The gaming industry is a merciless killer.
Gas Powered Games, the studio responsible for Dungeon Siege, Supreme Commander, and several other acclaimed titles since 2002, has been hit by a massive round of layoffs. Kotaku broke the story with a series of updates starting with internal rumors of only a few individuals affected to confirmation from Chris Taylor, the company's PR Representative, confirming that more than 40 members of the team have been affected.
We do have a layoff, and we'll be updating our Kickstarter as well with details as well very soon. I'm way behind, so many wonderful people to talk to and share stories with, so it just takes time. It's actually been a fairly positive experience, because I run a very open company and everyone knows what's going on.
Further updates make it appear that the studio has reduced its size back to what it was during the development of Supreme Commander in 2007, losing its recent growth in the process. This grim news follows the company's attempt to fund its next project, an RTS RPG named Wildman, through Kickstarter. Its lukewarm reception and inability to meet its $1.1 million goal are cited as the primary reasons for the layoffs.
Gas Powered Games has made some killer PC exclusives durings its 10-years of existence, and it'd be a huge loss if it were to go under. Although Wildman is likely dead as a doornail, the recently announced Kings and Castles could be a smash hit by bringing the scope and epic qualities of the Supreme Commander series to the world of fantasy.
