Recent layoffs at BioWare, the creators behind the eagerly awaited Dragon Age: The Veilguard, have sparked widespread discussion about the current state of the gaming industry. These layoffs have brought to light the challenges developers face and the broader implications for game development.
Michael Daus, the publishing director of Larian Studios, has been vocal on social media about the issue of layoffs within the industry. He emphasizes the importance of valuing employees and suggests that accountability should rest with decision-makers rather than the workforce. According to Daus, it's possible to avoid laying off significant portions of the development team between or after projects, which is essential for retaining institutional knowledge crucial for future endeavors.
Daus critiques the common corporate justification of "trimming the fat" or reducing redundancies, especially under financial pressure. He argues that this approach underscores the unnecessary aggressive efficiency often pursued by large corporations. While he acknowledges that such measures might be justified if companies consistently released successful titles, he firmly believes that aggressive layoffs are not the solution but rather an extreme form of cost-cutting.
He points out that the strategies developed by those at the top of the corporate hierarchy are the root of the problem, yet it's the employees at the bottom who bear the brunt of these decisions. Daus humorously suggests that video game companies should be managed like pirate ships, where the captain—symbolizing the decision-makers—would be held accountable for the ship's direction and success.
