Microsoft to cut 5,000 jobs by June 2010
by Justin McElroy 
{ Jan 22nd 2009 at 10:57AM } 
There's no word yet on where, specifically, the cuts would come from, but with Microsoft reporting the Xbox division's three percent growth over the previous year, we're hopeful that the games house will make it through unscathed.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
coffins outside the door @ Jan 22nd 2009 11:10AM
What a shitty time for anyone at any company to be let go.
THE WICKER MAN (BWF) (GT: Dalek Prime) @ Jan 22nd 2009 12:17PM
Trixie 360 im looking your way!
jynxycat @ Jan 22nd 2009 12:22PM
I laughed, I'm a horrible person.
sk8monroe81 @ Jan 22nd 2009 5:00PM
doesnt get much more annoying than trixie360...lol
i mean its great what she does with trying to get more women gaming....
but geez....
THOSE EYES ARE CRAZY... lol.
she would probably be cool, but annoying to know in real life though.
samfish @ Jan 22nd 2009 11:10AM
This story has been up for almost 10 minutes and still not a single comment? Is there a flamewar I'm missing?
Wiinterfang @ Jan 22nd 2009 11:12AM
This is just too sad to for that, we shall wait at least 3 minutes before we start with the flames.
Strategy_Panda (Pot & Spoon 4 Life) @ Jan 22nd 2009 12:42PM
fame wars: please look two articles down
Marty @ Jan 22nd 2009 11:10AM
Stockholders certainly don't like the news - they're down 8% right now. Almost everyone is down too, but some of the tech companies are especially hurt. Sony is down 13%.
Amazingly, Apple is up 6%... but I doubt that'll last throughout the day.
Professor Lario @ Jan 22nd 2009 1:04PM
Apple is possibly up due to the losses seen earlier regarding Job's health.
Marty @ Jan 22nd 2009 5:28PM
Apple was up because they were one of the only companies to post a profit in their most recent report. It's way down from where it was last year, but a profit, nonetheless.
Top Cat @ Jan 22nd 2009 11:11AM
Sweet jesus, i initially read "50,000 jobs"!
Still awful of course.
OMGOMG @ Jan 22nd 2009 2:38PM
It definitely is, but kudos to MS for giving the employees a year and a half window do do the ground work for looking around.
Lord Negatron @ Jan 22nd 2009 11:13AM
"Today we announced second quarter revenue of $16.6 billion. This number is an increase of just 2 percent compared with the second quarter of last year and it is approximately $900 million below our earlier expectations."
Dude, im sorry i couldn't get past "expectations." People can and possibly will be out of work because they are short nearly $900 mill.
Stop... :/
Lord Negatron @ Jan 22nd 2009 11:17AM
In simple terms:
"Hey! I ordered Pepsi *pshshffft! (spits it out)! What is this coke?!?!
YOUR FIRED!
Dirty @ Jan 22nd 2009 11:14AM
I love my zune.
NaeemTHM @ Jan 22nd 2009 11:17AM
Man...Microsoft is hurting and Sony in on fire. Two company's that are truly delivering engrossing video game experiences are bleeding money. It's not fair!
Meanwhile Nintendo has enough money to buy Africa. WHERE IS THE JUSTICE?!
Wiinterfang @ Jan 22nd 2009 11:32AM
More proof that gamers are assholes.
NaeemTHM @ Jan 22nd 2009 12:30PM
Tell me about it! When are gamers going to wake up and smell the shovelware?
Mr Khan @ Jan 22nd 2009 12:48PM
From my perspective, this is justice. Nintendo is back where they should be, 3rd parties are finally waking up, i get a new Fire Emblem, 3D Sonic, and Phantasy Star Online in the same year
All is right with the world. All i need is more time to play it all, and (obviously) a competent online space to work in would be nice, but not enough to spoil my fun
Edward Dean @ Jan 22nd 2009 1:54PM
MS is bleeding so badly... it's bled $4.1 billion right into it's coffers.
Donald @ Jan 22nd 2009 4:34PM
"WHERE IS THE JUSTICE?!"
Nintendo bought that up a few weeks ago. Didn't you hear?
Deck @ Jan 22nd 2009 11:18AM
Bah... more lay offs. *sigh* As someone who lives in Seattle, this really sucks. Always rough when you see local companies laying people off. Though I guess Microsoft is so global, these cuts could be coming from anywhere around the globe. Hopefully those affected can find work again fast. As well as the xbox division being ok.
Rhinosaur @ Jan 22nd 2009 11:20AM
That's one long-winded email. Could have saved time with: "Economy sucks, layoffs coming. Sorry."
dark_inchworm (on Steam!) dark inchworm (on XBL!) @ Jan 22nd 2009 11:25AM
5,000?
This guy is disappointed:
http://www.joystiq.com/profile/674676/
Cellien @ Jan 22nd 2009 11:56AM
I'm not sure of your point...
That guys posts all seem pretty spot on (from the first page I read).
Sir Buzz Killington( The Artist formerly known as Jakka) @ Jan 22nd 2009 12:07PM
Wait a sec...Vegeta is a Sony fanboy? Man, I need to attend more flamewars...
Noshino @ Jan 22nd 2009 12:12PM
sigh, jokes are not funny when explained :C
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBtpyeLxVkI
The Dark Wayne @ Jan 22nd 2009 12:18PM
his name and icon is vegeta, who is pretty famous for the whole "IT'S OVER 9000!!!" thing, and 5,000 is not over 9000, so he'd be disappointed
Sir Buzz Killington( The Artist formerly known as Jakka) @ Jan 22nd 2009 12:28PM
Dammit, I should've seen that one coming...
dark_inchworm (on Steam!) dark inchworm (on XBL!) @ Jan 22nd 2009 12:31PM
I will admit, that was a hell of a reach for humor unless you're "in the know," and even then...
kip @ Jan 22nd 2009 12:33PM
Seriously though, five thousand isn't all *that* many jobs for a company like Microsoft. When you compare to companies like Bank Of America that are laying off like 35,000, it's actually a pretty small cut.
