Unlike the average extensive company redundancy program, the news that Zynga was to close the studio responsible for creating Draw Something was met with something approaching jubilation by members of the development team.
"Most layoffs are sad. You imagine big corporate settings where security is there to lead people out of the office so they don't make a scene," an ex-employee told Business Insider (thanks, Games Industry International).
"This was the opposite. Music was being played loudly, and people were ripping up Zynga hoodies and T-Shirts. Anything that was Zynga was completely left there. The sentiment felt positive."
Zynga acquired OMGPOP for an astonishing $183 million, at a time when Draw Something was enjoying the peak of its success. The closure of the studio, rebranded as Zynga New York following the acquisition, comes just six weeks after the launch of Draw Something 2. The ex-employee also described the sentiment in the office when the news was first delivered.
"There were no hard facts or figures. No real explanation. Just typical corporate BS. Everyone was just like, 'Yep.' Not surprised at all. It was like the weight had been lifted off our shoulders, that a decision had finally been made."
