Sega Studios Australia lays off 37, transitions to digital
Sega Studios Australia, developer of the upcoming London 2012 Olympics game, is laying off 37 of its 80 staffers as part of a restructuring effort. The studio, which features advanced motion-capture facilities, was originally part of The Creative Assembly, and was renamed last year when development of this game was announced.
According to a statement sent to Joystiq, Sega Studios Australia will now focus on digitally distributed titles. "We can confirm that SSA has signed a multi-product deal focussing across the digital marketplace," SSA said. The downsizing effort will "ensure we have a more effective and agile team that will enable us to quickly adapt to consumer needs and deliver strong content across multiple digital platforms," according to the studio.
Find the full statement after the break.
Statement from Sega Studios Australia on restructuring:
"As SEGA Studios Australia nears completion of London 2012™ - The Official Video Game of the Olympic Games, it is essential to look to the future and take steps to ensure long-term growth and success. The rise of digital gaming provides an opportunity to align the studio with a rapidly growing market at a time when the games industry is undergoing a significant transition. To this end, we can confirm that SSA has signed a multi-product deal focussing across the digital marketplace. We have commenced development on these titles and will announce more details in the near future.
As part of this focus on digital avenues, there is a requirement to re-structure the studio resources accordingly and regrettably, we are announcing the loss of 37 staff. The decision to downsize was not taken lightly but this strategic re-structure will ensure we have a more effective and agile team that will enable us to quickly adapt to consumer needs and deliver strong content across multiple digital platforms. We thank those team members affected for their contributions and wish them well in their future endeavours. We are very confident that their efforts on London 2012™ will help us deliver the highest quality official Olympic video game to date."
