220°

CD Projekt Red devs unionise after its third round of layoffs in three months

Having a union means having more security, transparency, better protection, and a stronger voice in times of crisis.

Read Full Story >>
eurogamer.net
senorfartcushion214d ago (Edited 214d ago )

Good for them

We are in the age of the Worst. Businessmen. Ever.

period.

porkChop214d ago (Edited 214d ago )

CD Projekt owns GOG. They're basically raking in cash from digital distribution. How can their dev teams not be safe from layoffs?

SimpleSlave214d ago

Because the more the company make the more the ones at the top want to make. So they just Layoff people and pass on their work to the rest. Thus making the devs overworked, tired, mentally and physically exhausted and afraid to do or say anything because the can be next. And they know there is a plethora of up and comers that would do anything to get their job.

Hope this helps them turn it around.

RedDevils214d ago

Hope all of the dev drop them at the same time.

Double_O_Revan214d ago

It's not always that simple. The biggest problem with these stories is, people just hear the word 'layoffs' and assume they just went and fired a bunch of random people for no reason. When in reality, it's cutting back unnecessary positions after a game is completed. Usually, this means play testers or other departments they don't have a current use for.

Cyberpunk is now wrapping up and they currently don't have another project in that stage of development. Witcher 4 is easily a few years away. So all the play testers they had working on 2077 are no longer needed. A lot of the time those jobs are contract work anyway. In a perfect world, they would try and keep everyone, maybe move them to another department. But if your only skill is play testing or art design, what are they supposed to do with you?

I don't agree with the practice at all, and I'm glad they are deciding to unionize. But the reality is, game development takes a long LONG time and it could be years at a studio before certain positions, or at least the number of positions in a department are needed again. You can't keep people around you can't use.

Huey_My_D_Long213d ago

Because only shareholders profit matter in our current system. Sounds like we need a change

anast214d ago

That union leader is counting their cash as we speak. Sadly, it's the only option unless the workers actually revolted, but no one wants that for very good reasons.

Tankbusta40214d ago

This is what Cyberpunk failure does to your company....

70°

Game Developers Have Begun Confirming Nintendo Switch 2 Support

Game developers have already started to confirm that they will support the Nintendo Switch 2 with their future titles.

Read Full Story >>
twistedvoxel.com
200°

Microsoft Is Finally Ending Its Focus On Big Budget Gaming Nonsense

Back when the Xbox 360 launched, Microsoft pushed the big budget game as a differentiator. Following all the recent layoffs, it’s clear this strategy has run its course.

Einhander19722h ago(Edited 2h ago)

The Microsoft shill take on the Microsoft causing the death of big budget gaming...

The whole driving force for growth in gaming both technologically, creatively and financially was all nonsense, and it was definitely not because Microsoft ran the industry into the ground with obviously bad decisions and creating an unprofitable business model that massively disrupted consumer spending habits. /s

RpgSama1h ago

First, F**** Forbes and their shill take, I hope the money cleared by now.

Second, Which big budget games I might ask? Microsoft has been in a rut for like a decade now, with no big publisher and developers puechases they would have not released anything in the last 5 years but the new Halo and Forza.

Hofstaderman2h ago

Ah Forbes. One of the prominent MS mouthpieces....

Luc202h ago

Microsoft is finally... ahhh I've never heard this one before!

Petebloodyonion2h ago

LOL, this article is a big pile of dog crap...
Spencer has been constantly telling ppl that NO they would not go the route of having games like TLOU, Uncharted, etc because Playstation exists and prefers to focus on a diverse portfolio.

How many years have we seen Xbox as no game and we don't want small games like ORI, Pentiment, Grounded, etc.?

That's the real tragedy and why lots of gamers are mad at MS right now
because they have been championing smaller titles and yet fired the ppl delivering exactly what they were proning about.

So no the only nonsense is that MS seems now to be going BACK to AAA popular titles..sorry, I meant refocusing effort on core established IP where broken GAAS might be rewarded versus praised and rewarded work.

