Japan's Sony is cutting about 900 jobs at its PlayStation unit and shutting a studio in London, it said on Tuesday as the videogame industry struggles to recover from a post-pandemic slump.
The layoffs will affect about eight per cent of the division's staff in regions from the Americas to Asia and come days after Sony slashed the annual sales expectation for its PlayStation 5 console.
"We have concluded that tough decisions have become inevitable," said Sony gaming chief Jim Ryan, blaming it on changes in the way the videogame industry develops, distributes and launches products. Ryan is set to retire in March.
The move aligns Sony with the likes of Microsoft and Tencent-owned Riot Games, which have also laid off thousands of employees in recent months due to slow recovery in the gaming market.
The global videogame market grew just 0.6 per cent last year to US$184 billion, according to industry tracker Newzoo, though that was better than a decline of more than five per cent in 2022.
The layoffs will also affect Sony's other studios, including U.S.-based Insomniac Games that worked on games such as "Marvel's Spider-Man 2" and Naughty Dog, the studio behind "The Last of Us."
Sony had earlier this month said it expects a gradual decline in unit sales of the PlayStation 5 from the next financial year and that it does not plan to release any major franchise titles in the coming fiscal year.
The device has racked up lifetime sales of more than 50 million units since its launch in late 2020, after a slow initial few years when supply shortages caused by the pandemic limited the entertainment conglomerate's device production.
Iran said it fired dozens of missiles into Israel on Tuesday, a sharp escalation of the monthslong conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed militias Hezbollah and Hamas.
Canada will be imposing a 25 per cent surtax on select imports of steel and aluminum from China, after unveiling its final list of impacted products on Tuesday.
At least six people were killed and nine wounded in a suspected shooting and stabbing terror attack in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, Israeli police said.
This fall and winter, Ontario, Quebec and Nunavut will offer the newer monoclonal antibody nirsevimab — approved by Health Canada in the spring of 2023 — to all babies going through their first RSV season.
Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard denies that he raped the woman who is accusing him of sexual assault, or that he touched her sexually in any way without her consent.
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has controversially broken royal protocol and claimed in his upcoming memoir that Queen Elizabeth II was suffering from bone cancer before her death.
In the second part of a five-part series, W5's Avery Haines follows the journeys of migrants who risk life and limb to ride atop Mexican freight trains, desperate to avoid narco territory as they make their way towards the U.S. border.
A cruise ship taking passengers on a 3-and-a-half-year around-the-world voyage finally sailed from Belfast's dockside, after spending four months stuck in the Northern Ireland capital.
The minimum wage in four provinces is going up today.
The abatement and decommissioning work at 24 Sussex Drive is complete, as the National Capital Commission awaits a decision by the federal government on the future of the official residence of the prime minister.
Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard denies that he raped the woman who is accusing him of sexual assault, or that he touched her sexually in any way without her consent.
A B.C. condo owner who was blamed for a cockroach infestation in her building and charged thousands of dollars for the cost of eradicating the bugs must be refunded, the civil resolution tribunal ruled.
Ontario Provincial Police laid charges against an Ottawa driver after a child was found to not be wearing a seatbelt inside a vehicle early Sunday morning.
Several Ontario farmers are raising concerns about dwindling farmland across the province as politicians of all stripes gather at an annual rural and agricultural expo.
Saskatchewan residents will vote for their next provincial government on Oct. 28.
At least six people were killed and nine wounded in a suspected shooting and stabbing terror attack in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, Israeli police said.
A bus carrying young students and their teachers on a school trip caught fire in suburban Bangkok on Tuesday, leaving more than 20 feared dead, officials and rescuers said.
As Israel pummels southern Lebanon with airstrikes, tens of thousands of residents are fleeing their homes in fear. But Hamza is staying. His mission is to care for the dogs and other animals left behind.
Tim Walz and JD Vance will meet for their first and possibly only vice-presidential debate Tuesday, in what could be the last debate for both campaigns to argue their case before the U.S. election.
Newly unearthed reports contradict previous claims made by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz about his travel to China, including a claim that he traveled to China during the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests.
