workforce-reduction
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Blizzard removes Titan from careers page
Here are the facts: There is a career page for Blizzard Entertainment. The mysterious project known as Titan used to have job listings there. Now there is no mention of Titan on this page. Here is another fact: The man up there represented the beginning of Blizzard's cinematics department. This picture has nothing to do with Titan, but it amused us to include it. What does this mean for the project? There are many possibilities: Blizzard is abandoning it, Blizzard has enough people working on it already, or Blizzard is regrouping on it. Considering that the studio said back in May that it was scrapping its development on Titan to start over, we think that the latter could be quite likely.
Rumor: Blizzard's Titan has fallen, won't be getting up until 2016 [Updated]
Are you looking forward to Titan? It's a bit odd, since the game hasn't had so much as a screenshot released yet, but we can understand it. If that's the case, though, we've got some bad news for you, as the project is rumored to have been completely restarted. According to an unnamed GamesBeat source, the project has had 70 people taken off its previously 100-strong workforce, with the title's release delayed until at least 2016 as a result. Those who have followed Blizzard Entertainment for a while will remember that the last project restarted more than once was the ill-fated Starcraft: Ghost, which doesn't bode well for the future of Titan. With World of Warcraft's subscription numbers in decline, it's possible that the company is moving in a different direction. No official statements have been issued regarding the development of Titan or any expected release window for the game. [Update: ZAM reports that Blizzard has responded to that site's queries with the following statement: "We've always had a highly iterative development process, and the unannounced MMO is no exception. We've come to a point where we need to make some large design and technology changes to the game. We're using this opportunity to shift some of our resources to assist with other projects while the core team adapts our technology and tools to accommodate these new changes. Note that we haven't announced any dates for the MMO."]
Square Enix confirms layoff rumors, denies any impact on MMO operation
It's an unfortunate reality that layoffs are somewhat common in the gaming industry, and more often than not that means that games get cancelled or shut down. This weekend, Massively has been inundated with rumors that Square Enix has become the latest studio to suffer that reality. Tipsters suggested the company had laid off several people from its office in LA, people whose termination might impact the game's online offerings such as Wakfu and the upcoming relaunch of Final Fantasy XIV. Only part of these rumors appears to be true. Senior Director of Public Relations Riley Brennan has told Massively that the layoffs did occur for restructuring purposes but that the workforce reduction will have no impact on the company's online titles, though we don't still don't know which titles or departments were affected. In order to ensure it is operating effectively, the Square Enix Los Angeles office has reduced its workforce. This was a difficult decision and we wish the best for those affected by these changes. The decision will not have any impact on the operations of MMO titles. Customers can expect those services to continue, including the upcoming launch of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. While we're certainly happy to hear that our games will continue to operate without incident, our best wishes go out to those affected by this round of layoffs. [Thanks as always to our anonymous tipsters!]
NCsoft offices undergoing 'realignment'
The hits just keep on coming for NCsoft. In the wake of City of Heroes' closure, the publisher's Seattle offices are apparently undergoing "realignment." The company has denied that the Seattle office is closing but has noted that several positions in the office have been terminated as a result of recent events. No details were released regarding how many people have been let go or how this will affect titles under NCsoft's aegis. NCsoft made a similar round of layoffs last year in October, with several offices hit with large staff reductions. This round comes in the wake of continued losses for the company, including a 12% reduction in revenue in 2011, major losses already posted from earlier in 2012, and a stock price that is currently half of what it was earlier in the year. Our best wishes go out to all those affected by these layoffs.
