Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Recently laid-off devs rant about being recently laid off]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/15/gdc-recently-laid-off-developers-rant-about-being-laid-off/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/15/gdc-recently-laid-off-developers-rant-about-being-laid-off/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/15/gdc-recently-laid-off-developers-rant-about-being-laid-off/#comments I think we can all agree that, aside from being hit by a speeding train or dropping a hot meal you've been cooking for hours, being fired from your job is like, the worst thing that can happen to you. As such, we expected the speakers on last week's GDC rant panel, titled "Fired and Fired-up: Jobless Developer's Rant," to be especially inflammatory. We were not disappointed.

Just past the jump, we've highlighted three of our favorite presentations from the panel. Some of them get awfully, explicitly blue, so if you happen to find yourself reading this video game news site while at work, you might want to think twice about going beyond the break. (You should also get back to work, you lazy so-and-so!)

Continue reading Recently laid-off devs rant about being recently laid off

JoystiqRecently laid-off devs rant about being recently laid off originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>carey-chicochris-heckerdeveloperdevelopmenteaElectronic-Artsensemblefiringgdc-2010layoffsmaxismicrosoftpandemicpanelpaul-bettnerrantMon, 15 Mar 2010 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Rebellion's Derby studio on the verge of shutting down]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/23/rebellions-derby-studio-on-the-verge-of-shutting-down/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/23/rebellions-derby-studio-on-the-verge-of-shutting-down/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/23/rebellions-derby-studio-on-the-verge-of-shutting-down/#comments Echoing grim sentiments made earlier this year, Rebellion Studios' CEO Jason Kingsley recently told Develop that the Derby branch of Rebellion that birthed Lara Croft (previously at Core Design) may not be around for too much longer. "It's quite likely that [the Derby studio] won't be kept intact in the way it did, but that individual consultancy period is not over yet," he said. He's concerned, however, with that fact that "no one has stepped up" to purchase the ailing third branch of Rebellion Studios. "We would obviously like someone to, but no one has done so as yet."

When we reached out to our contacts at the studio, we were unfortunately met with no response as of publishing. Kingsley revealed that Rebellion otherwise is in the "mid-stages" of "two big projects," and reiterates that "nothing's been decided yet" for the Derby offices. As always, if you are a member or representative of the studio in question, don't hesitate to contact us if you'd like to clarify.

JoystiqRebellion's Derby studio on the verge of shutting down originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 23 Feb 2010 15:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aliens-vs-predatorderbyeconomyfiringjason-kingsleylara-croftlayoffsrebellionrebellion-derbyrebellion-studiosukTue, 23 Feb 2010 15:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Luxoflux shuttered as layoffs hit Activision dev studios, publisher confirms]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/11/luxoflux-shuttered-as-layoffs-hit-activision-dev-studios-publis/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/11/luxoflux-shuttered-as-layoffs-hit-activision-dev-studios-publis/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/11/luxoflux-shuttered-as-layoffs-hit-activision-dev-studios-publis/#comments Reports began circulating this morning about major layoffs at a handful of Activision-owned development studios, affecting as much as half of Radical Entertainment's staff (Prototype), an undisclosed amount of Neversoft employees (Guitar Hero, Tony Hawk), and the entirety of Luxoflux (Tranformers). An Activision rep confirmed two former studio layoffs to us this afternoon, though a representative didn't city any official numbers -- the rep also told us he could "confirm the closure of Luxoflux."

The full, significantly more vague, company statement given out to everyone reads: "Activision Publishing continually evaluates its resources to ensure that they are properly matched against its product slate and strategic goals. In 2010, the company's SKU count will be smaller than in 2009 driven in part, by a decrease in the number of music-based games we will be releasing. As we discussed on our earnings conference call yesterday, we are directing our resources against the largest and most profitable business segments, and as part of this initiative, we are realigning our resources to better reflect our slate and the market opportunities. At the same time, we are increasing our digital/online capabilities as we expect that digital/online will continue to become a more meaningful part of our business model in the years ahead."

JoystiqLuxoflux shuttered as layoffs hit Activision dev studios, publisher confirms originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 Feb 2010 18:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisionactivision-blizzardactivision-publishingDSfiringguitar-herolayoffsluxofluxMicrosoftneversoftNintendoprototyperadicalradical-entertainmentrumortony-hawktransformersWiiXbox-360Thu, 11 Feb 2010 18:55:00 EST<![CDATA[Edge of Twilight developer FuzzyEyes laid off majority of staff]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/03/edge-of-twilight-developer-fuzzyeyes-laid-off-majority-of-staff/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/03/edge-of-twilight-developer-fuzzyeyes-laid-off-majority-of-staff/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/03/edge-of-twilight-developer-fuzzyeyes-laid-off-majority-of-staff/#comments Following yesterday's report that unsung steampunk action title Edge of Twilight had ceased development, we were unsure of the fate of the game's Australian developer, FuzzyEyes. That fate was revealed earlier today in a public statement from the company's CEO, Wei-Yao Lu, who explained, "On 30th of September, FuzzyEyes has let go the majority of staffs as FuzzyEyes was confronted with number of challenges, including economic downturn and some legal complications."