Claudia Sheinbaum took the oath of office Tuesday as Mexico's first female president in more than 200 years of independence, promising to protect an expanded social safety net and other popular policies put in place by her predecessor, but facing pressing problems.
Canada will be imposing a 25 per cent surtax on select imports of steel and aluminum from China, after unveiling its final list of impacted products on Tuesday.
The Bloc Quebecois put the squeeze on the Liberals Tuesday by calling for a debate in the House of Commons about increasing old age security payments for all seniors.
The House of Commons will hold an emergency debate this evening on the crisis in Lebanon after Israel's ground incursion intensified fears of a full-scale invasion.
This fall and winter, Ontario, Quebec and Nunavut will offer the newer monoclonal antibody nirsevimab — approved by Health Canada in the spring of 2023 — to all babies going through their first RSV season.
For the first time in Rwanda’s history, its health ministry is dealing with an outbreak of Marburg virus disease, a rare but deadly hemorrhagic disease similar to Ebola – but unlike Ebola, there is no treatment or vaccines for Marburg, and it has a fatality rate of 88 per cent.
Health Canada issued a recall last week for various sexual enhancement products for containing prescribed drugs like tadalafil and sildenafil.
The two astronauts stuck at the International Space Station since June welcomed their new ride home with Sunday's arrival of a SpaceX capsule.
The space rock — 2024 PT5 — was first spotted in August by astronomers at Complutense University of Madrid using a powerful telescope located in Sutherland, South Africa.
Canadian innovators and technical leaders gathered in Ottawa Thursday to demonstrate the latest cutting-edge technology.
Gavin Creel, a Tony-winning Broadway veteran known for his work in productions of “Hello, Dolly!†“Waitress†and “The Book of Mormon,†has died, according to his representative. He was 48.
Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard denies that he raped the woman who is accusing him of sexual assault, or that he touched her sexually in any way without her consent.
A Scottish woman accused of stalking 'Baby Reindeer' creator and star Richard Gadd can proceed with her defamation lawsuit against Netflix, after a federal judge in California refused to dismiss all of the claims.
Restaurant company SIR Corp. is investigating a cybersecurity incident that has impacted part of its information technology infrastructure.
From Maine to Texas, dockworkers at 36 ports across the eastern United States are on strike for the first time in decades, a work stoppage that could snarl supply chains and cause shortages and higher prices if it stretches on for more than a few weeks.
The minimum wage in four provinces is going up today.
A cruise ship taking passengers on a 3-and-a-half-year around-the-world voyage finally sailed from Belfast's dockside, after spending four months stuck in the Northern Ireland capital.
Have you been caught in a bind, far from home, that could have been avoided with the timely purchase of an insurance package? We want to hear from you.
Kim Ruether lifted her son's eyelid and saw his still, dilated pupil staring at the ceiling as he lay on a stretcher in a northwestern Alberta hospital hallway a decade ago. She says she didn't need a doctor to tell her the boy was dead.
Ryan Hunter's athleticism has been on full display since his arrival in the CFL, but the Canadian's versatility is now shining through.
Toronto Raptors team president Masai Ujiri tried to lay to rest rumours that he has friction with Edward Rogers, the executive chair of Rogers Communications, Inc.
Dikembe Mutombo, a Basketball Hall of Famer who was one of the best defensive players in NBA history and a longtime global ambassador for the game, died Monday after a battle with brain cancer, the league announced. He was 58.
General Motors’ Cruise autonomous vehicle division will pay a US$1.5 million penalty after the unit failed to fully report a crash involving a pedestrian, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Monday.
A tale about a taxicab hauling gold and sinking through the ice on Larder Lake, Ont., in December 1937 has captivated a man from that town for decades.
A U.S. driver somehow squeezed her vehicle through a parkade hallway at a Metro Vancouver casino Thursday, before getting stuck at an elevator bank.
On Saturday night at her parents’ home in Delaware, Ont. the Olympic bronze medallist in pole vault welcomed everyone who played a role in getting her to the podium in Paris.
