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Sprint is shuttering stores and laying off repair techs to help cut its losses
Sprint isn't content to keep writing its financial statements in red ink. To that end, the company is shuttering 150 service and repair centers, 55 of its lowest performing retail stores and laying off some 330 repair techs. A handful of call centers have been closed, too. While these might seem troubling, the outfit's Mark Bonavia tells CNET that the pre-planned cuts were made with the idea of "minimal disturbance" to the customer in mind. What does that even mean? Well, if a local store can't service your phone, you'll be referred to a sister location that's within a 45-minute drive. This likely isn't a perfect situation for everyone, but hey, Softbank needs to free up money for that T-Mobile acquisition somehow.
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Free for All: Thoughts on SOE's mass MMO sunset
Sony Online Entertainment recently announced the upcoming closure of not one or two but four of its titles. Those titles are Free Realms, Clone Wars Adventures, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, and Wizardry Online. The announcement hit most of us pretty hard, even those who weren't active or interested players. Four titles just feels much more like a move of desperation than one or even two games. And for players like yours truly, MMOs like Free Realms and especially Vanguard hold a very special place in our hearts. Having said that, I will never wager solely on perception. It's my guess that SOE does indeed know what it is doing and that some of this is due to licensing issues, new games from similar developers, or an attempt to streamline an already fat lineup in order to get ready for one or two massive new titles. In other words, there is no conspiracy. It's most likely that this decision was due to boring old business. I decided to break down what each game meant to me in the hopes that the confessional will get me ready for the upcoming sunsets. Here's to hoping.
Best Buy details its 50 big box store shutdowns in the US, most will close by May 12th
We knew Best Buy planned to close 50 of its big box retail locations by the end of its 2013 fiscal year, and now (just days after Mike Mikan took the CEO-reigns from Brian Dunn) it's detailed all of the stores that'll be getting the boot. As it stands, two locations have already been shut down, with six others set to close before the year is out -- and the company hopes to clear out the remaining 42 before May 12th. Employees at most of the stores were informed of the news this weekend, and despite the impending closures, the company says it'll try to re-position them within the company or offer up severance packages. Past that, Best Buy is also reaching out to the customers of these stores, noting that they'll still have other nearby locations to choose from -- try-before-you-buy online shoppers rejoice. There's still no specific word about the 100 Best Buy Mobile stores it hopes to setup, but more information will be forthcoming later in the year. Hit up the press release after the break if you'd like to parse the full list of affected locations or find out more details about the planned closures.
Best Buy to close 50 big box US retail stores, open 100 Mobile stand-alone outlets in 2013
Still driving to your local Best Buy to fondle all the latest gadgets before swiping your card, or hopping to the web to pull the trigger? That tradition could be short-lived, if you happen to live near one of 50 big box retail stores that the company plans to shutter in 2013. The move was announced alongside Best Buy's Q4 earnings report, which includes action items aimed to trim $800 million in costs by 2015. The closings will no-doubt come along with staffer reductions, some of whom could be transferred to one of 100 Best Buy Mobile "small format stand-alone stores" set to launch next year. While an unfortunate move for some customers and employees, it does show some foresight on behalf of BBY management, who likely recognize a continuing shift to online purchasing, and a greater emphasis on mobile devices, which require significantly smaller showrooms, cost less to ship and could offer greater margins to boot.
Vogster Entertainment restructures, confirms office closings
Vogster Entertainment, the maker of recently launched MMO CrimeCraft, confirmed that the company has restructured its resources, though its New Jersey headquarters still remains operational. The announcement comes following rumors from various sources that the company has completely shuttered, including a post from Giantbomb.com which stated employees at its Kiev, Ukraine office have updated their social networking profiles to "imply that they're looking for work."Vogster has just issued a statement to Massively saying that it is "restructuring to focus its resources toward the enhancement and expansion" of Crimecraft."As an independent developer, we need to be very strategic in our use of available resources and shift from already launched titles to support the ongoing development and growth of CrimeCraft," said Vogster's VP of development Daniel Prousline in a press statement. "We regret the necessary staffing changes and the talented employees that this impacts, but it is an unavoidable step in moving to the operational stage of CrimeCraft and optimizing for the development of yet to be announced titles."
Nexon to close their Vancouver studio in economic wake
Originally reported by Kotaku and now verified by Gamasutra, Nexon is shuttering the doors on Nexon Vancouver, leaving 90 employees without jobs. The Vancouver group, also known as Humanature Studios, was unable to release one of their own games under the Nexon flag, but was involved in the development of Klei Entertainment's Sugar Rush title. The studio was headed up by Alex Garden, co-founder of PC developer Relic Entertainment (Homeworld, Company of Heroes.)Nexon is retaining their Los Angeles studio, keeping a base of operations available in North America.The company has confirmed the closure, saying that it was a difficult decision due to the dedication of the staff and all of their hard work, but necessary given the current economic conditions and the need to secure Nexon's core business.
Palm to close all retail locations but one, for real
If our solemn word wasn't enough to convince you of trouble in retail-ville for Palm, take this news as empirical. According to the smartphone-maker, it is officially shuttering all of its retail locations but one over the next five weeks. Originally, we thought that the airport locations would steer clear of the axe, but news today is that 34 stores total -- 26 airport-based and eight branded stores -- will be saying adios before long. Sure, this news doesn't sound real hot, but Palm claims they want to cut costs and focus on its next-gen phones, which is what we've been asking them to do all along... so maybe this is a blessing in disguise?
Palm retail stores to close by month's end
Oh Palm, things just seem to be going from bad to worse. After your recent (and repeated) Palm OS II delays and employee layoffs, you really should be due for some good news -- but that's not the case today. According to a member of the TreoCentral forums who cites "sources," Palm will be folding all but its airport-based retail locations by the end of January. Apparently, other forum members have checked in with their local stores and gotten word from reps there that the doors are indeed shutting, so it seems like this is a go. Palm, we're not going to say you're in your darkest hour just yet, but we're pretty sure you can see it from where you're standing. C'mon guys -- get it together![Thanks, Anonymous]
Michelin's ViaMichelin to exit the PND market
French paper La Tribune is reporting that Michelin subsidiary ViaMichelin will stop producing personal navigation devices, after capturing only 14% of its domestic market in the face of stiff competition from Dutch rival TomTom and others. Sixty of the firm's 170 employees will reportedly be laid off as a result of the shuttering, although warranties will apparently still be honored for products already on the market. [Warning: subscription link][Via Bikes in the Fast Lane]
