Activision trims 7 Studios, closes Shaba

By Tor Thorsen, GameSpotPosted Oct 8, 2009 5:25 pm PT

Guitar Hero publisher confirms cutbacks as part of overall music-game workforce reduction, shuttering of Spider-Man: Web of Shadows shop.

The past few months have seen Activision make news for both opening a new San Francisco Bay developer and cutting staff at its Madison, Wisconsin-based shop Raven Software. This week, news of the latter category arrived, with the company confirming that it has trimmed the payroll at 7 Studios.

Working on Scratch probably sounds pretty good to now-jobless 7 Studios staffers.

"7 Studios has realigned its business to focus its development resources on the music genre," a rep told GameSpot. "As a part of this realignment, the studio is reducing its workforce to better reflect Activision's upcoming slate of music-based games."

The 7 Studios layoffs come just seven months after Activision purchased the former Scratch: The Ultimate DJ developer, setting off a chain of events that delayed the turntable-based rhythm game until next year. Shortly after the buyout, Scratch's publisher sued Activision, claiming the acquisition was simply a move to eliminate any competition to DJ Hero, due out October 27. (In April, the shop was ordered to hand over the Scratch source code.)

Activision gave Shaba the kiss of death this week.

Shortly after admitting the 7 Studios layoffs, Activision confirmed to game blog Kotaku that it had closed Shaba Games, the San Francisco-based developer of Shrek Super Slam and Spider-Man: Web of Shadows. The move puts an abrupt end to the studio's 12-year history, which saw it develop such games as Tony Hawk's Project 8 (Xbox, PlayStation 2) and the critically acclaimed Grind Session for the original PlayStation. Just this past July, it became public that Shaba was working on an unnamed karaoke game.

"Activision continually evaluates the resources at our studio properties to ensure that they are properly matched to our product slate and overall strategic goals," the company said in a statement. "As part of this process, we recently made the difficult but necessary decision to close Shaba Studios. We are grateful for the studio's contributions and wish this talented team success in their future endeavors."

39 Comments

  • Skull-Fire

    Posted Oct 20, 2009 12:50 am PT

    Well, so much for hoping for a sequel to web of shadows..

  • MSG-Deathscythe

    Posted Oct 12, 2009 2:51 am PT

    this sounds like the thousands of lay-offs in microsoft a few months back while bill gates is all over the news this week for being worth $50B as the richest man. what a world we live in.

  • Tremor671

    Posted Oct 11, 2009 6:15 pm PT

    Besides, if Activision (or some other company) wasn't the top dog, everyone would be making more Rhythm and same old same old. Competition drives innovation.

  • Tremor671

    Posted Oct 11, 2009 6:11 pm PT

    Unless Activision starts producing S#!T, I'm fine with them shutting down as many crappy rythm or overdone superhero games as they want.

  • Tremor671

    Posted Oct 11, 2009 6:07 pm PT

    @ CrimsonMaher
    Boycott?! Really?! Let me get this straight... you want to boycott a bunch of REALLY GOOD GAMES like COD or GH, just so that we hurt their feelings? Get real, and think before you post.

  • sun_rider95

    Posted Oct 11, 2009 6:05 am PT

    CrimsonMaher you are an idiot :-P

  • CrimsonMaher

    Posted Oct 10, 2009 7:06 am PT

    For the fourth time I call for a boycott of Activision! People DO NOT BUY Activision games and they will get that we don't like them! But if you run out and buy MW2 and every GH game they make first day then come complain about them than you're just an idiot!

  • monson21502

    Posted Oct 9, 2009 9:19 pm PT

    well you know you got to many music games out when they start making van hellen games.

  • artiebillymac

    Posted Oct 9, 2009 9:06 pm PT

    web of shadows was an ok game overall but we do need more spidy games thou .

  • Downloadpilot

    Posted Oct 9, 2009 6:40 pm PT

    @shawn_mitchel:

    Yeah you're right.

    P.S. Where'd you get your avatar, and what character is it?

  • Downloadpilot

    Posted Oct 9, 2009 6:38 pm PT

    They shut down Shaba - the guys who made the greatest Spider-Man game in history? It's a shame.

    I always knew Activision was gay

  • KittyHeart

    Posted Oct 9, 2009 1:29 pm PT

    always sad to see people lose jobs in this economy

  • Jaggermaster

    Posted Oct 9, 2009 12:40 pm PT

    Black Cat kissing Spider Man

  • chocomomiji

    Posted Oct 9, 2009 11:48 am PT

    awwww, yeahhhhhhhhhhh... 26TH COMMENT

  • Darkman2007

    Posted Oct 9, 2009 10:35 am PT

    its a shame all these studios are having their talent wasted on making a flood of music games, not that there is anything wrong with them, but oversaturation is not a good thing.

    at any rate I hope that the people who just lost their jobs due to Activision's stupidity, find jobs quickly, hopefully somewhere where their talents are better used

  • daveneonfarrell

    Posted Oct 9, 2009 10:23 am PT

    I'll be glad when this rhythm game fad is over. Talk about garbage.

  • kris9031998

    Posted Oct 9, 2009 10:09 am PT

    :.(

  • shawn_mitchel

    Posted Oct 9, 2009 9:32 am PT

    When you guys STOP buying Games published by Activision,.......Kotick will be forced to listen to the Gamers,Employees and change his corporate strategy.

    That is if he does not loose his position soon before he creates more havok........

  • jebushank

    Posted Oct 9, 2009 9:04 am PT

    I think its pretty funny that a few years ago you could have easily replaced every use of the word "Activision" in this article with "EA" and it would have made sense. Because hey, EA were the evil coporate giants right? Activsion was always the underdog we rooted for, giving us all those awesome Tony Hawk and Spiderman games. So why do things seem to be reverting? These days EA is taking risks with new and interesting IP's and making games that people want (Brutal Legend, can't wait) and Activision are the one's oversaturating the market with yearly releases and pointless franchise whoring.......

    well just like bob dylan said "these times they are a' changin'". Go EA.

  • Excedra

    Posted Oct 9, 2009 8:10 am PT

    ok...

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