Disney Interactive Media Group has reportedly let go of 80 employees in a series of "targeted" layoffs aimed at reorienting the company in the wake of
last summer's purchase of social game maker Playdom.
The move followed a review of current staffers by DIMG co-president Jim Pitaro, according to
a PaidContent report. In a statement provided to PaidContent, the company said the "targeted" layoffs were "part of setting a strategic direction for future success in digital media."
The loss represents just over two percent of the roughly 3,800 employees at the company after a reported 200 employees
were laid off in January. Disney has described those layoffs as "fairly minimal" and "part of a larger restructuring at Disney Interactive Studios," in a statement.
It's unclear what positions have been affected by the reported layoffs at DIMG, which is dominated by the game-focused Disney Interactive Studios but also includes other web-facing content producers. PaidContent's source reports that this should be the last major staff reduction in the wake of
the October appointment of Pitaro and fellow co-president John Pleasants.
Early this year, Disney Interactive
shut down its Propaganda Studios subsidiary following the completion of the
Tron: Evolution game project.
DIMG is also currently
advertising for 20 game development positions, including postings for iPhone and Flash developers.
