360°

Blizzard workers furious after ‘demoralizing’ Q&A meeting

Blizzard president Mike Ybarra addressed ‘employee satisfaction,’ but made a lot of workers more angry

Vengeance1138473d ago

Making an already bad situation worse, sounds like Blizzard alright!

PapaBop472d ago

It pains me as a huge fan of Blizzard to see this.. this isn't Blizzard, this is Activision. Going by some of the stories this year, the way the company operates goes completely against the founders philosophy for the company.

Snookies12472d ago

Blizzard has been dead for a long time. Coming from someone that spent 15 years on WoW, and put in tens of thousands of hours into Diablo. I will NOT support Diablo 4, despite it being one of my most anticipated games not too long ago.

So glad FF XIV more than filled the void of leaving WoW behind. Never knew I actually wanted good story in an MMO until Realm Reborn.

XiNatsuDragnel473d ago

Blizzard at it again with the worsening your situation.

Orchard473d ago

I'll never really understand (or agree with) the push to get people back into offices. Yes, the start of COVID was bumpy and a lot of games were delayed as studios transitioned to remote work, which required IT infrastructure changes etc. But it's now under control, and the industry hasn't burnt to the ground.

So just let people remote work, consider it a perk for your staff, and then you get to save on real estate, utilities & facilities costs.

1Victor472d ago

Orchard: “So just let people remote work, consider it a perk for your staff “
Sure why not reduce the employees bonuses by 42%, while you at it give your buddies executives a no decrease on their bonuses while the company made profit

Orchard472d ago

Please show me where I said that. I guess reading comprehension isn’t your strong point.

senorfartcushion472d ago

It’s not even much of a perk because they’re still “working” from home 😂

If they won’t let workers work from home, then all they need to do is refuse to work in the offices in unison.

esherwood472d ago

It blows my mind so many people think showing up to work is a big deal. If it’s a good job there’s plenty of hungry people looking to stand out that will gladly show up.

senorfartcushion472d ago

Esherwood.

Nobody is talking about showing up for work, they’re taking about how they work. Remote Vs office.

Those hungry people don’t get to work in the offices at all and can only work remotely. You can’t exactly apply for Sony Santa Monica while living in Ohio can you, especially not in this day and age.

472d ago
1Victor472d ago (Edited 472d ago )

Oops by bad about the 42% cut it apply to executive too I had the article in reader mode listening to it while brushing my teeth 🤷🏿 I guess next time I’ll raise the volume 🤣 over the the electric toothbrush noice.
Unlike you I admit when I’m wrong tho instead of reflecting with the classic they do it too

Roarke472d ago

Its very hard to make good games with remote players only… for remote works, culture is different, you cannot play together, brainstorm things, team is not bonded together, its very hard to motivate ppl through screens,etc… games are not commodities , its one of the most creative business, very hard, fulll of wrong ways, prototypes, iterations, etc.. every department has to find best way to achieve it together, you cannot completely split it…

artgamer472d ago

Sorry but that's a really silly take. Do you work in the industry?
Game companies have been working with remote workers for as long as there has been a gaming industry. Ever heard of outsourcing?

Hardly any succesful game was ever made without it.

sinspirit472d ago

Remote work has added productivity to many other fields. People tend to enjoy and be happier at home than to deal with a commute and pay for gas, wake up earlier, plan, etcetera. Yes, sometimes we need physical interaction and visuals in person, but this does not need to be an everyday thing at all.

Roarke471d ago (Edited 471d ago )

@artgamer yes, since 2000, used to work on AAA, indies stuff, different positions from low level to too management, than back to indie and again to top…

Outsourcing is great, remote is great… but you have to have core team working together, committed to achieve somethibg great…

But again it depending on what you want… if something great, innovative or avarage or cash cow…

Ask yourself as player what you want ;)

You just cannot have everything, remote means more money, it less effective, its less creative, it means less loyalty to team, more investment need higher returns, higher returns means higher monetization, higher monetization need bigger marker, bigger market need more casual players, more casual players need more shallow gameplay

it’s businesses, you need to be in black numbers or you are death..

sinspirit471d ago

@roarke

You talk a lot like you know about this stuff but I really don't think you understand. You just say some things are this way or that way without thinking why that is or what the people really want. Productivity goes up with remote work done right. So does reach for skilled employees that don't live nearby. Having remote work setups also means less issues with sick days and missing days of work for other reasons. Most people are more creative in their own dens with their own privacy and creative space. While it is beneficial to sometimes be in the office or building and around people, it is not the amazing creative river you seem to think it is. What is most productive is predominantly remote work and a certain amount of days going to work in person a month.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 471d ago
CobraKai472d ago

I feel more productive working at home. I don’t have to get up at the ass crack of dawn to get beat 1.5-2 hrs traffic, then get to my office 1 hr early. Then hit 2hr traffic after a 12-14 hour day. I think working in an office shouldn’t be mandatory if the work can be done just as effectively remotely.

esherwood472d ago

If it really was more productive they’d do it, I’m sure there productivity during Covid was way down which is why they want people to actually show up to work

INMATEofARKHAM472d ago

It doesn't come down to pure productivity... These companies have a lot of money tied up in rent/real estate and if the productivity boost isn't enough to cover those costs then, yeah, companies ate going to want to see those facilities used.

