Sony’s PlayStation 4 is the darling of the console business right now, with sales of the system rather impressive after just a few month on the market. Still, despite the success, Sony’s been rather loose with its axe when it comes to Sony Computer Entertainment staff. Not long ago, Sony confirmed that God of War developer Sony Santa Monica was smacked with a bout of layoffs, and now even more Sony first parties have been hit with redundancies – this time focused on UK-based studios.
A number of staff at Killzone: Mercenary developer Guerrilla Cambridge, DriveClub devs Evolution Studio and SCE London Studio – who make all those SingStar games – have been slapped with pink slips, Videogamer confirms.
“Regular reviews take place throughout SCE Worldwide Studios, ensuring that the resources that we have in such a competitive business can create and produce high quality, innovative and commercially viable projects,” Sony says of the dismissals.
“As part of this process, we have reviewed and assessed all current projects and have decided to make some changes to some of our European Studios. As a result of this, there will be a focused restructure within London Studio, Guerrilla Cambridge Studio and Evolution Studio to ensure that the SCE WWS is in the best position to achieve their goals going forward.
“Our first party development studios are key to our creative strategy and we are very excited about the future projects being worked on.”
Sony’s also said that Evolution Studio’s layoffs won;t affect DriveClub, which was recently delayed again. Reporting on studio closures and staff reductions is all becoming a bit of a depressing regularity – a sign of a rotten industry, or just a simple case of cleaning house?
Last Updated: March 25, 2014
Admiral Chief of Auraxis
March 25, 2014 at 15:03
Rotten industry I say
HvR
March 25, 2014 at 15:13
Inflated industry, high prices -> smaller market -> less place for dev houses especially the big expensive EU and US ones.
Alien Emperor Trevor
March 25, 2014 at 15:08
Get the chalk & candles, I summon PIETER KRUGER!
El Capitan del Blade
March 25, 2014 at 15:15
http://www.nwu.ac.za/sites/www.nwu.ac.za/files/images/Pieter_Kruger_05.jpg
TiMsTeR1033
March 25, 2014 at 15:20
Is that Pieter Kruger??
El Capitan del Blade
March 25, 2014 at 15:21
According to google, yes…
https://www.google.co.za/search?noj=1&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=Pieter+kruger&oq=Pieter+kruger&gs_l=img.3…16712.16860.0.17133.2.2.0.0.0.0.0.0..0.0….0…1c.1.37.img..2.0.0.ysFxjbLtYKk
TiMsTeR1033
March 25, 2014 at 15:25
Google isn’t trustworthy
HvR
March 25, 2014 at 15:26
And Bing and Yahoo is?
Gotta trust somebody
Norm the Horrible
March 25, 2014 at 15:44
Even cake is a lie!
HvR
March 25, 2014 at 15:48
jip
Alien Emperor Trevor
March 25, 2014 at 15:23
Wrong one! That’s what happens when you only use chalk & no candles.
Rince
March 25, 2014 at 16:37
Yeah, and pink chalk at that. Disgusting. Haven’t they watched Supernatural?
HvR
March 25, 2014 at 15:25
What about CM Kruger?
All together now!
“Jan Pierewiete, Jan Pierewiet….”
Hammersteyn
March 25, 2014 at 15:34
hahahaha
Admiral Chief of Auraxis
March 25, 2014 at 15:58
…staan stil
Pieter Kruger
March 25, 2014 at 15:59
Well, I DID call it not two weeks ago but the ponies are blindly ignorant in their worship of Sony which can do nothing wrong! Whahaha!
McBeanoO
March 25, 2014 at 16:04
Infamous Second Son is just old Infamous in a new skin. It just scraped through to 80 on Metacritic but alas PS fandroids will buy anything made by Sony even if it’s a demo.
Alien Emperor Trevor
March 25, 2014 at 16:07
I remember you did lol.
Rince
March 25, 2014 at 16:37
Lol. Indeed you did. Where were you with all the executives that are leaving Microsoft Again? 😛
Dave
March 25, 2014 at 17:05
Funneh! But MS hasn’t gone on a mass retrenchment from their first party studios, the studios that make the AAA titles and they haven’t shed staff in the 1000’s.
Pieter Kruger
March 25, 2014 at 17:43
How can you compare voluntary resignation by one or two people to the retrenchment of thousands? And don’t forget about the people resigning from Sony AAA developers, though if it happened at MS you’d be calling it “jumping ship” off course! LOL!
Rince
March 25, 2014 at 18:26
As I said, I remember you saying that. Being retrenched you cannot call jumping ship. High-level Microsoft employees leaving on their own volition, YOU CAN lol!
Labey-Kun
March 25, 2014 at 15:12
man game industry is a risky business, my apologies who lost their jobs.
Rikus
March 25, 2014 at 15:17
Always sad news when jobs are lost
Sk3tz0
March 25, 2014 at 15:21
Hard Luck on the Job Loss. who know maybe the people that got shitcanned where people who dont pull their weight when it comes to work .
dobboddob
March 25, 2014 at 16:01
Same story as with the PS3 but only with PS3 they sold off buildings and retrenched staff.
How much is Sony losing per PS4?
Is this all the result of Jack’s last minute decision to undercut the Xbox One? Is that why Jack jumped ship?