Idle Worship maker suffers layoffs, shifts focus to casino games
The creator of one of the most inventive, unique and hilarious social games of the year, Idle Worship, has suffered its first round of layoffs, Inside Social Games reports. Developer Idle Games has laid off 25 of its staffers from the team behind Idle Worship. From here on out, the studio will focus on casino-style social games.
Idle Games declared a "holy war against social games that suck and aren't actually social" with Idle Worship. Despite shining press coverage and even a GDC Online Award nomination in the "Online Innovation" category, the game failed to garner critical mass, and currently has just 10,000 daily players. Idle Games CEO Jeff Hyman chalks this up to a love-it-or-hate-it situation.
"You either needed medication because you loved it so much or you just didn't play it," Hyman told ISG. "There was no happy medium." According to ISG, the studio still has 40 employees, including its founders and senior-level engineers. Regardless, Idle Games refuses to give up on its flagship release. Hyman told ISG that Idle Worship could see life on tablets or the open web.
For now, however, Idle Games is focused on Fresh Deck Poker, its first casino-style social game that's set for an official launch this coming October. Once it officially launches, the casino social game will offer cross-platform play and real-money prizes. But ultimately speaking, this is depressing news as far as innovation in social games. If Idle Games set out to change things and couldn't after years of development time, what does that say for the rest of independent social game makers?
"There's a good life lesson there that you don't need to innovate on every single vector," Hyman said to ISG, offering some solace. "In order to be successful you don't want the press, reviews and accolades. You want bucket loads of money."
[Via Gamasutra]
Are you bummed to see that Idle Worship didn't take off? What about Idle Games' new found focus? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.
