Joystiq

Report: Square Enix America CEO leaves, joins Amazon

Jessica Conditt — Thu, 23 May 2013 13:30:00 EST

Square Enix America CEO Mike Fischer left the company this month and is now vice president of digital music and video for Amazon in Japan, Polygon reports. This follows news in April that Square Enix America eliminated "a number of positions" and Fischer was expected to leave in May. Those same reports said the head of marketing should be gone after E3, along with other employees in public relations.

In March, Square Enix President Yoichi Wada stepped down and the company announced widespread restructuring that it expected to cost $106 million. Square Enix posted a net loss of $134 million for fiscal year 2013, citing "weak" sales of major console games, including Sleeping Dogs, Hitman: Absolution and Tomb Raider, the last of which sold 3.4 million in its first month.

Report: Square Enix America CEO leaves, joins Amazon originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 23 May 2013 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Harmonix lets go 'a small number' of employees

Jessica Conditt — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 15:12:00 EST

Harmonix laid off a handful of employees today, a spokesperson told Polygon.

"We can confirm that a small number of Harmonix employees were let go today," the spokesperson said. "This decision was made due to shifting staffing priorities for Harmonix's multiple future projects."

In March, Harmonix secured investment from venture capital firm The Foundry Group, which confirmed Harmonix was working on three new games using variations of player input, beyond standard keyboard and mouse controls. This month Harmonix snagged BioShock 2 lead designer Zak McClendon as a design director, superannuation cited today from McClendon's LinkenIn profile.

Harmonix lets go 'a small number' of employees originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 23 Apr 2013 15:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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High Moon Studios lays off 40 from the Deadpool team

Jessica Conditt — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 19:15:00 EST

Forty full-time employees from Activision's High Moon Studios were laid off today after completing their work on Deadpool, an Activision spokesperson tells Joystiq.

"Activision Publishing consistently works to align its costs with its revenues - this is an ongoing process," Activision says. "With the completion of development on Deadpool, we are taking a reduction in staff at High Moon Studios to better align our development talent against our slate. Approximately, 40 full-time employees will be impacted globally. We are offering those employees who are impacted outplacement counseling services."

Deadpool is slated for a launch this summer on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.

High Moon Studios lays off 40 from the Deadpool team originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 02 Apr 2013 19:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starhawk dev lays off 24, 'much smaller studio' to focus on first iOS title [Update]

Jessica Conditt — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 19:40:00 EST

Update: Lightbox Interactive President Dylan Jobe has told Joystiq his company will see "a sizable reduction in staff." Twenty-four staff members have been informed that Friday will be their final day at the Texas-based developer. Jobe added that "all 24 of them are getting a severance package."

"Lay-offs always suck but they are an unfortunate reality of business sometimes. The best we can do is try and treat our people with respect during the shocking transition of a lay-off," he said.

Jobe says Lightbox will become a "much smaller studio" after the cuts as it focuses efforts on the development of its first game for iOS.

Original Story: There are rumblings that LightBox Interactive, the developer behind the PS3 exclusive Starhawk, will lay off most of its staff by Friday. 3D Realms founder (and previous layoff predictor) George Broussard tweets, "Good luck to my buddies at LightBox in Austin. Layoffs and rumors of near whole studio gone by Friday."

Yesterday LightBox Interactive president Dylan Jobe sent out an ominous tweet, reading, "And yeah, its time for another drink...." LightBox artist Jonathan Lindblom tweeted early this morning, "I feel like my brain has been taken out and passed around, I can't think straight, everything is muddled." Associate producer and community manager Pete MacKay tweeted his thoughts today as well: "And so another chapter closes on my life. Let's see where I go next! (taking suggestions)."

We've contacted LightBox Interactive for clarification.

Starhawk dev lays off 24, 'much smaller studio' to focus on first iOS title [Update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 17 Oct 2012 19:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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THQ lays off 30 Play THQ employees

Jordan Mallory — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 13:30:00 EST

The business world, like the rest of the world, is a cruel and unforgiving mistress. Following the "weaker than expected" sales figures achieved by THQ'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.

"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."

THQ is still hopeful that the success of Saints Row: The Third and WWE '12 will pull out a fourth quarter turnaround before the end of fiscal 2012.

THQ lays off 30 Play THQ employees originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 10 Dec 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Empire's remaining stockpile to be sold off this week

Majed Athab — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 03:00:00 EST

Zoo Publishing may already own the rights to Empire Interactive's IP (having bought the fallen company's catalog last month), but it doesn't own any of the company's current physical stock. This means there's a warehouse somewhere in Birmingham, England filled with the defunct company's retail software (212,000 boxes, to be exact) just sitting idly, collecting dust. KPMG is looking to liquidate these former Empire assets, hoping to sell everything altogether for a 15% premium this week and finally let Empire fade into history.

Of course, only those with pockets lined with gold and don't mind swimming in multiple copies of Pipemania, could afford to take up the offer. As MCV sadly notes, none of the proceeds will go to the 40 ex-Empire staff who were laid off and unpaid for their final eight weeks at the company.

Empire's remaining stockpile to be sold off this week originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 09 Jun 2009 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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