Anger at Yosemite

Few, if any, of the 135 employees of Yosemite Entertainment - based in the small town of Oakhurst, Calif. (population 2,602, according to the 1996 U.S. Census) - knew that soon many of them would be unemployed, Yosemite would close its doors, and Oakhurst would be drastically change, possibly for a long time.

But that's what happened on Monday when Sierra On-Line announced a major restructuring. Few employees of the company (named after nearby Yosemite National Park) are very happy about the news. It is not known what percentage of employees have been asked to relocate to Sierra's corporate home in Bellevue, Wash., but the relocation list hasn't been filling up. Some employees at Yosemite - a division at the core of Sierra for twenty years - view the “reorganization” as a stark betrayal on Sierra's part. Few want to talk publicly about the reorganization, but many are bitter nonetheless.

What happens to the games? While the most anticipated game, the Babylon 5 Space Simulator, is still officially set for release this year, Sierra President, David Grenewetzki, admitted there would inevitably be delays caused by the reorganization. A huge e-mail campaign is underway to petition Sierra not to go ahead with the merger - specifically as it relates to Babylon 5.

According to Dennis Giessen, “We as fans of the show, the game, and the development team at Yosemite feel that this untimely merger is not fair to the staff who has been devoted to the product's development. Not only is this a hardship for the staff, but we as consumers and fans feel that the final product will not have the full potential and level of detail that the original team could have produced.”

Inside reports from Sierra claim that the Delta Force game, developed with the Unreal engine and help from author Richard Marcinko, has been put on hold. Other games, like Football Pro 2000, have not been affected.

Now, the bulk of the employees are looking for new jobs. A web site with a discussion board, (www.roboto.com), has been established for “x-Yosemite” employees, though it is publicly accessible. Many from within the industry have visited to express their condolences and make job offers.

Understandably, tiny Oakhurst is not a hotbed of employment, and many will be forced to leave the mountain community for greener pastures elsewhere. Undoubtedly, there will be more news from Oakhurst and Yosemite as the weeks go by. GameSpot News will chart the division's progress as it happens.