Lu confirmed that the studio is still in business, and is transitioning as it sells a "portion" of its shares to an unnamed third-party company. During this transition, the studio will "suspend all onsite development," while outsourced development will continue on. Lu claims the studio will be fully operational once more, after the transition, and that a number of employees will be offered their positions back in early 2010. The statement promises more details once the transition is finished -- at which point, we'll hopefully learn the true fate of Edge of Twilight.

Gallery: Edge of Twilight

JoystiqEdge of Twilight developer FuzzyEyes laid off majority of staff originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 03 Dec 2009 09:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>australiadevelopereconomyedge-of-twilightfiringfuzzyeyeslayoffsThu, 03 Dec 2009 09:41:00 EST<![CDATA[Report: Funcom cutting 20 percent of staff, The Secret World delayed]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/29/report-funcom-cutting-20-percent-of-staff-the-secret-world-del/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/29/report-funcom-cutting-20-percent-of-staff-the-secret-world-del/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/29/report-funcom-cutting-20-percent-of-staff-the-secret-world-del/#comments According to a report from Norwegian news site E24, Funcom recently announced in a stock exchange briefing that it would be cutting 20 percent of its staff and, as a result, would delay the launch of The Secret World by a few months. Following this announcement, the company's stock took a sizable 18 percent dip -- as did our hearts, which became somewhat infatuated with the developer's mysterious MMO at the Penny Arcade Expo.

This news is somewhat confusing considering the company decided to open a brand new Montreal chapter earlier this month, where it was planning on hiring more than 100 people over the next year and a half. We've contacted Funcom to find out the reason for the cuts, and to see if this new studio will be affected.

[Via Edge Online]

JoystiqReport: Funcom cutting 20 percent of staff, The Secret World delayed originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>firingfuncomindustrylayoffsmmomontrealnorwaythe-secret-worldTue, 29 Sep 2009 11:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Rumor: Rockstar New England's QA department laid off]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/06/24/rumor-rockstar-new-englands-qa-department-laid-off/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/06/24/rumor-rockstar-new-englands-qa-department-laid-off/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/06/24/rumor-rockstar-new-englands-qa-department-laid-off/#comments
News that our fellow gaming industry professionals have been stripped of their employment is always a bad thing -- even when said professionals work for a studio that we ... kind of ... forgot about. Hey, it's not our fault. Do a quick search for "Rockstar New England," and the only result is a post about the studio's origins published April 2008. They've reportedly been working on an unannounced project since then -- but then again, who isn't these days?

According to Kotaku, Rockstar New England (formerly Mad Doc Software) just axed about 10 percent of its staff -- including the entire quality assurance department. Unnamed sources reported Rockstar is cutting QA across the board in favor of having a single QA studio -- a fact that doesn't bode well for the non-bugginess of Grand Theft Auto V. Strangely enough, Rockstar New England's site says the studio is hiring for a few programming and designing positions. Rarely do gaming studios have such Wal-Mart-esque turnover.

We've contacted Rockstar to find out if Kotaku's sources were accurate.

JoystiqRumor: Rockstar New England's QA department laid off originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 24 Jun 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>firinglayoffsmad-doc-softwareqaquality-assurancerockstarrockstar-new-englandWed, 24 Jun 2009 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[THQ 'axing' 200 employees to leave, pretty please]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/07/thq-axing-200-people-to-leave-the-company/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/07/thq-axing-200-people-to-leave-the-company/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/07/thq-axing-200-people-to-leave-the-company/#commentsFiled under:


With THQ announcing a $35.3 million dollar loss this past fiscal year, it's time for some people to get the ax. Not executives, mind you, but the little people. Gamasutra reports that CEO Brian Farrell stated 200 people will lose their jobs, but that most of them are employees working on "last gen" platforms like the PS2. On the bright side, the company plans to add about 300 new employees this fiscal year to "key studios" working on "key products."

The culling may have already started after rumors last week that members of THQ's Rainbow and Sandblast studios were laid off. To prevent people from losing their jobs in the future, CFO Colin Slade says that THQ is instituting a four-stage greenlight process to ensure better quality (and apparently better sales) from the publisher's titles.

[Via GameDaily]

JoystiqTHQ 'axing' 200 employees to leave, pretty please originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 07 May 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>axfiringjobsthqWed, 07 May 2008 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Gerstmann-gate: Blackout Monday update]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/03/gerstmann-gate-blackout-monday-update/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/03/gerstmann-gate-blackout-monday-update/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/03/gerstmann-gate-blackout-monday-update/#commentsFiled under: ,

Big wheel keep on turning. Gerstmann-gate keep on burning.
[Thanks to all the tipsters who sent in links.]

