Mass layoffs hit Skate, Need for Speed dev Black Box
by Randy Nelson 
{ Jan 22nd 2009 at 4:06PM } 
As many as 200 of the 350-plus employees of EA Black Box have been given their walking papers, according to a report on Gamasutra. Joystiq has confirmed with EA public relations that the Vancouver, BC based studio let a number employees go today, although the publisher was unable to provide us with a specific tally of the affected at present.EA Black Box is the studio responsible for the Need for Speed franchise and the just-released Skate 2. Its (now remaining) staff is currently in the process of being integrated into EA's Vancouver-area Burnaby studio. EA confirmed late last month that Black Box would close as part of its plan to reduce global staffing by 10%.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Dralthi @ Jan 22nd 2009 4:20PM
Wow. This sucks.
coffins outside the door @ Jan 22nd 2009 4:26PM
Jesus Christ. Are there any companies out there that haven't closed up or starting laying everyone off?
Shit, I hope my boss doesn't realize I'm posting this at work. *shifty eyes*
Meta @ Jan 22nd 2009 4:47PM
As far as I know Valve hasn't yet.
butaneko @ Jan 22nd 2009 4:28PM
Thanks for all your hard work now get the F out seems to be the new post-ship wrap party.
Regardless I bought Skate 2 at lunch and can't wait to get home and pop it in.
finnith @ Jan 22nd 2009 4:48PM
Wonder why so many companies chose this week to announce planned layoffs.
Deone @ Jan 22nd 2009 6:32PM
Year end review type of stuff mostly, I would guess. That and assuming they get their ducks in a row by the time the fiscal year starts (April), they could look a whole lot better for Fiscal 2009.
aggrazel @ Jan 22nd 2009 4:52PM
Man, Back to the Future was way off. In 2015 everyone's going to be either unemployed or working for Biff ... er ... I mean the Government.
Deone @ Jan 22nd 2009 6:30PM
All these layoffs are insane. Clearly no part of the economy is safe from the recession. I would like to see a compilation article montage-d together by the Joystiq staff that shows all the game and game related companies layoffs. Replete with pie charts on who cut the most, who the best dev's were who still made cuts etc.
The high volume of comments on these layoff articles clearly indicate an interest by your readers.
PS- how come the Joystiq spell checker doesn't recognize Joystiq.
time @ Jan 22nd 2009 6:43PM
Everyone who says the video game industry is recession-proof is an idiot.
JoeTheBlow @ Jan 23rd 2009 5:25AM
I think we realise by now that they mean "Nintendo and Gamestop are recession proof, at least until we're all out of jobs and can't buy shit anymore"
schwal @ Jan 22nd 2009 6:53PM
man, they are by far my favorite EA studio.
JAY JAY @ Jan 22nd 2009 8:56PM
I guess this is just going to cause a "Mass Effect".
I'm Sorry. I had to do it.
shradical @ Jan 23rd 2009 2:02AM
Hopefully they'll continue releasing (quality) games out of the skate franchise. Best thing going on any system right now imo... IMO!! And this just reaffirms my plan to get out of the army and hide away in college until I get my phd in evolutionary biology... Sounds almost too perfect.
Dog the Body Hunter @ Jan 25th 2009 2:35PM
I've been fairly reclusive in the community lately, so is it ok that it strikes me as odd that I'm the only one scared shitless about the state of the industry with more and more reports like this?
That's it, I'm eating out of tins from now on. Gormey food my arse.
Razer922 @ Jan 26th 2009 12:09PM
FUCK.
They release one of the best (if not the best) skateboarding game ever, and 200 of them get a ticket home.
Here's praying that Skate 3 happens in two years or so. (No shorter; remember what happened to Tony Hawk?)
neojam @ Jan 27th 2009 3:11PM
I don't think that any of the Skate devs got fired, since the franchise kicks ass and sells good...
They've probably fired only the ones directly responsible for the feces that 2 last Need for Speed games were, which i don't think was a bad idea to do.