Both EA's Maxis studio (Spore) and Activision's Raven Software (Wolfenstein) confirmed layoffs today. Neither company provided an exact total for the number of individuals affected, although the rumor mill suggests that they were pretty large.
"Often in the video game industry, the size of a studio fluctuates in response to business conditions," EA said in a prepared statement [thanks ShackNews]. "In this case, EA has taken action to reduce the workforce at Maxis as we focus the business and focus Maxis."
"With the recent completion of both Wolverine, based on the summer blockbuster movie, and Wolfenstein, the next chapter of the famed franchise, Raven Software is slightly reducing its workforce to better reflect the studio's upcoming slate," said a Raven spokesperson.
Update: According to Kotaku, 30 to 35 were cut from Raven's Wisconsin studios, and the layoffs were "the aftermath of an over-budget and under-performing Wolfenstein and the delay of upcoming time-shifting shooter Singluarity," ultimately causing Raven to shrink from a three-studio team to a two-studio organization. And according to Joystiq, Maxis cut "at least a couple dozen," but of course remains committed to Spore and its other IP.
Although neither company blamed the current state of the economy (which has helped contribute to five consecutive months of decline in the industry), we have to think that it was at least a partial factor. We wish those employees who were let go the best of luck.
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