Flock Cleans House at Sony Online

According to a report in the financial web site The Standard, Sony Online Entertainment is set to announce massive layoffs as it closes its Los Angeles offices. This report comes a day after SOE confirmed that it had acquired Verant Interactive, the developer of the massively popular Everquest and the upcoming Sovereign. The Standard cites insider sources in claiming that the recently appointed president and CEO at Sony Online, Kelly Flock, isn't interested in continuing the advertising-based business model for the company. In the future, he hopes to create an aggressive, subscription-based gaming hub channeling efforts toward directing development of games for both the PC and the Sony PlayStation 2.

Although the layoffs were expected by some, the sweeping nature of the changes came as a surprise to Sony Online employees. The Standard reports claim that an official announcement on the closing of SOE's Los Angeles Studios is forthcoming. Sony officials were not available for comment.