Avalanche Software lays off 15 - 20 as Disney continues cuts
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Utah-based Avalanche Software, developer of the much-praised Toy Story 3 game adaptation -- and not to be confused with Just Cause developer Avalanche Studios -- let go of 15-20 employees as of September 1. Publisher and parent company Disney Interactive confirmed the layoffs to Gamasutra in a statement: "Avalanche Software has completed a restructuring that resulted in the reduction of a small number of positions."
Avalanche Software is the latest studio of Disney's affected in a months-long culling process at the Mouse House's game publishing arm, which has so far seen the closure of Propaganda Games, Black Rock Studios, and the cancelation of a Pirates of the Caribbean game.
An unnamed employee affected by the layoffs guessed the current headcount to be around 170 (the company's LinkedIn profile indicates anywhere from 51 to 200 people are employed by the studio), making this month's staff reduction approximately 8 to 11 percent of staff. It's unclear what Avalanche is working on next, and whether this is the end of Disney's bout of "restructuring."
Avalanche Software is the latest studio of Disney's affected in a months-long culling process at the Mouse House's game publishing arm, which has so far seen the closure of Propaganda Games, Black Rock Studios, and the cancelation of a Pirates of the Caribbean game.
An unnamed employee affected by the layoffs guessed the current headcount to be around 170 (the company's LinkedIn profile indicates anywhere from 51 to 200 people are employed by the studio), making this month's staff reduction approximately 8 to 11 percent of staff. It's unclear what Avalanche is working on next, and whether this is the end of Disney's bout of "restructuring."
Reader Comments (7)
Posted: Sep 7th 2011 10:57AM kyosti said
That woody guy is so crazy.
Posted: Sep 7th 2011 11:17AM Jakintosh said
Haha, I read the title and was like "the Just Cause 2 people?" and then sure enough you guys clarified. Good journalism :D
Posted: Sep 7th 2011 12:21PM DarknessBear said
Always a bummer when you have to hear about layoffs. Especially you know a lot of those people were not that excited to be working on a Toy Story game and sucked it up for the experience/money -- and then are laid off. F that.
Posted: Sep 7th 2011 12:40PM Hoops said
This would never have happened if it wasn't for used video games.
Posted: Sep 7th 2011 1:14PM 880Cloud088 said
When I read this I got scared for a second thinking these were the makers of just cause 2 until you clarified it. Still Feel bad for these developers though
Posted: Sep 7th 2011 1:40PM counterko said
Toy Story 3 is one of the best Movie-to-Videogames ever made, rivaling Aladdin and Lion King on the SNES. It's a shame most people passed this up becase they thought it was going to be "kiddie".





