Disney layoffs hit Turok, Bolt studios

By Brendan Sinclair, GameSpotPosted Jan 29, 2009 3:09 pm PT

Propaganda loses "less than 30" employees, publisher consolidation of Avalanche Software and Fall Line Studios affects up to 20 more.

Add another publisher to the list of those laying off developers in tight economic times. Disney Interactive Studios has confirmed for GameSpot that a number of employees were laid off today from the company's Propaganda Games, Avalanche Software, and Fall Line Studios locations.

Disney takes a bite out of Turok developer Propaganda.

A representative with the publisher dismissed online reports that more than 70 developers had been let go from the Vancouver, British Columbia-based Propaganda, saying the actual number was less than 30. As for those reports' other contention--that a planned sequel to the studio's Turok game was canceled in the process--the representative said only that Propaganda still has two teams working on unannounced projects and that Disney Interactive Studios holds the rights to the Turok character, which it licensed from Classic Media. Since Propaganda Games' formation in 2005, the studio has released only one game, last year's PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC revamp of the Turok franchise.

As for Avalanche and Fall Line, Disney is consolidating the two Salt Lake City, Utah, development houses "for efficiencies," a process that resulted in "less than 20" employees being laid off today. Since the founding of Fall Line in 2006, the studio has focused on games for Nintendo systems, and the representative said that the consolidation will bring the Wii "into the forefront of our development plan at Avalanche."

Previous Fall Line titles include the DS efforts Hannah Montana: Music Jam and The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. Even before the consolidation, Disney had referred to Fall Line as a "sister studio" to Avalanche Software.

Not to be confused with Just Cause developer Avalanche Studios, Disney's Avalanche Software frequently works with the company's family-friendly feature film properties, like Meet the Robinsons, Chicken Little, and, most recently, Bolt. Prior to Avalanche's acquisition by Disney in 2005, the developer had worked on a wider variety of games, including Midway projects like NBA Showtime, Rampage 2: Universal Tour, and Mortal Kombat Trilogy.

59 Comments

  • Foxtrot561

    Posted Feb 14, 2009 5:49 pm PT

    I want a new Turok

  • Foxtrot561

    Posted Feb 14, 2009 5:49 pm PT

    So there won't be a new Turok?! That was one of my favorite games

  • TWayne1020

    Posted Feb 4, 2009 11:18 pm PT

    Hope they make another Turok game for the 360. This being their first game ,which was good, the potential for a greater #2 was imminent .

  • bluefishhead

    Posted Feb 1, 2009 2:31 am PT

    some classic games should juts not be "revamped" turok was fun on n64 but it was clear it would never make it as a next gen game, the concept is just too simple, shoot dinosaur, reload, repeat.

  • D-K-Brown

    Posted Jan 31, 2009 2:09 am PT

    It must suck working in a studio where you really can't express any true ideas or create anything inspiring. I mean, for example, if you work at Neversoft, you'd just be pumping out Guitar Hero after Guitar Hero until the audience got bored. Nothing but Guitar Hero. That would suck.. but working at these studios where, let's face it, the games you would make are just unbelieveably awful.. well, maybe it's a blessing. Go look for a job at one of EA's many monotone studios. You never know, you could be pumping out Need For Speed after Need for Speed or Sims pack after Sims pack.

  • Mr__Peanut

    Posted Jan 30, 2009 11:24 pm PT

    Turok always sucked

  • hatieshorrer

    Posted Jan 30, 2009 10:25 pm PT

    I was really hoping this game would be up to par with the other FPS's of its time. At least it had a good campaign.

  • bh147

    Posted Jan 30, 2009 1:37 pm PT

    Damn.... and they were making a sequel... Turok is one of the funnest games I've ever played. I hope it all works out though.

  • mvlbr

    Posted Jan 30, 2009 1:25 pm PT

    "Surprise-Surprise!!!"

  • jazzyrider

    Posted Jan 30, 2009 11:31 am PT

    ouch! and i thought the gaming industry wouldn't be affected

  • Arch649

    Posted Jan 30, 2009 11:05 am PT

    Turok was a good, but conventional game. If the sequel had some more interesting weapons, and made the dinosaurs take on new shapes (grafted weapons, etc. just like Turok 1) then I think they would have had something going for them.

    Sucks, they had potential.

  • InfectX

    Posted Jan 30, 2009 10:58 am PT

    "Propoganda loses '[FEWER] than 30' employees..."

  • Jedilink109

    Posted Jan 30, 2009 10:30 am PT

    I feel bad for Fall Line. They have to make such horrible licensed games.

    And while I enjoy the new Turok, The hero in the new game was super huge. Like Gears Of War freakishly huge looking. Make another Turok with a man....using NORMAL proportions. And although I enjoyed what I've played of the new game and will get it now that the price has gone down, there's something about it that doesn't feel like the older Turok games did.

    Make a game as good as Turok 3. That game was friggin awesome!

  • eViL_iTo696

    Posted Jan 30, 2009 10:29 am PT

    the best turok was 1 & 2 the rest was a waste of time it fell from the story line

  • SiNoNaX

    Posted Jan 30, 2009 10:29 am PT

    To the people that got laid off, just wanted to say that we feel your pain in these tough times. Hang in there and hopefully destiny will bring all of you fruitful opportunities to chew on in the near future.

  • blank33

    Posted Jan 30, 2009 10:13 am PT

    The original Turok, for N64, was good. You could make the dinosaurs dance

  • Skullcandy

    Posted Jan 30, 2009 9:37 am PT

    Sucks for the employees but Turok hasn't been good since...well ever.

  • icym

    Posted Jan 30, 2009 8:27 am PT

    I'm sorry hear to more people getting hit with a pink slip. Good luck guys and I hope you all recover sooner than later!

  • Fandango_Letho

    Posted Jan 30, 2009 8:11 am PT

    Sad. Turok was fun. Had its share of problems, but a very good product overall. Koei should go bankrupt and why people still buy their crap games is beyond me.

  • Timstuff

    Posted Jan 30, 2009 7:38 am PT

    @ 1425678786655:

    Nintendo never made a Turok game. The Turok games on N64 were all made by Acclaim, who went out of business a few years ago. Also, the first Turok was also on PC.

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