The article says a couple of times a week. TBT, I don't find that unreasonable.

ikarodemon472d ago

I can give you my opinion as a worker and Team Leader in the games industry. People work and develop much better in the office compared to remote work.

onisama472d ago

Yeah and that under control is lot of game delays and decline in quality... Japan studios and the ones with actual presence are the ones working truelly
I was working from home too and i admit that i was less productive and so others too everything moves slower
You need to be at a professional environment and be under manager to control work progress... In presence is never the same as distante... Distant contact isnt the best for human... In any term prof rolationships or education

Knushwood Butt472d ago

My manager has been remote for about 7 or 8 years. My current manager is in another country. Doesn't affect my productivity one bit.

Eonjay472d ago

Have to agree with you here. The counter point people make about the value of face to face interaction is completely subjective and somewhat overrated in the end.

Crows90472d ago

Working form home is poison for most companies. Work shouldnt be at home. People have a hard enough time separation work life from personal.

The ability to work from home also opens the flood gates for a ton of employer abuse.

GamerRN472d ago

Yeah but you lose on productivity...

frostypants472d ago (Edited 472d ago )

Remote work is great when the workers already are familiar with each other and work well together, but it's hard to develop that in the first place if entirely remote. It is much more difficult with new employees, and as time goes by the remote thing gets more challenging as employee turnover happens. I don't think being in the office every day is necessary, but at least a couple.

+ Show (9) more repliesLast reply 471d ago
senorfartcushion472d ago

Get the punishment started then.

Make them pay.

472d ago
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160°

Why is Steam Blocked in Vietnam? Government Shares Reason

Finally, the Vietnamese government has officially responded to Steam being blocked in the country.

Read Full Story >>
spieltimes.com
blacktiger1d 13h ago

AMAZING! Thank You Gabe, stand for freedom of speech!!!!

PRIMORDUS1d 13h ago

VPN to buy games, fuck that if it's allowed or not, or just use a VPN and torrent what you can.

seanpitt231d 1h ago

I just cannot believe we haven't had a game from them this generation nearly 4 years in.. crazy!

Knightofelemia1d 6h ago

If the game is crap then yes there will always be negative feedback it comes with the territory. It's called word of mouth or welcome to the internet. Where the truth about a game comes out really fast whether the game is good or crap. If you can't handle the criticism because of a game then why publish the game. Why should people who never criticized or even played the game be punished? Vietnam has some really screwed up laws block Steam because they don't answer us rule. And going on a witch hunt with Steam please. Where's the proof, where's the evidence of this witch hunt. Somebody is butt hurt and has a Vietnamese Karen leading the witch hunt.

250°

Take-Two CEO Doesn’t Think AI Will Reduce Employment or Dev Costs; “Stupidest Thing” He’s Heard

Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick doesn't think AI will reduce employment or lower development costs, and calls it "stupidest thing" he's ever heard.

lodossrage2d ago (Edited 2d ago )

They already have AI trained to do coding.......

How he thinks it's stupid is beyond me, Especially since we see it happening in real time.

CS72d ago

Company A has 300 employees and lays of 200 to replace them with AI to release the same quality game.

Company B has 300 employees and keeps all 300 but instead uses AI to release a game with dramatically larger scale, scope, complexity, short dev cycle etc.

Company B would release a dramatically better product by using humans + AI and consumers would buy the better game.

I actually agree with this concept.

Huey_My_D_Long2d ago (Edited 2d ago )

This is key facet. Its how the AI is used. It's actually is impressive as is and really would make an amazing addition to alot of people in their jobs, not just tech. It also has the potential for businesses to use to lay off large amounts of people, as much as they could to save money on labor. I hope too many companies don't go with the latter. But since usually companies are worried about bottom line over people...we will see some try and hopefully fail. But yeah, if its to help workers like in your company B scenario I'm totally down...Just scared Company A may be too enticing to some ceos and businesses.

Darkegg2d ago

Value of AI and value of humans will both be increased with human-AI complex. Each, by themselves, will not be independently better than the other. Whether AI will ever be independent from humans is the fear question of humans, ironically because of our doing. At this stage, most of the doing is because of humans, not because of AI. AI is doing exactly that by our design, until we have failed ourselves with an AI development that went awry. The biggest take is that humans have only ourselves to blame when things become wrong, and we have to decide what is the ultimate goal with AI we want to accomplish. It would take a person with high morals and high ethics to make right of AI. I would not want businessman to decide what AI should do or what capabilities it can have. AI should be in the hands of people with high moral fiber, or those operating on love, kindness, and compassion.

BlackOni2d ago

AI is SUPPOSED to be used as a tool, not a replacement. It's designed to do two important things artists can take advantage of immediately.

