Activision slashes head count

As the sun set on Activision's Santa Monica headquarters, the sun similarly set on the careers of 150 staffers--fired by the game publisher, who called the move a "strategic, targeted reduction."

"The reduced head count is to better align resources against our near-term needs in fiscal '07 and our anticipated growth in '08," an Activision rep told GameSpot. The representative said employees were being "redeployed where appropriate," to lessen the number of layoffs required. The cuts are being felt at both North Amercian and European offices. GameSpot was told the cuts will not affect the company's near-term release calendar.

The move comes in a console transition year that seems to be bogged down in ever-worse news of both hardware and software sales. To address its own situation in such a market, the company is slashing staff to save costs and weather the storm ahead.

The Wall Street Journal, which first carried news of the layoffs, estimates a workforce of about 2,200 at the publisher. A staff reduction of less than 7 percent suggests approximately 150 employees were pink slipped in Santa Monica. An Activision spokesperson confirmed those figures late today.