EA have announced further lay offs as a result of their recent losses. The company says that the layoofs of 6% announced in October have been increased to 10% (approximately 1000 employees) and that 9 studios or publishing locations will be moved or closed down. The only concrete example of this is EA Black Box in Vancouver who will have their operations moved to EA Canada in nearby Burnaby. It is not clear whether this also means many layoffs at Black Box, but considering the lacklustre Need for Speed: Undercover and rumours that EA are considering axing that series altogether (surely they won't?) it must be expected that Black Box has been trimmed down.
The press release ended with a fairly double edged statement:
"EA is implementing a plan to narrow its product portfolio to focus on hit games with higher margin opportunities. The company remains committed to taking creative risks, investing in new games, leading the industry in the growing mobile and online businesses, and delivering high-quality games to consumers."
Investing recently in a publishing deal for Brütal Legend, we certainly hope that the "new EA" stays the course. The company has a lot going for them looking forward to 2009-2010