Disturbance in the workforce

posts about #disturbanceintheworkforce more →
Square Enix Fire Some People
Romero's Slipgate Ironworks Hammered Down, MMO Project Still On
Activision Lays Off Shaba's Ranks, Closes Studio [Update]
Activision Subtracts From 7 Studios, Hits Ex-Scratch Dev With Layoffs
Cricket Game Developer Lays Off A Third of Its Staff
Square Enix Japan To Cut 200 to 300 Jobs
Maxis Layoffs Include Outspoken Spore Dev Chris Hecker
Raven Hit By Layoffs, Some Point to Lackluster Wolfenstein Sales
Six Days In Fallujah Causes Casualties At Atomic Games
Layoffs Hit Sony Online Entertainment

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deanbmmv
11/04/09

In reply to Square Enix Fire Some People
Ahem. your headline is wrong. Should be:

Square Enix Firaga Some People #business
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TC
11/04/09

@deanbmmv: Zing! #business
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phinehas
11/03/09

In reply to Square Enix Fire Some People
I wonder if that cool dude who got the proofreading/editing job is still goin' strong. I met him at the Kotaku party around TGS time, was happy for him. #business
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Grave
11/04/09

@phinehas: I think it's safe to say that no dude, cool or otherwise, is proofreading Kotaku posts. #business
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phinehas promoted this comment Grave was starred Grave was unstarred

phinehas
11/04/09

@Grave: I agree w/that wholeheartedly.

But I was talking about the guy with the job at Square/Enix who had the proofreading job. #business
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Kobun
11/03/09

In reply to Square Enix Fire Some People
Is this the first job cut announcement without the Arrested Development image? #business
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-MasterDex-
11/03/09

In reply to Square Enix Fire Some People
It's sad to hear of people losing their jobs day in and day out and without condemning Square-Enix, I'm sure much of this could have been avoided with some executive pay cuts.

But alas, capitalism is our king and we are it's bitch. #business
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Rebochan
11/03/09

@-MasterDex-: Wada already took a paycut back in March, so it's not like they started with the layoffs first. #business
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-MasterDex- promoted this comment Rebochan was starred Rebochan was unstarred

-MasterDex-
11/03/09

@Rebochan: I must have missed that. Well props to them then.

@SophT: I can understand that but it then begs the question as to why they were overstaffed to begin with? #business
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Rebochan
11/04/09

@-MasterDex-: There's also probably some extra staff that was taken on to finish FFXIII that aren't going to be kept on for other projects. #business
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distaste
11/03/09

In reply to Square Enix Fire Some People
I hope this doesn't have an effect on FFXIV. I'm truly curious how they will further the evolution of the MMO.

They are probably trying to keep as many eidos people as possible as they paid good money to acquire them and their knowledge. #business
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Archaotic promoted this comment distaste was starred distaste was unstarred

Archaotic
11/03/09

@distaste: They're probably dumping the non-essential temps who helped work on FFXIII, as well as people from Taito and Eidos who they have no use for. Firing people who're in major roles on currently active projects isn't very likely. #business
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UsernameOfTheDead
11/03/09

In reply to Square Enix Fire Some People
I would think that they would have cut most of Eidos' people before they started getting rid of their own. I was under the impression that they bought Eidos due to their distribution network in the West. #business
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ngork
11/03/09

@UsernameOfTheDead: Not to mention owning their decent stable of IPs. They could always shift development of these Edios IPs internally, for better or worse. #business
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-MasterDex- promoted this comment ngork was starred ngork was unstarred

-MasterDex-
11/03/09

@ngork: Lara Croft made in Japan? It'll be like the 90's all over again! #business
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Two Flush Dump
11/03/09

In reply to Square Enix Fire Some People
Its K, Obama says the recession is over. Those laid off will mostly likely have a job come January. My government said so, so it has to be true #business
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Kobun
11/03/09

@Two Flush Dump: Just because the recession has ended based on the terms and conditions which define it doesn't negate the severity of the current woeful status of unemployment in the US. I understand you got your radio blinders on, but I'd love to see you source where Obama said everyone wanting a job will have one by January.

