This after not a peep about Sony laying off 900, or 8% of ours global workforce on February.
Eh?
That sucky, seems like a rough time in the video game industry as a whole these days. I think DowninFlames recently posted about Humble getting wiped out the other day too. Lots of peeps on the chopping block it seems.
That sucky, seems like a rough time in the video game industry as a whole these days. I think DowninFlames recently posted about Humble getting wiped out the other day too. Lots of peeps on the chopping block it seems.
Yeah it's been rough in that industry, like many others, but I think the whole 5 to 7 year development cycles are starting to catch up to some of the bigger studios.
By the time the game is released, the tech it is built on is no longer the best available.
I won't be surprised to see smaller, shorter games getting released more often moving forward. The will always be the big, blockbuster, long in development games like GTA but There might need to be a shift for some studios.
I hope that the talent that gets released land on their feet; maybe do their own thing, their own studios, more indie games, and so forth. Publicly, you seem to see push back again the monetization routes, more single player stuff being positive, less "play our live game forever and we'll milk you with DLC stuff".
But then you see how MUCH ####ING MONEY comes from mobile gotcha stuff and it's kinda sad.
Maybe it's the way things are going though. I don't know.
I think it's a matter of companies need to stop being dumb. Like how does Bungie, a developer that makes one live service video game, even get to 1300 employees? What was everyone doing? If you would've asked me before today I would've thought 400 people was their entire staff.
I think it's a matter of companies need to stop being dumb. Like how does Bungie, a developer that makes one live service video game, even get to 1300 employees? What was everyone doing? If you would've asked me before today I would've thought 400 people was their entire staff.
Well there is a whole new Marathon game under development, but I agree. Even with a second game having that many employees is a bit much.
Rumors are out now that the planned Destiny 3 has been cancelled.
I think it's a matter of companies need to stop being dumb. Like how does Bungie, a developer that makes one live service video game, even get to 1300 employees? What was everyone doing? If you would've asked me before today I would've thought 400 people was their entire staff.
I think it's more what DownInFlames posted. We're living in an unprecedented era of corporate greed.
I think it's more what DownInFlames posted. We're living in an unprecedented era of corporate greed.
Sometimes I wonder if it's unprecedented or if it's just a logical waypoint on the capitalism path. We've A/B tested millions of things until we've landed on "mobile garbage tactics make billions."
Quote:
Originally Posted by DownInFlames
Yeah, someone asked them if they would reduce executive compensation to prevent layoffs and their response was, "We're not that kind of company."
#### that attitude. My money is going to go to indie developers who care about more than shareholder value.
I always find it odd that companies like this will lie directly to everybody's face and say "the experience of our players is our only priority" but then when asked about something they should definitely lie about, they suddenly lose the ability to twist their words. Would it have been so difficult to say "we're looking into all possibilities, but it could be difficult as that compensation is built into contracts, but we'll explore it" ?
This thread’s title is a bit of a dinosaur at this point, given that the discussion’s become far more about the platforms as a whole than the mere plastic boxes each company’s peddling. We could have closed the thread long ago otherwise, as Sony’s sales lead in that area isn’t narrow. But, Sony’s also seemingly been slower to wake up and smell the roses with the industry’s evolution toward a more platform-agnostic model for software and subscriptions, and is bound to face a minor reckoning at some point in terms of right-sizing/managing profitability.
Getting all myopic about 20-30 million extra boxes that Sony’s moved since these consoles launched - in a segment that doesn’t even traditionally make companies any money - is amusing to me. I’m not sure what the console space looks like 10 years from now, but Microsoft’s play to release more of their software on competing platforms is surely at least a partial harbinger of things to come. Looking back through Sony’s moves with PS Plus subscriptions and the release of their games on PC, Playstation’s been slowly morphing their strategy to mimic Xbox, not the other way around.
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This thread’s title is a bit of a dinosaur at this point, given that the discussion’s become far more about the platforms as a whole than the mere plastic boxes each company’s peddling. We could have closed the thread long ago otherwise, as Sony’s sales lead in that area isn’t narrow. But, Sony’s also seemingly been slower to wake up and smell the roses with the industry’s evolution toward a more platform-agnostic model for software and subscriptions, and is bound to face a minor reckoning at some point in terms of right-sizing/managing profitability.