JoystiqGerstmann-gate: Blackout Monday update originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 03 Dec 2007 12:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>controversyeidosfiringgamespotgerstmannjeff-gerstmannjournalismkane-and-lynchMon, 03 Dec 2007 12:28:00 EST<![CDATA[Rumorang: Gerstmann-gate edition]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/01/rumorang-gerstmann-gate-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/01/rumorang-gerstmann-gate-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/01/rumorang-gerstmann-gate-edition/#commentsFiled under: ,

We're sure you'll agree our reporting on the continuing controversy surrounding Gamespot's firing of Jeff Gerstmann has been quite extensive. Still, there are a few angles that have come up that we still feel a little questionable reporting on as fact, or even credible rumor. Still, they are getting play elsewhere around the web, so we'll let you have a little peek behind the curtain and in to the sausage-making world of the news process. Here's what we know and why we're a bit skeptical:
  • Some sites are reporting that Gamespot staffer Tim Tracy has also been fired and/or left the company, possibly for reasons related to Gerstmann's dismissal. The sole source for this rumor seems to be a cryptic post on Tracy's Gamespot blog where he appears behind a stack of shoeboxes with the footer, "It's been real." This could mean that he's no longer with the company ... but it could also means he just has a shoe fetish. We're working to get an official comment on the situation from Tracy or Gamespot and will let you know what we hear, but for the time being we don't want to speculate on what, if anything, this could mean.
  • Some commenters around the web are suggesting that the firing was due to the influence of some recent hires at CNET, specifically Executive Vice President Stephen Colvin and Director of Games & Entertainment Josh Larson. These commenters will point to Colvin's previous involvement with bastions of journalistic integrity like Maxim, Blender, and Stuff magazine (read: sarcasm!) and Larson's heavy career focus on marketing to gamers. This circumstantial evidence doesn't do much for us, and while we've heard some rumblings of their involvement from somewhat credible sources, nothing has been better than second hand information. We'll keep digging, but right now it's too early to implicate anyone specific (or in general, for that matter).
  • Finally, some commenters are claiming that Gerstmann wasn't fired because his Kane & Lynch review was negative in tone, but because he did not actually play the game sufficiently before reviewing it. The supposed evidence, as often happens with such allegations, is Jeff's Xbox Live Gamercard, which only has six achievements and 90 Gamerscore points for the game (some overstate this claim to say he only got one achievement. Fact check your rumors, people!) Reviewers often start reviews playing early code that might not have achievements unlocked. Gerstmann could have been playing on Microsoft's private PartnerNet system when reviewing the game, or simply been on a separate system/Gamertag when doing some of the playing. Furthermore, the content of both the text and video reviews seems to clearly indicate deep involvement with the game. We're waiting to hear back from Gerstmann on this issue directly, but until we do, it'll take more than a Gamercard to convince us Jeff was anything less than a professional in this matter.

JoystiqRumorang: Gerstmann-gate edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 01 Dec 2007 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>controversyeidosfiringgamespotgerstmannjeff-gerstmannjournalismkane-and-lynchrumorangSat, 01 Dec 2007 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Latest developments in "Gerstmann-gate"]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/01/latest-developments-in-gerstmann-gate/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/01/latest-developments-in-gerstmann-gate/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/01/latest-developments-in-gerstmann-gate/#commentsFiled under: ,

More tidbits surrounding Jeff Gerstmann's controversial firing from Gamespot, from around the web and our own reporting:
  • Gerstmann has confirmed to Joystiq that there are "legal reasons" why he can't comment on the controversy, in addition to questions of "respect for the product team still on board at GameSpot, who are some of the most amazing people I've ever met." He added that he is not under any sort of non-compete agreement regarding future work in the industry.
  • Eidos issues a 'no comment' to 1UP: "Eidos is not able to comment on another company's policies and procedures." Valleywag says Eidos "insiders" are "freaking out" over being blamed for something they say they had nothing to do with. Still no response from Eidos to our requests for comment.
  • Former Gamespot editor-in-chief Greg Kasavin, on his GameSpot blog: "As the longest-tenured GameSpot editor, Jeff Gerstmann deserved a respectful send-off."
  • Current Gamespot editor-in-chief Alex Navarro compares the whole situation to hitting the disaster button in SimCity.
  • Former Gamespot staffer Bob Colayco and Adam Buchen clarify that just because Gerstmann was fired doesn't mean Gamespot staffers routinely get paid off for good reviews. Buchen also cancels his Gamespot account and urges others to do the same.
  • An anonymous Valleywag commenter going by the handle "gamespot" and claiming to be a company insider: "There has been an increasing amount of pressure to allow the advertising teams to have more of a say in the editorial process." More: "Also, despite the fact that this occured [sic] two weeks ago, there was no way they were going to fire him then; the last big games didn't come out until just before Thanksgiving, and there was no doubt that management knew that the rest of the reviewers would refuse to write any reviews after his termination, which is indeed what is happening. [emphasis added]"
We'll continue to update as more information comes out. Thanks to Gamespot user subrosian and all the tipsters who sent in information. Keep it coming.

JoystiqLatest developments in "Gerstmann-gate" originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 01 Dec 2007 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breakingeidosfiringgamespotgerstmannjeff-gerstmannjournalismkane-and-lynchSat, 01 Dec 2007 09:00:00 EST