What’s going on over at the Electric Sheep Company?

Some interesting rumors coming out on the recent layoffs of 22 people from the Electric Sheep Company. Here is a series of stories from the Second Life Podcast page:

• 22 Electric Sheep Employees Fired
  
• ESC employees say company is strong
  
• ESC firings beat the stock vesting deadline
  

You have to believe that this is at least partially a result of the continuing writer’s strike in Hollywood. Electric Sheep was behind the CSI and the “I Am Legend” island in Second Life.

Several theories are being made on why the layoffs are happening now. One hypothesizes that the timing coincides with the vesting of employee stock options (weeks away), and another speculates that the company will soon be sold. I guess we’ll have to wait and see how this all plays out. It’s unfortunate to see this occurring to one of the pioneer consulting firms in this virtual space.