Develop source: 50 staff cut at Vicarious Visions
News from Activision's music game shake-up continues to trickle out, with Develop now reporting that Vicarious Visions is among the studios targeted for cutbacks. According to Develop's source, the studio has escaped complete closure, though it has been hit with "around fifty" layoffs, which the source notes is "easily a quarter of studio staff." The report adds that those laid off should receive assistance from Activision in the form of counseling and job placement services.
Over the last several years, Vicarious Visions has been known primarily for developing licensed games as well as the Wii and DS versions of Tony Hawk and Guitar Hero titles. In fact, Develop reports that the studio was actually working on a new Guitar Hero when it received the news.
The layoffs come as part of a company wide plan to reduce the workforce by 500 positions. Elsewhere within the company, 7 Studios has reportedly been shut down entirely, while DJ Hero developer FreeStyleGames is "actively working with Activision on various options going forward."
