Report: Disney Interactive Lays Off 80 Further Employees

Disney Interactive Media Group has reportedly let go of 80 employees in a series of "targeted" layoffs aimed at reorienting the company in the wake of last summer's purchase of social game maker Playdom. The move followed a review of current staffers by DIMG co-president Jim Pitaro, according to a PaidContent report. In a statement provided to PaidContent, the company said the "targeted" layoffs were "part of setting a strategic direction for future success in digital media." The loss represents just over two percent of the roughly 3,800 employees at the company after a reported 200 employees were laid off in January. Disney has described those layoffs as "fairly minimal" and "part of a larger restructuring at Disney Interactive Studios," in a statement. It's unclear what positions have been affected by the reported layoffs at DIMG, which is dominated by the game-focused Disney Interactive Studios but also includes other web-facing content producers. PaidContent's source reports that this should be the last major staff reduction in the wake of the October appointment of Pitaro and fellow co-president John Pleasants. Early this year, Disney Interactive shut down its Propaganda Studios subsidiary following the completion of the Tron: Evolution game project. DIMG is also currently advertising for 20 game development positions, including postings for iPhone and Flash developers.