It’s not unique but the games industry is worse than most.
There’s a natural cycle to the development of a video game that’s very atypical for most software products, involving a long slow ramp up of workforce followed by (unless you’ve been very very careful) a total lack of anything productive for 95% of any of those people to do for the forseeable future. What to do? Toss 'em on the street, that’s what to do. Then couple that with it being a glitzy career that will attract lots of replacements for any of the hapless people you fired, which also applies to any way you want to abuse your employees or underpay them, and you have a recipe for lots and lots of abuse.
followed by (unless you’ve been very very careful) a total lack of anything productive for 95% of any of those people to do for the forseeable future
It amazes me these game companies putting out game after game don’t simply reassign these people to a future game. These are your seasoned veterans, they know how to do their job. Laying them off and picking up newbies just sets you up for a rocky future.
Unionization is also super uncommon at these game development companies. Would definitely help prevent layoffs. True for every industry again, but they are underrepresented here.
I’m sure you didn’t mean to imply that unionization NEVER prevents or at least helps to prevent spurious mass layoffs, since that would make you a total imbecile about how labor relations in general and collective bargaining in particular works or at best an otherwise rational victim of gaslighting disinformation campaigns carried out on behalf of the people doing the layoffs.
Yes, but the game industry has faced severe layoffs the last couple years while profits soar ever higher and higher and executives get bigger boats. So it’s relevant.
Almost none of this is unique to the gaming industry; it’s all symptoms of under-regulated capitalism.
It’s not unique but the games industry is worse than most.
There’s a natural cycle to the development of a video game that’s very atypical for most software products, involving a long slow ramp up of workforce followed by (unless you’ve been very very careful) a total lack of anything productive for 95% of any of those people to do for the forseeable future. What to do? Toss 'em on the street, that’s what to do. Then couple that with it being a glitzy career that will attract lots of replacements for any of the hapless people you fired, which also applies to any way you want to abuse your employees or underpay them, and you have a recipe for lots and lots of abuse.
It amazes me these game companies putting out game after game don’t simply reassign these people to a future game. These are your seasoned veterans, they know how to do their job. Laying them off and picking up newbies just sets you up for a rocky future.
Unionization is also super uncommon at these game development companies. Would definitely help prevent layoffs. True for every industry again, but they are underrepresented here.
Unionization doesn’t prevent layoffs. It’s clear you have never been in a union.
It does not but the game industry has a lot of parallel to the movie industry l where some parts are very unionized.
Unions are important for gig/contract work or else workers get abused and its a race to the bottom.
Fixed that for you.
I’m sure you didn’t mean to imply that unionization NEVER prevents or at least helps to prevent spurious mass layoffs, since that would make you a total imbecile about how labor relations in general and collective bargaining in particular works or at best an otherwise rational victim of gaslighting disinformation campaigns carried out on behalf of the people doing the layoffs.
It doesn’t always, but it can. I have been in a union. But thanks for assuming you know anything about me douchebag.
Their name is Teddie K. They’re a fascist who at best might have an eco in front.
Yes, but the game industry has faced severe layoffs the last couple years while profits soar ever higher and higher and executives get bigger boats. So it’s relevant.