In a shocking cost-cutting move, games giant Electronic Arts has today laid off 5% of its global workforce. EA employs over 7,000 people worldwide, which means that up to 350 staff got the bad news yesterday.

It’s not yet known which of EA's many offices have been affected by this pretty drastic move. The staff who are being made redundant were informed of the company’s decision yesterday, before EA announces its Q3 financial statement today.

Those who have lost their jobs are mostly development staff. EA’s reason for the bad news is that the company needs to do its utmost to cut costs during a 'transition' phase between the current and next generation console eras.

According to an EA source quoted on GameSpot, the reason behind the lay-offs is “...so we have the most efficient alignment for all of our strategic priorities...it doesn't have to do with any one [game].”

Is everybody who works for EA a pre-programmed robot? Do they all speak like this?

According to Gamespot’s source, those affected by the cutbacks were offered the chance to relocate, but he/she could not say how many took up this offer. The source also stressed that the cutbacks were due to the transition phase that is affecting the entire games industry.

Well, SPOnG doesn’t see many other big publishers out there canning hundreds of jobs as two of its major titles, The Godfather (out March 21) and Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle Earth II (out March 28) are nearing completion. But perhaps that’s merely a coincidence.