The Walking Unemployed?
Telltale Games, while they have certainly had a few misses over the last few years, are still the undisputed kings and queens when it comes to episodic, choice-based video games. The first season of The Walking Dead, The Wolf Among Us, Tales from the Borderlands, even to this day they are adored by fans, acting as a constant reminder that this company can do great things.
So news like this has many of us a little bit worried about their future projects.
According to an article on PC Gamer –
Developer Telltale Games, best known for episodic story-driven games like The Walking Dead and Tales from the Borderlands, announced today that roughly 25 percent of its workforce has been laid off.
As Gamesindustry reports, 90 people were affected by the wave of layoffs. Before today, the studio was nearly 400 strong. Telltale says the layoffs will not affect any of its ongoing games. However, moving forward they plan to make “fewer, better games with a smaller team.”
“I’d like to express our respect for all the contributions that these incredibly talented artists, storytellers and more have made to this company, and that this decision is in no way a reflection on the quality or dedication of their work,” said Telltale CEO Pete Hawley. “We have made available our full career assistance services to help our affected colleagues and friends—and their families—navigate this difficult transition as quickly as possible.”
Telltale’s downsize comes on the heels of two other, more dramatic shifts in the indie scene. In the past week, Gigantic developer Motiga and Torchlight developer Runic Games were both closed at the hand of their shared publisher, Perfect World.
Lets hope this outcome will lead to the betterment and not the detriment of their upcoming games!
