Imagineering R&D Gone?

[meowthew2]

A poster on MousePlanet claims nearly the entire R&D department at Burbank Imagineering was eliminated today in a deep cost-cut move. Anyone know more about this?

 

[DVC-Landbaron]

AV?

 

[Another Voice]

Let's just say more news is coming.

 

[hopemax]

good news or bad news?

Any iota of a possibility that it will be separate, like the way it used to be?

 

[DVC-Landbaron]

good news or bad news?

A perfect opportunity to put our 'faith' to the test, wouldn't you say!! I have absolutely no idea. And I would think, since AV is being especially cryptic today, that not many do. SO!!! How many think it'll be good news? And how many think it will be Ei$ner as usual?

Any takers? I'm giving odds!!

SCOOP, you listening? Now’s the time to put up or....

 

[raidermatt]

Honestly, my natural tendency is to be optimistic about such things.

However, if I have to put money on it (by the way Baron, what odds are you giving?), its on the bad news.

I'd put it at somwhere around 6 to 1 against good news... (and that's probably being generous)

 

[mjstaceyuofm]

not good news at all.

Well, if R&D goes, there goes any cahnce of anything new and innovative. There goes the: WOW!!!!!

 

[PKS44]

Don't know if anyone saw the movie I have been touting last week Executive Suite where the beancounter Fred MArch and the R&D gy WIlliam Holden jockey to take over a company...basic message is that taking profits and giving them to stockholders as dividends (or in this case to executives) is wasteful and inefficient...stop growing and stop innovating and a company dies. If they are truly ending R & D-- this might be a good time to sell Disney short, IMHO.

 

[Harryo]

Well I think more bad news is forthcoming. Goodbye R&D! Goodbye innovation! Sad, truely sad. Eisner's replacement will truely have his work cut out for him.

 

[Mop]

This might put more black ink on the bottom link for the short term and make investors happy long enough to help Michael Eisner keep his job (think about it... if investors want to see immediate results, wouldn't it behove ME to cut every single expenditure to ZERO to show a short term increase in profits?), but if you're Roy Disney, would such a thing make you MORE happy or LESS happy? There's nothing like seeing your family's legacy get desicrated by bean counters.

Mop

 

[larworth]

Even for Eisner this sounds very unlikely. I think we should wait until this is confirmed.

 

[Bob O]

With the actions of disney at as of late i would tend to believe the rumor. they have done little to inspire any confidence!!

 

[mcdrinkyd]

Mouseplanet's got the scoop on this.

I'm speachless.

 

[Bob O]

I just read the article and its another sad day for disney that happens way to fruequently as of late and just shows how sohrtsighted disney has become. I guess now every ride/attraction will be a clone that can be found anywhere with some cheap theming added after the fact which is what was done with rnrc. I guess we will have to leave it up to Universal and other parks to make new/innovative attractions/rides and wiat for disney to copy them.
And being a love of roller coasters even i wouldnt want to see one in Epcot as that isnt the park they should be put in, escpecially a ride like Cali. Screamin.

 

[Bob O]

I just read the article and its another sad day for disney that happens way to fruequently as of late and just shows how sohrtsighted disney has become. I guess now every ride/attraction will be a clone that can be found anywhere with some cheap theming added after the fact which is what was done with rnrc. I guess we will have to leave it up to Universal and other parks to make new/innovative attractions/rides and wiat for disney to copy them.
And being a love of roller coasters even i wouldnt want to see one in Epcot as that isnt the park they should be put in, escpecially a ride like Cali. Screamin.

 

[mjstaceyuofm]

OK – my first thought was,

This is not good news at all.

Well, now that it’s been semi-confirmed (I somewhat trust Mr. Lutz…) and there’s been a little bit of the thought process behind it put out there for our consumption, I’d like to (at the risk of being totally ostracized) theorize a little bit on this move… (please indulge me here for just a little bit)

Al Lutz:
Basically Eisner and his "crack management team" has said they no longer are in the market to lead anymore, and they are content to pretty much sit still and live off the brands they've already built.

Maybe the first part of this is correct and they are no longer in a position to lead. (Yes, this is a sad statement in and of itself….) But to me this news does not say that they aren’t going to come up with great ideas anymore. Outsourcing is a way of business. Often times, outsourcing leads to joint ventures that work out mutually for both companies involved. What if one the imagineers left standing has a great idea and Disney works with another company better suited to implement that idea? Let’s assume Disney has $$$ to spend on a new attraction and management has some gumption (i.e. new regime…)

imagineer: I have a great idea for a new ride that uses this great new technology involving (insert your chosen technology here….)

management: That sounds like a great idea, the new CEO has been looking to add a new, innovative attraction to (insert park here). That technology sounds pretty new and aggressive, I don’t think we can do it. Do you have any suggestions?

imagineer: Yes, (insert tech focused company here) is a leader in this field and may be interested in developing an attraction using this technology.

management: Great, make that phone call!

OK – a little far-fetched and optimistic, but cutting R&D does not mean an end to ideas. Disney went through the scenario above with Mission: Space (all though the jury is still out on this attraction) and had quite the successful joint venture with Pixar.

Just some food for thought.

For the record, I’m still not pleased at the cut-happy nature of the moves at Disney and I’m hardly a Disney apologist, but if Disney really perceived this department as an open wound that was leaking a significant amount of blood, I guess I might understand the amputation…

 

[Luv2Roam]

Like placing a small band-aid over a widening gap.
They make the worse decisions...
I think that chimp in the Monsters Inc bonus DVD would be better in management than ME. He would be cheaper too.
I really think it woud be much cheaper in the long run to buy ME out of his contract now before the damage and reputation is too far gone.
Other theme and thrill parks should be jumping for joy! Their jobs just got much easier.

 

[hopemax]

I really wish AV would show up and give us his POV. I was hoping Al would shed some light on the history and evolution of R&D, but he didn't really do that.

For those of you have read Bob Gurr's columns on Laughing Place, might remember his comments on Dick Scherer. For those of you who haven't read the columns, Dick Scherer was a scientist from Lockheed's Skunkworks who was hired as a consultant to work on an alternate monorail design. From Bob's perspective Mr. Scherer spent a lot of time playing with someone else's money and created a design that would have cost a fortune to implement.

Here's Bob's article

I've been wondering if over the last 20 years Eisner's "Hollywood" strategy has resulted in a lot of this types of person brought into R&D (especially during the 'virtual reality will be wonderful' period) and have been wasting a lot of time and money. If they have, then maybe it's good that there has been some housecleaning. Especially if their are people like Bob Gurr still within the organization who are capable of still creating the new things when called for.

Or if good, qualified, capable people have been let go in favor of letting consultants do the work (not really getting away from the Dick Scherer's of the world) or not even trying to do anything innovative. If good people have been let go, that could also be dangerous for Disney because that means they will be free to devlop new great ideas for the competition (not good for Disney).

I still need some more information before I can begin ranting.

 

[Luv2Roam]

hopemax -- I see where you are coming from and have good points.
Guess if something had been left behind I would not as skeptical. But to wipe out basically a whole division/group pretty much means they aren't returning. It's not like they were just cleaning out dead wood.

If good people have been let go, that could also be dangerous for Disney because that means they will be free to devlop new great ideas for the competition

Which is why I think Disney has made it too easy for their competition.

 

[DVC-Landbaron]

No takers on my little wager? Scoop!?!? I'm still giving odds! 10 will get you 100!! What about it!?!?