A new report by Edge confirms that Microsoft has made a number of artist positions at its Rare studio redundant. The rumors started in the internet haven called 4Chan last month, when a poster called ‘theknowledge’ said that Rare had cut the “last permanent members” of its art department, leaving only temporary workers. Edge then received confirmation of the cuts from two anonymous sources. The first source noted that the entire 42-person art department was in danger of being made redundant, with the staffers being offered 23 managerial positions at Rare’s new office in Birmingham.
One source said that all remaining artist jobs are “management roles in name or fact, chiefly project managers.” If all positions are staffed, then Rare will have cut 19 employees, the maximum number to stay out of a full consultation process by EU law. Unfortunately for Rare, some of the employees have reportedly jumped on the “very generous voluntary redundancy packages” leading to the consultation period being enacted.
“I can confirm that a small number of employees in the art department of Rare Studios have been informed that their roles are at risk of redundancy. While redundancies are never easy, these organizational changes are part of Rare’s ongoing strategy and operational planning which typically coincides with the shipment of a title. We are working closely with the affected employees to support them through this transition and help them apply for other roles within Microsoft,” a Microsoft spokesperson said in a statement.
"Whilst we’re not discussing the exact numbers involved, I can assure you that it’s far fewer than you’ve indicated and represents a small percentage of the total Rare team."
Rare has become Microsoft’s primary developer for Kinect software and Xbox Live avatar items. Without major titles in development, Microsoft may have simply decided that a full-time art staff was not necessary for the studio. The platform holder recently appointed Xbox division mainstay Scott Henson as the new studio manager, with a focus on the new Kinect peripheral.
