@JacqueChoi -- some good threads going on this topic already. It's been a wild ride lately. Near constant bad news, it seems, in this regard. Job listings are harder to come by too. Fingers crossed it'll work itself out sooner than later.
It's a multi-faceted issue that has a lot to do with funding 2 wars, China, subsidies, and really dumb investments (metaverse/NFT/Crypto), and SVB closing.
I've been told the BIG reason for the Bungie layoffs were the fact that Sony had to take out a loan to buy Bungie out. Unfortunately interest rates have skyrocketed to 8% leaving Sony unable to really sustain the interest payments let alone continued development.
I imagine similarly with Epic and Bandcamp/Mediatonic while funding their class-action lawsuits, Epic Megagrants, and all those free-game giveaways.
The giant misconception with these major buyouts (including all the Embracer buyouts) is that these mega-publishers are not sitting on $billions in cash. Tim Cook doesn't have $4.1billion cash laying in a vault somewhere. He owns shares in Epic Games that are valued at $4.1b
So buying out studios requires using the equity they have as collateral, and taking out a loan which now has insanely high interest rates.
Is it that hard to start your own studios? even if online? and try to make games outside these "main stream/control" sources of "employment", even if you have to start small and work your way up, we all do very difficult artworks, how hard or long could it be for simple things with the talent that is already around here especially prepared to do more just waiting to be used going to take? like i never did casino work but i had to and it wasn't anything really (art creation wise, to subject/"desire" of employer wise) just kind of boring since there was no "hero" adventure and amazing style to achieve.
I mention small studios cause i see talented people making artwork and just drifting away to do other things cause they can not land anything or whatever the reason, why dont those same people make games and instead of "Wasting time" in challenges competition they put their effort into small games and work up and get something back instead of feeling inadequate after a challenge or competition that a small group always seem to be at the top in.
I've been thinking bout this a bit but no funds to get it started nor any real effort into all the starting humbub and back and forth i'd have to do to probably convince one person let alone a team to get it going. I like people whom are showcasing their own efforts into their own ips but realistically that is going to take too long and if a team was available sitting around doing pretty much nothing but trying to land a gig they could at least put efforts towards a release even a demo or something and be it community funded take out these "middle" men ruining this industry.
Is it that hard to start your own studios? even if online? and try to make games outside these "main stream/control" sources of "employment", even if you have to start small and work your way up, we all do very difficult artworks, how hard or long could it be for simple things with the talent that is already around here especially prepared to do more just waiting to be used going to take? like i never did casino work but i had to and it wasn't anything really (art creation wise, to subject/"desire" of employer wise) just kind of boring since there was no "hero" adventure and amazing style to achieve.
I mention small studios cause i see talented people making artwork and just drifting away to do other things cause they can not land anything or whatever the reason, why dont those same people make games and instead of "Wasting time" in challenges competition they put their effort into small games and work up and get something back instead of feeling inadequate after a challenge or competition that a small group always seem to be at the top in.
I've been thinking bout this a bit but no funds to get it started nor any real effort into all the starting humbub and back and forth i'd have to do to probably convince one person let alone a team to get it going. I like people whom are showcasing their own efforts into their own ips but realistically that is going to take too long and if a team was available sitting around doing pretty much nothing but trying to land a gig they could at least put efforts towards a release even a demo or something and be it community funded take out these "middle" men ruining this industry.
What was the number? The average indiegame makes 10k over its lifetime. An artist in California makes +/- 100k a year. Go figure
That would be a marketing issue wouldn't it if it is that small? yeah they got us by the currency bawls then.
Look into the investors/stock holders, if anything they are leading the situation we are all starting to hate if they are just following the money, then follow the moves they make and why? perhaps or find someone who is.
artists in Cali make 100k because rent is like fucking 5k/month for a 4x4 foot cardboard box in a parking lot at walmart that's been tastefully decorated with homeless people (actually your coworkers, who got fired) vomit, so glad I moved out
For you europeans out there; it's like living in London, but unironically
I literally tried making an indie on a shoestring budget. Had a pretty good demo too.
We needed 10 people 2 years would cost us about $1million (if we all took on $60k salaries). We had SOME interest from publishers, until absolutely everything went to complete shit about 2 years ago.
