Report: Radical, High Moon hit hard by layoffs

Prototype studio loses roughly 100 developers and two projects, while Bourne Supremacy creators shed 60 jobs.

When Activision Blizzard announced its plans to streamline its newly merged allies at Vivendi Games, it warned that it would "realign" staff at Radical Entertainment and High Moon Studios. About 150 staffers have been realigned straight to the unemployment office, according to recent reports.

Radical's hometown paper, The Vancouver Sun, reported yesterday that 100 employees, or nearly half the studio's staff, had been laid off by Activision Blizzard. A Radical human resources rep told the paper that two of the studio's four in-development projects had been canceled, and the workforce was trimmed proportionately. (Activision has previously said that two high-profile Radical franchises--Crash Bandicoot and Prototype--would be retained by the company.)

As for High Moon, Gamasutra is reporting that the studio shed as many as 60 employees in a round of Activision Blizzard-instituted job cuts. The studio's official Web site touts a development staff of more than 150.

High Moon is best known for developing Capcom's vampire shooter Darkwatch and The Bourne Conspiracy for Vivendi subbrand Sierra. A Bourne sequel for the studio became improbable last month when it was revealed that the game rights to author Robert Ludlum's Bourne franchise had reverted back to the Ludlum estate.

Activision representatives had not returned GameSpot's requests for confirmation and comment as of press time. An attempt to call in-house media representative listed on High Moon's Web site was similarly unsuccessful, with the person answering the phone explaining that the rep no longer worked there.

30 Comments

  • fiskefyren

    Posted Apr 10, 2009 2:30 pm PT

    when you think about it that Activision Blizzard has WoW in their backpucket why do they ever want/need to cut staff? i mean... they make millions of dollers every month of that game alone!!! its like their never ending supplyment of cold cash! sorta like windows is for Microsoft... which is sorta funny when you think about how much windows and wow ****! they have totally that one (BIG) thing in commen!!! xD

  • TheReaper180

    Posted Sep 26, 2008 9:58 am PT

    @ Jpiniones2002:

    It should have been out this month. It was scheduled for sometime in Q3 of this year. Apparently, they decided to move it.

    However, like Bozack and untitledcause said, I can wait a few more months. But if it gets pushed back any farther, then they may have to cancel it which would basically make me cry.

  • WiRedLiVE

    Posted Sep 12, 2008 12:27 pm PT

    im with bozack when is huxley comin out

  • Jpiniones2002

    Posted Aug 20, 2008 6:10 pm PT

    A game like that should of not be pushed back like that. Just because the Economy is in a slump. And people getting fired for the mergers of the two company's. Shouldn't that game be out like this coming holiday season.

  • untitledcause

    Posted Aug 16, 2008 12:16 pm PT

    We have known that Prototype was being pushed back to 2009 for a while now, but as for the state the game is at the moment is questionable. As long as Prototype development doesn't get scratched and the game gets the polish it deserves, I'm fine with them shedding some weight.

  • Sir_Bozack

    Posted Aug 16, 2008 11:55 am PT

    I dont care who gets fired; as long as Prototype is as good as it looks! And just on a side-note.... is anyone else here waiting for that damn game huxley?

  • FearBoo

    Posted Aug 16, 2008 10:22 am PT

    On Gametrailers the Release Date is changed from Q3 2008 to Q1 2009. This sucks I want Prototype NOW

  • Big_To

    Posted Aug 16, 2008 6:02 am PT

    Zoomer, you don't have to worry about that, it's against the law to be a complete monopoly in any one industry. The USA is run on competition, it helps drive the economy, so obviously the government doesn't want a monopoly.

    This law was passed some time ago when a railroad company was aggressively buying out the others, be it underhanded or just using good ole wads of cash.

  • Zoomer30

    Posted Aug 15, 2008 10:51 pm PT

    So now all we need is for EA to buy the Activenizzard congolmorate, get T2 and then the world will end.

  • Zoomer30

    Posted Aug 15, 2008 10:49 pm PT

    Its the name of the game. Employment in the software game industry can be marked by short stints when you have a job followed by long periods out of work. no one gets into the biz expecting to work there 20 years. If they get 5 years out of a place thats pretty good.

