Ben-DutkaUnfortunate news for one of our favorite developers.
As IGN reports, inFamous: Second Son developer Sucker Punch Productions has suffered a round of layoffs.
Sony Computer Entertainment America confirmed "a reduction in workforce" at the studio, which includes employees who have worked on both the acclaimed inFamous and Sly Cooper franchises. We don't know how many people lost their jobs but regardless of the number, it's still bad news. Sucker Punch is wholly owned by Sony and their most recent project was Second Son , which launched in March for the PlayStation 4. They're currently working on the game's first expansion, First Light, which is set to arrive on August 26.
Sucker Punch was founded in 1997. Let's hope they stick around for a while longer.
Sorry to hear that. Hopefully those who lost their jobs find something quickly!
I believe Sony have been using sucke vpunch as a Trojan horse to try new things. Crossplay, free games ps+, launch titles and bundles. These seem like a throw away sales revenue. Maybe Sony cant make ends meet
I want to blame sly cooper because it was a sales disaster. I bought the hd game and eventually Sony started giving out free copies in ps+. Who else buy it then.
This layoff is now, so it must be related to second son? , I cant believe how second sons would be a failure in sales.
Last edited by godsman on 8/20/2014 12:03:05 PM
My town is a big games developer friendly town. (Tax incentives from the city bring lots in.)
Digital Extremes is in town, and they have layoffs from time to time too… What's scary is that the awesome places to work that grow and never layoff are the studios making the f2p facebook and mobile games… not the studios making console games. Big Viking Games in town, for example, even have a chef on staff that makes them all breakfast, lunch, and dinner as a perk.
did second son not do well? i honestly dont know how it sold. i bought it and liked it. sad news.
I recall it sold a millipon in launch week, It wasnt part of a bundle so its at least 60 mil revenue. Cant imagine it would fail
Last edited by godsman on 8/20/2014 12:10:52 PM
Shouldn't have made Second Son so flippant and generic with a lame hero.
Second Son sold well. This is just, once again, getting rid of the dudes who don't really do anything.
You know every work force has those few people who stand around doing nothing, and only got onboard because they're friends or family. The talent remains at Sucker Punch, those talented people aren't going anywhere.
And World, the gameplay was super fun and the powers were overly unique. Gotta give it a chance, Cole wasn't the deepest most epic bro ever either was he?
The gameplay was just soaring over the city and all the powers were the same. Cole had a better story than 3 geeks fighting an angry broad.
3 geeks? How very superficial of you to say World. Considering most of the people on this site were 'geeks' just like them at some stage, and some still are. I would say being born with superhuman abilities can make you somewhat different.
hahaha.
Cole and his grumpy ass attitude just got boring, real quick. Delsin, Eugene and Fetch FTW.
Last edited by Akuma_ on 8/20/2014 8:01:14 PM
Also, if people are complaining about the characters and powers in SS, then I don't want to know where the series goes next.
I don't want a return to any characters and abilities like Cole.
I think world's point is that the powers were essentially the same as Cole's.
I went in thinking the same as World mainly bc Cole was such a good character… But after spending a lil time in Secon Son i guess grew on me… And while the story wasnt as good as Coles story, the gameplay was… The ability to steal diffrent and unique powers was awesome and to upgrade them made it even better… Regardless of what you think of the main character the game is still good… Most ppl thought Tidus in FFX was a sissy and girly and a cry baby compared to previous main characters in the FF franchise but it didnt stop the story from being good
Waiting to hear all the naysayers blame this on Sony going 'bankrupt'.
And how Sony has lost the console war.
Nothing new. As of late Sony has been closing or downsizing its studios.
There is nothing wrong with trimming the fat.
Fat is bad for you.
Wonder how you would sing if you were the fat part.
Well, there's long term disadvantages to "trimming the fat" that companies are willing to eat when they're the "buyers" in the employment climate. Longer retention rates actually make more money for companies in the long run than well-practiced turn-over.
But at times like these when the economy hasn't fully recovered yet, companies are able to treat employees as services as opposed to assets.