'Seasonal roll-offs' hit EA for third year in a row
Following scattered reports of EA layoffs on Twitter, Joystiq confirmed with the company this afternoon that "seasonal roll-offs" have begun in the wake of the publisher's holiday release schedule. EA corporate communication spokesperson Jeff Brown explained:
"As you know, seasonal roll-offs that follow game launches are common and vital to maintaining a healthy business. Because so many of our games ship in the holiday quarter, the team size adjustments tend to follow in the same timeframe. However, EA is growing and several of our studios are looking to hire talented people."
Notably, this is (at least) the third year in a row that layoffs hit EA in the holiday season -- also like previous years, we'll have to wait and hear more when the company speaks about financials publicly on its quarterly investor's call this November 2. For now, EA wouldn't confirm which studios or how many folks were being affected by the firings. As always, we'd like to extend our best wishes to all parties involved. If you'd like to share more information regarding the layoffs, don't hesitate to get in contact.
Update: According to a report on Shacknews, "as many as 100 employees" have been affected thus far, with EA Canada and EA Black Box both specifically named. The NBA Elite 11 and Skate 3 teams are said to be hit hardest.
