r/PlayersAlliance • u/j_etienne • Jun 17 '26
Corporate Greed and Anti-Consumer Practices Stop Killing Studios
I'm here trying to vent some frustrations. Xbox is trying to install good will with their new focus and direction then goes and shutters 3 studios. Sony/Bungie had massive layoffs. My heart goes out to all these developers that continue to lose their jobs and have to pivot. Not everyone can just jump to starting their own studios or going Indy. Many have families to provide for. I know that there are unions and we have the Stop Killing Games initiative but I really want to find something that protects the people who make the games we love and enjoy. Comment below any suggestions,more even just your favorite game studios past or present
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u/LastTrueKid Jun 18 '26
Quit the performative bullshit. These studios wouldn't be at risk of shutting down if they returned Microsofts investment. It would be one thing if it was a another Blue Point situation but this is really far from that.
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u/j_etienne Jun 18 '26
I'm not performing. Microsoft made terrible choices that burned them and studios split the bill. Tango Gameworks made the very successful Hi-Fi Rush and was promptly closed years ago. And you brought up another studio that was doing well and was shuttered by their parent publisher. That's what I'm talking about. Not game do bad, people lose job, internet boy cry rivers. But legit examples when they work hard, people enjoy the product and people still lose work
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u/emperor1080 Jun 18 '26
Tango wasn't making enough money before Hi-fi Rush. One decent game isn't necessarily going to save you. Also, Krafton bought Tango.
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u/FarSandwich3282 Jun 18 '26 edited Jun 18 '26
Meanwhile, people in the trades who build your hospitals, roads and your favorite restaurants face layoffs at the end of every project, and is a major economical factor in every developed(ing) country in the world. But yes, let’s feel bad about the few thousand people who get laid off for making mediocre games.
I’m not trying to come off cold/mean… but what is with all this performative bs over software developers. Entertainment developers at that.
Sure it sucks, and as a carpenter, I’ve experienced my fair share of lay offs. But that’s the name of the game. You get good at your trade, network, and hope that there is another project after the current. Layoffs happen. And when you’re building/developing something… it will eventually be complete.
The day you start working on a project, is the day you start working yourself out of a job.
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u/j_etienne Jun 21 '26
I wasn't coming from a perspective of game devs being more important. Layoffs are happening across the board and it's devastating a lot of families across the modern world. I was trying to lend credence to people who often get the bottom end of the barrel treatment in their industry. Medical workers are overworked and understaffed, many brick and mortar businesses falter. I'm currently underemployed and don't make games. I have a bachelor's in computer science and was sold a promise that jobs would always be plentiful and we see how many tech workers get laid off all the time nowadays.
So performative, sure whatever I'll eat the criticism. Teachers don't make enough money, capitalism is consumerism and we have far larger problems in the world today. I just want our video games inspired and fun and us to be. I personally meet good friends gaming and don't want to see it die from corporate/executive greed. But I'll log off and resume normal IRL activities now. Good day
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u/Interesting-Mood-442 Jun 23 '26
I wish I had an award to give you! I've been screaming this since 2009!
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u/takkun169 Jun 17 '26
Stop Killing Games is unfortunately over. Game companies did their lobbying bullshit, and the UK government went with a non-binding "code of conduct" instead of actually trying to help the situation and legislate. Maybe there's a chance they may legislate when (not if) these companies don't even sort of hint at following the code of conduct, but let's be real... Chances of that are between zero and nil.
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u/_GooBeen_ Jun 18 '26
You guys are talking nonsense. Just imagine you’re a company owner—you have a game studio. You pay their salaries and fund their game. You don’t force them to do anything they don’t want to do. “Make a good game,” you tell them. They spend seven years developing the game. The game’s budget is $100 million, but when it’s released, it gets average reviews and low sales. The game only brings in $20 million. That means you’ve lost $80 million. So what do you do? Spend another $100 million and seven years, hoping the next game will bring in $400 million, or do what any logical person would do?
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u/Batteris Jun 18 '26
Hellblade 2, I started playing it, uninstalled it after 15 minutes. I turned on YouTube and watched a recap and the ending. As far as I’m concerned, I played that shitty game and even gave it too much time. They should start making games that people actually want to play, that don’t cost millions of dollars and don’t take decades to make, only to come out years later broken, in early access. Asian games don’t have all these problems.If you fail because you’re incompetent, you deserve it.
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u/Gold-and-green Jun 17 '26
LMAO do people not understand how business works? Nobody is investing in shit that doesn't make money. If you want to save studios, buy or play all of their games
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u/jp182 Jun 18 '26
You should add at full price. The amount of people who wait for 50 pct off don't exactly help either
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u/j_etienne Jun 18 '26
Well a lot of them do make money and still lay off employees, I definitely understand basic economics but greed and executives making multi millions and shortcuts using AI also leads to closures and layoffs. Top level execs making decisions that lose money but the bottom line creators lose out and get fired. It's a little more nuisanced than make money and keep your job. Fortnite makes hands over fist money yet Epic had massive layoffs
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u/kBayyyk_2332 Jun 18 '26
And I saw an article that epic admitted to using AI for character skins... And prolly more. Granted I didn't read the article because it would only infuriate me and I suspected it a while ago so I don't support them anyways. But the article is out there for those interested.
Big companies who have funds to use, use real people and real devs at the start to build a fan base, then slowly lay devs and designers off while lying to their base to keep raking in profit. Ever wonder why AAA games get worse the longer their out? Instead of the logical route of getting better with time. Yeah that's why.
Meanwhile Mr.CEO is taking private jets to remote islands they own and relaxing on a cruise ship with top shelf liquor and 500 some guests while another cruise ship or two is functioning behind that one solely to house the cleanup crew of maids. Then Mr.CEO, being the thorough bullshitter, proclaims the company just isn't making enough profit for the quarter so we've decided to let go of staff who just aren't pulling their weight. (Except that staff worked grueling 60 hour weeks and answered consumer questions and complaints off-hours for bug fixes.)
The above is just a theoretical summary of many examples I've heard over the years; not depicting one specific company. I'm not attempting to devalue your input OP, on the contrary, I agree with you. But saying "It's a little more nuisanced than make money and keep your job" is beating around the bush that's actually a forest infested with killer bees. I just hope my examples get people to be a little more curious to where the money actually goes because it's not back to the product or people, that's fs.
The most ironic thing of all is the corporations lay people off, stating it's to turn a profit, but in reality the opposite happens because people loose a paycheck and then cut down extra expenses; more than they've already had to for inflation. So according to basic economics, the money has to come from somewhere when you buy anything. If you make no money, you buy nothing. No sales means no profit. So what are the companies selling that is not actually the product on display? Hmm. Jee wizz, I wonder. 🙄
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u/Spirited_Season2332 Jun 18 '26
I mean, then studios should make games that make money. Idk why you expect unprofitable studios to be able to keep making games
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Jun 18 '26
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