Beginning of the end?

[immense]

Hey,

I was just thinking about something and wanted to see what any of you thought. I have no doubt most of you will think I'm reading too far into things and will call me sad for doing so but unless you're actually interested in Habbo (which I know a lot of you aren't) then there isn't any real need for you to read any further. This is just speculation that makes sense to me. I think that Habbo, well Sulake are in a lot of trouble that they're trying to disguise from us, as you'd expect. Anyway...

Sulake - money issues?
We know this due to the staff redundancies on Habbo CA and US and the fact both of these hotels have to merge. We also know they've had to cut 20% of their Finland HQ workforce, with 40 jobs out of the 200 people they employ being lost, quite a dramatic amount. Source. We also know there was an economic down turn in 2009 which affected businesses worldwide, sulake haven't been exempt from this and are clearly in serious trouble.

It depends how far you want to dig, what about the new charge where you have to pay two credits to get one or whatever it is? The Habbo Exchange, in hindsight was one of their biggest mistakes, it made it so that people like myself would never have to pay for credits again. Although, admittedly someone had to buy them somewhere down the line, I think if they'd have never implemented this they'd have made more money.

Since I started in 2004, you've never got less credits for your money - they obviously want and need people to pay more so are giving you less for the same amounts in the vain desire you dig deeper and pay for another bunch of credits. These measures make it obvious they need our money, it hasn't ever been this obvious. Of course they need money to maintain their business and ultimately that's their fundamental aim but with the redundancies and hotel merges (which scraps a whole team of staff we must remember) make this a lot more sincere.


UK Hotel
Now, it's affected the UK hotel, with the Assistant Hotel Manager job ceasing to exist, there has been an Assistant Site Producer for years due to the expansion. If they've had to cut jobs on their most expansive hotel it shows they're in dire straits. I saw a clever post on another Habbo Forum which explained that the ludus hadn't worked there for two years (employed in december 2008) therefore wouldn't be entitled to a redundancy payment. Does this suggest that other staff are also being made redundant but staying on so they get their payment? Ludus has publicly stated himself that he took gardening leave which would give this argument validity. In that case, who will be next?

Also, they recently updated their terms and conditions - to state that the hotel can merge without warning and we won't be entitled to any sort of refund. Now, they would not have added this for fun - it's clear that their biggest hotel, the UK hotel is going to merge soon or maybe not so soon but it's definitely in their plans, else they wouldn't have made these changes to their terms and conditions. The most likely outcome is they're going to make an English speaking hotel, so we'll merge with US CA AU and whatever else there is.

How do you think you'll like Habbo then? Will you still enjoy it the same? What about our user names? Hotel Manager? Don't forget that our merge (which will probably happen) will mean a whole team of staff have to go - they've already made redundancies to other Hotels, which office will run the english speaking hotel (if one happens?).

Our hotel has already had a decrease in events since ludus left and it's quite simply too vast for Lost_Witness to organise and then run the campaigns - Justin Bieber comp? Britney CDs? Zapen's signed poster? THis whole thing with the plant quest - then everyone gets the plant anyway regardless of if you took part? It's been awful and with further redundancies and hotel merges on the way, I think it's the beginning of the end of Habbo.

[dogboy123]

You've got to give Lostie a chance. He doesn't work weekends and ludus only left last week. What are you expecting miricles?

[immense]

No, not in the slightest. I'm not remotely concerned about those, Ben, rather about what will happen when the inevitable happens - the UK hotel ceases to exist and there is an English speaking hotel.

[Art]

Since I started in 2004, you've never got less credits for your money.

I think this is false?? Didn't the credit price go up on UK recently?

I think you're making far to many assumptions :\

[kuzkasate]

You've got to give Lostie a chance. He doesn't work weekends and ludus only left last week. What are you expecting miricles?

YES GOD DAMIT! I WANT A JESUS MIRACLE. IF JESUS COULD HEAL LEPROSY THEN LOSTIE CAN DO THIS.

[dbgtz]

Uk will not merge. It's based on time zones really as well as language. Plus the CA/US merge is probably more of a test too (as it's kinda better then closing one of them completely). ALSO their terms and conditions are probably universal to all hotels.

[Pyroka]

I dont think they're gonna go bankrupt, but it sounds more like cautionary measures so that a cashflow problem (if there is one), doesnt get severe. Just what I think is happening really, no substance to it ;P

[Inseriousity.]

I think beginning of the end is a bit farfetched atm (lol ditch history, become a journalist!) but it's natural that it has struggled in the economic downturn and has been forced to make some really tough decisions. I think it will pull itself up and Habbo will continue.

[immense]

Habbo Staff have been over this like a rash. I should be heralded as a genius, anybody hiring a detective? Touche.

[Laurensh1]

Well done, you guessed the merge