Microsoft’s game studios take a beating in layoffs
Amid the news that Microsoft is laying off 5,000 people over the next 18 months, sources report that the game division has taken its share of the beating.
Gamasutra reports that the Flight Simulator studio, dubbed ACES, suffered big layoffs yesterday, which marked the cutting of the first 1,400 jobs. In addition, we’ve heard that about 30 percent of the company’s video game testers have been cut. Also, next week, the game group is expected to undergo a management restructuring.
With the shutdown of Flight Simulator, the company could be abandoning its oldest running game franchise that put the company on the map when it comes to gamers. The first Flight Simulator game debuted in 1982 and the most recent title, Flight Simulator X, debuted in 2006. It had an expansion pack in 2007 and both sold relatively well. Further products were in the works.
