You know how I told you that Microsoft was canning a bunch of people? Well, when the numbers came out, they were staggering; 18 000 people have lost their jobs. Most come from Nokia thanks to the merger, but it seems the Xbox team is also suffering.
MCV is reporting that as part of the 18 000 redundancies, the Xbox team for the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East and Africa) has been slashed.
A source told MCV last night that as many as 75 per cent of full time Xbox EMEA roles in Reading were being cut – with staff having to reapply for the remaining 25 per cent of roles. The UK Xbox team has also been reduced slightly by 10 per cent and all contractor roles have also been cut. However, Xbox did not confirm or deny these numbers when contacted by MCV.
Microsoft insists that the reductions will not impact the launch of Xbox One this September and that the EMEA countries are an important market for Xbox. However, when you fire almost the entire team and make the rest of the staff reapply for the remaining positions, that isn’t a very good sign and it certainly won’t help morale at the company. It can be very difficult to get people excited about a new product launch, even one as cool as the Xbox One, but if even the marketing team isn’t safe and secure, they won’t be able to promote the product the way that they should.
It’s a sad day for a bunch of Microsoft employees, and people losing their jobs never makes for a good story. I’m particularly worried about the EMEA team – here’s hoping our local Xbox team won’t be affected; they have a difficult launch ahead of them in September and they’ll need all the help that they can get to overcome the PS4’s head start.
Last Updated: July 18, 2014
Lardus-Resident Perve
July 18, 2014 at 18:22
Don’t think they will overcome the PS4 lead…but good luck to them, and good luck to those who lost their jobs!
Jellies
July 18, 2014 at 18:31
Is the Xbox One going to be still coming to the EMEA regions because the article seems to reflect otherwise. If it is still coming to the EMEA markets, it wouldn’t be worth investing in a console with only a 25% market team. Judging by the undertone of the article, I don’t think the Xbox 360 would even be sold here in the from next few months going forward. It’s just sad that there’s no future for Xbox now that the marketing team for EMEA is almost gone.
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
July 18, 2014 at 18:58
It’ll come to EMEA regions, but we won’t get the xbox one live features that the Americans are getting. Or at least there won’t be a push for content parity because EMEA is an afterthought rather than an actual region to win over. This sounds like Microsoft going into the EMEA regions haphazardly, and merely waiting for the gen to be over.
Rince&pop
July 21, 2014 at 08:06
MS doing something haphazardly? TAKE THAT BACK!
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
July 21, 2014 at 08:17
NEVER!!!
ChristmasCactus
July 18, 2014 at 18:32
Sorry about the job losses. I’m sure Sony will have a spot for them.
The job losses might not impact the XBONE release as much as the XBONE itself
Trotsolo
July 18, 2014 at 18:50
After shedding 5000 jobs per year since the PS3 went into it’s third year, I’m sure Sony have enough vacant spots available
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
July 18, 2014 at 18:52
Most likely they’re heading to Google, Samsung or even Amazon (especially the media guys).
FoxOneZA
July 18, 2014 at 20:30
How will Windows Phone cope with such a skinny marketing team? This maybe a case of removing the fat or just a knee jerk reaction to the economic downturn in the EU.
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
July 18, 2014 at 22:19
That’s a very good point
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
July 18, 2014 at 18:54
I did not expect this, it’s almost like Microsoft has given up or on the verge of calling it day. Are we seeing their gaming division going the route of SEGA? Granted, according to Spencer and Nadella the xbox will be tied to “mobile services” (whatever the fuck that means, xbox phones?), so while the name xbox will live on, I think xbox as a gaming brand might be coming to an end.
FoxOneZA
July 18, 2014 at 20:28
I always thought that gaming consoles will go the way of the Dinosaur. It’s not worth pushing 10mil consoles a year vs 80mil mobile devices. You can already see Japan is turning to mobile ahead of the PS4.
Lydon McG
July 19, 2014 at 08:57
Well considering this has been the fastest selling console generation, I don’t think it’s fair to say they’re going the way of the dinosaur just yet. I don’t remotely put console and mobile gaming in the same category. I’m certainly not going to spend a Friday night on my couch playing games on my phone.
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
July 19, 2014 at 12:56
The “console is dying” meme is very similar to the old “PC is dying” meme, and while PC gaming did take a knock over the course of a few years. These days it’s probably a lot more healthier than it has been in years. Similarly, I don’t buy the “console is dying” stuff either, however taking into account the Wii’s sales explosion and then spectacular demise, the console market is contracting. Software and hardware sales are down, however this could very well be a function of the cost of gaming these days. With the increase in cost having a marked effect on gamer’s wallets.
Hammersteyn
July 20, 2014 at 14:03
So are we going to play games like Destiny on mobile any time soon> Or are we going to be forced to play games like this on PC?
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
July 20, 2014 at 14:58
Welcome to the future of gaming.
http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1846445!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/article_970/kim-kardashian-hollywood.jpg
http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/webdr06/2013/5/1/12/anigif_enhanced-buzz-503-1367424464-14.gif
Brian Murphy
July 20, 2014 at 15:05
Heh, I wouldn’t count those chickens before they hatch my friend, an absolute shitstorm hit Kim K. last night when her game crashed or something. The death threats and the utter vile response from the ‘fans’ of her game, would make MP gamer’s shocked. Seriously. People went absolutely fucking apeshit. Oh and stupid, very very stupid.
A small taste:
http://i.imgur.com/70JHmTO.png
http://i.imgur.com/j5UCUB4.png
http://i.imgur.com/wQbHqWb.png
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
July 20, 2014 at 15:12
And they say casual gamers have blinkers on. The raw emotion and absolute craziness that’s coming from the fans of that game is shocking.
Brian Murphy
July 20, 2014 at 15:29
I know right? That’s crazy crazy shit…and the crazier part is that the majority of the people playing this are young girls/women and housewives lol. If you look closely there do appear to be a few guys…but dear lord, there’s some serious emotional problems present in these responses lol.
Hammersteyn
July 21, 2014 at 07:39
Good, I hope the game updates but ships with a virus as well that wipes their phones clean and spreads to twitter and facebook and also wipes their profiles clean. Seriously, this shit makes me physically ill.
MakeItLegal
July 21, 2014 at 08:47
Dear …. Sweet baby potatoes …. That was rough , have u seen the human centipede ? Almost as rough
Hammersteyn
July 21, 2014 at 07:37
http://img0.joyreactor.cc/pics/comment/%D0%B3%D0%B8%D1%84%D0%BA%D0%B8-%D0%AD%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B0-1244904.gif
Brian Murphy
July 18, 2014 at 20:22
Bahaha, love the American Psycho header. Great movie.
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
July 20, 2014 at 14:49
Xbox live gets booed at Quakecon… sigh those classy, master race PC gamers…
Brian Murphy
July 20, 2014 at 14:58
Frankly, it’s not surprising. I mean, maybe it’s misplaced anger. But one cannot deny that as the popularity of XBL increased, Microsoft’s work on GFWL went out the fucking window. And all we hear, usually around once a year is how PC is still important to Microsoft and that they’ll really start working hard on GFWL…which is merely a sign that a few years from now, we’ll hear another report about how interested in the platform they are.
Microsoft doesn’t have allot of fans in the PC community these days, and you can’t really blame them for it. They essentially abandoned their original audience, for a new one. Wonder when they decide XBL is no longer viable, and if they’ll as callously drop those fans off a cliff.
Rince&pop
July 21, 2014 at 08:05
Shame man, always kak to lose a job. I have to say with the abysmal launch and policies seemingly designed to allow for an about turn it’s not surprising there are sacrifices.