Killjebus @ Jan 22nd 2009 11:29AM
OMG!!! MS is DOOOMED!!! They should bow out now and close up shop.
This economy sucks. Oh, by the way Sprinkles...the only Sony hardware that does NOT have a revised lower sales forcast is the PS3.
PS2 8m down from 9m
PSP 15m down from 16m
PS3 10m down from NOTHING...still 10m
not bad for a console that is 2x's the price of the 360.
20+M systems in 2 years (less in PAL territories) is not bad in my opinion...not bad at all.
Thanks for killing the world economy Ferengi (corporate greed) and Neocons....thanks alot.
baconaholic @ Jan 22nd 2009 11:34AM
Vista is great. I'd own a Zune if I didn't have an iPhone. And I'm pretty sure you can't blame this on two products. Microsoft makes other stuff, you know.
waves @ Jan 22nd 2009 11:35AM
Both my sister and her BF work at Microsoft. I think they're both in pretty safe divisions (no, neither of them works on the xbox), but their jobs just got a little more stressful.
PSN: Aggie_CEO @ Jan 22nd 2009 11:35AM
Too bad it wont be the people that work in its Indian Call Centers.......
I called for my Zune fucking up and they act like they couldnt understand what I was saying......
Lord Negatron @ Jan 22nd 2009 12:02PM
Vot?
Shir, cud yew pleazsh spheak up! Vot iz this June yew shpeak uf?
Sir Buzz Killington( The Artist formerly known as Jakka) @ Jan 22nd 2009 12:09PM
RAAAAAAAAAAAAAACIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISM!
...sorry.
PSN: Aggie_CEO @ Jan 22nd 2009 12:12PM
lol......
Chin-Poh (I wuv you Yu Yu Hakusho Abridged!) @ Jan 22nd 2009 12:27PM
As an Indian American, even I find the Indian accent annoying so I feel for you guys that have to deal with Indian tech support, though I've yet to use any tech support so far. : )
Chin-Poh (I wuv you Yu Yu Hakusho Abridged!) @ Jan 22nd 2009 12:30PM
Oh and the reason I have a Chinese person as my avatar as he's a character from Yu Yu Hakusho Abridged on Youtube which kicks ass.
PSN: Aggie_CEO @ Jan 22nd 2009 12:37PM
Indians and Native Americans dont sound the same......smh.....for the most part the Indians I know(from India) speak rather clearly....although I did have a teacher that no one in class could understand so we damn near all failed....
Lord Negatron @ Jan 22nd 2009 2:43PM
Chin Poh
I know(guys) this is off topic in terms of the thread. I don't find any accent to be annoying,depending on the "tone" of course.LoL. FYI I am American(born in Brooklyn) with Jamaican family/parents. Besides that, i have Jamaican-asian, east Indian(looking) & white people in my family. All with the "hey mon" accent, still living there.
Sorry for the poor taste in humor. I have never been one to get hung up on racial humor, and take offense. As long as its in done well(not my own), Sarah Silverman, Dave Chapelle, have made some of the funniest "black" jokes i can remember as of late. *I do recall /RANTING (being fairly new to Joystiq*) at an old Soulja Boy post crying racism etc. Irony is, i only read the quotes, not the video. So i failed miserably, not knowing Justin was quoting Soulja Boy at the time.
PSN: Aggie_CEO @ Jan 22nd 2009 2:53PM
Glad to know its other black people on here besides me......lol....at any rate PLEASE dont bring up that God Forsaken Soulja Boi......I curse youtube for creating him....
Knight Marquise @ Jan 22nd 2009 11:35AM
Killjebus:
Would you kindly S.T.F.U.?
We all know you you're a rabid Sony corporate schill and we know your political views as well. Now, be a good boy and take your ritilan.
Alien Lord whisperer @ Jan 22nd 2009 11:40AM
You forgot to somehow work in "holier than thou" in your post.
A+
GundamWingEWWWWW, I just stepped in crap @ Jan 22nd 2009 11:46AM
Interesting that today (when it's Microsoft) you feel bad for the employees, yet when it's Sony you say
"There's nothing wrong with me not caring about some random person who works for sony losing their job. Or even the people on this website who lose their jobs because of w/e reason.
Although I don't know any of you I can say without a doubt who I would care about and those of you who I couldn't care less if they lost their jobs.
Sorry it's not some requirement that everyone on the planet feel bad that someone lost their job. Like I said before if someone accepts said job and said job is canceled that theirs problem for choosing a shitty company or failing at their job."
You're just a giant asshole. I hope you lose your job, get hit by a bus and catch AIDS.
Ibere @ Jan 22nd 2009 11:53AM
developers developers developers developers, developers developers developers developers....
Cellien @ Jan 22nd 2009 11:53AM
lol.
Killjebus @ Jan 22nd 2009 12:03PM
To those of you who could not tell...I was reversing the OMG Sony is doomed krap with a bit of sarcasm.
MS is not doomed, nor is Sony, BOTH are hurting in this economic mess.
We as gamers...need to support Sony and MS as much as possible by buying as many games as we can. Every little bit helps.
The sky is always darkest just b4 sunrise...I do have hope for a bright economic future now that the village eeidiot is no longer in charge.
The Dark Wayne @ Jan 22nd 2009 12:04PM
"You're just a giant asshole. I hope you lose your job, get hit by a bus and catch AIDS."
Is this hypocritical or contradictory? Both? I can't decide