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The Sky is Falling: Gaming Industry Job Cuts Roundup

Posted by Cole Stryker

 

Jiminy Christmas, people. It's tough out there in the so-called "recession proof" gaming industry. And all right before Christmas. My heart goes out to these guys. The industry experienced explosive growth over the last few years, it only makes sense that downturn would come. Hopefully these people will be rehired when things turn around. They will turn around, right?

Scary statistics, after the jump: 

Midway: 160? jobs

Factor 5: 37 jobs

Sony: 8,000 jobs

Brash Entertainment: 20 jobs

Electronic Arts: 600 jobs

NCSoft: undisclosed

THQ: 30 or 40 jobs

Ensemble Studios: shuttered

Lucasarts: 75-100 jobs

So what does this mean for the industry? Executives like to pull out words like "restructure" or "refocus" or "adaptive strategy" when tough times come, so it becomes a matter of cutting through the bull. I think that it's going to get worse before it gets better, but the average gamer probably won't feel the hurt. As long as demand stays constant, developers will scramble to come up with innovative ways to capture the market. 

Related Links:

Watching Age of Conan Die
A Semi-Reasoned Analysis of the Used Game Conundrum
A Letter to the Industry: How to Destroy the Female Gender Barricade

Comments

Demaar said:

Wow, EA's cut seems insignificant when put up next to Sony, as do everyone else's. Ouch.

December 17, 2008 10:29 AM

LayoffGossip said:

People always hate to talk about when they are laid off. But as it has become every day's news headline since Yahoo started it with cutting 1500 of its task force last year, now a need of platform has been in demand where people can express their selves in words how they are feeling about their company, whey the got laid off was that justified or not.

And every thing they want to tell anonymously.And www.layoffgossip.com is providing you that platform.

December 31, 2008 4:34 AM

JobOutlets said:

I have a very close friend, who graduated from Harvard. Worked for ML for over 8 years, last year he’s laid off too. OMG, now the banking industry is badly hurt, how long it would take for those financial background like him get back to the job market. Banking jobs are not there as much as before as easily seen on http://www.joboutlets.com and other job sites in the region

January 13, 2009 11:09 AM

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