Sony Online lays off hundreds, cancels Agency

Reading this four years later is rather interesting.

So Smedley..... I guess you still believe you know something about online gaming huh? You may go down in history as the most deluded individual since that guy who thought he was the son of god.

Yup....SOE games rule Nr. 4500091....their most popular games are gonna be P2p till they start loosing people(everquest 2) and then they go free.....Estimated time: 1 to 2 years

I hope the new planet side will be avaible on the ps3

I was really looking foreward to the Agency since it was anounced and now all I get is this crappy DC MMO, its more of the same generic WoW clones. If I wanted to play WoW (I don't) I would

Wait-a-minute, they canceled a game that could've been different and are focusing on making games that'll be more of the same. Typical.

@rasterror you said, " ...And it's know and not no. And just because you don't like MGS doesn't mean you can't be biased towards Sony. Not every PS3 owner, I included, bought that game. Think before you type please. In fact, by noting all of the thumbs down, don't type at all." Know and no are text notation. Also, last time I heard this was a forum to voice oppinions. Also, what does MGS have to do w/anything. And finally, I don't care about thumbs down you do. I do this in my spare time you do this as a homage and career for GameXboxSpot. Now tell me whos the looser? Lastly, I don't care about them reporting it, I have a problem w/them always glorifying and giving Sony top news when Sony has problems, IMO. Its just a story that I could have lived w/o seeing as a top story. Ohh, and just in case you don't know what IMO means: it stands for In my oppinion. I think you need to Take Your Own Advice!

Not really suprising. Sony hasn't become one of the largest companies in the world by coddling it's staff "Your not making as much money as we'd like so.....you're fired" I feel especially bad for all the creative teams who've brought some good titles to a pretty cold and faceless corporation. Best wishes to them and I hope they land somwehere more conductive to the creative way of thinking

Planet Side - Simply the best MMOG ever. Had everything you wanted in an online game (fantasy mmo (e.g. WoW) not included). Seriously though i cant wait for this game, and im sure Sony (although its a shame for those effected) are making the right moves.

Honestly its sad to hear, not because I wanted the game but just because its hard to hear that the game industry is suffering so much. Its funny about 6 years ago I was trining at AI to become a game artist but for some reason or another I decided to shift gears into another field. Seeing all the cuts only reasures me that I made the right choice. Still though I feel for all those who are losing their jobs, I too have felt the wrath of the times, pramotions are a no-go for the current future in my industry.

@garland51 I was not implying that the free part was a good thing actually, since I said the "only" good thing about it is that it's free was meant to mean I wouldn't pay money for Sony's s***ty online capabilities, so it's good that it's at least free.

The Agency being cancelled doesn't surprise me. The MMO market at the moment is already stagnant, and WoW has achieved such a dominance over it.

Woo-hoo! Focusing on Planetside Next. Wait, there's other stuff in this article? Whatever... Woo-hoo! Planetside! Got Pulsar, will travel.

a good question to ask... which figure is greater? the top Sony Execs incomes or the total value of the 205 salary's combined another example of corporate greed i see

Honestly couldn't care less about the game. However, I do feel bad for all those poor people who lost their jobs. Curse you economic depression!! CURSE YOOOU!!!!!!

Oh joy. Yet more MMOs.

I kinda saw this coming.

@Jaykray, game industry? It's a lot more of the programming industry than just games. I've been layed off three times and quit twice all with one company! If you're going to be a programmer, it's best to keep a good six months worth of pay just sitting around so you can live off it when the job ends.

The Wii and Xbox360 put a good fight to PS3! Again don't get me wrong because I own all of them! Since PS3 is the most expensive of the three and also the less popular, Sony has less money income than other companies!

Sony is trouble for a couple of years now and they have to make hard choice like fired employees and by the same process canceling games. And if that wasn't enough the recent Tsunami and nuclear plant disaster didn't help! Japan has to focus on surviving somehow! I wish them luck!

if this is the case, then couldn't we see a gain in independently run studios. in times like these its crippling to even try but there is a gain to be had surely?

