SOCOM studio hit with layoffs

Sony Computer Entertainment has confirmed that it laid off employees from Zipper Interactive, calling it "normal business practice" after finishing two major projects.

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Sony Computer Entertainment has laid off an unconfirmed number of employees from Zipper Interactive, reports Kotaku. The studio is behind PS3-exclusives like MAG and the recent SOCOM 4. Unnamed sources suggest that 33 people were let go in all.

Sony confirmed the layoffs, calling them "normal business practice and a result of cutting back on production resources after the launch of two major franchises."

Thanks to various profiles from LinkedIn, unconfirmed rumors are circulating on NeoGAF that various project leads were either let go or moved to a new studio, including lead designer, lead programmer, graphics lead, and audio lead.

Sales figures for SOCOM 4 have not been released, but NPD analyst Anita Frazier suggested it would have hit the top 10 in April NPD software sales if the stand-alone game sales had been combined with the Full Deployment bundle sales. As it stands, SOCOM 4 failed to make it within the top ten combined platform sales list. Its release timing may have been hampered by coming out just days before the PlayStation Network went down.

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  • reply
    May 19, 2011 2:00 PM

    Steve Watts posted a new article, SOCOM studio hit with layoffs.

    Sony Computer Entertainment has confirmed that it laid off employees from Zipper Interactive, calling it "normal business practice" after finishing two major projects.

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      May 19, 2011 2:25 PM

      Normal business practice of being a total dick.

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      May 19, 2011 2:39 PM

      Layoffs are the reward for all the crunch-time. How many executives were laid off? How many executive bonus plans were cancelled? Right.

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        May 19, 2011 8:26 PM

        "hurry up and finish the game so we can fire you"... this sort of working environment leads to a lot of excellent and innovative ideas............... or not.

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      May 19, 2011 9:47 PM

      Looks like Sony is try to make up for lost revenue. I got a better idea: open the effin PSstore.

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      May 19, 2011 11:29 PM

      *grabs popcorn*

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      May 20, 2011 12:10 AM

      Standard fare in this industry after production wraps up on a project, especially if it's considered a financial failure.

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      May 20, 2011 7:28 AM

      Work 7 day 60-70 work weeks for 4-6 months toward the end of the project then BAM! your career is a zombie.

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        May 20, 2011 8:20 AM

        exactly why I got out of the industry, at least for now. Newly married, can't put my wife through crunch time again..went through 8 months of 12 hour days 6-7 days a week a few years ago on a title..it ages you.

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