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 cuts.
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 that financial pressures can necessitate "trimming the fat," he questions the excessive efficiency measures often employed by large corporations. He points out that this aggressive cost-cutting, often manifested as layoffs, is counterproductive unless the company consistently releases successful titles. Layoffs, he asserts, are simply the most drastic form of cost reduction.
Daus concludes that the core problem lies with the strategic decisions made by upper management, while the consequences disproportionately affect lower-level employees. He uses the analogy of a pirate ship, where the captain would be the first to be sacrificed, suggesting that the gaming industry needs a similar approach to accountability.
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