Recently, layoffs of staff in the gaming industry have become increasingly common.
PlayStation is now confirmed to proceed with its widely speculated game developer layoffs.
In order to ensure long-term sustainability and prevent overgrowth, Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) and its CEO, Jim Ryan, have announced that 8% of PlayStation's staff will be laid off, resulting in approximately 900 employees losing their jobs.
In a blog post, CEO Jim stated that the layoff will affect SIE's global products, and all affected employees will be notified concurrently through emails.
Playstation layoffs
In his words, Ryan stated, "After careful consideration and many leadership discussions over several months, it has become clear changes need to be made to continue to grow the business and develop the company.”
In addition, he also stated, "We had to step back, look at our business holistically, and move forward, focusing on the long-term sustainability of the company and delivering the best experiences possible for our community.”
The debate about a company that takes measures to expand its business while laying off employees has sparked numerous discussions.
Some people are questioning whether the company can maintain the satisfaction of its product consumers. However, SIE has made it clear that they are fully dedicated to providing high-quality entertainment to their customers.
Game developer layoffs
Making up these 900 soon-to-be erstwhile employees are 20 game developers who offered great entertainment to the public before now.
Most US-based studios are affected, including Marvel's Spider-Man developer and The Last of Us developer.
Other studios and developers are not left out, as PlayStation Studios head Hermen Hurst revealed through a conversation that other developers like God of War, the studio responsible for the "Horizon Call of the Mountain" VR game, and Firesprite will experience some kind of shaking, leading to a reduction in its team members.
"This reduction will most likely cut across other PlayStation studios", said Hurst.
While the specific details of how many developers were let go from each studio aren't publicly available, the layoffs bring to bear the significant loss of talent and manpower from teams responsible for some of Sony's most successful franchises.
Notably, these layoffs were not targeted specifically at the "Spider-Man" or "The Last of Us" development teams.
This PlayStation layoff has caused concern and disappointment among fans and within the gaming franchise as a whole.
The impact of these game developers' layoffs will be felt sooner and will greatly impact PlayStation's VR games division, especially since it has led to the closure of its London studio.
It's still too early to calculate the long-term impact of these game developers' layoffs on the development of future "Spider-Man" and "The Last of Us" games. However, it's a reminder of each industry's challenges, especially the gaming industry, and its toll on the affected employees.
It's important to note that these layoffs are part of a larger trend in the gaming industry, with companies like Microsoft also making workforce reductions.
It is more like the shedding of old feathers by eagles and growing new ones, which will be sufficient for a much higher and swifter flight.
While the circumstances and reasons behind each company's decision may differ, the trend highlights the challenges and uncertainties facing the industry and its employees in the current economic climate.