Most of the unconventional routes for funding asked us to convert our game into a Web 3.0, Metaverse, Crypto, Blockchain game with NFTs.
I literally tried making an indie on a shoestring budget. Had a pretty good demo too.
We needed 10 people 2 years would cost us about $1million (if we all took on $60k salaries). We had SOME interest from publishers, until absolutely everything went to complete shit about 2 years ago.
Most of the unconventional routes for funding asked us to convert our game into a Web 3.0, Metaverse, Crypto, Blockchain game with NFTs.
I think that last bit is the issue - there's a pile-on for instant returns in the investment community that's been happening for the last few years. I expect it to die down once everyone realises either that AI isn't actually very useful - NFTs and crypto have shit the bed already and I don't see anything new and magical on the horizon just yet.
good on you for having a go regardless - it's a brave move and I assume you learned a buttload through the process.
I think that last bit is the issue - there's a pile-on for instant returns in the investment community that's been happening for the last few years. I expect it to die down once everyone realises either that AI isn't actually very useful - NFTs and crypto have shit the bed already and I don't see anything new and magical on the horizon just yet.
good on you for having a go regardless - it's a brave move and I assume you learned a buttload through the process.
Oh god.
Not sure if this is practical advice, or "what I would do differently"
Bootstrap it. Don't rely on publisher funds at ALL. Don't rely on others. EVERYTHING falls on your shoulders. Those 20 other artists and programmers who say they'll help you won't. Your network won't do shit for you when you're indie. You have to do 100% of everything from scratch.
If you chose to chase a publisher or funds? 90% of your time will be in Bizdev, and you will suck at it because artists are not Intrisincally salesmen. If that's the route you take? Give a giant chunk of equity to someone who will do this fulltime for you. Preferably someone who can double as a Producer/ComDev/Grant Application filler/Business Plan Writer/Finance person.
The constant layoffs are a big part in why I left this field. There is little to no stability even if you become 'tenured', too few jobs to go around and a lot of the jobs you'll run into are in SoCal where rent is unaffordable for many. Because the field is built on 'hope and dreams' that a game will be able to sell enough to pay the bills, its inherently flawed and the layoff issue will always be a thing.
Don't get me wrong. I grew up on games like many of you guys did and have had some fun while I was in the industry, but.....at the end of the day I'd like the prospects of getting to own a house some day which is highly unlikely to happen because of how often the layoffs hit. I'd also like to know I have some security (beit the job itself, the amount of job's available in the given area, etc), none of which you have in games. I'd also like to be able to go hold a job for atleast a few years before deciding to move on, but how many artists even have the option of staying at a studio that long when the average tenure is something like 6 months at any given studio?
The lack of stability destroys your chances of building a stable life and yeah one could say games isn't the field for you'd if your more on the risk adverse side, but then is it any wonder why so many artists who get in leave the industry so much before they even hit 40?
constant layoffs is why i don't apply at triple ayy studios. Why go through all that hassle for nothing? Way better to sit tight and make your own game/company. Why the fuck would I want to join Blizzard when their seniors and team leaders keep leaving? Why would I want to join Bungie if even Michael Salvatori can get laid off for no reason?
I think that last bit is the issue - there's a pile-on for instant returns in the investment community that's been happening for the last few years. I expect it to die down once everyone realises either that AI isn't actually very useful - NFTs and crypto have shit the bed already and I don't see anything new and magical on the horizon just yet.
good on you for having a go regardless - it's a brave move and I assume you learned a buttload through the process.
Oh god.
Not sure if this is practical advice, or "what I would do differently"
Bootstrap it. Don't rely on publisher funds at ALL. Don't rely on others. EVERYTHING falls on your shoulders. Those 20 other artists and programmers who say they'll help you won't. Your network won't do shit for you when you're indie. You have to do 100% of everything from scratch.
If you chose to chase a publisher or funds? 90% of your time will be in Bizdev, and you will suck at it because artists are not Intrisincally salesmen. If that's the route you take? Give a giant chunk of equity to someone who will do this fulltime for you. Preferably someone who can double as a Producer/ComDev/Grant Application filler/Business Plan Writer/Finance person.
it's neither - from your post it sounds like you did everything right and it got shat on by circumstance.
