In economic times this tough, the only businesses thriving are the ones that make apple-selling carts and the Hobo Name Registry (sorry,
Cleats Onionpocket is already taken). So, it should come as little surprise that
Fudzilla is reporting on Microsoft's plan to lay off 15,000 of its 90,000 workers, or around 17 percent of its staff. If you'd like to know more about the reasoning behind and causes of the cuts, we'd recommend
this recent Marketwatch article.
The site says it doesn't know where the hits will come, but assumes that the well-performing Xbox division will likely be spared. Sadly, the first casualty of the layoffs is apparently the guy who pushes the button everyday to
make Zunes work.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Gun Barrier @ Dec 31st 2008 1:59PM
Wow! Even MS is having problems?! no wai!
Killjebus @ Dec 31st 2008 2:39PM
People all over the world are being affected by this worst of economic catastrophes in the history of civilization. It is a sad, sad situation indeed. Somehow, someway...the planet will come out of this.
So far, I have yet to see any ha ha MS posts like we did for Sony with layoffs. And I hope it stays that way, even though it would show once again a double standard.
Erluti @ Dec 31st 2008 2:42PM
I'm not trying to say everything is smiles times, but isn't "worst of economic catastrophes in the history of civilization" a bit dramatic?
Gun Barrier @ Dec 31st 2008 2:43PM
Thats because people think that its funny to see the "winner" of last gen sales doing poorly this gen. Ms was in second place last gen and this gen, while the underdog Ninty came up to first this gen. Pretty weird.
DigDug @ Dec 31st 2008 3:24PM
" but assumes that the well-performing Xbox division will likely be spared."
LOL, a $8Billion loss for the Xbox division since 2002 is not well-performing by an standards. I wouldn't be suprised if shareholders push them to kill the Xbox/Zune division, as it's a liabiliy, with desperate price cutting and no profit on the horizon.
Snowblind @ Dec 31st 2008 3:47PM
The Xbox is actually making a profit now, and the Zune hasn't even been launched outside of the US yet. Why would the put a stop to either?
Oh. I didn't read your user name.
zero2dash @ Dec 31st 2008 4:01PM
They're too busy counting millions from their OS division to give a crap about the rest of the divisions of Microsoft.
The Microsoft Games division will not be closed anytime soon, especially not with the 360 doing a whole lot better than the original Xbox did. If the 360 was tanking like the original Xbox, *THEN* they'd probably re-think their desire to have a games division.
As it stands today though - the games division is not going anywhere, I guarantee it.
The Dark Wayne @ Dec 31st 2008 2:00PM
When the top contender for world conquering mega corporation of the future is in trouble, you know shit's gotten bad
Tez @ Dec 31st 2008 2:08PM
Oh, is Google cutting staff, too?
Marty @ Dec 31st 2008 2:50PM
That's funny, I hadn't heard anything about Wal*Mart being in trouble.
(The Award-Winning) dark_inchworm @ Dec 31st 2008 3:20PM
Save the economy and merge all three.
Sam Walton's Googlemart, powered by Microsoft Windows. (Yes, even the brick-and-mortar shops.)
Spoon! @ Dec 31st 2008 4:07PM
I thought he was talking about Apple.
Edward Dean @ Jan 1st 2009 4:16AM
*sigh*
Microsoft is not in trouble. They will make upwards of $16 BILLION in profits this fiscal year. But if they do cut costs, it will be because this financial crisis is the perfect "excuse" to cut the jobs of extraneous employees that are just making the company bloated, without ramifications of the market.
FireAnt360 @ Dec 31st 2008 2:09PM
Dude I saw that Zune jab coming a mile away....TEH HEE :) 1st RROD, then XBL Crashes now this it seem bad shit happens to MS right around the years end :(
j.howlett @ Dec 31st 2008 3:01PM
are they not y2k9 compatible?
FireAnt360 @ Dec 31st 2008 3:04PM
sure it is, but not Z2k9
PSN: Aggie_CEO @ Dec 31st 2008 6:00PM
they need to FIX IT!!!!
BigRed @ Dec 31st 2008 2:15PM
Anyone else notice the name was spelled wrong on the link? Mircosoft?!?
MC Double Def DP @ Dec 31st 2008 2:19PM
joystiq is trying to appeal to maxconsole readers.
samfish @ Dec 31st 2008 2:20PM
zOMG! THE JOYSTIQ IS TEH BIASED THEYRE TRYING 2 COVER UP FOR M$'S WOES BY SPEELING THERE NAME WRONG SO GOGGLE WONT PICK IT UP!!!!!
therpham @ Dec 31st 2008 2:18PM
Ah, false alarm, guys -- it's just Mircosoft. Microsoft is just fine. :3
Master Bruce @ Dec 31st 2008 2:20PM
Not surprising really. They dropped their whole OneCare line because they weren't making any money with it.
mynk @ Dec 31st 2008 2:39PM
i know one care wasn't that great, but i really saw it going somewhere. dropping such a great product is so sad. and seeing my most preferred corporation id rather have take over the world go down like this, very sad indeed.
one care was an idea to bring things together, just like cloud computing, like live everywhere, like windows 7... i saw a great future, and then steve jobs came in the way.
PSN: Aggie_CEO @ Dec 31st 2008 6:01PM
I thought they dropped it for fear of being sued by McAfee, Norton & the like.......
samfish @ Dec 31st 2008 2:23PM
The Zune story cracks me up.
I mean, it sucks if you have a 30GB Zune, but otherwise it's just kinda funny in a "ha ha, you just got kicked in the balls by a horse" kinda way.
Dirty @ Dec 31st 2008 2:28PM
I find it interesting the outrage that is coming from the zune thing. Its not like your zune is totally dead, likely just a half day or day. (unless Im wrong and its totally borked, then that really sucks)
It really doesn't take much to set the internets a fire these days does it.
samfish @ Dec 31st 2008 2:31PM
We're like a California forest on a hot summer day.