A tale about a taxicab hauling gold and sinking through the ice on Larder Lake, Ont., in December 1937 has captivated a man from that town for decades.
When a group of B.C. filmmakers set out on a small fishing boat near Powell River last week, they hoped to capture some video for a documentary on humpback whales. What happened next blew their minds.
A pizza chain in Edmonton claims to have the world's largest deliverable pizza.
Sarah McLachlan is returning to her hometown of Halifax in November.
Wayne MacKay is still playing basketball twice at Mount Allison University at 87 years old.
A man from a small rural Alberta town is making music that makes people laugh.
An Indigenous artist has a buyer-beware warning ahead of Sept. 30, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Police are looking to the public for help after thieves broke into a Lethbridge ice creamery, stealing from the store.
Vancouver police say they have arrested a youth after "a conflict between protesters" outside the Vancouver Art Gallery Sunday night.
Four Indian nationals accused of murdering Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar are expected to appear in Surrey provincial court Tuesday.
Police in Victoria are searching for witnesses and video evidence after a motorcyclist was seriously injured in a single-vehicle crash Monday night.
One person is dead and two others are in hospital after a break-in at a Mississauga home early Tuesday morning ended in gunfire, Peel police say.
The second teen to be sentenced in the death of a Toronto homeless man will not serve any more time in custody but will spend close to two years under probation.
The island airport will be back on the agenda at Toronto City Hall today as a new report about extending the runway at Billy Bishop Airport comes to Mayor Olivia Chow's Executive Committee.
The Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) says safeguards have been put in place at a gas well fire north of the town of Cochrane.
The Calgary Real Estate Board says September home sales tumbled 17.6 per cent from last year's record levels to 2,003, but remained around 16 per cent higher than long-term trends for the month.
Police are investigating a suspicious death in Cityscape, Calgary's third such death over the long weekend.
Three design concepts have been unveiled to replace the aging Alexandra Bridge connecting Ottawa and Gatineau over the Ottawa River.
The Ottawa Police Service is investigating a crash between a vehicle and an e-scooter that left a youth with serious injuries on Monday morning.
The abatement and decommissioning work at 24 Sussex Drive is complete, as the National Capital Commission awaits a decision by the federal government on the future of the official residence of the prime minister.
Quebec Premier Francois Legault says his government has asked Ottawa to set up "waiting zones" for asylum seekers, as is the practice in France.
The official opposition maintains that Environment Minister Benoit Charette is not the right man for the job, while its officials are denouncing political interference in the Northvolt project.
Iran said it fired dozens of missiles into Israel on Tuesday, a sharp escalation of the monthslong conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed militias Hezbollah and Hamas.
Officers from the Boyle RCMP detachment helped a stranded hunter get to safety on the weekend.
Iran said it fired dozens of missiles into Israel on Tuesday, a sharp escalation of the monthslong conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed militias Hezbollah and Hamas.
St. Paul RCMP are looking for a group of five people they believe are responsible for an attack on a man earlier this year.
A Progressive Conservative candidate in New Brunswick’s upcoming election is under fire Tuesday morning for a Facebook post she made on Truth and Reconciliation Day.
Northumberland Ferries Limited says ferry service between Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island won’t resume for at least another two weeks as both vessels continue to undergo repairs.
Environment Canada has issued frost advisories for much of New Brunswick.
A crash on Manitoba highway has sent one person to hospital in serious condition on Tuesday.
Minimum wage is set to increase on Tuesday in Manitoba.
The Winnipeg Police Service is investigating several similar sexual assault reports where an unknown man groped women before running away.
Saskatchewan residents will vote for their next provincial government on Oct. 28.
Hundreds of tickets were handed out in and around Regina last week as a result of a two-day traffic blitz.
Exclusive polling data collected by Â鶹´«Ã½ in partnership with Insightrix outlines what preferences voters have, if they’re familiar with the party leaders and what issues matter most as Saskatchewan enters into the 2024 provincial election campaign.
Farmers from Wilmot, Ont. have taken their land assembly protest to Premier Doug Ford.
Police said a woman, identified by friends and family as Susan Bard, was riding southbound when she was hit by the driver of a Ford sedan.
