Reuters: Technology News: Electronic Arts cuts staff at Montreal studio

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Electronic Arts cuts staff at Montreal studio Apr 12th 2013, 00:07 Tweet Share this Email Print Related News Ericsson to buy Microsoft IPTV business Mon, Apr 8 2013 GameStop says demand hit as customers await new consoles Thu, Mar 28 2013 Nvidia unveils virtual graphics server in push beyond PCs Tue, Mar 19 2013 Electronic Arts CEO quits, takes blame for missed targets Mon, Mar 18 2013 CORRECTED-Electronic Arts CEO to step down Mon, Mar 18 2013 Analysis & Opinion Why techies don't buy contemporary art Visitors walk past an advertising placard of FIFA13 during the Gamescom 2012 fair in Cologne August 16, 2012. Credit: Reuters/Ina Fassbender By Malathi Nayak SAN FRANCISCO | Thu Apr 11, 2013 8:07pm EDT SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Videogame publisher Electronic Arts has begun laying off staff at its Montreal game studio in its latest round of jobs cuts, less than a month after former Chief Executive John Riccitiello abruptly resigned. The company, known for its "FIFA" and "Sims" games, declined to divulge the number of jobs affected, or how many employees it has in Montreal, where it has developed console games like "Army of Two". "EA is sharpening its focus to provide games for new platforms and mobile. In some cases, this involves reducing team sizes as we evolve into a more efficient organization," the Redwood City, California-based company said in a statement. The Montreal studio, which includes a team that makes mobile games, is not closing, a spokesman said. He declined to say which teams within the studio had been affected by the job cuts. The layoffs come shortly after John Riccitiello stepped down as CEO on March 30, after taking responsibility for missed operational targets. Former CEO and Chairman Larry Probst has been appointed executive chairman as the company begins its search for the next CEO. EA and rivals like Activision Blizzard Inc have seen growth fall off sharply as more gamers flock to free games on social networks or on mobile devices. The biggest traditional games publishers have tried to buy startups, reorganize existing studios and invest in mobile platforms but face intense competition from entrenched players like Rovio or Zynga Inc. EA has been reorganizing studios to embrace new game platforms and adapt to consumer behavior. Last year, EA's PopCap unit, which makes social and mobile games, laid off 50 of about 380 staff members in its Seattle and Vancouver studios to focus on free-to-play social and mobile games. The game publisher is also preparing to adopt the next-generation video game console technology in its games. Consumers are holding back from buying hardware and software as they wait for next-generation versions of Sony Corp's PlayStation and Microsoft Corp's Xbox, expected later this year. Shares of EA edged higher in extended trading after closing at $17.63 on Nasdaq. (Reporting by Malathi Nayak; Editing by Richard Chang) Related Quotes and News Company Price Related News Tweet this Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints We welcome comments that advance the story through relevant opinion, anecdotes, links and data. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. For more information on our comment policy, see http://blogs.reuters.com/fulldisclosure/2010/09/27/toward-a-more-thoughtful-conversation-on-stories/ Comments (0) Be the first to comment on reuters.com. Add yours using the box above.

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