Destiny 2 developer Bungie is the latest PlayStation studio to have layoffs. Full scope isn't clear yet, but CEO Pete Parsons emailed the company.

[Vertigo]

Did these companies bloat up and are merely shedding? Impossible to tell without head count over a period of time.

Bungie grew a lot over the last year with a new building hq built and moved into etc… 3-5 years ago you would hear they were a studio size of 700, then 900 shortly after Sony purchase. Most recent reports I came across here claimed something like 1000-1200. Then on Twitter yesterday I read it ballooned to like 1600 from those who follow their job pages. I do not know the real number.

There’s a lot of community manager types being laid off and publishing side layoffs and that is most likely being taken over by Sony but that could just be those being vocal. And there’s enough key workforce layoffs to push back all their projects.

Marty is a huge deal tho and end of an era. There’s more names on music credits now but still… part of the package has always been the music. 70 is old sure but composers go at it till their passing.

Sony is most likely putting the squeeze on all aspects of their game division. I don’t blame them; we’re experiencing catastrophic economic grief everywhere.

Both Sony and Bungie are two companies I do expect to navigate any challenges in this industry. Just because they always have.

 

[Gamernyc78]

Nobody cares about that. There is so much vitriol surrounding this news and people are all blaming and pointing fingers at Sony. It's just another way to vent because their ass is getting plowed by the PS5.

Like it's the same people that were cheering in the Actiblizz thread. Suddenly consolidation and acquisition are bad.

Yes sir! Oh I know it falls on deaf ears lol thankfully "what they eat doesn't make Sony shit" as we say out here.

 

[John Elden Ring]

Bungie longtime composer Michael Salvatori is laid off.

 

[Remember_Spinal]

I like how one minute its “sony have no say in what Bungie do, thats why they are staying multiplatform and independent!”

To “sony fucked up Lightfall and gutted Bungie, this is the problem with acquisitions!”

 

[Johnic]

Expect as lot more of this. This feels like Sony's restructuring their studios and hopefully cancelling all that GaaS crap.

Problem with this is that it'll take a while to correct.

 

[Luffy123]

I thought Sony didn’t have a world in what Bungie can or can’t do but they’re the ones in control lol? Make it make sense

 

[Jim Ryan]

I like how one minute its “sony have no say in what Bungie do, thats why they are staying multiplatform and independent!”

To “sony fucked up Lightfall and gutted Bungie, this is the problem with acquisitions!”

Even Tassi on twitter is saying it was Bungie management fault.

 

[nongkris]

If you have to fire the composer of your game known for its music, that does not bode well for your future. Playstation Studios is an embarrassment of a brand at this point, with Insomniac being the only bright spot in this horrible generation.

 

[Luffy123]

Even Tassi on twitter is saying it was Bungie management fault.

Very obvious that they just cancelled one of their projects and are focusing on two instead of the planned 3 that we had rumours about

 

[Gods&Monsters]

If you have to fire the composer of your game known for its music, that does not bode well for your future. Playstation Studios is an embarrassment of a brand at this point, with Insomniac being the only bright spot in this horrible generation.

The last Destiny expansion was supposed to come out in the beginning of next year. The soundtrack must be done by now.

They might not want to use the same composer for Marathon.

 

[Eggman]

Its obvious very little people understand how corporations and subsidiaries work or they just want to throw all logic out the window for opportunistic jabs at Sony

Sony would allocate an annual budget for Bungie for which Bungie would do with what they see fit. If they exceed that budget and need to cut costs that is Bungie's fault, not Sony's.

Bungie is much larger than ever under Sony, if they expanded beyond their budget that is because of Bungie's execs.

People are acting like Sony went in and hand picked specific individuals to lay off, that is pure nonsense and not how anything works.

As for the composer, his work on Destiny 2 was likely complete and they had already hired new composers for other projects like Marathon.

