Game Industry Observations

[Anon2024]

So actually, I want to say this might be a trigger warning for some people.

This post is meant to be objective more than political, however in real life even that which might be true and objective can be seen as political.

Anyway, to the topic at hand. It’s no secret that there have been hundreds if not thousands of layoffs in the gaming industry, and there have also been many complaints by CEO’s and investors that “it’s not sustainable.”

Then we get Larian, a small studio making a game like Baldur’s Gate 3, effectively sticking up a huge middle finger to the big companies and publishers LoL.

Aside from that, we still have Japanese developers making fun games with far less bugs than western developers, and they are NOT laying off people like many western companies are.

So the question becomes… what gives? Most layoffs are affecting western developers. Why?

Why is it sustainable in Japan but not sustainable in the West?

I have a few theories, namely the same reason why Twitter got 90% of staff fired but is now still operating the exact same way as before. I know a lot of people will talk about toxic Asian work culture, which I agree has its problems, but I also feel that America and some western countries are developing a toxic bloat culture.

That is, there is a lot of hiring of unqualified and underskilled people to make up diversity numbers, thus the bloat, and now the layoffs when it is unsustainable.

So people then ask why they hired all that bloat in the first place?

The answer.
Blackrock ESG investments.

So there you have it.
This is all the fault of those trillionaire investors who think they can use money to control the world.

Thank you for coming and reading despite the trigger warning

 

[DannyTheDaikon]

Agree. But one correction:

Larian, a small studio

The studio has 450 people.

 

[Anon2024]

Agree. But one correction:

The studio has 450 people.

That’s small for a studio that makes AAA games.

Call of Duty regularly has 3,000 workers.

 

[SailusGebel]

The studio has 450 people.

Relatively small. Diablo 4 had around 9000 people working on it.

 

[RepresentingEnvy]

How do you fix the problem if both systems are toxic? JP's work culture is not healthy. The same thing happens in Korea with their Esports players and pop stars.

 

[Anon2024]

How do you fix the problem if both systems are toxic? JP's work culture is not healthy. The same thing happens in Korea with their Esports players and pop stars.

It’s not really for us to fix Japan and Korea if we don’t live there. In America, we just have to only buy and play good games.

The market will correct itself since we don’t “need” games. Right now the problem with the entertainment industry in America is the big businesses who run it think we “need them” when in reality it is they who need us.

 

[RepresentingEnvy]

It’s not really for us to fix Japan and Korea if we don’t live there. In America, we just have to only buy and play good games.

The market will correct itself since we don’t “need” games. Right now the problem with the entertainment industry in America is the big businesses who run it think we “need them” when in reality it is they who need us.

I have said that, too, but people will buy bad games, claiming they are good. People will buy the next FIFA or Madden and say "GOOD JOB BEST GAME EVER!"

 

[SailusGebel]

I would also argue that woke isn't the only reason. An even bigger problem is simply dumb management. They hire the same directors that have a nasty record or ruining company after company, and similar stuff. Trying to make live service games, and milk them as hard as they can without doing even the bare minimum is not a woke problem. It's a problem of retarded higher-ups that don't know shit about games, and only see numbers.

 

[RepresentingEnvy]

This all boils down to the issue with everything. Humans are dumb. Money is the motivator that the companies have to push out trash, and they buy it every time. If you don't buy it, they have no incentive to make it 5head.

 

[Lloyd]

Most people don't even know what Blackrock is, let alone the fact that they manage 10 trillion dollars in assets and have more power over what corporations do than the government. Don't look into the CEO of Blackrock's background or you might start noticing a pattern.

 

[SailusGebel]

You can say that Suicide Squad is terrible because of woke stuff, and you can be right. But even without the woke stuff, the game itself fucking sucks ass. Sure, if you compare it with stuff like Skull and Bones, or Gotham Knights, it might look decent, and you might enjoy some parts. But the moment you try to compare it with even relatively good game, you understand that the gameplay itself is not fun, and sucks ass.

