Sony Job Cuts Detailed - Europe

[Kamalot]

CVG has an article up about Sony's European job cuts (http://computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=162740) and how they break down across divisions.
Sony Liverpool (Wipeout, Formula One), Sony Cambridge (24: The Game, Primal, GhostHunter, MediEvil) and Sony London (The Getaway, Home, EyeToy, SingStar) are the studios hit.

Sony Liverpool has seen over 50 redundancies, Cambridge around 20 and London again over 50. The blog says that an additional 30 staff working mainly in marketing, sales and PR have gone.I expected more cuts from marketing / administration and fewer cuts from development houses.

[bKangy]

Fucking hell, that's a really shitty thing to do considering it's not really been the actual studios letting down the corporation. How about the fat cats work without pay for a bit?

[Gaz]

I feel sorry for all those who've lost their jobs; they're hardly not fulfilling their roles, in fact they're still producing titles that hit well and aren't woefully bad), whilst Sony marketing and PR are, quite frankly, still a joke.

[fitbabits]

Never mind, they can sell their free PS3s to pay the rent and bills. :rolleyes:

This sucks donkey balls, though, and I hope those let go find gainful employment elsewhere soon.

[roboninja]

Seems about right, seeing as the marketing and PR has gone remarkably well for Sony and the PS3, while the large library of games has had it's share of misses. I guess they are focusing on more quality games for PS3, rather than the overall quantity as in the past.
</sarcasm>

[Johan]

Wow...cutting out in development seems to run counter to what logic might require, since games are in need for the PS3.

Well, what do I know, anyway. Fire them all!!!!

Seems about right, seeing as the marketing and PR has gone remarkably well for Sony and the PS3, while the large library of games has had it's share of misses. I guess they are focusing on more quality games for PS3, rather than the overall quantity as in the past.

Is this sarcasm? It seems to me the marketing has been horrific, while the games are what is truly needed (the PS3 has a "large" library? :confused: )

Wow...I really disagree with you. Or missed the humor!

[Katslover]

I really don't see why these particular studios had to take the hit. Besides Cambridge (I don't know how big of a hit MediEvil was for Sony), they seem to have a least one good series going for them. You would think the first person to get the ax would be the guy who does all of their horrible ads. Between rampant racism, a horrible attempt to trick "teh interwebs", and depicting the PS3 as a magical floating obelisk capable of bring inanimate objects to tears, I would like to believe they simply had the Sony Blackhand whack those responsible for these travesties.

[roboninja]

Wow...cutting out in development seems to run counter to what logic might require, since games are in need for the PS3.

Well, what do I know, anyway. Fire them all!!!!



Is this sarcasm? It seems to me the marketing has been horrific, while the games are what is truly needed (the PS3 has a "large" library? :confused: )

Wow...I really disagree with you. Or missed the humor!
Change the batteries in your Sarcasto-metre, Johan.

[Trazzlo the Magnificant]

Seems about right, seeing as the marketing and PR has gone remarkably well for Sony and the PS3, while the large library of games has had it's share of misses. I guess they are focusing on more quality games for PS3, rather than the overall quantity as in the past.
I am sorry, I don't see the link between layoffs and higher quality. Quantity, that I can understand. Fewer people generate less games, or games later than expected, or possibly some project cancellations.

But once you remove quantity, you are not guaranteed quality. If they had reduced PR staff and then hired more support or QA staff, then I can agree but that doesn't seem to be the case.

Edit:
Change the batteries in your Sarcasto-metre, Johan.
Nope, I am still using the same batteries I used in 1979. Oh wait a sec, they don't work!

[Lothair]

I expected more cuts from marketing / administration and fewer cuts from development houses.

Well, now we know what Sony's priorities are.

[KNOTE]

Maybe Sony overstaffed with the thought that they needed more 1st party games than they actually did need? Maybe they're ramping down support for 1 of their 3 platforms?

Was this due to weak financials? Usually job cuts like this precede poor earnings statements. Anyone know what the numbers are looking like?

[DangerousDaze]

This thread is so two days ago. (http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?p=761768#post761768) :p

[fitbabits]

This thread is so two days ago. (http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?p=761768#post761768) :p
No, your post is so two days ago. You tacked it onto the end of another news story. Why didn't you submit it as news?

You might as well have asked why this is news! :p

[Snipee]

Thats really sad. I wonder if this will cause any delays in production and release of new titles.

[DangerousDaze]

No, your post is so two days ago. You tacked it onto the end of another news story. Why didn't you submit it as news?
I've learned through experience that news that can't be backed up with sources isn't news. No biggy, I'm just being an ass. ;)

[fitbabits]

I've learned through experience that news that can't be backed up with sources isn't news. No biggy, I'm just being an ass. ;)
And that's why it's news now - there's a linkable source.

ASS! ;)

[silv]

Sad to see this happen. Games is what the PS3 really needs to hit it's stride.

[DangerousDaze]

And that's why it's news now - there's a linkable source.

ASS! ;)
If you count an internet blog as any more verifiable than a "friend of a poster" who works for Sony Liverpool. BAM!

[fitbabits]

If you count an internet blog as any more verifiable than a "friend of a poster" who works for Sony Liverpool. BAM!
Wait, Computer & Video Games is an internet blog now? Who knew? I thought they'd been around in one for or another as a magazine for well over 10 years.

