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IGN: ~50 Layoffs at Sony Santa Monica, Project Canceled [Up2: Was Stig's New IP]

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Pound_lb003

Member
Funny.... Allan Becker leaves Santa Monica, they release Ascension and get layoffs.

Allan Becker joins Japan Studio, they release Rain, The Puppeteer and Knack all in one year :p

Too soon?

Anyways, I hope people land on their feet, this sucks ass. Love to know why though.
 
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PeakPointMatrix

Member
Gestault said:
I understand that sort of complication in any creative industry very well, I was reacting to you describing it as "regular influx of ramp ups and layoffs," which I took to describe the normal process of hiring and layoffs that accompany normal project schedules. It sounds like it was a misunderstanding on my part. In my mind, "normal" implies it's part of the standard process, not an unfortunate reality.
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I can see how our phrasing didn't match up. Of course no one sets out for a standard production expecting to be cancelled, but there should be a level of acceptance to the fact that not every production that becomes staffed will make it to the finish line, for various reasons.

beril said:
Cancelling projects is fine; but laying off talented people is not a good sign of the health of the company. And yes that does mean less or smaller games from Sony. In a AAA studio it should be relatively easy to move people between projects to help speed up the development of their other games. Santa Monica studio also has a history of assisting other Sony teams, so they could have put the affected staff on outsourcing until a new project was ready for full production. but instead they choose to let 50 people go. That's not a good sign regardless of whatever they may have been working on.
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If the project they were on was cancelled, keeping them would have very likely meant Sony would have been paying them to twiddle their thumbs, for an indefinite period of downtime that could extend for weeks, months, or even over a year.

You can't just whisk up a new project out of thin air, or outsource/assist whatever project, by dumping 50 hands on it and expecting results. Productions have specific needs, and very specific people and processes that it must go through before it can even be green lit to "go into production". Even if they immediately got a new project going from scratch, these 50 people would most likely not have been necessary until a year or so down the line when it would be ready for the next phase in development.

We don't know the positions those that were laid off held in the company, but it was likely that their skill set was no longer necessary or required at that moment.

Outsourcing to another studio that is readily staffed up? That is very literally taking away work from the already hired hands at that studio (and even if they did help, and finished the project faster? Guess which people now have nothing to do and must be laid off as well?)
 
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Leflus

Member
noobasuar said:
Honestly they need to move on from GoW. It was the hottest shit like 12 years ago but not anymore.
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GoW wasn't around 12 years ago. :p

The series could easily make a comeback if they find a way to properly reboot/revitalize it. GoW Ascension 2 won't cut it.
 
D

Deleted member 80556

Unconfirmed Member
Maybe they got some people laid off the new project to give space for new talent? Unlikely.

Or maybe the third team was working on yet another new IP, that wasn't Stig's.

Either way, the cancellation of a new IP is bad. If it's on preproduction, it was too soon to say if it was going to be bad.

Loudninja said:
Can people please stop assuming stuff?
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No, dammit. We need to get a point across.

MuseManMike said:
I follow Jonathan Hawkins on twitter and his tweet a few days ago was this https://twitter.com/jonathanhawkins/status/436633249360523264 I'd like to think it was some other project, but who knows.
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Well, he still has "Working on a new IP" in his Bio, so all is well with the world? (with the exception of the 50 people who lost their jobs, and some other stuff)
 
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FinalStageBoss

Banned
BurnOutBrighter said:
Well yes, because we care about games. Those people could have been working on something original and spectacular, but we'll never get to play it or even know what it was.
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I get you your point, but it could've also been a massive turd. You think sony would cancel something original and amazing? Idk
 
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nelchaar

Member
Damn it Sony, wont they just close down their hemorrhaging TV department instead of continuously affecting your video game studios? Playstation is among their profitable departments!

Does anyone know where this decision comes from? Kaz? Shu? House?
 
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Dunkers92

Member
I really don't think they would have cancelled the new IP this long into development. Unless it was in tremendously bad shape.

I know GAF lives to assume and speculate but a few here are jumping the gun just a little.

If game designers who are being laid off worked primarily on the God of War series, could this mean they are actually going to give GoW a break and focus more on this new IP?
 
vpance

vpance

Member
Vizzeh said:
Theres a chance their focussing on 1 game with less resources on a second.
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If that's the case I feel that would be for the best. I think WWS guys fell in love with the notion they were some well oiled machine capable of multitasking on several projects. Then the reality of the amount of work for next gen hit...
 
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Whipped Spartan

Member
WTF GOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! KRATOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO


I am mad dude. GOW3 was one of my favorite games last gen. I am more bummed out about this than Irrational somehow. :[.....
 
K

Korigama

Member
NTIETS13A_Superiority said:
They should fire more. Studios are way too big nowdays.

Also I will never understand why people feel sorry/bad for others getting fired. It is so weird.
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The words of either a child, or a sociopath. There's nothing difficult at all to comprehend about compassion for those losing their livelihoods to a normal person.
 
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Loudninja

Member
Freeman said:
Damn, it looks like it was the new IP. I don't get it, I honestly lost confidence in Sony, they have everything going for them now, I don't see how they could be firing people involved in games like GoW2/GoW3.
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You are assuming that it was the New ip.

Also you dont even know what it was.
 
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Pennywise

Member
Freeman said:
Damn, it looks like it was the new IP. I don't get it, I honestly lost confidence in Sony, they have everything going for them now, I don't see how they could be firing people involved in games like GoW2/GoW3.
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We don't know.
Obiously there was more than one IP in development, no one knows if it's a new one or not.
 
C

Cyberia

Member
TpnEBA9.jpg


Edited his bio too and worked also on the new IP. Looks like he's okay though.
 
M

Mortemis

Banned
If it really was the new IP then I'm done with SSM until they bring something new to the table. No way I'm buying another God of War starring Kratos.

Either way I hope everything goes okay for everyone that left, hopefully they find a new job quickly.
 
J

jhmtehgamr20xx

Banned
FinalStageBoss said:
I get you your point, but it could've also been a massive turd. You think sony would cancel something original and amazing? Idk
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They've done it before. Just visit UnSeen 64 or PlayStation Museum :/

This might be mean and all, but better this than Guerrilla Games facing cuts, especially if would've came to the 2nd studio working on that new scifi/horror game. There aren't enough of those around in general.
 
olimpia84

olimpia84

Member
I would much rather see a new IP than GOW so this sucks really hard. Simply put GOW stopped being cool a long time ago =/
 
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beast786

Member
good luck to all . SSm has been my #1 studio. love all there games. hence my Avatar.

seriously , I hope all that laid off find best .

regarding canceling a project, it's hard to cry about a project I didn't even knew exist.

Maybe tank can give us some update.
 
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lmbotiva

Junior Member
if people get so freak out with this imagine if this were to happen at naughty dog, everyone would be predicting the end of play station
 
Corpsepyre

Corpsepyre

Banned
All this bio editing is pointing towards that new ip being cancelled. Don't know what to think. Was really looking forward to a reveal soon, but this has clouded all of that.
 
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