That Squeenix is still laying off people still shows what a sorry if improving state the global economy is in. Unfortunately in the real world, such issues aren't remedied in an instant; it's not as though Bush stumbled in the night and turned off the economy, and all the current administration and other world governments need to do is flip the switch back on. #business
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Pirateninjabot
11/04/09

@Kobun: I think TFD was being sarcastic. Of course, I could be wrong. #business
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Kobun
11/04/09

@Pirateninjabot: Yeah, I think there's a good chance that he was being sarcastic as well based on comment history, but there's no real difference between what he wrote "sarcastically" and what some people honestly believe and bandy about in public sneers. #business
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ngork
11/03/09

In reply to Square Enix Fire Some People
Seeing that primary development on Final Fantasy is likely done, they have the luxury of shedding some staff. I really hope we get to know how much that game cost to develop and market versus the needed sales to recoup that investment.

In a sense, FF13 is the test of this current console generation in regards to the feasibility of large scale, single SKU development. If this game does not recoup itst cost via stellar sales I fully expect a huge shift in development of these large scale RPGs. #business
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-MasterDex- promoted this comment ngork was starred ngork was unstarred

lordvinh
10/19/09

In reply to Romero's Slipgate Ironworks Hammered Down, MMO Project Still On
its funny how their logo looks exactly like Pixel Liberation Front's logo.

[www.thefront.com]
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furiku promoted this comment lordvinh was starred lordvinh was unstarred

furiku
10/19/09

@mekongbandit: @lordvinh: check this!

[www.columbia.edu]

This is the original poster I believe. #slipgateironworks
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jtraveller
10/17/09

In reply to Romero's Slipgate Ironworks Hammered Down, MMO Project Still On
uh.. this is, yet again, going to bring me some flak but... has romero completed at least a game this last decade? #slipgateironworks
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furiku promoted this comment jtraveller was starred jtraveller was unstarred

Taggart6: I don't always drink beer, but when I do...
10/16/09

In reply to Romero's Slipgate Ironworks Hammered Down, MMO Project Still On
it would have been hilarious if the pink slips read:

"Gazillion is about to make you unemployed.

Suck it down." #slipgateironworks
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tk.
10/08/09

In reply to Activision Lays Off Shaba's Ranks, Closes Studio [Update]
Boo! Condolences to those dudes, Web of Shadows was great fun and I was looking forward to seeing what else they could do with their killer aerial combat engine.

And how does GH5 factor into it? Is the Neversoft team going to get "demoted" back to skating games?
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jayntampa
10/08/09

In reply to Activision Lays Off Shaba's Ranks, Closes Studio [Update]
Since Guitar Hero came out in 2005, Activision has released no less than 12 titles under the Guitar Hero name. Yes, some were platform exclusive, but still ... that's massive oversaturation - and it shows a really short-term view taken by the company leadership.

That is, unless the goal of the current management is to make as much as possible in a short time and jump ship with the money before it goes down.

Don't be surprised if this is the ultimate outcome.
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Scott J
10/08/09

@jayntampa: Activision needs to realize this. Sure you cash in early on but you kill your lasting appeal. Instead of making money on it for the next 10 years, you make money on it for maybe 2 or 3 and then everybody is sick of it.
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shaunmcilroy promoted this comment Scott J was starred Scott J was unstarred

muu
10/08/09

In reply to Activision Lays Off Shaba's Ranks, Closes Studio [Update]
Understandable under current business conditions (no kids, the recession has not ended regardless of what Benny tell us), but too bad for them. WoS had its share of flaws but in the end was a far more entertaining package than overhyped (in comparison) Prototype. It'd be unfortunate if those dismal and out of place review scores for that game were part of the reason they were let go.
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deanbmmv
10/08/09

In reply to Activision Lays Off Shaba's Ranks, Closes Studio [Update]
And Tomorrow:
Activsion closes Treyarch Studios.

Following the closures of Shabba and 7 Studios Activision has closed down Treyarch developer of several Call of Duty and Spiderman games.
Activsion cited repeated delayed development of Call of Duty:World at Warcrcraft due in the bulging Q1 2010 line-up. Delays had set the game back to a projected Q4 2010. Activsion have passed development onto Neversoft Studios as "they seem to be able to knock out sequels pretty damn fast"
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deanbmmv
10/08/09

@deanbmmv: Update: Activsion share's have plummeted follwing the news of a third clousre in as many days.
Robert Kotick has been forcibly removed as CEO of the company on the grounds the man seems to have gone quiet insane.
Mark Hamill celebrated this news in his own little way, all other gamers in the universe are celebrating normally.
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