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You are here: MacNN Forums > News > Mac News > Game Replay: Mad Catz reveals job cuts, blames poor Rock Band sales

Game Replay: Mad Catz reveals job cuts, blames poor Rock Band sales
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Feb 10, 2016, 12:55 AM
 
Welcome to the Game Replay, the thrice-weekly look at the wider world of gaming by the staff of MacNN. In today's edition, Rock Band 4 hardware sales prompt job cuts at peripheral manufacturer Mad Catz, Final Fantasy IX quietly ships on mobile devices, Firewatch arrives on Mac and PC, and Rocket League finally reaches the Xbox One.

Mad Catz loses top executives, announces mass layoffs during poor quarterly results

Peripheral manufacturer Mad Catz has announced it is laying off a large number of staff in its latest quarterly report, after sales of Rock Band accessories failed to reach forecasts. Approximately 37 percent of its staff will be cut as a cost-saving measure, with some management changes occurring before the results were published for the first time.

The company reports losses of $4.36 million for the quarter, compared to $809,000 for the same period last year. The high losses are being attributed to a shortfall of Rock Band 4 sell-through, reports Game Informer, which softened revenue and increased inventory carrying costs. Operating income has turned around from $652,000 last year to an operating loss of $82,000, though it still achieved its second-highest quarterly net sales in its history with $65 million, up 114 percent.

The day before the results were released, the CEO and Chairman resigned from Mad Catz. Chairman Thomas Brown has been replaced by existing board member John Nyholt, and CEO Darren Richardson is being replaced by former CFO Karen McGinnis. General counsel and corporate secretary Whitney Person also resigned, replaced by associate general counsel Tyson Marshall.

Mad Catz has been trying to rectify its operating losses since 2011, and has been showing slow progress. It decided to co-publish Rock Band 4 with Harmonix, handling the hardware side of the partnership, though this evidently was a step too far for the peripherals producer to make.


Firewatch shipped by Campo Santo on Mac, PC, PlayStation 4

Campo Santo has released its first person mystery game set in the great outdoors, published by Panic. Firewatch has shipped on Mac, PC, and the PlayStation 4, with some players discovering that the visually-stunning game has an unusual option once it is completed.

Playing as a man named Henry, a fire lookout based in Wyoming during the year of 1989, players must initially conduct chores and communicate with supervisor Delilah over a radio. The story then takes a turn when players are drawn into the forest and are forced to explore and solve a mystery.

Technobuffalo notes that players can acquire a disposable camera while exploring the forest, something that isn't made available in the console versions. If the player completes the game, they have the option of paying for the prints from the camera to be developed and sent to them through the mail.

Firewatch is on sale via Steam for the Mac and PC edition, discounted by 10 percent to $18 for the launch.



Square Enix releases Final Fantasy IX on iOS, Android

Final Fantasy IX, a classic PlayStation role playing game from Square Enix, is now available to play on iOS and Android. The mobile version of the game was originally announced in December alongside a Windows edition, though that remains unreleased and still has an early-2016 launch time attached to it.

Both the App Store and Google Play are selling the game for $17, though Polygon reports the price during the quiet and unexpected launch period is discounted by 20 percent until February 12. On iOS, the game download weighs in at 2.01GB, with Square warning it takes up around 4GB of memory, and over 8GB of free space is required to download it.

The mobile edition of Final Fantasy IX retains the story and visuals of the original PlayStation release, though it has received some updates to reflect the changes in hardware as well as some in-game additions. Players can now use a high-speed mode for getting through stretches of the game in shorter playing sessions, as well as a no-encounter mode for those just wanting the main story without random interruptions. Autosaving and achievements are also included in the new release.



Rocket League heading to the Xbox One on February 17 with exclusive cars, content

Rocket League is arriving on the Xbox One next week, developer Psyonix has confirmed. Already available on Steam and the PlayStation 4, the popular car soccer game will hit its second major console on February 17 via the ID@Xbox self publishing program, priced at $20.

Like other platforms, the Xbox One version of the game will allow teams of players to play soccer within an enclosed arena, using highly maneuverable cars with rockets for boosting and flying. The same content, upgrades, and features will make the transition, but this version will include some exclusive bonuses, including vehicles from the Halo and Gears of War franchises, new antennas, wheels, and rocket trails.

Already played by more than 11 million people after launching last year, the game is still yet to arrive on Mac. In August last year, the company announced it would be bringing out the game for Mac and Steam OS, though it has yet to make the transition.

     
coffeetime
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Feb 10, 2016, 09:32 AM
 
Rock Band hype is starting to die down. They need to expand their business & target audience to violin and piano players that are kids and teens.
     
Mike Wuerthele
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Feb 10, 2016, 09:51 AM
 
RockBand 3 had keyboards, and they were no fun. Thus, I guess, the removal of it for 4.
     
pottymouth
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Feb 10, 2016, 09:59 AM
 
Violin and piano? Why not MarchingBand? They could make a fortune selling a line of plastic tubas and trombones.

RockBand is one of the only two games I play (Forza is the other). I even used the RockBand 4 release to justify my XBox One purchase. That decision was just as foolish as it sounds. The game itself hasn't changed much, and the new features (freestyle solos and uhhh...were there any other new features?) I don't like at all. If they had said "most of your current RockBand library may be playable at some point in the future for additional fee, but we don't really know when that will be" I would have surely laughed off RockBand 4 entirely. But they said "Compatible with your existing RockBand library!" so I took the bait, like a fool.

The engine was fine. They shouldn't have messed with it. They just need to keep releasing new DLC (old punk/metal, please) and I'll keep forking over my money.
     
Mike Wuerthele
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Feb 10, 2016, 10:48 AM
 
I'll get 4 for my One when I can import RB1, 2, 3 music that came on the discs, like I could with the 360. "Coming soon" doesn't cut it.
     
   
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