Trip Hawkins has stepped down as CEO of mobile publisher Digital Chocolate, with the company founder revealing he is to take on an advisory role with immediate effect.
The transition has been detailed in a blog post published on Digital Chocolate's website, where Hawkins claimed that, eight years after starting the company, he is to step back to offer his services as a mentor, consult, teacher, speaker and writer.
Trimming the fat
"I would like to announce two milestones," Hawkins detailed on the blog.
"First, I am transitioning now into a consulting and advisory relationship with Digital Chocolate. For its next stage of growth, Digital Chocolate is narrowing its focus and it made sense to get more streamlined."
It's also being suggested VP of global sales Robert Unsworth has also left the company.
As far as Hawkins is concerned, however, TechCrunch claims that, as well as being replaced by company president Marc Metis as CEO in an interim capacity, the streamlining hinted at will take the form of job losses.
Global game
In all, a reported 180 jobs are to go across Digital Chocolate's operations in the Americas, India, Russia and elsewhere.
The website cites an unnamed tipster who claims staff in both Bangalore, India and San Mateo in California have been hit by job cuts, white Digital Chocolate's Mexico office has been shut down entirely.
Offices in Armenia, Bothell in Washington state and St. Petersburg, Russia have also reportedly closed their doors.
It's claimed traffic for the company's leading social games has fallen in recent times, with AppData traffic claiming daily active users are down 470,000 during the last seven days.
[source: TechCrunch]
News
With a fine eye for detail, Keith Andrew is fuelled by strong coffee, Kylie Minogue and the shapely curve of a san serif font.
Top Stories
Feature
May 17th, 2024
New release roundup: The best new mobile games from a battle royale to a console classic remake
Feature
May 16th, 2024
Behind the scenes: How adding sandwich offers to an idle merge game boosted three metrics at once
Events
Digital Dragons | Europe | May 19th |
GamesBeat Summit 2024 | North America | May 20th |
Mobidictum Meetup Tallinn May 2024 | Europe | May 21st |
Nordic Game Spring 2024 | Nordic | May 21st |
Impact 2024 - Indie Games | May 23rd | |
Morocco Gaming Expo | Africa | May 24th |
MomoCon 2024 | North America | May 24th |
Unreal Fest Gold Coast 2024 | Australasia | May 29th |
Popular Stories
Feature
May 14th, 2024
53 top mobile games in soft launch: Squad Busters, Battle Guys: Royale, Plants vs. Zombies 3, LEGO Hill Climb Adventures, and more
Feature
May 13th, 2024
Hot Five: Dubai's new Gaming Visa, April's mobile game charts, and Xbox studio closures
Interview
May 13th, 2024