I was making the suggestion that once the hype around crypto/NFT/AI dies down fully investors will return to the more traditional 2 year cycle because the opportunities to make a quick buck will have evaporated. if that happens, projects such as your own would stand a better chance of gaining investment without being pressured to put them on the blockchain or add robots.
My actual advice would be as you say - do it yourself or don't do it at all.
more layoffs; Digital Extremes, Amazon, Ubisoft. I actually saw some openings at DE, and having 2700 hours in Warframe with my certified space ninja license, I thought I might apply. Glad I didn't. When are you guys bringing back raids, DE?
I actually saw some openings at DE, and having 2700 hours in Warframe with my certified space ninja license, I thought I might apply. Glad I didn't. When are you guys bringing back raids, DE?
It's still alright I think. They laid off from the Publishing branch, not the dev branch.
I work in outsource, and for a while I wanted to hop into a company making an actual game but the end of 2023 has shown me that the grass is most definitely not greener! We had contracts end earlier than expected, we had clients lose members of staff unexpectedly and it sucked! I'm glad I've got a little job security as there is usually something that needs worked on but it's terrifying seeing all of the layoffs and wondering if our studio will get work in 2024.
I work in outsource, and for a while I wanted to hop into a company making an actual game but the end of 2023 has shown me that the grass is most definitely not greener! We had contracts end earlier than expected, we had clients lose members of staff unexpectedly and it sucked! I'm glad I've got a little job security as there is usually something that needs worked on but it's terrifying seeing all of the layoffs and wondering if our studio will get work in 2024.
everyone was hit last year, not just employees at devs, for sure.
thing is, someone will have to do the work, especially on well running products, if they cut costs on employment side, someone else will have to make the stuff they sell. as shitty as that may sound.
you guys should be okay, very specialized, very few competitors in your field as far as i am aware. more and better hair certainly is a trend in games, realistic or stylized. you guys set the bar
Right now, all eyes are on Tech Art and Tools in the studio scene. We're diving into these discussions full throttle. But gotta say, the Art and assets side feels like a race to the bottom. It's a downer seeing mid-size studios slimming down to tiny teams.
So, we're shifting gears a bit. Been checking out the commercial space where other industries are flashing the cash for top-notch visuals. They want that wow factor, and we've got the skills to deliver.
"As reported by Reuters,
this extensive round of layoffs, the largest in the company's history,
was unveiled through a regulatory filing and an internal memo shared on
Monday. According to Unity, these job cuts will impact all teams,
regions, and aspects of the business and are expected to be completed by
the end of March 2024.
The layoffs come as a part of the "company reset" announced by Unity's interim CEO, Jim Whitehurst, in November 2023, which, besides the layoffs, is also said to entail the discontinuation of certain products."
They had to do this, the company is extremely inflated (because that gives Riccitello more money because of how CEO compensation works / better company evaluation) but everyone knew this was completely unhealthy. Really not nice for the workers but definitely desperately needed for Unity to revert this extreme bloating of the company. 5000 people for Unity is ridiculous. (And then they fire some of their best people at WETA ..)
It happens everwhere (not only in 3D) and all the time.. big (or wanna be big) companies buy smaller companies and say the smaller can go on like usual but they are now part of a new big and nice family.. and because of this the bigger ones get more money from investors.. but then alas.. you can not double, triple, tenfold the amount of cooking in front of one herd with double, trible or tenfold of cooks.. or reach the last half of a goal when 90% of the time is already elapsed by double, trible the hours people already work on this every day.. In fact this is simplest math.. also adding up hours does not make the day longer than 24 hours.. oh wait people do have to sleep, eat, have a live.. they work for life not live for work ??( <-- beware ! .. hidden sarcasm ) ..and now guess what.. they have to cut costs.. or they indeed go bankrupt.. (or are bought by some other company.. )
But all this money rubble doesn't help the one who really need this for a living: ..the (wo)man on the street.. I do not want to get political.. but who has to suffer ? The ones who pay the taxes.. the (wo)man on the street..
Sadly something like what i just wrote often is adressed as cracker-barrel philosophy.. and guess what.. by whom ?? People who have a save job..
