-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
IGN: ~50 Layoffs at Sony Santa Monica, Project Canceled [Up2: Was Stig's New IP]
- Thread starter Jonboy
- Start date
- Status
BlackBuzzard
Banned
Yeah or the fact they are moving into a bigger studio. Why move into a bigger studio if you are gonna lay off 50 people?
The one in 2008 which was for PS3 and then in 2011 for Vita and now the rumor is for PS4?
Doesn't seem like a very solid rumor.
Still listed on Rockstar's homepage as coming soon to PS3. ;-)
I don't know, can you? What's your point? I was responding to the chap who said these layoffs prove the industry is in trouble.
LookAtMeGo
Member
Call of duty fans would like to have a word with you.
I really don't understand some of the comments/reactions here. "Sony needs more games, not less, blah blah." We don't know at which capacity that stuff was working or which game they were working on in the first place.
This will sound harsh, but maybe, they are trimming dead weight? Bringing in new talent?
This will sound harsh, but maybe, they are trimming dead weight? Bringing in new talent?
PeakPointMatrix
Member
The VFX infustry lost hundreds within the shutdown of rhythm and hues. Spread out amongst Disney, Dreamworks, Sony and more, the animation industry saw layoffs in the thousands. Last year.50 people laid off.
This is just a regular influx of ramp ups and layoffs that happen in any industry.
I'm trying not to be too pessimistic about the video games industry but I expect to see more news like this over the next few years. I just don't see big budget studios being able to carry on like this for long.
Good luck to those who where laid off. This sucks
Good luck to those who where laid off. This sucks
I don't even think it's been officially canceled or has it?
I guess not but the rumors been floating around for so long now that it's sad to see nothing come from it. The old Syphon Filter games are so rad.
I mean the Splinter Cell-esque game they were working on.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2...ut-ps4-and-a-splinter-cell-style-game-for-ps4
Some of them already left last year, we know about Todd Papy.
Others had left as well, like Mark Simon.
On the other hand if you look at Stigs team, there are no indications of layoffs, at least as far as I can see.
Jonathan Hawkins who worked on GoW3 is in pretty good spirits and tweeted about the new IP the last days, so I doubt it's Stigs team.
It most likely hit those from GoW:A team that couldn't fit in either team, who knows.
Barlog might be working on a different genre that needs new blood.
I think Microsoft is making better business decisions. While Sony is spending all this money on studios that are releasing duds like KZ:SF and knack, Microsoft is locking in 3rd party exclusives without all the extra baggage.
Hard times for the industry, not sure why anybody would want to work in it.
Hard times for the industry, not sure why anybody would want to work in it.
SniperHunter
Banned
Stupid post deleted
Yes that dud that shipped 2.1 million copies,which is likely the best selling exclusive.
Why did you say something. Why did I ask!? That part where they show them scaling down the building. It will never be! The Shangheist connection is obvious now.
and anyone that plays sports games
Well that's fine for activision since they carved out thier niche. It's every other publisher that's to blame for thinking they could pursade CoD fans to buy thier games without realizing that these people could give two shits about any other game other than CoD.
But then you realize these people making the decisions haven't ever played a videogame in thier life so it's a surprise the industry as it is has lasted this long.
BlackBuzzard
Banned
Shhh dont bring the logic in here.
Killzone Shadow Fall sold very well. And I bet it has cost Microsoft more money to get Titanfall exclusive than the development of Killzone, Infamous, and Knack combined. Microsoft has clearly spent a bunch of the one billion it set aside for games purely on Titanfall and EA.
Syphon Filter
Member
god of war sells well still.
Digital-Hero
Member
Is Cory Barlog gone?
If a high profile studio like this is seeing such big layoffs you can only wonder how smaller studios may be holding on for dear life at this point. So sad to see the industry imploding on itself like this.
Its an interesting contrast to an article that was posted here a few days ago on N64 days Rare, stating that they completed DK Racing with 15 team members. 15 TEAM MEMBERS. On a title that went to sell shy of 5 million units. The investment this days on producing titles seems unsustainable at this point.
Its an interesting contrast to an article that was posted here a few days ago on N64 days Rare, stating that they completed DK Racing with 15 team members. 15 TEAM MEMBERS. On a title that went to sell shy of 5 million units. The investment this days on producing titles seems unsustainable at this point.
SenjutsuSage
Banned
Always sucks to hear this. Hopefully they hit the ground running somewhere else as soon as possible. Because the most important thing in these situations is just getting back to a sense of normalcy and routine in a stable environment as quickly as they can find it.
Not a big loss... for you? For sony? Theres 50 people without a job man.
boredandlazy
Member
Not off hand at the moment without a bit of research. Multitasking atm, it was a general curiousity (Not just possed at you) and a counter with food for thought for anyone sugguesting its all doom and gloom and one way traffic, Sony population reduction.
There may very well have been studio closures but may also have been a shift of resources/New or upgraded studios and the speculated shift in need to support studios not familar with the cell and the reduction in time to triangle
Sony Numbers could still be reasonably balanced given the listed studio reduction/closures.
Itchy//Tasty
Member
Unrelated note: How come I see so many people on this forum say "RIP in peace"? Do they not know what the I and the P stand for or something? Language gripe over.
Femmeworth
Banned
It's a meme.
What?
Chobel
Member
TheRealTalker
Banned
SniperHunter
Banned
Poorly worded sentence my bad
Man, this sucks to hear. 50 people is a lot to lose their jobs, damn.
It's more of a joke than anything.
Dragon Puncher
Member
Yeah this seems the most plausible. After Ascension there probably wasn't a lot if faith in the team and if the early drafts of their project wasn't going anywhere cutting them seems like a tough but fair business decision. Hopefully SSM can grow to 3 teams again though, would love to see them have a team dedicated to smaller experimental titles.
iamvin22
Industry Verified
been in it for over 10 years and wouldn't look back.
Looks like we are hearing about so many layoffs from Sony, which is really sad and it angers me so much. People could could support Sony and say they are cutting fat but these are real people getting laid off. Get your finances together and avoid these layoffs and as usual the higher ups are making all the money.
To add to your comment, Nintendo runs a very tight ship. They never layoff even though they aren't selling a lot of copies.
I hope things get better but I can see people jumping ship from Sony.
Makes sense, as long as Stig's and Barlog's projects are safe i'm cool.
There is so much wrong with this post. Yes, Microsoft is making good decisions now. Too bad no one cares who is even remotely interested in real next gen graphics for the majority of its games. Sorry, but this dude ain't going back to 900p and dogshit fps with little no AA.
KZ is a great game that got rushed because it had to make launch. No ifs no butts. If KZ wasn't there shit hits the fan. SO they rushed it out. When the new maps and whatever else come to MP it will still be a top 3 multiplayer shooter atm.
And your idea that Micro is locking in all these exclusive is shaky at best imo. You see from your post one might gather that Sony is in dire trouble. It's so laughable as to be completely inane.
And why would any artist want to work on videogames man? I JUST DON'T KNOW!
NTIETS13A_Superiority
Banned
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.
Also I will never understand why people feel sorry/bad for others getting fired. It is so weird.
Bioshock Infinite sold over 4 million copies, Tomb Raider sold over 3.4 million, both didn't sell enough and then came the layoffs. These Sony exclusives are only selling because it's all we have.
I've always wondered what kind of 3rd party exclusives Sony could grab if they let go of some of their studios.
- Status