‘Death Jr.’ Developer Backbone Entertainment Forced To Layoff Workers

Foundation 9, owner of Backbone Entertainment, has announced that the developer of Death Jr. has been forced to layoff part of its staff after suffering slower than expected sales.

Backbone is best known for its various HD re-releases and retro collections that have grown to include Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection and the Death Jr. series.

In a statement made to Gamasutra, Foundation 9 CEO James North-Hearn revealed:

“Due to a lower demand for conventional console development, the studio has made some difficult but necessary adjustments in both its capacity and services, with the goal of matching the changing needs of today’s market,”

North-Hearn further added:

“The dedicated development staff at Backbone has put together some of the studio’s best work for our partners in the upcoming fall releases, Dance Central 3 and Midway Arcade Origins.”

At this time, Foundation 9 has not revealed how many workers will be laid off or exactly when those firings will occur. The company is facing stiff competition from a crowded gaming space that has become largely fragmented among users who are still trying to determine if they like the convenience of mobile gaming over console offerings.

The company’s CEO goes on to thank his employees for their dedicated service:

“I would like to publicly thank the departing members for their incredible service to the company. All of us at Foundation 9 are sorry to lose them and we’re here to help them to a soft landing. We wish them well in their individual pursuits.”

Are you a fan of the Death Jr. series?