NEWS - Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Rare hit with layoffs following Kinect Sports Rivals launch
Kinect Sports Rivals developer Rare has apparently been hit with layoffs affecting at least 16 employees, Eurogamer reports.
According to the publication, layoffs are related to the launch of Kinect Sports Rivals — which received mixed reviews — last month. Of the 150 people staffed on the game, Eurogamer reports that those let go were mostly design-related or project managers.
In a statement provided to Eurogamer, a Microsoft spokesperson said that Rare "continues to invest in our people and future projects."
"At Xbox, our goal is to constantly create new fun, social and interactive entertainment experiences," the spokesperson said. "As part of Rare’s commitment to this goal, we have made a decision to change our development process and methodology at Rare to best support our future projects, this has led to us reviewing the skills and the makeup of our development teams in our business."
We’ve reached out to Rare for comment and will update accordingly.
Rare, also known for games such as GoldenEye 007 and Donkey Kong Country, is touted as a flagship Kinect studio. Earlier this month, Xbox head Phil Spencer told OXM that Microsoft is "working closely" with the developer to evaluate what the company’s next project will be after Kinect became optional for Xbox One.
Source: http://www.polygon.com
