Recent layoffs at BioWare, the studio behind Dragon Age: The Veilguard, have sparked a wider conversation about the current state of the gaming industry. Larian Studios' publishing director, Michael Daus, has again taken to social media to address this issue, emphasizing the importance of valuing employees and holding leadership accountable for job losses.
Daus argues that significant layoffs between or after projects are avoidable. He stresses the critical role of retaining institutional knowledge within development teams for future projects. While acknowledging the financial pressures that sometimes necessitate "trimming the fat," he questions the aggressive efficiency strategies employed by large corporations, suggesting they are often unnecessary. This approach, he contends, is only viable if a company consistently releases successful titles. Otherwise, layoffs are a drastic and ultimately ineffective cost-cutting measure.
Daus points out that the strategic decisions made by upper management are the root cause of these problems, yet the burden always falls on lower-level employees. He uses the analogy of a pirate ship, where the captain would be the first to be thrown overboard in times of crisis, suggesting that video game companies should adopt a similar approach to accountability.
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