Xboxist

Microsoft Rumored to Announce Massive Layoffs

Over Christmas, various news sites were abuzz with speculation that a whopping 15,000 employees would be cut from Microsoft's workforce on Jan. 15. Well, they were wrong. But now it seems this might actually occur as early as next week when Microsoft will be announcing its quarterly earnings report. Microsoft claimed massive layoffs were unlikely, but the only certainty in this gloomy economic climate is uncertainty. Rumors have escaped the Redmond company that these massive layoffs might be a possiblity in order to cut costs in the face of weakening demand for pesonal computers and software. Hopefully the Xbox 360 division, which claimed to have achieved profitability in 2008, will be saved from the cuts.

Had Microsoft taken a page from Nintendo and Majesco and geared the Xbox 360 towards the mass market, would there still be a need for layoffs? Who's to say?

[Source: Edge Magazine]