Those earning minimum wage in Ontario will now make more money per hour. The annual wage increase is tied to inflation and jumps to $17.20 per hour on Tuesday, marking a 3.9 per cent increase from the previous rate of $16.55 per hour.
Saskatchewan residents will vote for their next provincial government on Oct. 28.
Exclusive polling data collected by Â鶹´«Ã½ in partnership with Insightrix outlines what preferences voters have, if they’re familiar with the party leaders and what issues matter most as Saskatchewan enters into the 2024 provincial election campaign.
The Saskatchewan election campaign is underway, with voting day on Oct. 28. Here's a look at key issues and party promises:
Iran said it fired dozens of missiles into Israel on Tuesday, a sharp escalation of the monthslong conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed militias Hezbollah and Hamas.
Provincial police say a 58-year-old central Ontario man was the pedestrian killed by a commercial vehicle on Highway 17 last week.
As the investigation continues into the fatal northern Ontario house fire that killed four people on the evening of Sept. 19, police have released some details about the victims.
A group of healthcare providers and social agencies in St. Thomas has come together to apply for a provincial HART Hub location.
Some officials with the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) have been placed on leave while an operational review is being conducted. Staff were notified of the leaves in an e-mail from Interim Director of Education Bill Tucker.
Emergency crews were called to a private property on Evelyn Drive in Thames Centre just after midnight on Tuesday.
Tributes have started pouring in for a Midland, Ont. man who died after reportedly being struck by an unmarked provincial police vehicle over the weekend.
A 39-year-old man of no fixed address accused of seriously injuring a Barrie police officer is facing several criminal charges.
Police are appealing to the public for information as they investigate a fatal pedestrian collision in Bradford.
Caesars Windsor Cares has selected the Windsor Cancer Centre Foundation as the beneficiary of this year’s Concerts for a Cure campaign.
Chatham-Kent police say a woman has been charged with assault after burning a bystander with a lighter during a dispute.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized $11,000 US from an inbound American citizen at the Ambassador Bridge.
Police in Victoria are searching for witnesses and video evidence after a motorcyclist was seriously injured in a single-vehicle crash Monday night.
All three major B.C. political parties have expressed support for building a new patient tower at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital, which has long been requested by health-care advocates and doctors.
The same day British Columbia's Green Party is expected to roll out its complete election platform, NDP Leader David Eby has pledged pair of health-care initiatives.
Fire crews in Vernon, B.C., responded to a large house fire early Saturday morning.
A pair of runaway pigs are in the custody of an animal sanctuary in the Okanagan after evading police and volunteers for hours earlier this week.
The Red Bridge, a historic landmark in Kamloops, B.C., was completely destroyed by fire early Thursday morning.
The sentencing for three men convicted of helping lead and coordinate the COVID-19 protest blockade at Coutts, Alta., in 2022 has been delayed.
A 10-year-old boy from Lethbridge is being praised as a hero after a routine summer outing at the pool nearly turned tragic for his friend.
A man and woman have been charged after a Lethbridge ice creamery was broken into earlier this week. Staff arrived at Cookie Crimes, in the 300 block of Sixth Street South, just before 5:30 a.m. on Monday to discover the front window broken.
A 40-year-old in Sault Ste. Marie who was on probation has been charged with assault with a weapon following an incident in August.
Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard denies that he raped the woman who is accusing him of sexual assault, or that he touched her sexually in any way without her consent.
Overnight on Thursday as the community of Elliot Lake was resting to prepare for the upcoming Kraft Hockeyville celebrations, when vandals struck a building that has been top of mind for the northern Ontario city for more than a year.
He may not have logged the fastest time or even gone the full distance, but residents of a Newfoundland town agree the goat who unexpectedly joined the local weekend half marathon was the event's undisputed champion.
A mother in a community where the cost of living is one of the highest in the country says grocery prices are 'inhumane' and retailers are putting profits ahead of people’s basic human right to food.
A soccer game in England on Tuesday night drove a spike in online traffic across the Atlantic to a website launched by the Newfoundland and Labrador government.
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