Hasn't happened yet, but it's looking likely. That's what happens I guess when you hemorrhage money out the wazoo with the PS3.
http://biz.gamedaily.com/industry/feature/?id=15812
http://biz.gamedaily.com/industry/feature/?id=15812
-
Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!
(Updated) SCEE to lay off up to 160 employees
- Thread starter jamesb23
- Start date
Doom_Bringer
Banned
Midas said:
... fire the Japanese guys or maybe the Americans they aren't doing anything except for Uncharted or Gran Turismo but not SCEE!!!
DeaconKnowledge
Member
It's sad that it has to come to this..but the money has to come from somewhere.
fatigues_gasolini
Member
Hopefully this will get rid of some underperforming internal devs.
I seriously doubt this will result in some kind of 'brain drain' at SCEE. It's more likely that alot of projects may get some of their development farmed out to places like India.
I'd been hearing that SCEE was the Sony gaming development division most likely to get alot of investment this gen. It's probably a case of refocusing their workforce rather than some panic induced bean counting measure.....
.....then again.
I'd been hearing that SCEE was the Sony gaming development division most likely to get alot of investment this gen. It's probably a case of refocusing their workforce rather than some panic induced bean counting measure.....
.....then again.
Pokeylongo
Member
I agree, but what will they do after the Japanese office is empty?teiresias said:
TekunoRobby
Tag of Excellence
Phil Harrison replaces Kutaragi, Rub a Duck replaces Ape Escape.Pokeylongo said:
mckmas8808
Mckmaster uses MasterCard to buy Slave drives
Mmmkay said:
What 8 Days?
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
meltpotato
Member
bigfatgameguy said:
who at SCEE is under-performing?
Gekkonidae
Member
meltpotato said:
Kutaragi
norinrad21
Banned
Gekkonidae said:
:lol :lol :lol
fatigues_gasolini
Member
meltpotato said:
eh, I dont know exactly. I just dont want shitty games.
mabuza said:
Y2Kevbug11 said:
I was always of the mind that if SE could
(providing that FF XIII trailer is real time)
But they've been quiet for an awfully long time. Seeing as the likes of Digital Polyphony work as a seperate studio and obviously second party devs like Level 5 don't count what the f*ck are SCEJ up to? I think we should give them the benefit of the doubt to E3 at least. I think they if they have anything to show, then E3 is the time to do it.
There was talk that Sony Japan were readying an MMO for release at some point this year (the much talked about ... Angel Rings maybe) but apart from that, what else do they have for the PS3?
Siren PS3
Ape Escape PS3
Afrika (is that a Rhino (iirc) an internal studio developing it, or a new second party?)
GT5
Everybody Golf PS3
Loco Roco PS3.....
I know that Folk Realms (or whatever it's clled this week) does look promising, but it still doesn't seem enough. I know that I'm missing some out but could it be that SCEJ just don't have anything else up their sleeve?
Ceb said:
Sony London is massive now as they folded all their other London based studios into one building so I doubt they'll be closing any studios but maybe merging some smaller internal teams like the ones working on smaller PSN, Eye3 and PSP projects maybe.
Midas said:
Hmm. SCEE's operations encompass a lot more than game development, obviously, and we don't know how different areas might be impacted. Something like game development might go very relatively untouched, although I'm just guessing. Their development jobs page pretty much looks as busy as ever, though.
meltpotato
Member
Ceb said:
if this is in reference to the Getaway goofballs, then consider your point taken.
I hope you guy's know that 80% of the PS userbase and fan base as a whole (you know, the 100million people who own PS2's) have no idea who Kuturagi, Trentton, Harrison, etc are. They have no clue, and you all thinking firing them will do anything for the company is comedy in itself.
Things that need to happen? How about having a team of 120 people for Killzone PS3 being absolutely ridiculous, and a budget of 20 Million being way overkill? How about releasing half of those people when you realize that no amount of money or staffing is going to make the game look like E3 2K5, and simply shooting for a good game that looks good enough and biting the bullet.
Sounds a lot more "logical" to me than saying "OMG Sony am doomed! Firing galore, kill Kuturagi!"
Things that need to happen? How about having a team of 120 people for Killzone PS3 being absolutely ridiculous, and a budget of 20 Million being way overkill? How about releasing half of those people when you realize that no amount of money or staffing is going to make the game look like E3 2K5, and simply shooting for a good game that looks good enough and biting the bullet.
