High Voltage layoffs confirmed

By Games Industry.biz Published 19 January, 2006

After publisher cancelled project.

Illinois-based developer High Voltage Software has confirmed that it has made 36 of staff redundant in the past week, with the firm being forced to downsize from 156 to 120 employees due to the cancellation of a project by a publisher.

In a statement made to GamesIndustry.biz today, a spokesperson for the company confirmed that it was "right sizing" to 120 staff, commenting that "a recent project cancellation motivated a new emphasis on improved quality."

"High Voltage has long been one of the biggest and most established independent game developers," explained High Voltage CEO Kerry Ganofsky, "but we had grown to a size where our focus and quality was suffering. It's imperative that we have the right people and the right critical awareness to make certain that we make great games."

The layoffs are believed to have occurred last Friday, January 13th, and according to a source within the company, the cancelled project was one being undertaken for Vivendi Universal Games - which has published several of High Voltage's recent titles.

The studio, which was founded in 1993, is best known for games including Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude, Hunter: The Reckoning and NBA Inside Drive. Although several unannounced projects are believed to be in progress at High Voltage, the only confirmed title which the studio has under development at present is a tie-in based on forthcoming movie Zathura, a sequel to Robin Williams vehicle Jumanji.

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