The exact number of cuts was not divulged, though The Journal said it understands the figure is under 20. A spokesperson for IDA Ireland--the group responsible for attracting foreign investment in the country--told the publication it "has a longstanding relationship with EA--the company continues to employ significant numbers in the Galway area."

EA's customer support center in Galway , when EA said the facility would also provide multilingual support and services for its major games.

EA's Galway outfit is just one of the company's studios to be hit with layoffs of late. Last Thursday, the publisher reports this figure includes 60-70 permanent employees and over 100 contract workers, mostly quality assurance testers.

Layoff news at EA comes a month after former CEO John Riccitiello admitted that EA would miss its financial projections for the full-year ended March 31.

"This is a tough decision, but it all comes down to accountability," Riccitiello said in his last month. "The progress EA has made on transitioning to digital games and services is something I#146;m extremely proud of. However, it currently looks like we will come in at the low end of, or slightly below, the financial guidance we issued in January, and we have fallen short of the internal operating plan we set one year ago. EA#146;s shareholders and employees expect better and I am accountable for the miss."

From: www.gamespot.com

"EA is sharpening its focus to provide games for new platforms and mobile. In some cases, this involves reducing team sizes as we evolve into a more efficient organization," EA senior director of corporate communications told GameSpot today in a statement.

Reseburg declined to say which specific EA teams were impacted by today's cuts.

"These are difficult decisions to let go of good people who have made important contributions to EA, and whenever possible we retrain or relocate employees to new roles," he added. "Streamlining our operations will help ensure EA is bringing the best next-generation games to players around the world."

Today's layoffs come a month after former CEO John Riccitiello admitted that EA would miss its financial projections for the full-year ended March 31.

"This is a tough decision, but it all comes down to accountability," Riccitiello said in his last month. "The progress EA has made on transitioning to digital games and services is something I#146;m extremely proud of. However, it currently looks like we will come in at the low end of, or slightly below, the financial guidance we issued in January, and we have fallen short of the internal operating plan we set one year ago. EA#146;s shareholders and employees expect better and I am accountable for the miss."

From: www.gamespot.com

Federal documents also show that the EA Board of Directors may award Probst a one-time discretionary bonus at the end of his term, with the amount to be determined by the Board.

In addition to his new role at EA of executive chairman, Probst is a member of the Board. He abstained from the Compensation Committee's salary decision and will not receive any further cash retainer fees for his position on the Board while he is also executive chairman.

Probst has been in a leadership position at EA since 1991 and was CEO from 1991 to 2007. He is also the current executive chairman of the United States Olympic Committee and serves on the International Olympic Committee's International Relations Commission. Past positions include national sales manager at Activision and national accounts manager at Clorox.

Six-year EA CEO Riccitiello resigned from the company on March 18, citing a failure to meet financial milestones as his reason to move on. His separation agreement with EA includes 24 months of continued salary and other options worth an .

Looking ahead, the EA Board will consider internal and external candidates to replace Riccitiello with the help of a "leading executive search firm."

According to , leading internal candidates for the position include current chief operating officer Peter Moore and EA Labels president Frank Gibeau. EA has set no timetable for when it plans to name a new top executive.

From: www.gamespot.com

Federal documents also show that the EA Board of Directors may award Probst a one-time discretionary bonus at the end of his term, with the amount to be determined by the Board.

In addition to his new role at EA of executive chairman, Probst is a member of the Board. He abstained from the Compensation Committee's salary decision and will not receive any further cash retainer fees for his position on the Board while he is also executive chairman.

Probst has been in a leadership position at EA since 1991 and was CEO from 1991 to 2007. He is also the current executive chairman of the United States Olympic Committee and serves on the International Olympic Committee's International Relations Commission. Past positions include national sales manager at Activision and national accounts manager at Clorox.

Six-year EA CEO Riccitiello resigned from the company on March 18, citing a failure to meet financial milestones as his reason to move on. His separation agreement with EA includes 24 months of continued salary and other options worth an .

Looking ahead, the EA Board will consider internal and external candidates to replace Riccitiello with the help of a "leading executive search firm."

According to , leading internal candidates for the position include current chief operating officer Peter Moore and EA Labels president Frank Gibeau. EA has set no timetable for when it plans to name a new top executive.

From: www.gamespot.com