    Even though Bush has messed up TONS of stuff the past 8 years, blaming game dev layoffs/downsizing on him is a stretch. When a place merges with another place, there will be blood. No way to avoid it if you want to stay in business. At least STO is back in dev, that sould keep that team well paid for the next few years (until the thing bleeds the company dry and THEY need to drop it like the last 2 places that tried)

  • Gruug

    Posted Aug 15, 2008 6:19 pm PT

    pidow...let me see if I understand this. Activision and Vivendi/Blizzard merge. The fact that they now have too many people working for the mergered company is Bush's fault? How can that be? As to China, they can goose step there troops at the Summer Olympics just like a former German dictator did some 70 years ago. It doesn't mean they will "rule the world".

  • pidow

    Posted Aug 15, 2008 9:23 am PT

    It's sad that the American workforce is still paying the price for Bush....he very, very need to be replaced in November or soon their will be not USA...Countries like China will own the US.

  • Sins-of-Mosin

    Posted Aug 15, 2008 8:18 am PT

    So these two massive companies who are doing good are cutting staff? Seems pretty greedy to me.

  • games4life15

    Posted Aug 15, 2008 3:48 am PT

    man poor people who go cut hopefully it doesn't affect games/developing that much don't want to see good games getting cut cause of to much pressure hopefully prototype will come out on time though its starting to annoy me how much it is being pushed back

  • games4life15

    Posted Aug 15, 2008 3:48 am PT

    man poor people who go cut hopefully it doesn't affect games/developing that much don't want to see good games getting cut cause of to much pressure hopefully prototype will come out on time though its starting to annoy me how much it is being pushed back

  • RonTorque

    Posted Aug 15, 2008 2:43 am PT

    The Only thing i care about is for Prototype to be out in time.

  • Twiztid-Maddox

    Posted Aug 14, 2008 9:09 pm PT

    Highmoon needed Darkwatch 2, which would be awesome for them, looking at Gears Of War...

  • OfficialBed

    Posted Aug 14, 2008 8:44 pm PT

    that sucks...i feel for those people

  • Pete5506

    Posted Aug 14, 2008 7:55 pm PT

    Dang layoffs are never good

  • FrankenLife

    Posted Aug 14, 2008 7:24 pm PT

    It can't be easy to get hired as a game developer. That is a tough job market. I wish them luck.

  • snoopy248

    Posted Aug 14, 2008 4:03 pm PT

    Wow this stinks...

    I also laughed at the last paragraph.
    Hahaha

  • JCTiggs

    Posted Aug 14, 2008 3:35 pm PT

    The other projects in development at Radical would have certainly made a profit so it's sad to see a large corporation decide to cut jobs just to save a little money. According to a recent statement, Activision/Vivendi/Blizzard had over ONE BILLION dollars in their company 'warchest' that allowed them breathing room for taking risks with current and future projects. I wonder what will happen to the team that worked on Scarface? I thought I read something a while back about Radical developing a sequel to that game?

  • Shalafein

    Posted Aug 14, 2008 3:07 pm PT

    That stinks!!!

  • dn3datomiced

    Posted Aug 14, 2008 2:56 pm PT

    This is ridiculous. When did it suddenly become National Pink Slip Month?

  • Phlakaton

    Posted Aug 14, 2008 2:55 pm PT

    and the pink slips keep a comin!

  • dn3datomiced

    Posted Aug 14, 2008 2:55 pm PT

    What the hell? THis is getting ridiculous. Why is it suddenly National Fire People Month?

  • clayron

    Posted Aug 14, 2008 2:50 pm PT

    Did anyone else laugh at the last paragraph?

  • Spartan1017

    Posted Aug 14, 2008 2:41 pm PT

    i hate activision now... good luck to all those of the 150...

  • football_legend

    Posted Aug 14, 2008 2:37 pm PT

    ***, poor souls. Corporate ********!

  • Stealth-S-117

    Posted Aug 14, 2008 2:36 pm PT

    Damn! So many people. The gaming industry is getting a shake up, and mabye not all for the better. I hope Prototype hasn't been cancelled, they did say they were going to keep it.

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