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EA confirms layoffs [Layoffs in the 100s, Quicklime/PCV closed, EA memo leaks]
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Raging Spaniard
If they are Dutch, upright and breathing they are more racist than your favorite player
No layoffs at EA Salt Lake as of yet, from what Im hearing at least (about 200 employees)
GoddyofAus
Banned
Anyone able to dig up what size pay package John Riccitello took with him when he resigned?
grimshawish
Banned
.
Hmm, now we have conflicting reports from our two good layoff reports:
Source: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/191261/More_layoffs_hit_EA.phpGamasutra said:
You say that if it's a bad thing.
CryTek could probably easily self-publish if they want to.
criesofthepast
Member
PopCap Vancouver is shut down. Sad
Aquamarine
Member
EA's official response to Shacknews about exact number of layoffs:
http://www.shacknews.com/article/78915/ea-makes-essential-layoffs-refuses-comment-on-specifics
EA PR said:
http://www.shacknews.com/article/78915/ea-makes-essential-layoffs-refuses-comment-on-specifics
They were working on that Plants vs. Zombies shooter, right ?
And I really hope fewer successful small studios get bought up by the likes of EA and Activision. I know the temptation for owners to cash out is really strong, but how many great games have never been made because acquisitions? What would things be like if Maxis et al were still independent.
Bitmap Frogs
Mr. Community
Playfish: 400M - Facebook games getting shut down.
Popcap: 750M - Closing studios
Mythic:undisclosed - Folded into BioWare for the massive dud TOR
Bioware & Pandemic 775M - Pandemic closed, massive investment on MMO going south
That's over 2 billion in subpar investments.
Popcap: 750M - Closing studios
Mythic:undisclosed - Folded into BioWare for the massive dud TOR
Bioware & Pandemic 775M - Pandemic closed, massive investment on MMO going south
That's over 2 billion in subpar investments.
Yes this is what primarily got Riccitiello in the end. Expensive acquisitions that didn't pan out.
Yes.
Don't forget the overall dud of ToR in general, as in the development costs, not just acquisition costs.
maxis never would have made it on their own, and neither would a lot of studios with great creative talent and poor business leadership
being able to make great games doesn't mean you're good at running a company and i doubt many indies recruit strong executives to run things
it's gotten better with platforms like Steam letting companies make games without worrying about the financial side of things but for a very long time publishers were needed, even as atrocious as they were
Delusibeta
Banned
Jessie Cox wouldn't be a person I'd source from, to be honest here. Kotaku is bit better, but, y'know, Kotaku. All said and done, I would accept that we probably have seen at least 500 people being made redundant. Probably more.
And it's said because it was THEIR OWN DOING. The management and others mucked up the business end with insane acquisitions, blisteringly high budgets and just a general waste all around. As I said, the video game industry is on a path of self destruction with the publishers and platform holders running the train at full bore despite the tracks literally crumbling beneath them.
But indies and smaller studios will survive, even if some of these legacy publishers go down in flames and take a platform or two with them.
Aquamarine
Member
So I guess the earliest we'll get numbers is May 7th, right?
Because it seems unlikely given what EA presented to Shacknews that we can finalize the number of layoffs until then.
Because it seems unlikely given what EA presented to Shacknews that we can finalize the number of layoffs until then.
We all know it at the time that paying that much for Popcap and playfish was a terrible idea, now people are paying for it with there jobs =/
I don't see why a company cannot be run well and have a solid creative team making games. They aren't mutually exclusive. But yeah, I guess if Maxis was going to go bankrupt, at least the owners got some money, and a few good games were made.
Is EA shrinking or are they just trimming after a period of expansion/hires? I recall there was a rather large layoff back in 2009 when they laid off 1500 employees.
I suspect it's a bit of both but I wouldn't know.
I suspect it's a bit of both but I wouldn't know.
Jibbajabbawockky
Member
Hmmmm... are we sure BioWare hasn't been touched?
Was just browsing through the BioWare Social forum's twitter thread and somebody posted this from several days ago.
Loe was let go from BioWare a week or 2 ago I think as he had been a relatively new hire it looks like. But if they're dumping people that have been with BioWare for 13 years? Seems like EA is doing some pretty deep cuts.
Wait..what? Oh EA doing that thing you do that never will sell at all.
mentalfloss
Banned
Lactose_Intolerant
Member
13 year vet was on a project that got canceled. Sucks, you would think they could fit that person in somewhere else.
Relaxed Muscle
Member
Aquamarine
Member
Well that could mean anything from 100 to 999 layoffs.
It seems he was one of the 17 producers on the Mass Effect series. I wonder if they're changing up their team structure given he was there for so long.
Edit: Ah I see, across the company cuts. I'll try to keep the OP updated but I have to hit some meetings.
mentalfloss
Banned
This is welcome to next gen folks.
The industry is headed toward an inevitable crash due to rising costs and lacking creativity.
Nightstick11
Banned
Good. Hopefully, we'll see the death of EA this generation; this abomination has gone on long enough.
Rebel Leader
THE POWER OF BUTTERSCOTCH BOTTOMS
[Kotaku: 10%?; Gamasutra: Probably less. Polygon: Hundreds.]
my god.. no one knows
but that shows DICE shooting EA.... hmmmm
my god.. no one knows
Noooou! Not DICE!
I need my BF4 fix
but that shows DICE shooting EA.... hmmmm
Aquamarine
Member
I want you to look those employees in the eye and tell them you'd love to see them fired.
CosmicQueso
Member
Aside from that incredible rise in mobile, expanded independent development, the growth of MOBA and other PC centric games, the evolution of Steam into the Steambox, proliferation of new gaming platforms such as the Android based boxes, Apple's potential expansion of the Apple TV into a gaming platform and overall gaming spend increasing yearly despite late cycle declines of the physical market seen the last three years then yes... you are absolutely right.
I wish all those affected land on their feet.
Delusibeta
Banned
I think he should have added "console games".
And you realize ALL of that generally is built off the backs of the big 3 right and the major publishers. Without the big 3, the industry would definitely crash hard. PC gaming has always been there and will always be there, and mobile is a bubble that has no bottom and other than a few companies is not making much money at all.