Hudson layoffs target mobile division, half of total staff

Hudson Entertainment, the North American branch of Hudson Soft, today cut its workforce in half, laying off as many as 35 employees from its failing mobile division, Next-Gen reports. The Redwood Shores-based company staffed 50-70 workers before today's downsizing, which apparently caught those affected "off guard." There are "lots of unhappy people" at Hudson today, a source told Next-Gen.

Hudson's mobile division has struggled to gain support from major carriers like Verizon and Cingular. Projects that sought to develop new ideas and port existing mobile games from Japan were reportedly "shot down." An official statement from Hudson is pending.