'I Stopped Believing in Myself': Game Developers Share the Human Impact of Over a Year

Mass layoffs happen for all kinds of reasons, be it because of a bad financial bet, a failed game, a deal falling through, poor planning, or any number of other things.

[BrainSyphoned]

Fuck these people. They made way too much money and deserved to be laid off. Lie in a gutter or go fucking work a retail job.

"Both times I felt incredibly gutted," one person said. "The first time, it felt like a reality of capitalism that I was expecting, but the second being so close to the first, it was like, 'We really are just cogs in the machine.'"

[SegaSaturn669]

Layoffs happen all the time, nobody is immune, im sure their expertise will come in handy as sandwich artists.

[Popsicle]

Serious question, why are you angry at these people?

[isarai]

Correction Publishers "made way too much money" Devs can make good money but whether the game makes millions or billions their pay is the same unless they are given bonuses based on sales which is not everyone.

[thorstein]

User name checks out.

These in the chair devs just earned over 400 million dollars in profit for their company on 1 title: Spider Man 2.

They should not be laid off. They should be given bonuses.

You should seek help.

[Unknown_Gamer5794]

Implying you think the people getting laid off are the ones making the big bucks? I think I can spot who doesn’t know how capitalism works.

Also, even if they did well for themselves, I fail to see how providing us with entertainment should be punished like some kind of crime.

[jznrpg]

Being a cog in a machine is almost every job in a corporate workplace.

[ShwaaMan]

The f*** is the matter with the comments on here? What the f*** is the matter with you people?
Stop excusing everything away because “capitalism”. It’s the same bs when you people say “it’s just business it’s not personal”.

Like, somehow saying this quote excuses every bad behavior in the world when at its core this phrase is just your excuse for being a big piece of s*** because “money” is your God. I am so sick of listening to you a**holes come on comment sections acting like everyone else is stupid besides you. We ALL get it dips***s, it doesn’t make it better and it sure as hell STILL doesn’t make sense. Why don’t you people have any compassion? Are you sociopaths? Is that too big of a word for you?

[Popsicle]

I believe it goes back to the old cliche of “misery loves company.” The lack of compassion is most likely coming from those who have not been able to find “success” or are generally unfulfilled. It makes them feel better when they see someone experiencing hardship or a lack of success. It’s sad and unfortunately part of the human condition.

[ShwaaMan]

This is absolutely 100%
Thanks for sharing, it’s early morning and I clicked on the article and I see 3/3 comments excusing this away and just being plain old fashioned A holes about it and it ticked me off. I digress.

[ralphito84]

You got right. Layoffs never be a good thing in any industry and it's not a good situation to be confronted for any kind of employees, cause they have family to feed as well ( like everyone). But if someone enjoying their self about that it's a very bad thing and a heartless attitude because the developers are human.

Sometimes loosing a job can make someone being depressed, making suicide, loosing his wife , loosing his house and many more.

[anast]

Some of it is that, but you can't deny the lack of action all these developers took while others around them were getting replaced.

[Unknown_Gamer5794]

Yeah, well, those who wish ill on others just because their lives suck are unlikely to get any more sympathy from others than they give. I’m not going to say anyone deserves misery, but if misery wants good company, they really ought to be nicer to people.

[aaronaton]

Sorry but this latest generation of game developers are simply not good enough. The talented people are now in upper management or even retired.
Thai latest generation just wanna get paid a shit load for doing bang average work.

[isarai]

So you work in the field?

[anast]

Uneasy reasoning. Some people that do the job can't tell whether or not their work is good, which is why they need outside assessments. Moreover, if only the people that work in those jobs have a voice, then the consumers don't have a voice. Imagine having to stay silent because you are not a president. Any way, a similar line of thinking has been happening in the academic journal industry. This is why most published papers are tripe nowadays.

[thorstein]

They are "not good enough." They just earned 400 million (Spider Man 2) in profit for their company. They got laid off as a reward. What is good enough in your book?

[stupidusername]

@aaronaton
Lol, that’s a whole lot of bs. How do you even believe that?

[Umb]

To be fair there are some really talented people in their field, but layoff happens in tough economic conditions. No industry is really immune to this challenges, maybe except politician, who for some weird reason gets pay rises!?

I'm sure there are also pleanty of people who should not be in their roles because I've seen some really questionable people get roles that they are clearly should not be in.

[anast]

It sucks they are struggling, but as their coworkers were getting picked apart, they did nothing but step in and get that money, and now it's their turn. The same way they took a spot from someone else is the same way they are going to be replaced.

[Demetrius]

Crazy how higher up bosses or whatever they wana call themselves in their own minds, force devs into making dead on arrival multiplayer only games, once a gaas game fail then they throw folks off board smh sh** ain't fair mane I hope someday soon some folks get together soon and create their own game from what they vision instead of being forced to create mobile games on full blown gaming consoles smh ridiculous mane, the lil CEO and their lil buddies get to keep the spots they have while receiving their bonuses smh

[RhinoGamer88]

What is galling to me, and is a fault of greed capitalism, are the Executives when they are fired/laid off...receive massive payoffs (golden parachutes).