Eidos Shuts Small Studio, Others Making Cuts Too
UK gamer Eidos is starting off 2009 on one crazy rollercoaster ride.
Two weeks ago, following poor U.S. holiday sales for its much anticipated new Tomb Raider title, the company laid off 30 employees and trimmed its forecast. Full-year sales were reset to fall between £160m and £180m, down from previous estimates of between £180m and £200m.
Last week, the company’s shares jumped after a revelation an approach was made with a preliminary takeover offer. The company emphasized “that discussions are at a very early stage and that there can be no assurance that an offer will be forthcoming." Still, with takeover rumors lingering for months, an official statement was enough to cause a boost in trading. (A survey of potential Eidos buyers and a detailed corporate history is available here)
Now it’s just the third week in January and Eidos is back to trimming staff again. Today, it was confirmed that the company has shuttered Manchester based Rockpool Games. The small studio had been focused on mobile games, an area presumed too ancillary to “deliver long-term franchise value.” Approximately 14 jobs were cut.
Around the gaming world, other studios are also making cuts to control costs:
Microsoft’s ACES studio, developers of the once famed Flight Simulator title (last upgraded in 2006), was confirmed to be one of the first areas to catch the axe-blade in Microsoft’s newly announced restructuring.
EA has also cut an undisclosed number of staff at its Tiburon development studio, the studio responsible for Madden NFL and Tiger Woods Golf games.
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