Gree lays off staff at its U.S. studio

Newsbrief: Japanese mobile gaming giant Gree moved its U.S. headquarters to San Francisco just over a year ago -- but now the company has been forced to cut back on its staff numbers at the studio. Gree COO Anil Dharni told Gamasutra that the company recently realigned its U.S. studio to focus on "the next generation of mobile social games," and as a result, has laid off staff. "As part of ensuring that we are operating as efficiently as possible, we have made the difficult decision to reduce our work force," he said. "The employees leaving today have made great contributions to our success and we wish them all the best." Dharni did not specify how many staffers were laid off.