Over 200 layoffs struck Skate developer EA Black Box today, according to a Gamasutra report that cites multiple development sources.

As Gamasutra points out, the loss of 200 jobs more than halves the studio's 350-strong workforce. It had previously been reported that EA Black Box would soon be closed, with staff moving to a nearby office to continue work on its associated franchises.

EA Black Box shipped Skate 2 (X360, PS3) this week. The studio was also responsible for recent titles in the Need for Speed franchise.

The Orlando Sentinel has further confirmed reports that Madden developer EA Tiburon recently laid off an undisclosed number of employees.

The layoffs are part of an overall cost-cutting strategy on the part of publisher Electronic Arts. The company announced in December its plans to reduce its workforce by 10%, or 1,000 employees, following poor holiday sales.

As Electronic Arts continues to implement its cost-cutting plan, which will see the company shed 10% of its global workforce by March's end, new reports indicate that Madden developer Tiburon and Skate 2 developer Black Box are among the latest hit.

Though EA has already said it will close Black Box, the studio's development teams and "associated game franchises" were said to be moving to a nearby office, with Kotaku's report suggesting that not all of the Black Box staff will make the transition.

Also responsible for the Need for Speed series, Black Box just shipped Skate 2 today.

As for the cuts at Madden and Tiger Woods developer Tiburon, Gamasutra reports that "multiple staffers" have been let go, but offers no additional details.

Electronic Arts has repeatedly said it will not provide specifics on the broad cuts until early February. Other divisions rumored to be affected include Warhammer Online developer Mythic Entertainment and Destroy All Humans! vets Pandemic Brisbane.

"As part of EA, all studios are expected to do their fair share to meet the expectations of our CEO," Mythic VP Mark Jacobs wrote yesterday in response to said rumors.

Electronic Arts has revealed that it will be closing "at least" nine facilities as part of its restructuring plan, including Need for Speed and Skate developer Black Box.

With Black Box closed, EA will relocate the studio's development teams and "associated game franchises" to a nearby office in Burnaby, British Columbia. The other "studio and publishing locations" facing closure were not named in the announcement.

Overall, EA will axe around 1,000 employees, roughly 10% of its global workforce. Previously, the publisher said it would cut 6% of its employees under the plan. The majority of these actions are planned to occur before March 31, 2009.

EA expects the plan will "result in annual cost savings of approximately $120 million," along with restructuring charges of around $55-65 million over the coming quarters.

The publisher also declared a newfound focus on "hit games with higher margin opportunities," following word that it will be canceling several unspecified games. However, the company stressed that it is still "committed to taking creative risks."

Black Box recently released the critical failure Need for Speed: Undercover and aided in the creation of Skate It for Wii and Nintendo DS. Skate 2, presumed to be the team's last Black Box-branded title, will hit PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on January 21.

Electronic Arts today revealed Need for Speed Undercover, with PC, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS and PSP editions of the racer slated to hit North America on November 18 and Europe on November 21.

The latest entry in the Black Box-developed racing series "takes the franchise back to its roots and re-introduces break-neck cop chases, the world's hottest cars and spectacular highway battles," according to EA.

"Big-budget live-action sequences" that feature "box office sensation" and "international movie star" Maggie Q (Mission Impossible III, Live Free or Die Hard) will further the game's plot, with Ms. Q playing the "seductive handler" Federal Agent Chase Linh.

EA CEO John Riccitiello had previously expressed his belief that EA was "torturing a very talented group of people" through 12-month Need for Speed development cycles, with Undercover said to fix that issue.

"I'm confident that Undercover is a much better game than Pro Street, and I expect that from this point forward they will do a lot better," he explained