Decipher has laid off a substantial number of employees, concentrated in its game studio.  According to a posting on the Decipher message boards by Senior Vice President of its Game Studio Scott Gaeta, the company's previously announced 2005 release schedules for the Lord of the Rings TCG, WARS TCG, and Star Trek CCG remain the same, despite the fact that 'some talented employees have transitioned out of the company.' 

 

Decipher is reacting to the changing market by moving in some new directions.  According to Gaeta's posting the company's Publishing Studio plans to launch a new magazine this spring.

 

The need for the lay-offs was attributed by an anonymous source to a challenging market for game sales industry-wide.