PlayStation Trims 90 Jobs in Global Shift

A new report has disclosed that at least 90 jobs have vanished within PlayStation’s North American business.

Axios reported that the positions were mainly situated in the company’s sales and marketing divisions, with a significant number in roles that dealt with physical retail stores.

Among the cuts was the company’s “merchandiser” team, whose responsibility was to brief the staff of brick-and-mortar shops about PlayStation games and consoles.

Details provided to Axios by the affected staff indicated that Sony regarded the cuts as a part of a “global transformation”, as the significance of physical stores is continuously dwindling globally.

Undoubtedly, physical game sales have decreased as the ascent of digital downloads persists. Moreover, the elimination of roles at Sony related to marketing also signals the ongoing alterations in how PlayStation conveys information to its enthusiasts.

PlayStation, with its array of Nintendo Direct-like State of Play broadcasts, now communicates with its fans more proficiently without having to depend on informing game shop staff. It will also shortly be intensifying its focus on digital games with the forthcoming renovation of PlayStation Plus.

Sony has not made a public comment on these changes.