Over 5,000 games industry workers have already lost their jobs in 2024
Over 5,000 games industry workers have already lost their jobs in 2024 | VGC
all because higher ups gave themselves too many millions in bonuses and didn't care to do their jobs properly
It's more due to AI and/or the expectation of automation being able to reduce the workforce before that actually gets set up functionally. Also that tech companies are doing it to try and kick back against people demanding their wages increase with cost of living, so game devs are piling onboard with layoffs for the same reason.
The layoff wave started way before the AI hype. It is more tied to interest rates imo.
It's not only that. Companies are getting richer and richer and they could easily afford LOTS of employees. Microsoft reached the trillion-dollar market cap and a few days later fired 1900 people
I don't know if it's that, though. There's so many cuts on the tech sector not just gaming.
It's the same thing that happened in tech. People got used to the near-decade of essentially free money. Interest rates were low for a long time, so easy loans, and demands to endlessly/rapidly grow. Now the free money's gone and none of them know how to exercise discretion, so they "trim the fat" of their rapid growth.
Higher ups or CEOs should be laid off or fired for making these kinda decisions when it comes to money.
Higher ups doing this is nothing new though. This was mostly a reaction to interest rates.
Gotta make number go up, forever
Economist: exponential growth, infinitely!
Physicist: uuuuuhhh...
That's what I was thinking too. Let's hope that happens. When these developers get freedom to make games without corporate overlords pushing for dumb things in games, really great innovative games seem to be made. Let's hope.
I almost exclusively enjoy indie games.
Cool maybe this means more indie games...
Idk I gave up a long time ago when I learned rolling layoffs was the norm in game development.
Unfortunately it doesn't mean that. Game corporations have too much power and influence over the market.
What are you talking about? Indie development studios spring up out of mistreatment at AAA studios all the time. Where do you think Supergiant, Second Dinner, and Frost Giant came from, for instance?
And a few thousands more during December IIRC
