Sony ‘ready to axe Zipper Interactive’

Sony is in the process of closing down Washington studio Zipper Interactive, a new report suggests, in a move that potentially affects scores of jobs in the region.

Zipper Interactive staff, who over the years have built a range of PlayStation titles such as SOCOM and the PlayStation Vita title Unit 13, were reportedly issued redundancy notices after an unannounced game project was cancelled.

Develop has contacted Sony for comment. No clarification can be given at this time.

News site Kotaku, which first broke the news of Zipper Interactive’s alleged downsizing, said Sony “has repeatedly declined to comment on the matter”.

“The scope of the layoffs appears to indicate a studio shutdown,” the report adds.

Zipper was founded in 1996 and bought by Sony ten years later.

Sony operates sixteen different game development outfits under its Worldwide Studios group.