Conduit Dev High Voltage Lays Off 25

Chicago-area game developer High Voltage Software has laid off 25 workers, according to video game media reports. Studio VP Eric Nofsinger told consumer site GameSpot that the layoffs will not affect development of current projects, The Grinder and Conduit 2. The VP said that "no other reductions are expected." News of the layoffs first emerged on gaming blog Joystiq. The studio is behind titles including June 2009's Wii-exclusive shooter The Conduit, and the July 2010 game Tournament of Legends, the latter of which was panned by critics. In a separate IGN report, a studio rep said the layoffs occurred "based on our current production requirements and predictions of what is needed for the remainder of 2010. ... These changes are necessary to bring our organization to a healthy operational size." The last reported round of layoffs at High Voltage was January 2006, when the studio let go of 36 staff to bring the total at the time to 120. Nofsinger did not immediately return an inquiry regarding the studio's current staff size. In March this year, High Voltage and Sega announced they'd be teaming up again for the release of Conduit 2 for Nintendo Wii. While reviews were somewhat mixed for the original Conduit, critics commented on the game's technical proficiency, solid Wii Remote controls and online play. High Voltage said in February that the original Conduit sold 350,000 units.