( This text will not change anything... but my.. you do not know a good i just feel.. so i also will not look at this again for some hours to not loose the feeling )
Anyone fancy taking bets on some of those jobs getting replaced with AI?
This year, I'd been hoping to take some training and get actually job-worthy, in terms of skills. But now I'm wondering, will it even lead to anything? Seems like the job market is fucked. Chances of getting a foot in the door seem slim.
They laid off concept artists, that does seem to suggest a trend towards using AI, or atleast they don't want to pay concept artists until they can decide what they want to do with AI.
replacing one's concept artists with AI will be a huuuuuge mistake, some real r/leopardsatemyface material, especially concept artists of Riot's caliber. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrHxHfXWVf4
replacing one's concept artists with AI will be a huuuuuge mistake, some real r/leopardsatemyface material, especially concept artists of Riot's caliber.
I may have distracted the thread a little with that remark. To be clear, at least from what I saw, it's ostensibly money-saving because they stretched themselves too thin. AI wasn't mentioned that I saw; I was just speculating as it's been a growing concern ever since it really blew up. Even ignoring that, with a lot of people all over getting laid off, it seems like it's going to make it really difficult to get started, or even for those with a track record just trying to snag a job with so much fresh competition.
With Riot the layoffs really do hit harder for all the artists layed off and those aspiring to join. Seeing tweets on x they take it a lot more personally than at other studios.
when the shareholders and CEO's pilfer the majority of profits it's not "stretching themselves to thin" to have hired too many people. It's just greed. The game is to make as much money as possible for the people at top, and the artist and other employees are numbers which serve that game. It's not like profits are razor thin and some sorry empath in a suit is feeling very sorry but there is no other way for the company to survive than to let a bunch of people go.
It's bad business run by anti-social people. In a just society these sorts of people would be in prison or corrections facilities. People need to stop believing the bullshit. If your boss is making 1,000 times your salary, the first and most obvious thing to do to keep a company afloat in hard times is that person who is earning more than any person could ever be worth would pay back in to keep the employees. It's human behavior 101. Don't excuse anti-social behavior.
People starting their own studios should be forming employee owned cooperatives and try not to let boundless greed ruin a good thing once there is some market success.
At least the public facing AI tools I am aware of aren't particularly helpful at the moment, but of course the goal is to eliminate people from the workplace, that is obvious. People cost money which is antithetical to the anti-social personality disorder persons primary obsession, which is to have all of the money and for nobody else to have any. It is a zero sum game for them so there is no good reason to try and play with them - they don't play well with others and they never will.
The big studios might be prestigious because the best people work there, but they kind of aren't because the worst people run them. When interviewing for jobs need to be looking at it from top down perspective, not bottom up.
when the shareholders and CEO's pilfer the majority of profits it's not "stretching themselves to thin" to have hired too many people. It's just greed. The game is to make as much money as possible for the people at top, and the artist and other employees are numbers which serve that game. It's not like profits are razor thin and some sorry empath in a suit is feeling very sorry but there is no other way for the company to survive than to let a bunch of people go.
It's bad business run by anti-social people. In a just society these sorts of people would be in prison or corrections facilities. People need to stop believing the bullshit. If your boss is making 1,000 times your salary, the first and most obvious thing to do to keep a company afloat in hard times is that person who is earning more than any person could ever be worth would pay back in to keep the employees. It's human behavior 101. Don't excuse anti-social behavior.
People starting their own studios should be forming employee owned cooperatives and try not to let boundless greed ruin a good thing once there is some market success.
At least the public facing AI tools I am aware of aren't particularly helpful at the moment, but of course the goal is to eliminate people from the workplace, that is obvious. People cost money which is antithetical to the anti-social personality disorder persons primary obsession, which is to have all of the money and for nobody else to have any. It is a zero sum game for them so there is no good reason to try and play with them - they don't play well with others and they never will.
The big studios might be prestigious because the best people work there, but they kind of aren't because the worst people run them. When interviewing for jobs need to be looking at it from top down perspective, not bottom up.
Its really shameful, considering many of those laidoff were seen as the industry's best and their portfolios are often seen as the industry standard. But it didn't make a rats ass of a difference when the company finished with them, they peed all over their top tier work.