- Make the ideation/reference imaging process much quicker and easier (basically using it as a google search)
- Make mundane and time consuming tasks faster and easier so more time is spent on creation.

Unfortunately, what many have done is used it as a way to replace rather than supplement.

Einhander19722d ago (Edited 2d ago )

CS7

In the ideal world yes.

In the real world where companies have shown little desire to innovate and spent every effort to maximize profits the end result will be the same quality games (if were lucky) made by less people and more AI.

Company Real World: Fires 200 people and makes the same game cheaper using AI and the executives get record bonuses.

Edit:

Lets look at history, specifically auto manufacturing.

In the 70's and 80's the auto unions tried to oppose automation of jobs (robots) stating that they would take peoples jobs. And the people in charge who wanted to make more money said the exact same types of things that are being said about AI. But we can look at history and see that countless types of jobs were in fact replaced by automation, that was of course even compounded upon by computers.

The net effect was that the rich got richer less jobs were needed so wages were forced down by competition for the jobs that were left.

hombreacabado1d 19h ago

that concept works in the initial beginning phase of AI but once AI learns and surpasses the knowledge and coding expertise of even the best human employee than this CEO will no longer need competent humans in that line of work.

Extermin8or3_1d 17h ago

@Hue_My£D_Long

Yes but that is a choice then by massively increased productivity and this greater income and wealth and stagnating with similar levels of productivity and output and not creating much wealth. Usually the option that creates wealth prevails because a rising tide raises all ships.

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 1d 17h ago
Number1TailzFan2d ago

You can already make your own SFX with text prompts now as well, of course it will lower development cost and time

1Victor2d ago (Edited 2d ago )

WARNING WARNING ‼️ SARCASM AHEAD
Sure Strauss and robots didn’t take jobs from car factories.
Edit:Sad thing is he believes it and unfortunately he won’t be replaced for a long time by AI

senorfartcushion2d ago (Edited 2d ago )

He doesn't, he's just lying. These people lay people off so they can get bonuses. If AI takes jobs, their bonus goes bigger and the workforce goes smaller.

porkChop2d ago

Because he sees AI as a tool to aid development. He wants to use AI to help make bigger and better games in the same timeframe. Other CEOs want to replace devs with AI to cut costs and make lifeless games faster for a quick buck. Strauss has the right idea, this is how AI should be used. To extend and expand the capabilities of devs.

neutralgamer19921d 18h ago

There will be few companies who will go overboard and try to replace their employees with AI tech. The ones that will make the most money will be the ones that utilize ai, along with their employee talent, to make the best product possible

AI could handle some of the most time consuming processes. To expediate the development, so in return, costing the publisher's last money end time.

Extermin8or3_1d 17h ago

Not reliably they haven't. Coding done by ai is generally abysmal for all but the most generic tasks.

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 1d 17h ago
jambola2d ago

Ceo says stupid thing
Part 5837384

Zeref2d ago (Edited 2d ago )

I think maybe sometimes we give people in these positions too much credit when it comes to intelligence.

DarXyde1d 22h ago

I think you mean candor, not intelligence.

If you take him to mean what he's saying at face value, sure.

I don't. And I think he's clearly lying.

romulus232d ago

As long as it doesn't effect his inflated executive salary or his ridiculous bonuses I'm sure he's fine with it.

RNTody2d ago

Hahaha yeah trust the CEO suit over the actual developers making the games. Good one.

Show all comments (37)
100°

Every PlayStation Studios game available now on Windows PC

Windows Central writes: "Many PlayStation Studios games that are ported to PC get dedicated PS5 DualSense support, which allows users to experience haptic feedback and adaptive trigger support without actually having to own a PS5.

According to Hermen Hulst, head of PlayStation Studios, it's still the company's intent to launch the bigger single-player games on PS5 first, before later bringing the games to PC. This might not be the case for multiplayer games however, which are considered okay to launch simultaneously on console and PC."

Read Full Story >>
windowscentral.com
ocelot074d ago

My guess is after god of war. Probably last of us 2 that's a almost 4 year old game now and by the time it's released on pc it will be more than 4 years old or close to 5.

Elda3d ago

Every old Playstation game that is now on PC.

shinoff21833d ago

Right. I definitely see what a headlined from a website named windows central was trying to do though. It's cute little wordplay to help out the green box

Flewid63811h ago(Edited 11h ago)

They are a unique website for sure.

Flewid6383d ago

Are PlayStation games no longer good or worth playing once they are old?

Elda3d ago

I'm guessing my comment went over your head.

Flewid63818h ago

I'm guessing you were never really saying anything that made sense.

Elda18h ago

You're still ranting on an old article. Your comment to me 2 days ago didn't make any sense including this recent one. It's time to move on, get out of your basement & go on about life.

Flewid63811h ago

Ooof, I had no idea you were this down bad. Sorry to hear you hate life.

Ah well....stay salty! 👍

Elda9h ago

"You were this down bad" What does that even mean? LMFAO!! Please learn how to articulate words in sentences or better yet take some English classes.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 9h ago
XiNatsuDragnel3d ago

Good at least they can sell hardware