Rumor: Giant Interactive Closes Chengdu R&D Center
IT Teahouse, 2/14/12
Chinese online game developer and operator Giant Interactive (NYSE: GA) has reportedly withdrawn funding for its Chengdu R&D subsidiary and laid off the center's more than 40 employees. The office space where the subsidiary was located in Chengdu Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone no longer displays the Giant logo, and according to sources in the real estate market, Giant vacated the premises in June 2011.
According to a former employee, the Chengdu office was shuttered in June 2011 after it completed three years of development work on Giant's self-developed 3D MMORPG, Dragon Soul. Responsibility for operations of the game, which is aimed at overseas markets, were transferred to Giant headquarters and were not seriously affected by the closure since R&D work was completed. Some former employees formed their own game outsourcing company, while others found new positions at other gaming firms. An industry source revealed that in H2 2011 Giant shut down a number of game projects due to poor performance and classified it has standard corporate restructuring.
Editor's Note: For more information on this topic, please see "Giant Establishes R&D Center in Chengdu," MD 4/14/08 and "Giant Pays USD 12.5 Mln for Future R&D Center Site," MD 8/20/09 issues.
Keywords: game developer Giant Interactive Internet MMORPG Chengdu Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone Dragon Soul 3D game HR online gaming
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