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<generator>Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/</generator><item><title><![CDATA[Activision lays off 30 people, expects fewer licensed games in 2013]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/19/activision-lays-off-30-people-expects-fewer-licensed-games-in-2/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/19/activision-lays-off-30-people-expects-fewer-licensed-games-in-2/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/19/activision-lays-off-30-people-expects-fewer-licensed-games-in-2/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/19/activision-lays-off-30-people-expects-fewer-licensed-games-in-2/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2013/02/4142thewalkingdeadsurvivalinstinctscreen6.jpg.jpg" /></a></div>Activision laid off 30 full-time employees, noting that this year it intended to launch fewer games based on licensed properties. Activision provided a statement to Joystiq:<br /><br />"In 2013, we expect to release fewer games based on license properties and as a result are realigning our structure to better reflect the market opportunities and our slate," the publisher said. "Approximately, 30 full-time employees have been impacted globally, which represents approximately one half of one percent of Activision Blizzard's employee population."<br /><br />Activision's lineup of licensed games in 2013 included <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/game/the-walking-dead-survival-instinct"><em>The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct</em></a>, <em><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/game/deadpool">Deadpool</a> </em>and the first three <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/07/activision-and-nickelodeon-team-up-for-3-tmnt-games/">Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games</a>, and there was <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/04/bond-games-removed-from-steam-and-activision-online-stores/">something up</a> with the James Bond games.<br /><br />A portion of the 30 layoffs came from Call of Duty developer Treyarch, though Activision said it was a "minimal reduction" that wouldn't affect the launch of any DLC for <em>Black Ops 2</em>.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/19/activision-lays-off-30-people-expects-fewer-licensed-games-in-2/">Activision lays off 30 people, expects fewer licensed games in 2013</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Tue, 19 Feb 2013 16:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/19/activision-lays-off-30-people-expects-fewer-licensed-games-in-2/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/20467981/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/19/activision-lays-off-30-people-expects-fewer-licensed-games-in-2/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>Activision</category><category>laid-off</category><category>layoffs</category><category>license</category><category>licensed-games</category><category>microsoft</category><category>nintendo</category><category>pc</category><category>playstation</category><category>ps3</category><category>wii-u</category><category>xbox</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jessica Conditt]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 19 Feb 2013 16:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[THQ lays off 30 Play THQ employees]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/10/thq-lays-off-30-play-thq-employees/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/10/thq-lays-off-30-play-thq-employees/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/10/thq-lays-off-30-play-thq-employees/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center; ">
	<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/10/thq-lays-off-30-play-thq-employees/" target="_self"><img alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2010/12/udraw1219.jpg" style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; width: 530px; height: 324px; " /></a></div>
The business world, like the rest of the world, is a cruel and unforgiving mistress. Following the "<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/08/udraw-hasnt-fared-so-well-on-xbox-360-and-ps3-thq-lowers-its-f/">weaker than expected</a>" sales figures achieved by <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/thq">THQ</a>'s uDraw tablet during the third quarter of the 2012 fiscal year, THQ has let go 30 members of its Play THQ team; the Agoura Hills unit responsible for uDraw.<br />
<br />
"We are taking a difficult but important step to reduce the number of employees that supported this brand," a THQ representative said in a statement to Game Informer. "30 people will be leaving the company and business unit leader Martin Good will also be leaving to pursue new opportunities outside the company."<br />
<br />
THQ is still hopeful that the success of <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/game/saints-row-the-third"><em>Saints Row: The Third</em></a> and <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/wwe-12"><em>WWE '12</em></a> will pull out a fourth quarter turnaround before the end of fiscal 2012.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/10/thq-lays-off-30-play-thq-employees/">THQ lays off 30 Play THQ employees</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Sat, 10 Dec 2011 13:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/10/thq-lays-off-30-play-thq-employees/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/20125159/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/10/thq-lays-off-30-play-thq-employees/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>fired</category><category>fiscal-2012</category><category>laid-off</category><category>lay-offs</category><category>layoffs</category><category>let-go</category><category>microsoft</category><category>nintendo</category><category>playstation</category><category>ps3</category><category>Q3</category><category>Q4</category><category>tablet</category><category>THQ</category><category>uDraw</category><category>wii</category><category>xbox</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jordan Mallory]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 10 Dec 2011 13:30:00 EST</pubDate></item></channel></rss>