Square GMs = Sony outsource?

[Asswipe]

I've seen it mentioned numerous times that the GMs of this game are outsourced to Sony Online Entertainment, but my halfassed efforts lead to no substantial proof of this. If anyone can post a news article from a major website or a page on either Square's or Sony's websites that shows this connection, I will be eternally thankful.

[Ryko]

Recent talk (see: a phone call >_>) with some person on their side said it's a common misconception but still just a misconception...

[GundamCloud]

i seem to remember reading a thread about it somewhere.... i'll try and find it but i swear i am not sifting through alla or KI *shudders*

[Krandor]

Recent talk (see: a phone call >_>) with some person on their side said it's a common misconception but still just a misconception...

I think at some point they were outsourced, but SE has since decided to handle it all themselves. I don't have any articles to this lying around though.

[divisortheory]

So now they're handling it themselves, and it still sucks just as bad?

[Krandor]

So now they're handling it themselves, and it still sucks just as bad?

Yeah basically.

[Weltall]

Actually, its done the opposite for Everquest2 Japan. EQ2 JP is run through Playonline and uses SE GMs.

[Tymon]

Actually, its done the opposite for Everquest2 Japan. EQ2 JP is run through Playonline and uses SE GMs.

Never gonna play that game then.

[Cuer]

S-E and SOE have a long relationship of working with each other for these type of things. As mentioned (and can be seen on the Japanese PlayOnline front page) EQ2 is currently being operated by S-E in Japan; they did all the localization of the game for SOE. That is changing in another month or two, when SOE starts running it themselves, in Japan.

This relationship does make for some rather amusing/ironic PR. Good ol' Sage Sundi is currently the producer of EQ2 for S-E, and as such had a Japanese interview some months back where he strongly defended the official RMT servers that SOE is running for that game, as being helpful and a good addition to the game. So much for the official S-E anti-RMT policy...

As for the original question, I believe that currently all the GMs are in-house and run by S-E, at least in Japan and the U.S.; they've talked about adding ones in Europe, when they come out with localized versions of FFXI there, and who knows if those will be outsourced. It's not like it makes much of a difference overall. GM's are just glorified customer service representatives, restricted to a very narrow range of options and responsibilities, whose only extra knowledge comes from the two weeks of training that they got on when to put someone in jail, and how to send the auto-responses to people who bug them too much. Expecting a GM to have any special knowledge of FFXI or how it's run is like thinking that the kid behind the counter at the movie theater can get you a date with Scarlett Johansson; they may be in the same business, but they're galaxies apart.

[Tena]

FFXI GMs are in San Diego at Sony Online Entertainment, just like the guys from Everquest. How do I know? Cause GMs Luminous and Gludd told me in person at the fanfest.

Then again, maybe they're both lying bastards.

[cassiraa]

Well, It probalby isn't as cut and dry as that. For example:

I work tech support for many companies. When I pick up the phone for a call from "Company Y" Until I hang up that phone, I am a Company Y employee, my salary is paid by company Y, In some cases, I might tell people that my office is in California.

When a call for "Company Z" calls in, I magically am a Company Z employee in a tech center near the warehouse in Chicago.

I will never tell anybody that I'm outsourced, because that company really IS paying me for that call. GM's may be the same way. When they take a GM call for FFXI, they get [GM] next to their names and are Square-Enix employees. Then their next call could be different.

In Summary: [GM] Dave is the only GM you can trust. [who, I think, is a GM who just writes about what he wishes he could do]

[Synbios]

FFXI GMs are in San Diego at Sony Online Entertainment, just like the guys from Everquest. How do I know? Cause GMs Luminous and Gludd told me in person at the fanfest.

Then again, maybe they're both lying bastards.

I was told this too a long time ago, so one time when i was talking to a GM in game, I asked if they were located in san diego. I then asked what part, and the place he said was the exact building that has giant SOE on it. for those in SD, its right by time warner cable building in mira mar.

[MisterBob]

They are still located in San Diego under SOE. It is quite obvious, as the head of that department is the SOE Customer Relations manager, Lyman Tuttle.

[Senoska]

NA Gms are hired thru SOE(Sony) JP GMs are run thru SE.

[Angelsin]

It's easy to tell that the english GMs aren't hired by SE. They are fucking clueless about the game. Example - ppl being threatened to have there accounts suspended for hacking when the warp taru warped them on top of a wall or rock near jeuno.

[Cuer]

Just because they're clueless about the game doesn't mean they don't work for S-E...

