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[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Videogame software provider Unity Software (U.N) will eliminate 265 jobs or 3.8% of its global workforce and end an agreement with a digital video effects company founded by the "Lord of the Rings" director as part of a "reset," the company said on Tuesday.

The move follows a tumultuous period for the San Francisco-based company, which makes a software toolkit used by many videogame developers including the maker of the popular "Pokemon Go" mobile game.

In September, the company tried to impose a new “runtime fee” pricing policy, which charged new fees to its game developers if certain revenue and install thresholds were met. Following a developer revolt and a steep dropoff in share price, the company revamped the new fees.

In October, Unity CEO John Riccitiello retired, and the company appointed former IBM president Jim Whitehurst as interim CEO and president and Sequoia Capital partner Roelof Botha as board chairman.

Tuesday's announcement includes termination of the professional services piece of an agreement Unity struck with movie director Peter Jackson's visual effects company Weta FX in 2021 after Unity purchased the technology and engineering division of Weta FX. As a result, 265 employees whose jobs are related to the agreement will be laid off, the company said.

The company has said its total workforce was around 7,000.

In addition, Unity will shut down offices in 14 locations such as Berlin and Singapore, pending employee consultation in some countries, and significantly reduce its office footprint for the remaining offices, including in San Francisco and Bellevue, Washington.

Unity will no longer mandate that employees work from offices three a days a week and will reduce "full in-office services" to three days a week in most locations, the company said.

More changes are in store to "refocus" Unity's business, Whitehurst told Reuters. "While no additions have been finalized, it's clear that we will reduce the number of things we are doing overall," he said.

Unity Software to cut 3.8% of staff in 'company reset'

Videogame software provider Unity Software will eliminate 265 jobs or 3.8% of its global workforce and end an agreement with a digital video effects company founded by the "Lord of the Rings" director as part of a "reset," the company said on Tuesday.

www.reuters.com

 

[OmegaSupreme]

They aren't buying weta now?

 

[StealthGoblin]

Fuck. Surely they'd be able to find a buyer for Weta. They've won a lot of academy awards.

 

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

Fuck. Surely they'd be able to find a buyer for Weta. They've won a lot of academy awards.

They aren't buying weta now?

If I recall correctly Weta Digital is the VFX tools dev division (or turned into that division) which Unity bought a while ago.

The NZ based studio which won a bunch of academy awards was renamed to Weta FX once the above was sold, and it still doing VFX work.

 

[ChuckeRearmed]

Fuck. Surely they'd be able to find a buyer for Weta. They've won a lot of academy awards.

Well, just because they won the awards - it is does not mean there are buyers. How many companies do even need its own inhouse studio (or don't have one)? Epic? Netflix?

If I recall correctly Weta Digital is the VFX tools dev division (or turned into that division) which Unity bought a while ago.

Oh, then I am not sure if anybody is interested in it.

 

[Fbh]

I still don't really get why Unity needs to be this big and have that many employees.

Epic makes one of the most popular AAA engines with some of the best visuals and tech in the industry AND they make one of the most popular GAAS games with around 5000 employees.
Why does Unity need 7000?

 

[SirKicksalot]

Weta FX is hiring back most of the Digital crew, keeps access to all tools and gets the Weta Digital trademark back

Unity Software with a ‘company reset’ walks away from film VFX and the Wētā Deal.

Our best wishes to all the team members of the Unity Wētā Tools' division following its closure. UPDATE: Statement from WētāFX

www.fxguide.com