I mean the piss will probably help grow a plant and bear fruit, but why are artists beating each other over having crazy standards to join these company's when they are pretty okay with discarding us once we don't matter anymore to their profit margin?
We should flood them with the worst art we can possibly make though honestly I don't think they really cared about how good our art actually was. The artists in the company's set those standards because of how much they loved the company that pretty much stabbed them in the back.
I still feel that its important to better ourselves as artists, but its vital to realise that this is an industry using us as a resource and many companies can be much worse at doing this than others. Our being top tier likely meant nothing to the company's bottom line.
Starts with the ex-employee in tears and some ghoul suggested they go work in fast food.
To be honest, I don't think though that it will be difficult for those laid off who have years of experience to find work, but if they've been with riot for this long they really ought to consider starting their own studios since it wouldn't be very difficult to acquire funding given their profile.
Still don't think there is merit in making rip off garbage like Palworld which is more an exercise in influencer marketing than game development.
I'll never understand it. If I am on a boat with two other people and there are six cans of spam and one person is making a case that they deserve five cans and the others can share one can, it doesn't matter what they say. They are going for a swim and the rest of us are sharing the fucking spam like normal humans.
In one of those linked in post:
"Companies just are not valuing the people that make them them."
No shit! The only reason kids aren't dying in mines is because some angry miners fought with guns and violence first and then forced laws to be made second. Why are any employees anywhere talking about caution over burning bridges after being laid off while their company shareholders enjoy record profits? It's a shameful lack of basic dignity. Should be a riot.
I'll never understand it. If I am on a boat with two other people and there are six cans of spam and one person is making a case that they deserve five cans and the others can share one can, it doesn't matter what they say. They are going for a swim and the rest of us are sharing the fucking spam like normal humans.
In one of those linked in post:
"Companies just are not valuing the people that make them them."
No shit! The only reason kids aren't dying in mines is because some angry miners fought with guns and violence first and then forced laws to be made second. Why are any employees anywhere talking about caution over burning bridges after being laid off while their company shareholders enjoy record profits? It's a shameful lack of basic dignity. Should be a riot.
There should be, but the trouble is when you consider the rest of the things that people with money own. Like, who do the police really turn up for? Do they give a crap if you get robbed? Not really. Some rich guy gets burgled? Important shit.
Without a critical mass of people dead set on an actual revolution, trying to do anything violently is just going to result in your rights and/or life being taken away by those with money and power. So getting the critical mass should be the first priority.
Trouble is, of course, most people will just take what they can get, either out of true lack of choice or out of desperation. Which is why, as far as I know, the games industry isn't exactly full of unionised staff.
Yes people dont just go from zero to chopping off elons head. First they have to get all riled up. But the thing is people can live in a pigpen and be fed gooey, stinky muck all day and if everyone around is like, "yeah this normal" they'll just be perfectly happy like that. So first somebody has to start talking about how much everything stinks.
I reckon that won't happen until a load of people's jobs have been farmed out to AI. Capitalists seem to have this idea in mind that their system, built on selling people shit, will somehow still run if they cut people's jobs to save money, and cut and cut and cut, and that, somehow, people will still have money to buy their shit. Not gonna happen when nobody can afford it.
People won't eat the rich until there's nothing else left to eat, supposedly.
i think the west has a long way to fall and the global south is coming up with billions of people who want to live like americans, so I'd expect the oceans to swallow us before capitalist lose their stronghold.
but certainly game developers could unionize between now and then, so that they might get fucked with with a little less.
Seriously though, is it even going to be worth trying to get a foot in the door in the next year or so? Seems like the job market is going to be swarming.
I hate to say it but Microsoft games division just laid off 1900, I was hoping for some better news in 2024! From the website - "Microsoft is laying off 1,900 employees at Activision Blizzard and Xbox this week. While Microsoft is primarily laying off roles at Activision Blizzard, some Xbox and ZeniMax employees will also be impacted by the cuts.
