In January, Microsoft started “reviewing” a few things. Cut some jobs, that sort of stuff. That “review” now shines its light on Rare, where belts are to be tightened, and jobs might be lost.
https://lastchance.cc/bulk-of-microsofts-1400-job-cuts-to-strike-entertainm-5137601%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
In comments released to the British press today, the company stated a number of aims going forward that seemed a tad redundant, since they outlined a goal to do…exactly what Rare have been doing for the past 2-3 years. Expand the Xbox userbase, work on Xbox Live stuff, yada yada yada.
Of more intrest are these comments from studio manager Mark Betteridge:
As the entire industry struggles to address the increasing scale and cost of development, we too have felt a need to restructure our current approach so we can speed development and better manage the scale required to create high quality games.
Sound ominous? Could well be, as he continues:
In order to achieve these goals, the company is reviewing the current composition of its development teams and there is the possibility that a small number of current positions could be lost as a result of these changes.
So job losses, probably, but it also sounds like a project or two may have been canned as well.
