Funcom layoffs not what you think... or are they?

Last week, rumors were scattered all across the internet regarding massive layoffs at Funcom. Some of these rumors stated that the layoffs reached as high as 70% of Funcom's total empoyees, as many gamers and media outlets were quick on the draw to predict a coming death for Age of Conan. Although we can't help but shake our heads every time one of these rumors surfaces, developer layoffs and game closures are still a very real threat.

So when we heard today that the Funcom rumors were (partially) true, we got a bit worried. As we all know, the extent of these rumors could be complete bunk, or they could eventually pan out much as the initial NCsoft rumors did. The fact is though, all we know is what Funcom has released officially: "We did have some staffing cuts at Funcom this week as well as new positions opening in the organization as part of our ongoing cost based efficiency and performance initiatives that are vital to any business."

So is Funcom taking PR classes from NCsoft, or is this truly a harmlessly normal part of running their business?