EA continues their staffing slashing, with the target this time being the Black Box Studio in Vancouver. Black Box has been responsible for the Skate series as well as the releases in the Need for Speed franchise since 2002.

The studio just shipped Skate 2 this week for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, which is the sequel to the very successful original release of the first chapter in the Skate series that was released in 2007. So far, the reviews for Skate 2 have been positive and it was thought that this was a good sign for Black Box’s future.

The Need for Speed franchise has been another story altogether for Black Box. The Need for Speed franchise has been in decline over the past couple of years, with gamers being drawn to other driving titles that featured more innovation and different types of game play. EA recently cited the release of Need for Speed Undercover, which was the latest release in the franchise, as one of the company’s sales disappointments this past holiday season.

Our sources tell us that over 200+ Black Box employees have been let go, and many of those that are left have been given the chance to relocate elsewhere within EA. Some Black Box development teams have been or are already in the process of being relocated to EA’s Burnaby studio, which will pick up the responsibility for the projects that Black Box was handling.