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Layoffs at Activision, shuts down Minneapolis office (licensed games business)
- Thread starter Hoje0308
- Start date
PaladinXII
Member
It's not a rumor. The source (That's us... I'm Mike Futter from Game Informer) has a statement from Activision in the story you linked. 
It's not a rumor. The source (That's us... I'm Mike Futter from Game Informer) has a statement from Activision in the story you linked.
C̶r̶a̶p̶,̶ ̶I̶ ̶m̶i̶s̶s̶e̶d̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶.̶ ̶I̶'̶l̶l̶ ̶P̶M̶ ̶a̶ ̶m̶o̶d̶.̶
All part of the hazing process, junior.
Cert.in.Death
Member
It's all your fault GAF, for not buying enough season passes. Now Jenny's gotta go on welfare because of your altruism. You should be ashamed. /s
Condolences to those affected. May you land on your feet.
Condolences to those affected. May you land on your feet.
Thanks for fixing the title. No idea how I missed that.
Don't forget Skylanders selling less and less.
Hope those who lost there jobs land on there feet soon.
Obliterator
Member
Season Passes aren't the issue. Those are selling. Its Skylanders / Guitar Hero
Yuck, I've never heard that one before.
TangoAlphaLima
Member
The slowing of the Skylanders gravy train shouldn't be too surprising, given that Disney Infinity hit its stride with 3.0 and Lego Dimensions launched last year as well. Lots of competition in that space these days. Plus, Superchargers seemed even more gimmicky that the last couple of gimmicky Skylanders.
Obliterator
Member
Obliterator
Member
Well the good news for people who like big budget AAA games that part of their business is about as strong as ever. Should be getting just as much if not more than you are now coming up.
If you like the smaller scale stuff like Transformers, Deadpool, etc. not looking too good
If you like the smaller scale stuff like Transformers, Deadpool, etc. not looking too good
They've said they intend to reinvest in mobile to move to where the casual audience is.
Platinum is still safe then.
who am I kidding they'd probably make amazing mobile games too
I have been hoping for a new Transformers game and the success of the Deadpool movie got my hopes up for a new game, but with proper treatment this time. Welp...
Edit: That renewed focus on mobile.
SonyToo!™;195391895 said:
Minneapolis wasn't an office with development staff. It was a business management arm.
They might take their select remaining licensed console titles and run them out of Activision's headquarters, but I probably wouldn't expect too many of them going forward, since they would have just left the arm open if they were planning more than 1-3 titles a year.
Free Roaming Chicken
Neo Member
I hate to hear this... to all affected here's hoping you land on your feet.
No fancy way, they said it last week (didn't met their internal expectations).
But this layoff seem to affect a side that handles licenced games and not FreeStyle, Vicarious Visions and Toys for Bob who will continue working on other things including more content for Guitar Hero and a new Skylander game.
Damn, that's me feeling bad for not buying Transformers at launch
Fuck
AHA-Lambda
Member
I always did wonder how ATVI could sustain licensed games sales when no other big publisher these days would touch them =/
Scientist Supreme!
Banned
I mean that's how it's worked since forever. So yes?
AHA-Lambda
Member
PS4/XB1 is still only just over 2 years old, the casual audience they are speaking of that buys stuff like GH or Spyro, don't tend to move over so quick.
Heck, that audience I'm pretty sure is the only one still buying games on 360/PS3
Yeah they do but I feel like less publishers are contracting independent studios to work on mid-sized retail games compared to last gen.
Gaiaknight
Member
umm yea? The hardcore crowd cant sustain console sales forever. Activision needs to stop releasing last gen ports of there games if they want the casual audience to switch over alot of people still buy skylanders on last gen.
Maybe they're waiting for the consoles to reach a price point that is more attractive to the casual audience.
If feels like the next guitar hero.....just the market is getting oversaturated with the products. I go to Wal-Mart and there is an entire aisle dedicated to the figurines alone....its just too much and add those up and holy shit at the cost.
When I graduated college from the University of Minnesota this Activision office was one place I had considered applying. I didn't because I suspected they could get closed at any time. Granted that was like 9 years ago, but I still feel justified!
Hope everyone lands on their feet.
Hope everyone lands on their feet.
CamHostage
Member
Oh fuck does that mean less work for Platinum?
I knew somebody at Activision MN who left before they quit out of the Value business years ago, I thought at the time that meant they were shutting up all that business back in 2012 but then the PlatinumGames products and some other licensed stuff started coming and I could sense MN was still quietly plugging away.
Sad that Activision couldn't sustain them, a big publisher like that should be bringing a wider variety of product to the market. Granted, we all shat on crap-games clogging up the bargain bins, but the market now feels hollow without the mid-tier games (some of which were surprisingly good.) And a lot of independent development shops used to rely on publishers like Activision's MN office to give them work and some exposure (even if Acti suckered companies to woefully underbid on productions,) the indie market and the mobile market has since offered new opportunities for these folks but it's still not at the same level. We may never see perfect alignment of brand and developer and boxed-product publisher to make a instabuy Christmas gift as we did with the PlatinumGames products.
RIP my dream Deadpool Platinum game.
Outtrigger888
Member
My buddy just got called back into work for testing at the Minneapolis office, so I'm confused by this.
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