The cuts work out to roughly 8 percent of the overall Microsoft Gaming division that stands at around 22,000 employees in total. The Verge has obtained an internal memo from Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer that confirms the layoffs:"
Its horrible the way they did it too. Didn't matter if you were top tier or shit tier, principle, lead, senior, junior. All you were, was their basic b****
Given blizzard was involved, I wonder if being accomodating of sexual favors demanded by upper management helped with retention. But unless you're really able to stretch that tongue all the way to Microsoft its probably not likely.
My friend at sledgehammer heard about it on social media, and was laid off while working.
Now he has to give them back their computer which was the only thing really top tier (spec wise)
The decision was made by upper management, so nearly all of sledgehammer toronto is gutted.
I though they might have remained since Ontario gives grants to studios, though only ubisoft has that grant and it had lost many of its senior artists to sledgehammer (poor retention policy)
RimaModelasaid: I may have distracted the thread a little with that remark. To be clear, at least from what I saw, it's ostensibly money-saving because they stretched themselves too thin. AI wasn't mentioned that I saw; I was just speculating as it's been a growing concern ever since it really blew up. Even ignoring that, with a lot of people all over getting laid off, it seems like it's going to make it really difficult to get started, or even for those with a track record just trying to snag a job with so much fresh competition.
Anyone fancy taking bets on some of those jobs getting replaced with AI?
This year, I'd been hoping to take some training and get actually job-worthy, in terms of skills. But now I'm wondering, will it even lead to anything? Seems like the job market is fucked. Chances of getting a foot in the door seem slim.
With these mass layoffs going on it just pushes the non-experienced even further down the foodchain. Studios looking to replace the low end of the pipeline with AI makes it worse. Then to top it off a huge portion, maybe even most, of the available 3D artist positions are only for seniors and leads. So basically if your a new guy with no experience whatsoever, your probably screwed trying to get in unless you know someone or you have an incredible wow factor to get someone's attention.
This is largely why I got out. Granted I was on the concept art side of things but after my job let me go without any warning which seems to be fairly common for artists in the gaming industry, I saw the writing on the wall for this type of stuff career wise. I've never experienced crunch despite working for 2 studios so I guess I'm lucky in that regard, but can you imagine crunching for most of those months then getting laid off? Its a no brainer why so many artists quit the industry and for ones who do choose to go back they do it either from a freelance standpoint or run their own studio. IMO there's not much of a future in a field like that where your constantly laid off every few months no matter how good you are or what company you go with.
You know, if it were a lot easier to simply just be an artist who got to make a living working in their own private studio doing whatever kind of art they liked....I would wager the vast majority of studio artists, as in like 70-80% or more, would not be in the industry.
Replies
-- some good threads going on this topic already. It's been a wild ride lately. Near constant bad news, it seems, in this regard. Job listings are harder to come by too.
Fingers crossed it'll work itself out sooner than later.
https://polycount.com/discussion/234175/the-state-of-the-games-industry
https://polycount.com/discussion/233851/industry-strugglin
I've been told the BIG reason for the Bungie layoffs were the fact that Sony had to take out a loan to buy Bungie out.
Unfortunately interest rates have skyrocketed to 8% leaving Sony unable to really sustain the interest payments let alone continued development.
I imagine similarly with Epic and Bandcamp/Mediatonic while funding their class-action lawsuits, Epic Megagrants, and all those free-game giveaways.
The giant misconception with these major buyouts (including all the Embracer buyouts) is that these mega-publishers are not sitting on $billions in cash. Tim Cook doesn't have $4.1billion cash laying in a vault somewhere. He owns shares in Epic Games that are valued at $4.1b
So buying out studios requires using the equity they have as collateral, and taking out a loan which now has insanely high interest rates.
We needed 10 people 2 years would cost us about $1million (if we all took on $60k salaries).
We had SOME interest from publishers, until absolutely everything went to complete shit about 2 years ago.
Most of the unconventional routes for funding asked us to convert our game into a Web 3.0, Metaverse, Crypto, Blockchain game with NFTs.
I think that last bit is the issue - there's a pile-on for instant returns in the investment community that's been happening for the last few years. I expect it to die down once everyone realises either that AI isn't actually very useful - NFTs and crypto have shit the bed already and I don't see anything new and magical on the horizon just yet.
good on you for having a go regardless - it's a brave move and I assume you learned a buttload through the process.
