Electronic Arts, a juggernaut in the game software development/publishing world, is suffering like many of its contemporaries. After announcing layoffs across the board, EA revealed that it would be showing over 100 of its Black Box Studios employees pink slips last week. While the number was originally thought to be nearly 200, the actual number ended up being closer to 115 employees.Among those laid off, an entire playtest group, half of Mythic's QA team, and 21 customer service representatives were shown the door. On top of the 1,000 or so layoffs already completed and/or expected, a major franchise in EA's stable may see a delay in its newest iteration. The Sims 3, follow up to the insanely popular The Sims, The Sims 2 and their myriad of expansions, may be behind schedule. Originally, the third chapter in the series was scheduled for a mid-February release. However, according to EDGE, many European retailers have changed the release date to "first half 2009". While EA may be "evaluating the launch window" for the title, details are scarce.

Black Box Studios, part of EA Canada, was not the only EA Studio to see downsizing. Tiburon Studios, the EA-owned establishment responsible for the heralded Madden series of football games, and Mythic Entertainment, who recently released the MMORPG Warhammer Online, also suffered cuts.While layoffs are never pleasant, companies who develop MMOs traditionally downsize somewhat after a game is released, keeping core staff for patches and expansions. While no specifics are known regarding Tiburon's layoffs, details will hopefully emerge soon.