Einhander19721h ago(Edited 1h ago)

https://media1.tenor.com/m/...

You read an article cheerleading the end of big budget games and all the other articles about problems and this is what you have to say? That's what you think "the real tragedy" is?

I thought that xbox fans might finally "get it", but no, it seems they don't even understand what is happening and what is at stake.

crazyCoconuts2h ago

Hurray! No more big gam.... wait... what??

Show all comments (19)
270°

Ninja Theory trends on X as gamers fear for studio following Tango Gameworks closure

Following the closure of 4 studios, many are now worried for the future of Ninja Theory once Hellblade 2 is released.

Read Full Story >>
videogamer.com
Sonic18816h ago(Edited 6h ago)

How is it going to sell well when it's also releasing on gamepass 🤔

Sephiroushin6h ago

Meant better to sell the studio and not closing it 🤦🏻 not to sell more games….
and games are sold anyways, you can buy it on xbox (not recommended if you got gamepass) but many pc gamers prefer to buy on steam than deal with the xbox app or pc gamepass!

On a side note to OP, the sales of studios wont happen though, especially when they want to retain the IPs, and well nobody is gonna buy a studios without its IPs; the other publishers that want a certain dev from the studio that are closing on their team can try to grab them as soon as they see they notice of the studio.

RaidenBlack4h ago(Edited 4h ago)

@Sephiroushin
Well hypothetically speaking, Ninja Theory can be sold to Sony at a lower rate sans the Hellblade IP.
Sony can then welcome them to work on the Heavenly Sword IP, which they still own.
Will be a nice proposition for Sony who can continue to offer a God of War-like hack n slash in their portfolio via Heavenly Sword 2, whilst Cory Barlog & co. decides to take a break from the God of War IP & venture some other genres.
On top of that, Ninja Theory was also interested in a sequel to Enslaved: Odyssey to the West and such Sony can come to a deal with Namco Bandai regarding the Enslaved IP.

Lightning771d ago

Because they're next come next year. HB2 won't hit some impossible metric within MS so they're getting axed in 2025. Leave gaming now MS.

XiNatsuDragnel16h ago

Ninja theory might as well be gone in 2025 at this rate

notachance7h ago

Every xbox studio is in danger now because there’s just no way they’re gonna rake in big money from game sales because of gamepass, even CoD was rumored to not come to gamepass because it would canibalize their sales number.

neutralgamer19925h ago

If they are smart they don’t put COD on GP day one. It’s one of the best selling games on yearly basis

Hofstaderman5h ago

Satya will make sure that doesnt happen. As you rightly put it; why kill the cash cow?

But then again, it is MS after all.....

thesoftware7301h ago

I agree and disagree. They should not put it on GP, but CoD makes real money from the overpriced MTX that people buy for over a year. They also have it all linked up to the Mobile CoD, which will incentivize Twitch spending from consumers.

-Foxtrot2h ago

Also if you punish a studio for releasing a great critically acclaimed game which won some awards then what chance does anyone have

Elda1h ago

After this mess, I highly doubt the next installment of COD will be on Gamepass day one. It'll probably land on Gamepass 6 months after release date.

Rynxie7h ago(Edited 7h ago)

Ninja theory games were never big sellers. I could be wrong, but I doubt hellblade 2 will sell millions. I would rather they go independent and make heavenly sword 2.

solideagle7h ago(Edited 7h ago)

heavenly sword is Sony owned IP. this will never happen as original didn't sell enough...

Wikipedia: "In 2008, it was reported that a sequel to Heavenly Sword was in-development at SCE Studio Cambridge, but was canceled due to Sony no longer seeing it as a commercially viable product"

Flewid6381h ago(Edited 1h ago)

I remember. I feel like the amount of time & technology that has passed would make a sequel a big seller now. The game has enough legacy recognition to build hype.

Show all comments (39)