Microsoft’s decision to lay off 35 programmers in Vancouver and axe two of its gaming products underscores concerns that the digital media business in B.C. is having trouble.
It’s also not good news for Mayor Gregor Robertson, who has made the expansion of the digital media industry a key target for the city’s economic commission.
On Thursday Microsoft confirmed that it was axing both its half-finished Flight game and “Project Columbia,” a Kinect-based virtual storybook for children. A free demo version of Flight will remain online. It said the decision to cancel development in the two works was part of the natural ebb and flow of its portfolio.