Friday, Kotaku reported that a source had informed them “Tomb Raider” developer Crystal Dynamics laid off 30 employees due to “underperforming” “Tomb Raider: Underworld” sales. Lara's latest adventure managed to sell 1.5 million copies by the end of 2008, but Eidos wasn't happy with the number.
Yesterday afternoon, Eidos confirmed the layoffs to Joystiq, but gave a fairly...odd reason. While plenty of studios have been shutting down, going bankrupt, struggling with loans, or laying off significant portions of their employees, the reason has almost unanimously been cited as the global recession and the struggling economy. So what was Eidos'' reason? They wanted to "increase focus" for the franchise.
Speaking to Joystiq, a company spokesman said, "We have increased the focus on the Tomb Raider franchise at Crystal Dynamics, regrettably this has resulted in the reduction in headcount."
Well played, recession. First you cause millions around the world their jobs, force many Americans out of their homes, and lead to several stores--both Mom and Pop and national chain--shutting down. But now, you've managed to make a developer think that getting rid of employees who work on a specific game will lead to an increased focus for the franchise.
To those 30-odd people affected by Eidos' latest layoffs, here's hoping a new job is just around the corner.
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