Not sure if this is practical advice, or "what I would do differently"
Bootstrap it. Don't rely on publisher funds at ALL. Don't rely on others.
EVERYTHING falls on your shoulders. Those 20 other artists and programmers who say they'll help you won't. Your network won't do shit for you when you're indie. You have to do 100% of everything from scratch.
If you chose to chase a publisher or funds?
90% of your time will be in Bizdev, and you will suck at it because artists are not Intrisincally salesmen. If that's the route you take? Give a giant chunk of equity to someone who will do this fulltime for you. Preferably someone who can double as a Producer/ComDev/Grant Application filler/Business Plan Writer/Finance person.
Don't get me wrong. I grew up on games like many of you guys did and have had some fun while I was in the industry, but.....at the end of the day I'd like the prospects of getting to own a house some day which is highly unlikely to happen because of how often the layoffs hit. I'd also like to know I have some security (beit the job itself, the amount of job's available in the given area, etc), none of which you have in games. I'd also like to be able to go hold a job for atleast a few years before deciding to move on, but how many artists even have the option of staying at a studio that long when the average tenure is something like 6 months at any given studio?
The lack of stability destroys your chances of building a stable life and yeah one could say games isn't the field for you'd if your more on the risk adverse side, but then is it any wonder why so many artists who get in leave the industry so much before they even hit 40?
What an utterly disappointing shitshow
it's neither - from your post it sounds like you did everything right and it got shat on by circumstance.
I was making the suggestion that once the hype around crypto/NFT/AI dies down fully investors will return to the more traditional 2 year cycle because the opportunities to make a quick buck will have evaporated. if that happens, projects such as your own would stand a better chance of gaining investment without being pressured to put them on the blockchain or add robots.
My actual advice would be as you say - do it yourself or don't do it at all.
https://www.gameinformer.com/news/2023/11/15/505-games-parent-company-digital-bros-laying-off-30-percent-of-staff
It's still alright I think. They laid off from the Publishing branch, not the dev branch.
Unity Plans to Eliminate 1,800 Jobs in Q1 2024
"As reported by Reuters, this extensive round of layoffs, the largest in the company's history, was unveiled through a regulatory filing and an internal memo shared on Monday. According to Unity, these job cuts will impact all teams, regions, and aspects of the business and are expected to be completed by the end of March 2024.
The layoffs come as a part of the "company reset" announced by Unity's interim CEO, Jim Whitehurst, in November 2023, which, besides the layoffs, is also said to entail the discontinuation of certain products."
..and now guess what.. they have to cut costs.. or they indeed go bankrupt.. (or are bought by some other company.. )
But all this money rubble doesn't help the one who really need this for a living: ..the (wo)man on the street..
I do not want to get political.. but who has to suffer ? The ones who pay the taxes.. the (wo)man on the street..
Sadly something like what i just wrote often is adressed as cracker-barrel philosophy.. and guess what.. by whom ?? People who have a save job..
( This text will not change anything... but my.. you do not know a good i just feel.. so i also will not look at this again for some hours to not loose the feeling
I may have distracted the thread a little with that remark. To be clear, at least from what I saw, it's ostensibly money-saving because they stretched themselves too thin. AI wasn't mentioned that I saw; I was just speculating as it's been a growing concern ever since it really blew up. Even ignoring that, with a lot of people all over getting laid off, it seems like it's going to make it really difficult to get started, or even for those with a track record just trying to snag a job with so much fresh competition.
Seeing tweets on x they take it a lot more personally than at other studios.
But it didn't make a rats ass of a difference when the company finished with them, they peed all over their top tier work.
I mean the piss will probably help grow a plant and bear fruit, but why are artists beating each other over having crazy standards to join these company's when they are pretty okay with discarding us once we don't matter anymore to their profit margin?
We should flood them with the worst art we can possibly make though honestly I don't think they really cared about how good our art actually was.
The artists in the company's set those standards because of how much they loved the company that pretty much stabbed them in the back.
I still feel that its important to better ourselves as artists, but its vital to realise that this is an industry using us as a resource and many companies can be much worse at doing this than others.
Our being top tier likely meant nothing to the company's bottom line.
This was an interesting thread,
https://x.com/wyrmforge/status/1749629559233032229?s=20
Starts with the ex-employee in tears and some ghoul suggested they go work in fast food.