@ CaptainHerlock - Gamespot in the article states SOE is a developer. Period. So why would they have to say the PS3 is or is not in trouble? That has absolutely nothing to do with the article.

Before anyone starts saying "The PS3 is in trouble", what GameSpot neglects to tell you is that Sony Online Entertainment is primarily their PC game division. GameSpot; Fair and Balanced.

I know Free Realms is free, but this game is about 10 years dated looking/playing. You get what you pay for, I played for an hour but clunky controls, no eplanation what to do, and horrid graphics mean this is only for kids or people that can't afford games...sorry Sony....FAIL

The Great Recession strikes again....Crap.

This is exactly why I'll never work in the game industry again. The turn-over rate is too high. One never knows when they're going to get the shaft from their employer.

@BeanoFatardo - What does any of that have to do with SOE firing a third of their employees and shutting down multiple development studios?

bill gates : let's fix the red ring problem by taking out the red light! *fart*

of course xbox is better than playstation, monkey. but the problem is : microsoft doesn't know how to make a system. i'm on my fourth xbox 360 since 2007 and TRUST ME... i take care of my game swag

Wait . . . this isn't an April Fools thing?

Was looking forward to the agency but with SOEs unfortunate reputation with their games, it probably would have been average at best. Shame though, especially after all those people lost their jobs, well thats a lot of money down the drain. Not sure why they cancelled a game that was so far along in development with so much potential.

[This message was deleted at the request of the original poster]

Xbox 4 Life let's see how many thumbs down I get. ready. set. GOOOOOOOO!!!

@KC_Hokie You are so right about Smed. Under his watch, SOE has gone to crap.

I'm surprised Sony let SOE CEO John Smedley keep his job. He's the one who mis-managed SOE. He's the one that ruined SOE's most popular game ever, Star Wars Galaxies, with the CU and NGE. He's the one who failed to properly support Vanguard, Planetside, and the Matrix Online. Can anyone name an executive of an MMO development studio responsible for that many failures AND still has their job?

April's fool.

NOT THE AGENCY! and im sorry to all those who lost their jobs

Guess they should've charge for online then.

DC Universe Online took 5 years of development? And it had that little content at launch? What...

@awheaten This article is posted in the news section, SOE is a gaming company. so is the fact that they are having a huge layoff gaming news? Most certainly. I can see if Gamespot posted news about a layoff in Sony's TV division being an issue, but this is truly relevant to gaming news. And before you say that you're so grown and that you owned somebody and try to prove that you know all these facts, please think about what you type. And it's know and not no. And just because you don't like MGS doesn't mean you can't be biased towards Sony. Not every PS3 owner, I included, bought that game. Think before you type please. In fact, by noting all of the thumbs down, don't type at all.

Figures..... little people get laid off while pricks like Broussard are still taken seriously.

@Speuj You said, "gameXboxSpot? Really? Dude... c'mon... your accusing everyone of fanboyism when your the most guilty one out of all of them!" The difference between me and them is that I can admit it. BTW, this is the great David Hayter of Metal Gear Solid, so bow down and show some respect.

@awheaten and @moozeditty lol! That was quite the entertaining conversation! Thanks! =) Also... @awheaten, gameXboxSpot? Really? Dude... c'mon... your accusing everyone of fanboyism when your the most guilty one out of all of them! ...and wtf is up with that picture of Bono in your avatar? I'm trying to take you seriously... I really am! But its to do that when I'm being stared at by so much douche!

I sure hope those people find new jobs very soon. I hope SOE makes DCUO free to play or fixes all of the stupid bugs soon

@moozeditty Can't u understand when u r owned. Just chill out and accept it.

@awheaten Your narcissism is matched only by your stupidity. Stay precious.

@moozeditty Getting back to this article... I like the way M$, I mean gameXboxSpot, I mean this blog put up another lay off story just to prove me wrong, lol. VERY funny.

Figures, The Agency is one of the few SOE games that interested me. --As long as the cooperate heads can make millions per year, the little people don't really matter.

I like how they refer to laying people off as a "strategic decision". It's a shame that many companies only seem to plan a fiscal year ahead...