lands on their feet. I hope my buddy on the xbox team is not affected.
The retailers here in Denmark are pushing Xbones pretty hard aswell. You will never be in doubt if it has launched if you ever enter a GameStop here in Denmark, or any other electronics shop.
justsomeguy
Member
Hrmm... Interesting week ahead for me then :-/
No I meant that Zlatan a footballer that barely speak French (like pretty much all footballers I'd say...I mean look at Ribery&co and this guy is French...) is really inline with their broken French in everything they do.
But yeah I agree with you on that being a dumb move.
It is probably more that Nokia also had a European marketing department and redundancies were found. Sucks for those involved though.
Fox Mulder
Member
Not focused on gaming ... not the most natural looking presenter ... questionable public statements. If this is how you're describing the Chief Marketing officer of Xbox, then he's not very good at his job. I'm sure he's a very nice fellow, and I hope he lands on his feet, but he's probably not the right person for this job.
Current rumors indicate Microsoft is intent on firing up to 12000 people: http://www.theverge.com/2014/7/15/5900763/microsoft-job-cuts-rumors
RIP Xbone
RIP Xbone
Jimmyfenix
Member
Whattttt?
It's Xbox global marketing that is indicated in most reports - not just EU - http://www.theverge.com/2014/7/15/5900763/microsoft-job-cuts-rumors
If anything the US likely would see the larger cut
New CEO, annual sales meeting next week conincides with the job cuts, likely restructure for Microsoft's future directions
I hope for all the employees there, that this isnt true. I hope it wasnt xbones fault for this to happen.