Disney has laid off 700 employees from its gaming division today, as the New York Times reports. That’s 26 per cent of its staff, and it’s all in mobile, social and web-based gaming.
“These are large-scale changes as we focus not just on getting to profitability but sustained profitability and scalability,” Disney Interactive president James A. Pitaro told the Times.
This follows a Wall Street Journal report that the company would cut hundreds of jobs last month. Last year, Disney closed down Epic Mickey developer Junction Point Studios and the iconic studio LucasArts.
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8 responses to “Disney Lays Off 700 Employees”
Let them go, Let them go. Can’t employ those guys anymore.
This is why I love the internet.
oh noes… not the free to pay division. whatever shall we do.
When you wish upon a side of beef. Soon will come and end to all your grief. But if you are mean or kinda bad. I will knock out all your teeth ~ jiminy lummox
And the world struggled to shed a tear.
But… But… mobile & social gaming is the future, a veritable money tree just waiting to be shaken for immense riches to be earned! Hadn’t they heard that? I’m sure everybody else has heard that.
I’ve always wondered how many mobile apps actually make any money. I suspect that the ratio of hits to misses is terrible.
I feel a little conflicted about this article. Sure, it’s the mobile/social departments that we all agree we hate. But these developers are still game developers who are just trying to work a job, likely have families that rely on them and this still shrinks the gaming industry (not by much, but still).
Well, they should have thought about that before they sold their souls and let 1313 die.
It wasn’t the developers who let that die. As far as selling their souls, I’m sure they’d all prefer to be working at Valve or Naughty Dog working on the next AAA blockbuster, but unfortunately people have bills to pay.