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The games industry sucks (www.youtube.com)

submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by dustyData@lemmy.world to c/games@lemmy.world

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Same title as the video. Game dev writer Alanah Pierce offers her POV on the recent layoffs from Epic Games.

This is one of the few industries that consistently and continuously posts record profits while also firing everyone who put in the work to make the success possible.

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[-] mosiacmango@lemm.ee 113 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Alanah is a great creator. She worked for IGN as a reporter for years, then at Funhaus as a host/editor, and finally broke into games writing, which was her goal for a long time. She also hosts an excellent cross discipline gaming podcast with gaming actors/musicians/devs talking about all things gaming.

Shes seen the industry from every angle. Its telling that her conclusion as a whole is "this is fucked."

[-] dojan@lemmy.world 95 points 1 year ago

I don't think you need that much insight to see that the whole institution is fucked.

Rampant "frat bro" culture
Frequent cases of sexual harrassment, and assault
Cases of suicide
Cases of burnout
Layoffs like clockwork
Often deliver rubbish products
Frequently employs consumer-hostile and manipulative tactics

What is even the point, really? Maybe I'm an outlier but I don't feel like the AAA gaming industry provides enough good to warrant all the crap they put their workers through, and the way the ~~sentient wallets~~ customers are treated.

[-] money_loo@lemmy.world 39 points 1 year ago

The point is to make as much money as possible while paying the workers as little as is possible. Same as it ever was.

They could always pay us more, but we’re just supposed to be happy they aren’t sending the Pinkertons to shoot our women and children anymore, I guess?

[-] dojan@lemmy.world 9 points 1 year ago

By asking "what's the point" I meant less "what's their goals" and more "what benefit do they serve?"

I'd love for some big swoop to just upend the entire industry. Create better conditions for the workers. Stop the companies from stealing from artists. Have actual consequences for nepotism, corruption, and abuse of power. Like crunch and all that BS is just expected as though it is because of the job, but it's not, it's because of the system.

[-] money_loo@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I guess the “benefit” they serve is to increase the payout % for the people at the top of the ladder and their goal is to do that until the breaking point that some higher up takes the blame and they fall with a golden parachute before landing at another company exactly the same as the last one.

Rinse and repeat until you’re Summering on a yacht? Seems pretty straightforward to me.

[-] WHYAREWEALLCAPS@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Yeah, all that you described? That's what a union does. points at WGA They did it against some of the biggest multimedia companies. The only people who are going to fix the gaming industry are the workers and that takes a union.

[-] dojan@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Yeah I live in a country where pretty much everyone is unionised. What I described is standard here. It could be over there too.

[-] kromem@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago

She's been great for a long time. One of the few people with public comments on the industry that has a really great intuitive grasp on the business side of it.