Product Dev VP Hirschmann Leaves LucasArts, Staff Downsized

Author: by Eric Caoili, Brandon Boyer

Following former president Jim Ward's resignation in February and this week's multi-platform video game release for Lego Indiana Jones, a LucasArts representative has confirmed to Gamasutra that the company did see a June 5th downsizing, and the departure of product development VP Peter Hirschmann. The representative said Hirschmann's departure was a "mutual decision," and praised the "great things" he'd done during his tenure at the company, but was unable to confirm the rumored departure of Lego Indiana Jones producer Shawn Storc. Rumors of the layoffs originated at gaming weblog Kotaku, who reported that approximately 50-100 of its employees had been laid off, including 80 percent of its staff in its Production Services department, which includes QA and Compliance, instead planning to outsource their jobs overseas. The San Francisco-based company was also said to have let go of an unspecified amount of its art and programming employees, with the weblog suggesting that Hirschmann's departure was as part of the layoffs. The LucasArts representative could only confirm that on June 5th the company "did have a lay off... for some of our workforce" but when asked about any further specific names said confirming individuals was "not fair to the people that have left, and not our policy." The lay-offs follow this week's multi-platform and worldwide release of Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures, which was developed by Traveller's Tales and published by LucasArts. Former president Jim Ward stepped down from his position at LucasArts in February of this year, citing "personal reasons" for his exit. Ward headed the company's newly formed marketing division when he first joined Lucasfilm in 1997 before being named president in May 2004. Former Electronic Arts COO Darrell Rodriguez was appointed as LucasArts' new president in April.