I don't even think most studios have full time composers on staff as they just contract them when they need them like Naughty Dog with Gustavo Santaolalla. If they want him back for some future game they will likely just give him another contract

But here I am again typing out what should be common sense if one were to take a minute to actually think about it instead of just reacting

 

[Vertigo]

Its obvious very little people understand how corporations and subsidiaries work or they just want to throw all logic out the window for opportunistic jabs at Sony

Sony would allocate an annual budget for Bungie for which Bungie would do with what they see fit. If they exceed that budget and need to cut costs that is Bungie's fault, not Sony's.

Bungie is much larger than ever under Sony, if they expanded beyond their budget that is because of Bungie's execs.

People are acting like Sony went in and hand picked specific individuals to lay off, that is pure nonsense and not how anything works.

As for the composer, his work on Destiny 2 was likely complete and they had already hired new composers for other projects like Marathon.

I don't even think most studios have full time composers on staff as they just contract them when they need them like Naughty Dog with Gustavo Santaolalla. If they want him back for some future game they will likely just give him another contract

But here I am again typing out what should be common sense if one were to take a minute to actually think about it instead of just reacting

They have a few composers on staff. Lightfall had more in credits than before. Spreadsheet music indicates they’ve recorded final shape already.

They cut Salvatori loose cuz he’s the most senior and expensive. Not the first time Bungie has done an absolutely legendary composer dirty.


Newest daily tassi vid on it. I pretty much agree with his points 100% in all this commentary and for most obvious takes on industry tbh

 

[ethomaz]

I will say something that maybe most don’t agree.

Companies needs to have frequent layoffs and that is even true for big giant companies.

You need to get out with what is not working… for several reasons some employees doesn’t work with the company culture…

That open places to company contract new employees that can work well.

So these 5-10% layoffs per year is pretty normal and it needs happen for the health of the company.

And it is good to the employee too… I mean if it is not working why insisti… he will be better if find a better place to him.

If you are being fired that means the company doesn’t need you… something between you and the company doesn’t worked well… but that doesn’t mean it will be the same in another company… it can works perfectly in another place.

 

[AshHunter216]

According to Paul Tassi (grain of salt), it was Bungie that made the decision to cut, not Sony.

 

[Gods&Monsters]

According to Paul Tassi (grain of salt), it was Bungie that made the decision to cut, not Sony.

Good that Paul Tassi is coming clean. It would be easy for him to twist this into a Sony thing. All the xbots follow him, they must be disappointed

Let's see if the narrative of blaming Sony stops (it probably won't).

 

[Gamernyc78]

Good that Paul Tassi is coming clean. It would be easy for him to twist this into a Sony thing. All the xbots follow him, they must be disappointed

Let's see if the narrative of blaming Sony stops (it probably won't).

Nooo way! there's a few undercover schills on here trying to paint tht picture without substance and will not be tolerated much longer. Just a heads up. Post factual claims or claims backed up with evidence but not bs assumptions. The whole industry doing layoffs btw.

 

[Entropi]

I thought it was well understood that Bungie would pretty much manage themselves after the acquisition. I guess xbots want to bitch about anything PS but let Xbox execs fail over and over and over again and still cheerlead for them.

 

[Gods&Monsters]

Nooo way! there's a few undercover schills on here trying to paint tht picture without substance and will not be tolerated much longer. Just a heads up. Post factual claims or claims backed up with evidence but not bs assumptions. The whole industry doing layoffs btw.

I wasn't talking about people here. I was reading comments elsewhere and there's a lot "Sony! What are you doing?" and "who is Sony going to lay off next?".

 

[Gamernyc78]

I wasn't talking about people here. I was reading comments elsewhere and there's a lot "Sony! What are you doing?" and "who is Sony going to lay off next?".

Oh but there here too as of late.

 

[anonpuffs]

Idk why Bungie would lay off their beloved music composer, music is highly underrated in making games memorable
Basically every legendary franchise has memorable music that stands out