God Of War PSP Dev Ready At Dawn Lays Off 13

Independent development house Ready at Dawn Studios, maker of the PSP games God of War: Chains of Olympus and the upcoming God of War: Ghost of Sparta, laid off 13 employees this week. In an unusual move, the company confirmed the news officially in a news post on its official site. "Most days we feel privileged to do what we do. Some days not so much. Today just plain sucks," the statement reads in part. "Today, we had to let go of 13 of these people because we simply couldn’t keep them on board while one project finishes and another ramps up. Unfortunately, these are the woes of being independent." Ready At Dawn's most recently published projects are Chains of Olympus and the Wii version of Okami, both of which shipped in 2008. Ghost of Sparta is scheduled for release this fall. The proactive confirmation of the layoffs apparently resulted from the company's fear of inflated numbers being reported. Responding to a query by consumer blog Joystiq, whose source suggested the layoffs numbered as many as 50, Ready at Dawn president Didier Malenfant explained, "The number on the site is accurate; that's why we put it up: to make sure stupid rumors don't start flying." "We wanted to wish the best of luck to those guys and girls who have been a part of our crew," the statement finishes. "We sincerely hope that you will all land back on your feet real soon."