The developer behind The Walking Dead and Minecraft: Story Mode has been hit with job cuts that have eliminated 25% of its workforce. Previously announced projects are expected to be unaffected.
Telltale Games, the developer behind episodic hits The Walking Dead and Minecraft: Story Mode has been hit with a restructuring that will cut 90 jobs – 25% of the company’s workforce – effective immediately.
“Our industry has shifted in tremendous ways over the past few years,” Telltale Games CEO Pete Hawley said in a statement. “The realities of the environment we face moving forward demand we evolve, as well, reorienting our organization with a focus on delivering fewer, better games with a smaller team.”
Telltale, which employed around 400 before the layoffs, said none of the previously announced projects will be affected.
“I’d like to express our respect for all the contributions that these incredibly talented artists, storytellers and more have made to this company, and that this decision is in no way a reflection on the quality or dedication of their work,” Hawley said. “We have made available our full career assistance services to help our affected colleagues and friends – and their families – navigate this difficult transition as quickly as possible.”
No specific reason was given for the layoffs, other than the company wanted to be “more competitive as a developer and publisher of groundbreaking story-driven gaming experiences with an emphasis on high quality in the years ahead.” The note about quality seems to be supported by another comment, as Telltale said it was planning on moving some of its internal systems development to “more proven technologies that will fast-track innovation in its core products.” Again, no explanation of what the technologies are, but it some of the company’s games have been plagued by technical issues, dragging down otherwise solid products.
Besides The Walking Dead and Minecraft: Story Mode, the developer has created other episodic Telltale Series titles such as Guardians of the Galaxy, Game of Thrones, and Batman .
Source: GamesIndustry.biz
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