German game company GameForge announced a reorganization today, which included the cancellation of games under development and the layoff of 100 employees out of its total of around 500. This follows a takeover of online gaming company Frogster last year, which apparently finalized this August according to a statement released by Gameforge. Many key Frogster executives had exited over the past year.
The canceled games include HellBreed and Mythos, and Star Trek: Infinite Space is apparently in a decaying orbit; Gameforge said they are “exploring ways of co-publishing” the Star Trek: Infinite Space game, which sounds like it may well be canceled if a partner isn't found. Gameforge publishes both browser-based games and client-based games, and claims to be Europe's leading provider of online games, with 300 million registered users worldwide playing over 20 games in 50 languages.
Gameforge's reorganization will shift the company from being divided into client-based and browser-based game divisions into a Development division, which “will focus on the internal development of online games” according to the company; the Publishing division will be “in charge of the games portfolio and platform strategy.”
Company CEO Alexander Roesner said, “We take responsibility for our employees very seriously and strive to find a socially responsible solution for the affected team members.” Ironically, Gameforge's press release noted that in 2010 Gameforge was given the "TOP JOB - Employer of the Year" award.
