This list was compiled by a user on Penny Arcade, so all credit to him.
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/showpost.php?p=13038018&postcount=1677
JANUARY
- Jaleco closes (IP and $7.736m/$17.68m loan sold to Game Yarou for $0.01)
http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/new...hp?story=21930
- MS ACES (Flight Simulator team gone)
http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/new...hp?story=21981
- MS cuts 30% of testers at MGS + unspecified GFW team
http://kotaku.com/5138389/more-micro...-windows-group
- Sega cuts 30 in San Francisco
http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/new...hp?story=21942
- Eidos cuts 30 people at Crystal Dynamics
http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/new...hp?story=21809
- Eidos closes Rockpool Games (Manchester) [mobile]
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...chester-studio
- Seta Corp (Super Entertainment & Total Amusement) closed
http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/new...hp?story=21943
- EA to cut 10% of staff and 9 studios consolidated/closed by March
---- unspecifed # @ Tiburon (Madden and Tiger Woods divisions confirmed hit)
---- Blackbox (200 out of 350 jobs cut, remainder absorbed into EA Burnaby [Vancouver])
---- 21 customer service, half of QA, all of playtest group @ Mythic
http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/new...hp?story=21974
http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/new...hp?story=21931
- unspecified cuts at Sony and MS (kotaku sez bulk of the current 1400 cut from MS are from Entertainment & Devices)
Nexon closes Humanature studio (Vancouver) 90 Jobs lost
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...anature-studio
Unspecified layoffs at Kuju in US and UK
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...across-studios
Ensemble closes
http://www.ensemblestudios.com/blogs...nd-thanks.aspx
Disney Interactive Studios layoff ~70 at Propoganda, confirms plans to "consolidate a handful of its studios, including Avalanche Software and the Fall Line studio."
http://blog.wired.com/games/2009/01/...unced-tur.html
FEBRUARY
Brighter Minds (World of Goo) goes Bankrupt
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...-goes-bankrupt
THQ Mobile shuts down in San Diego, Germany and UK (~100 jobs)
http://blog.wired.com/games/2009/02/...be-bomber.html
Action Pants (British-Columbia) acquired by Ubisoft
http://kotaku.com/5145390/ubisoft-acquires-action-pants
Free Radical acquired by Crytek
http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/new...hp?story=22156
EA to close 12 facilities + 1100 jobs
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...g-USD641m-loss
Snowblind Studios acquired by Warner Bros
http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/new...hp?story=22178
Eidos drops casual studio (Gimme5games)
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...l-games-studio
Sega cuts 18% of workforce (560 jobs)
http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/new...hp?story=22239
NCSoft cuts 55 at NC West (Europe)
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...uropean-office
Midway files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
http://www.midway.com/us/pr/mpr_5591.html
Rare cuts artist and engineer positions (12 known)
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...neer-positions
Popcap acquires Gastronaut Studios
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...es-xbla-studio
Fillpoint acquires Crave Entertainment and SVG Distribution
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...-crave-and-svg
MARCH
THQ cuts majority of Volition's (Saint's Row) QA staff - 86 of 102
http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/new...hp?story=22562
THQ to sell or close Big HUge Games, Heavy Iron and Incinerator becoming independent.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...r-close-studio
Namco to buy all branches of D3 publisher, including studio Vicious Cycle
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...-d3p-businesse
APRIL
THQ confirms unspecified layoffs at BigHugeGames, still looking for sale
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...big-huge-games
MAY
3D Realms closes
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...s-closes-doors
Microsoft Game Studios acquires BigPark
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...cquire-bigpark
38 Studios acquires BigHugeGames from THQ
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...big-huge-games
Grin Studios cuts 160 people
http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthre...?f=59&t=768094
Factor 5 closes
http://www.edge-online.com/news/lair...actor-5-closes
JUNE
Management Buy-Out/Closure of Chemistry (Kuju)
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...emistry-studio
Deadline Games (Watchman Game) files for bankruptcy
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...for-bankruptcy
Crystal Dynamics cuts 25 more people
http://gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=23989
Midway San Diego and Newcastle face closure by end of June.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...by-end-of-june
America's Army studio closes
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...o-closes-doors
Rockstar lays of 10% of New England staff
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...d-staff-report
ZeniMax (owner of Bethsoft) acquires id Software
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...es-id-software
JULY
Heavy Hammer lays off Blue Omega team
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...damnation-team
Sony Online Entertainment lays off 5% of staff
http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/new...hp?story=24483
Midway Closes Chicago Corporate Headquarters and Newcastle Studio
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...rporate-office
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...studio-closure
AUGUST
Grin shuts down
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...ompany-closure
THQ Buys Midway San Diego
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...n-diego-studio
EA cuts back staff at Maxis
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...staff-at-maxis
Raven lays off 30-35
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...of-wolfenstein
SEPTEMBER
Bottlerocket closes
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...oses-its-doors
Disney acquires Wideload Games
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...-to-games-team
Funcom to cut 20% of workforce
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...t-of-workforce
OCTOBER
Transmission Games lays off 20
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...-staff-members
Ubisoft acquires Trackmania developer Nadeo
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...eveloper-nadeo
Activision lays off 30 from 7 studios
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...ased-7-studios
Activision closes Shaba Studios
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...tudios-closure
Optimus acquires Witcher developer in CD Projekt takeover
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...ojekt-takeover
Idol Minds lays off ~26
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...it-by-lay-offs
Transmission Games closes
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...s-doors-report
Slipgate Ironworks lays off ~50
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...gate-ironworks
NOVEMBER
Square-Enix/Taito/Eidos cuts 10% globally
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...und-10-percent
EA Acquires Playfish
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...sh-acquisition
EA to layoff 1,500 by April 2010, including "several studio closures"
Tiburon, Blackbox, Redwood Shores, Mythic reportedly affected
http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/new...hp?story=25999
Playdom acquires Green Path and Trippert Labs
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...-trippert-labs
Pandemic closes
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...-studios-today
Krome faces unspecified number of layoffs
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...e-studio-krome
DECEMBER
Fuzzeyes lays off majority of staff
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...ority-of-staff
Threewave studio enters reorganization
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...nisation-phase
Rumor: Apsyr cuts staff by over 50%
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...ver-50-percent
SCEA drops 30 QA jobs
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...dates-qa-group
Paradox Interactive acquires AGEOD
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...eveloper-ageod
Oberon Media lays off 100
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...-off-100-staff
For the record, 2009 had the second-highest revenue in any year.
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