Playground Games' Fable survived over a decade of development despite widespread Xbox layoffs and studio closures because the franchise is considered vital to the platform's identity. The game's survival contrasts sharply with canceled projects like Everwild and shuttered studios, with director Ralph Fulton crediting Fable's importance to Xbox's DNA as protection during turbulent years of acquisition-driven upheaval.
Oracle's new CFO Hilary Maxson told employees the company rejects the "doing more with less" mentality, instead advocating for thoughtful resource allocation and process simplification to maximize customer impact. The remarks came as Oracle executed another round of layoffs, with workforce declining 21,000 (13%) in fiscal 2026, while the company pursues aggressive AI infrastructure expansion and maintains a $90-95 billion capital expenditure forecast for fiscal 2027.
Science journalism has faced recurring crises, with a major 'science crash' occurring in 1986 when popular science magazines folded, and similar layoffs and closures happening again today at outlets like Scientific American and major newspapers. Scholars debate whether current concerns represent cyclical panic or a genuinely new threat, noting that while science magazines have always struggled, eight closures since 2000 suggest a potentially more serious decline than past downturns.