Sounds a lot more "logical" to me than saying "OMG Sony am doomed! Firing galore, kill Kuturagi!"
Level 5 = 3rd partyBusty said:
Rhino Studios = 3rd party startup. Former Namco guys iirc.Busty said:
Folks Soul is from Game Republic and Gaia, both fully 3rd party developers.Busty said:
I'm a bit puzzled as to what SCEJ's been working on myself? Is Loco Roco 2 taking that many people?
klix108 said:From this post it sounds like you think the heads of Sony are useless beyond what their fans think of them .
You know, CEO's of big companies actually do effect how they are run.
Thing is, most of the people's "stance" here is that these guy's should be fired based on their comments to the Media, of which most of it pertains only to the hardcore gamer who really pay attention / care about what they say. The people who win console wars (i.e. the people that won't buy a PS3 or 360 until late 2008) could really care less if Jack Tretton says PS3's are hard to find, or if Harrison say's rumble is last gen. They don't care. They don't even know.
Firing them would probably be a terrible move.
Tretton handles the NA regions well behind the scenes. Harrison does an awesome job with Software relations and public speaking, everyone loves an english man (except of course people who think he's arrogant). Kuturagi does what he's good at. Talk random shit, put out interestingly complex, yet powerful hardware, and innovate, create a console that will last beyond a 3 year mark and will continue to evolve as a platform.
Firing them would be stupid, getting rid of your double stacked positions at internal game development studios and dropping the grossly ridiculous budget of certain titles? Much more effective.
jarrod said:
I really don't want to open this whole can of worms again as I know that there is technically no such thing as a second party developer, but what I meant by that was a developer that is having their product be funded and published by a manufacturer.
Which is the case with Level 5 and Sony with White Knight Story.
jarrod said:
Ahh, interesting. I didn't know that. Once again, potentially compounding the issue of what exactly are SCEJ up to? I assume that Rhino have their own offices, but I suppose that they could be based in the SCEJ studios.
jarrod said:
I knew this, again, begs the question, where are the internally developed SCEJ games?
jarrod said:
I assume that Loco Roco PS3 would be a PSN title. If it's not (and I'd be surprised if it wasn't TBH), surely SCEJ aren't devoting the majority of their internal resources into this title.
Dunno where the SCEJ stuff is really... though I do think Loco Roco 2 may be more encompassing than just a PSN download. Anyway, for stuff we know about...
-Boku no Natsu Yasumi 3: Summer Holidays 20th Century
-Doko Demo Issyo: Mainichi Issyo (released)
-Gran Turismo 5 (Polyphony Digital)
-Hot Shots Golf 5 (Clap Hanz)
-LocoRoco PS3
-Sarugechu PS3
-Team Ueda Project
-Team Siren Project
-The Eye of Judgment: Conquerors of 9 Fields
-Boku no Natsu Yasumi 3: Summer Holidays 20th Century
-Doko Demo Issyo: Mainichi Issyo (released)
-Gran Turismo 5 (Polyphony Digital)
-Hot Shots Golf 5 (Clap Hanz)
-LocoRoco PS3
-Sarugechu PS3
-Team Ueda Project
-Team Siren Project
-The Eye of Judgment: Conquerors of 9 Fields
Panajev2001a
GAF's Pleasant Genius
pswii60 said:
Not Sony Cambridge! (they rocked with Primal and Ghost-hunter).
This worries me a lot because SCEE is one of the two key areas of SCE's R&D. I think Phil Harrison will try as much as he can to keep SCEE as strong as ever although Killzone 2 better bet "all that and more" because if SCEE's other studios and Technology R&D departments get cuts while tons of money was spent all these years on Guerrilla... well...
I might not be thinking clearly... boy am I pissed...
meltpotato
Member
Tempy said:
i don't think anyone on this board should be anything other than bummed out to hear about layoffs in the industry. Especially with a first-party.
Chittagong
Gold Member
TheJollyCorner
Member
Chittagong said:
:lol
I would venture to guess that this is just due to the nature of software development.
A next-gen game generally starts with < 20 people, then ramps up to 100-150, then when it's finished a lot of people are let go.
SCEE is working on something like a dozen games. It makes sense that a lot of people aren't needed as these projects are winding down.
A next-gen game generally starts with < 20 people, then ramps up to 100-150, then when it's finished a lot of people are let go.
SCEE is working on something like a dozen games. It makes sense that a lot of people aren't needed as these projects are winding down.