Getting all myopic about 20-30 million extra boxes that Sony’s moved since these consoles launched - in a segment that doesn’t even traditionally make companies any money - is amusing to me. I’m not sure what the console space looks like 10 years from now, but Microsoft’s play to release more of their software on competing platforms is surely at least a partial harbinger of things to come. Looking back through Sony’s moves with PS Plus subscriptions and the release of their games on PC, Playstation’s been slowly morphing their strategy to mimic Xbox, not the other way around.
I just think it's funny people still pretend Nintendo isn't a part of this conversation, despite being the actual market sales leader (with what might end up being the best selling game console of all time) and the only one in a really good and stable position financially / development / layoffs wise. They were way ahead of the curve with moving away from focusing on cutting edge graphics / tech with the Wii.
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I just think it's funny people still pretend Nintendo isn't a part of this conversation, despite being the actual market sales leader (with what might end up being the best selling game console of all time) and the only one in a really good and stable position financially / development / layoffs wise. They were way ahead of the curve with moving away from focusing on cutting edge graphics / tech with the Wii.
There’s no arguing with the number of units Nintendo’s been able to move, but I still personally kind of view them as being on their own island a bit separate from battle between Sony and Microsoft. The unique applications of their hardware and their exclusive IP’s make it such that the other two either can’t or haven’t tried to trespass on Nintendo’s lawn. A Switch is no subsitite for a gamer like me looking for a higher fidelity experience, and a PS5/Series X is no subtitute for a Switch.
They seemingly have no desire to wade in to the subscriptions/services models of their nearest competitors which should suit them well as long as the secret sauce that is their IP’s stay as in-demand as they are. The biggest draw to Switch for me personally is portability, so I could see something like an Xbox handheld make me think twice about a Nintendo Switch 2 depending on how that all goes.
Nintendo is a leader because it appeals to children primarily. Same reason why there are always kids movies near the top of the charts every year.
It’s a fun console with a unique gimmick but I’m not sure it’s anything special.
I can't find solid statistics but one article from 2021 says that 20% of Switches were bought by households that already had one. I bet that percentage has only gone up. The jump to OLED was huge and people like me bought a second one because of it.
Yeah, it's popular with kids, but plenty of couples play Stardew Valley together on the couch, each using their own console. You can't do that with a PS5 or Xbox. Or one plays a game while the other watches TV. It's more than a gimmick. It has changed how a lot of people play games.
I can't find solid statistics but one article from 2021 says that 20% of Switches were bought by households that already had one. I bet that percentage has only gone up. The jump to OLED was huge and people like me bought a second one because of it.
Yeah, it's popular with kids, but plenty of couples play Stardew Valley together on the couch, each using their own console. You can't do that with a PS5 or Xbox. Or one plays a game while the other watches TV. It's more than a gimmick. It has changed how a lot of people play games.
For sure, couples, families. I’m not saying it only appeals to children, just that it’s the target market in a way the others aren’t.
I have a Switch myself. It collects dust unless there’s a big game I want to play (and those are usually games I get nostalgic about like Zelda and Pokemon). It’s a cool system.
I think the Switch is the best out of a long line of kind of bad Nintendo consoles. The unique gimmick is that you can play on your TV or travel with it/play as a handheld, but it’s not like it’s the first handheld.
For sure, couples, families. I’m not saying it only appeals to children, just that it’s the target market in a way the others aren’t.
I have a Switch myself. It collects dust unless there’s a big game I want to play (and those are usually games I get nostalgic about like Zelda and Pokemon). It’s a cool system.
I think the Switch is the best out of a long line of kind of bad Nintendo consoles. The unique gimmick is that you can play on your TV or travel with it/play as a handheld, but it’s not like it’s the first handheld.
My Switch doesn't get played much either because the Steam Deck can play way more games, including most Switch games.
I'm hoping the new Switch is a big leap forward. They can easily get by on their first-party games, which have been fantastic this generation, but I don't know if I'll be buying a new one unless it really impresses.
I still think it's more innovative than anything Microsoft or Sony has tried lately.
I can't find solid statistics but one article from 2021 says that 20% of Switches were bought by households that already had one. I bet that percentage has only gone up. The jump to OLED was huge and people like me bought a second one because of it.
Yeah, it's popular with kids, but plenty of couples play Stardew Valley together on the couch, each using their own console. You can't do that with a PS5 or Xbox. Or one plays a game while the other watches TV. It's more than a gimmick. It has changed how a lot of people play games.
Am I just getting old that 8 months doesn't seem all that far off? Then again from the tone of that article, we're still very much in the guessing stage of this one.