[Katslover]

If you count an internet blog as any more verifiable than a "friend of a poster" who works for Sony Liverpool. BAM!


Oh SNAP!




EDIT: fit, I'm quite sure that the despicable DangerousDaze is referring to Computer & Video Games source. And with a name as generic as Computer & Video Games, we can only pray that they have been around since Nots and Crosses.
---
I suppose if I were to add a signature to this post than it wouldn't be considered too short by the board system. MIRITE?

[DangerousDaze]

Wait, Computer & Video Games is an internet blog now? Who knew? I thought they'd been around in one for or another as a magazine for well over 10 years.
Read where C&VG got their info... (http://www.innerbits.com/blog/)

[fitbabits]

Read where C&VG got their info... (http://www.innerbits.com/blog/)
Do you know who Inner Bits is? Who the contributors are?

[Johan]

Change the batteries in your Sarcasto-metre, Johan.

I was using Sony batteries. They blew up and destroyed my metre...and Sony won't replace it. :(

So, were you serious? ;) j/k...

[DangerousDaze]

Do you know who Inner Bits is? Who the contributors are?
This is all by-the-by because the information is correct anyway, but technically they're an anonymous trio of industry insiders (regardless of whether you informally know who they really are or not). I know their information is reliable but that still doesn't make them Reuters. Reporting their news through C&VG doesn't make it fact, it just makes it laundered. Anyway, I've derailed this thread enough...

[fitbabits]

Anyway, I've derailed this thread enough...
No, you haven't. You've still not touched on the stellar 82% drop in UK sales of the PS3 from week one to week two. :D

[DangerousDaze]

No, you haven't. You've still not touched on the stellar 82% drop in UK sales of the PS3 from week one to week two. :D
I don't like to repeat myself. (http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?p=729482&highlight=supply#post729482) ;)

[fitbabits]

I don't like to repeat myself. (http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?p=729482&highlight=supply#post729482) ;)
Clearly you do:

This thread is so two days ago (http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?p=761768#post761768).

:)

[DangerousDaze]

No, you haven't. You've still not touched on the stellar 82% drop in UK sales of the PS3 from week one to week two. :D
I don't like to repeat myself. (http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?p=729482&highlight=supply#post729482) ;)

[fitbabits]

I don't like to repeat myself. (http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?p=729482&highlight=supply#post729482) ;)
Clearly you do:

This thread is so two days ago (http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?p=761768#post761768).

:)

[Trazzlo the Magnificant]

They say most of the thread posts on internet are actually performed by parrots. :)

[DangerousDaze]

DD wants a cracker *SKWAAA!*

[Kamalot]

1Up states (http://www.gametab.com/news/885207/) that we may be seeing additional job cuts in Japan and in the USA as well.Last week, news leaked that 160 "redundancies" at Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, roughly 10% of their workforce, were being cut from the company following the launch of the PlayStation 3 overseas. Such downsizing does not appear to be limited to Europe. Sony Computer Entertainment spokesman Satoshi Fukuoka told Reuters such changes could be in store in both Japan and the United States, though nothing has been decided -- yet.

If cuts were to take place, however, Fukuoka says the downsizing would not be related to sales of PlayStation 3, but due to a shift towards "changes in the game industry," such as the movement towards online distribution vs. retail packages.

Since the 'redundancies' are due to 'the movement towards online distribution vs. retail packages' then all 120 people must have been involved in pressing DVDs and UMDs and stuffing them into those tiny UMD cases. :rolleyes:

Edit: A good friend of mine just pointed out that, "changes in the game industry" is code for, "We aren't the dominant platform"

[ONI5]

I'm sure EA and MS have some openings for them.

[Skyelan]

...WHY the hell are they cutting people part of the group involved with making Home? I mean, I'm not gonna assume that anyone layed off was directly involved, but it seems like a bad idea to take away potential workforce from the people working on a big and well hyped project for you... :confused:

[TheFlyingOrc]

Fucking hell, that's a really shitty thing to do considering it's not really been the actual studios letting down the corporation. How about the fat cats work without pay for a bit?
They are the ones with the power to fire people. :)

[archon]

Oh fuck no, not the Wipeout team! What the fuck was their goal with this move? Are they TRYING to get rid of good first party developers? Why not just cut on the God of War or ICO teams while you're at it?! Sony's problem is NOT with their developers, it's with their fucking idiotic management. This is ridiculous.

[Boris]

Don't worry ex-Sony guys, Micro$oft will lovingly embrace you into it's arms with warmth, shelter and cups of hot cocoa.

[fitbabits]

Don't worry ex-Sony guys, Micro$oft well lovingly embrace you into it's arms with warmth, shelter and cups of hot cocoa.
Or, seeing as some of us are still in third grade:

Don't worry ex-$ony guy$, Micro$oft well lovingly embrace you into it'$ ar*** with warmth, $helter and cup$ of hot cocoa.
'sic' central!

[BlackPete]

Sony execs to get a big bonus in 5... 4... 3...

[JCtheMC]

I thought Eight Days was also in development at London studio?

Now there's a game i'm looking forward to. I realise that it's never going to look as good as the CG trailer they showed at the last e3, but the whole theme definitely spoke to me.