Disney-owned social game studio Three Melons suffers layoffs

Disney has had quite a time getting used to the whole "Facebook" thing. The next of the company's troubles--or rather its employees--is a series of unfortunate layoffs that have struck Three Melons, one of Playdom's social game studios. Gamasutra reports that, according to an anonymous source, "30 people and counting" have been affected in the Buenos Aires, Argentina-based studio.

Playdom, snagged by Disney last year for around $763 million, bought Three Melons just months before being acquired, and conducted the layoffs through Disney's Interactive Media Group. "As part of our ongoing strategy to best position the Disney Interactive Media Group for success in digital media, we continually evaluate and refine our business," Disney told Gamasutra. "As part of this process we've made targeted layoffs within the division."

Three Melons, known best for a Facebook game called Bola! that enjoys 1.9 million monthly players, employed 45 people in March 2010, according to Gamasutra. (We sure hope the studio made quite a bit of hires before today's terrible news.) This news follows analysts recently playing doomsayer over Disney and Playdom's place in the social games business. Disney didn't reveal what will happen to Three Melons after the layoffs were through, though some "good luck" wishes are in order.

With layoffs beginning within its network, how do you Disney and Playdom fit into the larger social gaming puzzle? Which Disney or Playdom game would you miss most on Facebook? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.