To be honest, I don't think though that it will be difficult for those laid off who have years of experience to find work, but if they've been with riot for this long they really ought to consider starting their own studios since it wouldn't be very difficult to acquire funding given their profile.
Still don't think there is merit in making rip off garbage like Palworld which is more an exercise in influencer marketing than game development.
A collection of linkedin posts worth looking into,
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7155588677773996032?updateEntityUrn=urn:li:fs_updateV2:(urn:li:activity:7155588677773996032,FEED_DETAIL,EMPTY,DEFAULT,false)
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7155579839624687616?updateEntityUrn=urn:li:fs_updateV2:(urn:li:activity:7155579839624687616,FEED_DETAIL,EMPTY,DEFAULT,false)
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7155151456629583872?updateEntityUrn=urn:li:fs_updateV2:(urn:li:activity:7155151456629583872,FEED_DETAIL,EMPTY,DEFAULT,false)
Video game developers union membership in UK soars after thousands laid offhttps://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/jan/20/video-game-developers-union-membership-in-uk-soars-after-thousands-laid-off
https://publish.obsidian.md/vg-layoffs/Archive/2023
Layoffs in numbers;
2022: 8,500
2023: 10,500
According to Kotaku its 5,800 layoffs with just 25 days into 2024.
From the website - "Microsoft is laying off 1,900 employees at Activision Blizzard and Xbox this week. While Microsoft is primarily laying off roles at Activision Blizzard, some Xbox and ZeniMax employees will also be impacted by the cuts.
The cuts work out to roughly 8 percent of the overall Microsoft Gaming division that stands at around 22,000 employees in total. The Verge has obtained an internal memo from Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer that confirms the layoffs:"
All you were, was their basic b****
Given blizzard was involved, I wonder if being accomodating of sexual favors demanded by upper management helped with retention. But unless you're really able to stretch that tongue all the way to Microsoft its probably not likely.
My friend at sledgehammer heard about it on social media, and was laid off while working.
Now he has to give them back their computer which was the only thing really top tier (spec wise)
The decision was made by upper management, so nearly all of sledgehammer toronto is gutted.
I though they might have remained since Ontario gives grants to studios, though only ubisoft has that grant and it had lost many of its senior artists to sledgehammer (poor retention policy)
Why doesn't the industry unionise? We have senior staff working 15 years losing their jobs and they should have had the pull to unionise their teams.
I do hope they atleast seriously look at setting up their own studios.
This is a cool approach here in montreal, does come with its challenges.
https://www.vice.com/en/article/8xybb4/giving-workers-equal-power-isnt-radical-this-studios-done-it-for-years
I may have distracted the thread a little with that remark. To be clear, at least from what I saw, it's ostensibly money-saving because they stretched themselves too thin. AI wasn't mentioned that I saw; I was just speculating as it's been a growing concern ever since it really blew up. Even ignoring that, with a lot of people all over getting laid off, it seems like it's going to make it really difficult to get started, or even for those with a track record just trying to snag a job with so much fresh competition.
With these mass layoffs going on it just pushes the non-experienced even further down the foodchain. Studios looking to replace the low end of the pipeline with AI makes it worse. Then to top it off a huge portion, maybe even most, of the available 3D artist positions are only for seniors and leads. So basically if your a new guy with no experience whatsoever, your probably screwed trying to get in unless you know someone or you have an incredible wow factor to get someone's attention.
This is largely why I got out. Granted I was on the concept art side of things but after my job let me go without any warning which seems to be fairly common for artists in the gaming industry, I saw the writing on the wall for this type of stuff career wise. I've never experienced crunch despite working for 2 studios so I guess I'm lucky in that regard, but can you imagine crunching for most of those months then getting laid off? Its a no brainer why so many artists quit the industry and for ones who do choose to go back they do it either from a freelance standpoint or run their own studio. IMO there's not much of a future in a field like that where your constantly laid off every few months no matter how good you are or what company you go with.
You know, if it were a lot easier to simply just be an artist who got to make a living working in their own private studio doing whatever kind of art they liked....I would wager the vast majority of studio artists, as in like 70-80% or more, would not be in the industry.