Anyway, there's a recent interview (original Japanese) where this is brought up, and the change from being outsourced to run by S-E is mentioned. The auto-translated text:

4Gamer:
It is a situation in which GM also includes Japanese GM and English GM in the same server in such all parts of the world same a server. Though it is thought that it seems to be terrible and to be difficult for it to take the consensus.

Mr. Sundi:
There is even German GM or French GM now so. It is certain that it was difficult to take the consensus.
And, to tell the truth up to now, the service of North America had asked Sony Online Entertainment for the subcontract. Of course, though it is assumption in the radical of the control of square Enix. However, this subcontract was stopped this time. The operation center is started up with all GM by itself will in April, and North America does mainly the office in Los Angeles now. A European district moves in the direction, too.

The rest of the interview is semi-interesting too, with other info about how things are proceeding. It will be interesting to see if they do introduce IME into the English version of the client, and such.

[Cuer]

Just because they're clueless about the game doesn't mean they don't work for S-E... :wink:

Anyway, there's a recent interview (original Japanese) where this is brought up, and the change from the GMs being outsourced, to run by S-E. The auto-translated text:

4Gamer:
It is a situation in which GM also includes Japanese GM and English GM in the same server in such all parts of the world same a server. Though it is thought that it seems to be terrible and to be difficult for it to take the consensus.

Mr. Sundi:
There is even German GM or French GM now so. It is certain that it was difficult to take the consensus.
And, to tell the truth up to now, the service of North America had asked Sony Online Entertainment for the subcontract. Of course, though it is assumption in the radical of the control of square Enix. However, this subcontract was stopped this time. The operation center is started up with all GM by itself will in April, and North America does mainly the office in Los Angeles now. A European district moves in the direction, too.

The rest of the interview is semi-interesting too, with other info about how things are proceeding. It will be interesting to see if they do introduce IME into the English version of the client, and such.

[Cuer]

Just because they're clueless about the game doesn't mean they don't work for S-E... :wink:

Anyway, there's a recent interview (original Japanese) where this is brought up, and the change from the GMs being outsourced, to run by S-E. The auto-translated text:

4Gamer:
It is a situation in which GM also includes Japanese GM and English GM in the same server in such all parts of the world same a server. Though it is thought that it seems to be terrible and to be difficult for it to take the consensus.

Mr. Sundi:
There is even German GM or French GM now so. It is certain that it was difficult to take the consensus.
And, to tell the truth up to now, the service of North America had asked Sony Online Entertainment for the subcontract. Of course, though it is assumption in the radical of the control of square Enix. However, this subcontract was stopped this time. The operation center is started up with all GM by itself will in April, and North America does mainly the office in Los Angeles now. A European district moves in the direction, too.

The rest of the interview is semi-interesting too, with other info about how things are proceeding. It will be interesting to see if they do introduce IME into the English version of the client, and such.

[Cuer]

Just because they're clueless about the game doesn't mean they don't work for S-E... :wink:

Anyway, there's a recent interview (original Japanese) where this is brought up, and the change from the GMs being outsourced, to run by S-E. The auto-translated text:

4Gamer:
It is a situation in which GM also includes Japanese GM and English GM in the same server in such all parts of the world same a server. Though it is thought that it seems to be terrible and to be difficult for it to take the consensus.

Mr. Sundi:
There is even German GM or French GM now so. It is certain that it was difficult to take the consensus.
And, to tell the truth up to now, the service of North America had asked Sony Online Entertainment for the subcontract. Of course, though it is assumption in the radical of the control of square Enix. However, this subcontract was stopped this time. The operation center is started up with all GM by itself will in April, and North America does mainly the office in Los Angeles now. A European district moves in the direction, too.

The rest of the interview is semi-interesting too, with other info about how things are proceeding. It will be interesting to see if they do introduce IME into the English version of the client, and such.

[Cuer]

Just because they're clueless about the game doesn't mean they don't work for S-E... :wink:

Anyway, there's a recent interview (original Japanese) where this is brought up, and the change from the GMs being outsourced, to run by S-E. The auto-translated text:

4Gamer:
It is a situation in which GM also includes Japanese GM and English GM in the same server in such all parts of the world same a server. Though it is thought that it seems to be terrible and to be difficult for it to take the consensus.

Mr. Sundi:
There is even German GM or French GM now so. It is certain that it was difficult to take the consensus.
And, to tell the truth up to now, the service of North America had asked Sony Online Entertainment for the subcontract. Of course, though it is assumption in the radical of the control of square Enix. However, this subcontract was stopped this time. The operation center is started up with all GM by itself will in April, and North America does mainly the office in Los Angeles now. A European district moves in the direction, too.

The rest of the interview is semi-interesting too, with other info about how things are proceeding. It will be interesting to see if they do introduce IME into the English version of the client, and such.