IGN Lays Off Staff In 'Every Part Of The Company'

Online entertainment media giant IGN laid off staffers across all its divisions today, as the company is "still feeling the effects of the economy," according to an internal staff memo obtained by media outlets. The memo from the Fox division, attributed to IGN president Roy Bahat, was first published by consumer blog Joystiq. An IGN representative confirmed the authenticity of the memo to Gamasutra, but did not elaborate on the number of employees let go or the divisions most severely affected. "We've had to reduce the size of our organization and are eliminating roles today in every part of the company," Bahat wrote in the memo. "We are making every effort to be compassionate and fair to the people whose roles we've eliminated." "We're doing this to reduce costs," the memo explains. "While we've been doing well -- we're profitable and our audience continues to grow -- we're still feeling the effects of the economy, and we need to make sure we can invest where there is opportunity." Despite the economic challenges, the memo reads, IGN saw 40 percent audience growth last year, remaining the top games and men's lifestyle site.