The fate of 96 jobs in PopCap’s Dublin operation remained in doubt this morning following news yesterday that the Seattle-based company was to downside its US operation in the US.
According to a blog post by co-founder John Vechey changes in the market favouring more mobile games with different revenue models was forcing the company to "invest in new types of games on new platforms." So far 50 job losses have been confirmed for the US office
PopCap specialises in casual games and has found success with the titles Bejewelled and Plants v Zombies, the latest instalment of which is due in 2013.
Acquired by EA last year for $1.2 billion in a deal consisting of $600 million in cash, $100 million in stock and up to $500 million in performance-based bonuses. Vechey rubbished concerns that the new owner was dictating the company’s creative direction.
"If we didn’t have EA behind us, the cuts would have been worse," Vechey wrote, going on to explain there could be opportunities elsewhere in EA for affected employees.
PopCap is considered one of the cornerstones of the gaming sector in Ireland and its general manager for EMEA Paul Breslin is a member of the Cluster Development Team established by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation.
According to a report by Forfas the games sector directly employs 2,000 people and it was hoped a successful cluster could lead to the creation of a further 3,000 positions.
PopCap has been in Ireland since 2006. The IDA is reportedly in discussions with the company over prospects for current employees.
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