 

[Anon2024]

I have said that, too, but people will buy bad games, claiming they are good. People will buy the next FIFA or Madden and say "GOOD JOB BEST GAME EVER!"

You don’t need to buy those games. Either way, the industry has shown a lot of gamers now not buying those games.

Also, there are a lot of paid shills on the internet. You have people giving suicide squad great ratings, but the number of players show people actually hate the game lol. In general, people have to be burned a few times to learn their lesson.

Telling them they are stupid will sometimes make them more stubborn and not want to admit they made a mistake. Therefore, I tell people to buy what they enjoy. If they enjoy FIFA taking 70% of their income, well, they enjoy it. Who am I to tell them otherwise?

I would also argue that woke isn't the only reason. An even bigger problem is simply dumb management. They hire the same directors that have a nasty record or ruining company after company, and similar stuff. Trying to make live service games, and milk them as hard as they can without doing even the bare minimum is not a woke problem. It's a problem of retarded higher-ups that don't know shit about games, and only see numbers.

Actually, a lot of dumb management now is hired because of ESG (courtesy of blackrock investors) which is “wokeness” in a way. Since they hire not based on merit but based on those willing to follow their command.

My major gripe is when they blame gamers who have no control over development, and can only vote with their wallet whenever a game is a commercial failure.

Like calling me a bigot simply because I don’t want to watch your movie or play your game. Wtf is that?

Also suicide squad is bad because of the gameplay. It’s another uninspired looter shooter with a DC coat of paint and super spongy enemies. Very few people would find that fun these days.

Most people don't even know what Blackrock is, let alone the fact that they manage 10 trillion dollars in assets and have more power over what corporations do than the government. Don't look into the CEO of Blackrock's background or you might start noticing a pattern.

Yes.

 

[SailusGebel]

Actually, a lot of dumb management now is hired because of ESG (courtesy of blackrock investors) which is “wokeness” in a way. Since they hire not based on merit but based on those willing to follow their command.

My major gripe is when they blame gamers who have no control over development, and can only vote with their wallet whenever a game is a commercial failure.

Like calling me a bigot simply because I don’t want to watch your movie or play your game. Wtf is that?

Also suicide squad is bad because of the gameplay. It’s another uninspired looter shooter with a DC coat of paint and super spongy enemies. Very few people would find that fun these days.

I will be honest, I'm not actively monitoring the industry, so I will use a slightly older example. Phil Harrison. His decisions impacted so many companies, and impacted negatively. Do you think he is hired because of ESG?

 

[Anon2024]

I will be honest, I'm not actively monitoring the industry, so I will use a slightly older example. Phil Harrison. His decisions impacted so many companies, and impacted negatively. Do you think he is hired because of ESG?

He hires/hired following ESG.

 

[SailusGebel]

He hires/hired following ESG.

I don't care who he hires, he had the last word. If he said, "we will make a live service game," they would've started developing a live service game, and maybe make it woke according to ESG. But again, main problem is not woke.

 

[Anon2024]

I don't care who he hires, he had the last word. If he said, "we will make a live service game," they would've started developing a live service game, and maybe make it woke according to ESG. But again, main problem is not woke.

Nope, main problem are investors.
But the answer is yes, ESG impacts how he runs the business because he must listen to investors.

 

[SailusGebel]

Nope, main problem are investors.
But the answer is yes, ESG impacts how he runs the business because he must listen to investors.

No.

 

[Anon2024]

No.

It doesn’t matter.
as long as we only buy games we like and aren’t brainwashed into buying what we don’t like. All will be fine.

 

[georgelee5786]

Same goes for movies. Huge amount of bloat goes on with those. All sorts of people are hired that aren't actually needed for the movie.

Also Fuck blackrock

 

[Notadate]

Pay less. Work harder. Stonks. Crunch culture