Sony Online Entertainment, publisher of one successful MMO and several dead ones, recently announced that Free Realms, which went live seven weeks ago, has snatched up 3-million users. SOE claimed that this was a successful launch, but apparently the historians that also work at SOE have warned of a dark future. The company is laying off 41 people, or 5% of its full-time developers. Click Read More for sarcasm and bias!
"In a move to increase operational efficiency and reduce costs, Sony Online Entertainment has eliminated 5 percent of its full-time workforce, equaling 41 people," said SOE's PR.
Maybe Free Realms is a little bit too free. Don't tell them I said that - they have a tendency to fix things that aren't broken, like EverQuest.
This just in, SOE announces that making games free is not the best business model for a company with 820 employees and no strong revenue for 8 years.