DigDug @ Dec 31st 2008 3:28PM
LOL, the Zunes are toased, they don't boot. So you are not going to be able to firmware update them to fix it.
Who knows when other Zunes might pack up. But then if you buy Microsoft, you live every day with your hardware, like it might be it's last..
Popfrogs @ Dec 31st 2008 3:48PM
Wait a second, Microsoft made some hardware with built-in epic fail? Get out!
PSN: Aggie_CEO @ Dec 31st 2008 6:04PM
My ZUNE IS DEAD OH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOES!!!!!
Another case of where being an EARLY ADOPTER of M$ Hardware Bites you in the ass..........
then again........if it CANT be fixed via a firmware update.......then maybe they will give all of us a Free Zune120??? I mean its not like THOSE are gonna go dead until December 31, 2011
Zertoss @ Dec 31st 2008 2:25PM
WHY MIRCOSOFT WHY?!
FireAnt360 @ Dec 31st 2008 2:49PM
because we're Teh Evils >:)
Heyyou27 @ Dec 31st 2008 2:25PM
Strange how their least profitable division will not see any layoffs. That might have to do with the fact that they can't afford it in the console market as it is pretty much the only place where they face real competition.
numerwan @ Dec 31st 2008 2:33PM
Well... One can pray that they dump the collection of staff in India and keep the jobs in America...
Vista = India
Windows7 = USA
mynk @ Dec 31st 2008 2:42PM
their 2nd headquarter after Redmond is in India anyways, and they actually work on projects like windows 7 as well, rather than being outsourced to pre-generations. in fact India has Microsoft stores and xbox-360 only stores as well...
i think they are going to lay of some people worldwide as well, not just in the United States.
Kinsey @ Dec 31st 2008 2:45PM
FUN FACT:
Vista = Windows 6
Windows7 = Windows 6.1
Arnie @ Dec 31st 2008 6:59PM
For your information , none of the Windows products are made outside of the great USofA. BTW, I did not catch when was the last time America had something truly great. Everything you own is probably made outside of the US.
Man, loosing jobs is bad for anybody and affects everybody in this connected world. So get over your high horse cause you are just as dirty and a big jackass as the rest of the world. Also, some of the best minds in this country are of Indian or East Asian origin so before you bad mouthing just take a look around and see where you stand!! I doubt you even have any skill set worth of note in this world.
Zertoss @ Dec 31st 2008 2:34PM
The Marketwatch article mentions that the layoffs are supposedly coming Jan. 15th. That's the same day the Windows 7 beta supposedly goes public.
Coincidence? I'm betting the Windows division loses some people. With all of the lawsuits focused on Vista, including that "Vista-Ready" fiasco, there's no way they're keeping everybody involved with Vista.
Daniel @ Dec 31st 2008 2:44PM
The Hobo Name Registry is already taken care of by the esteemed John Hodgman:
http://www.e-hobo.com/about/
Velsar @ Dec 31st 2008 2:57PM
Mmmm.
I'm surprised Microsoft is firing people seeing as how they have more money than they know what to do with.
Perhaps some of the Gates Foundation funds should assist their own company so that 15000 people don't become jobless and then homeless, and then violent, and then rioters, and then murderers, and then rapists, and so on and so on.
Mmm.
- Cere.
Ghoti @ Dec 31st 2008 3:07PM
In the same article you linked to, they stated:
"A more recent post on the Mini-Microsoft site Monday featured comments dispelling the layoff rumor, suggesting that the company may instead simply implement a broad reorganization and possibly scale back plans for new products."
ice~ @ Dec 31st 2008 3:09PM
Man, 15,000 people...that's like the entire population of Guam. Scary.
mernmern @ Dec 31st 2008 3:13PM
RROD and now I have a bricked Zune. With any luck they will replace or fix the zunes in the same manner as they did the 360s.
FaintDeftone @ Dec 31st 2008 3:20PM
My Zune is effected by this too. Whoever the dumbass is that let this happen, I hope he is one of the laid off employees!
Anger aside, this indeed sucks. I myself got laid off on December 1st so I know how they feel.
Jacksons @ Dec 31st 2008 3:34PM
15k? Yikes.
David @ Dec 31st 2008 3:36PM
"Sadly, the first casualty of the layoffs is apparently the guy who pushes the button everyday to make Zunes work."
-The funniest thing I've read in 2008
Marius @ Dec 31st 2008 3:52PM
Oh i get it
Today is bash Microsoft day...finally
sk8monroe81 @ Dec 31st 2008 5:04PM
ANYBODY OWN A ZUNE AND EXPERIENCE Z-DAY TODAY...
U KNOW WHAT IT IS IF YOU DID..
i woke up to have my zune on and frozen on the load screen.
after looking on the net i found this has affected most 1st gen zune players today.
NICE MS HARDWARE.. lol.
lets see if they come through with a good replacement program.
thats a lot of zunes...
PSN: Aggie_CEO @ Dec 31st 2008 6:11PM
Fucking Zune30.........damn if I'm buying a First Generation of ANYTHING New M$ put out......this is Utter Bullshit........they better give us all like 300 Free Albums and a Zune 120!!!
Unless of Course the Zune 120 is gonna die 2 years from launch too which would be December 31, 2011....if thats what happens I want a Zune 320.......lol
sk8monroe81 @ Dec 31st 2008 8:07PM
except this had nothing to do with faulty hardware.
this was a software issue.
and i just checked zune.com and the problem is fixed.
well at least they say it is.
i will try tomorrow like they say.
some error with time.
nice try though fanboy.
gotta love how quick they fix the problem.