Coco Girl maker MetroGames lets go of employees after failed buyout

![][1] Unfortunately, even developers that appear to be doing well aren't safe, it seems. [Inside Social Games reports ][2]that, after failing to close a deal that would have sold the company to a larger publisher, [MetroGames ][3]has begun to ax its staff. Best known for hits like [Coco Girl][4], which released earlier this summer, the company enjoys a seemingly healthy 5.5 million monthly players.

"We informed our staff of our financial condition last week," MetroGames CEO Damian Harburguer told ISG. "A significant number of really talented employees have left the company and we will be forced to make additional reductions very soon. We regret that this happened during the Holiday season, but we did not want to take drastic action while any chance remained that a deal would be successful. We are doing everything we can to help our former employees find new positions with other companies in Buenos Aires and elsewhere."

According to the website, Harburguer's statement follows an email that arrived at several news outlets last week from someone that claimed to be a MetroGames employee. The supposed employee reported that both Harburguer and MetroGames COO Julian Lisenberg had publicly asked staffers to continue working throughout December holiday bonuses or even wage payment. The anonymous employee also claimed that the two had privately pressured employees to quit simultaneously.

The news comes as a shock considering [MetroGames' top game ][5]is home to over 3 million monthly players and 530,000 daily players. There has been no official mention of MetroGames closing down, but the nameless employee does warn of "imminent closure," according to ISG. Best wishes to those affected, and sadly, this is just latest in a string of layoffs in the social games scene this year.

**Are you bummed at the thought of MetroGames closing down? What do you think of the rampant closures and layoffs in social games this year? Sound off in the comments. [Add Comment.][6]**

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[1]: http://o.aolcdn.com/dims/GAME/5/168/168/100/http://www.blogcdn.com/blog.games.com/media/2011/12/1283db9f18e6a8b5c1aefaafbbe4e93d.jpg
[2]: http://www.insidesocialgames.com/2011/12/28/coco-girl-developer-metrogames-hit-with-layoffs/
[3]: http://blog.games.com/tag/metrogames
[4]: http://blog.games.com/2011/09/16/coco-girl-facebook-game-preview/
[5]: http://www.appdata.com/apps/facebook/175115139210950-coco-girl
[6]: http://blog.games.com/2011/12/28/coco-girl-metrogames-layoffs/#disqus_thread
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