Microsoft fired over 9,000 workers today and killed several major video games. The company shut down The Initiative studio completely after canceling their Perfect Dark remake. Xbox boss Matt Booty sent an email telling staff about the brutal cuts across gaming teams. He also confirmed that Everwild from Rare studio got axed along with many secret projects. The layoffs hit hard as Microsoft tries to save money during tough times for the gaming business.
Perfect Dark fans lost their dream comeback game after years of waiting. The Initiative team had veteran developers working on bringing back the classic spy shooter series. They even showed exciting gameplay footage last year that made players think the game was almost ready. Crystal Dynamics was helping make the game but their partnership just ended. Microsoft described the cancelled projects as representing years of hard work from creative teams.
The bloodbath continued beyond The Initiative as other major studios suffered massive job losses. Turn10 Studios that makes Forza racing games lost half their entire workforce. Several Call of Duty development teams also faced major cuts during the same day. Raven Software was among the studios that got hit with employee firings. More layoffs are expected as Microsoft continues slashing costs across their gaming division.
Perfect Dark fans lost their dream comeback game after years of waiting. The Initiative team had veteran developers working on bringing back the classic spy shooter series. They even showed exciting gameplay footage last year that made players think the game was almost ready. Crystal Dynamics was helping make the game but their partnership just ended. Microsoft described the cancelled projects as representing years of hard work from creative teams.
The bloodbath continued beyond The Initiative as other major studios suffered massive job losses. Turn10 Studios that makes Forza racing games lost half their entire workforce. Several Call of Duty development teams also faced major cuts during the same day. Raven Software was among the studios that got hit with employee firings. More layoffs are expected as Microsoft continues slashing costs across their gaming division.
