Hooray: ****** gamedevs being fired thread

[WhiteShark]

As a currently employed game industry professional, have you noticed changes related to diversity and equity issues or free speech?

This question is so vague that it's hard to tell what a 'yes' answer would indicate.

[Tangerine]

The survey questions were made by a foid, so of course they're poorly thought out and obviously partisan.

Link to the full report.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

Game Discovery:
As a game marketer, what is your primary discovery method?
Social media - 65%
Streamers - 39%
Paid advertising - 31%
In-person or virtual events - 30%

Among social media platforms, which are the most used for discovery?
Instagram/Reels - 66%
TikTok - 64%
Youtube/Shorts - 63%

I am surprised we do not see more leads talking on their Youtube channels and being personable like Masahiro Sakurai and Tim Cain. Having stories or insights to share or talking about random stuff gets people parasocially attached and raises their estimation of that person and makes them more likely to buy their product.

It seems like if you want your game to get marketed by streamer or shorts, you want to either put in as much zany stuff as possible (ie kicking squirrels) or design the systems so that zany things can happen.

[rusty_shackleford]

Unless you manage to get something like a sseth review(or someone of similarly significant reach) I think you aren't going to get much from social media coverage at all tbh
I've posted it before, but I've scraped thru the bottom of the Steam barrel and there are very few games that have sold significantly less copies than I think they "should" have relative to my judge of their quality based upon their screenshots/videos/overall presentation. If you make an actually good game, word of mouth spreads fast.

[edit]
I should add that a lot of genres are just naturally not big sellers. For example, I would not make a DRPG if wanting to do a lot of sales. Grimrock was pretty much a one-and-done deal in terms of popularity and hitting nostalgia.

[WhiteShark]

I am surprised we do not see more leads talking on their Youtube channels and being personable like Masahiro Sakurai and Tim Cain. Having stories or insights to share or talking about random stuff gets people parasocially attached and raises their estimation of that person and makes them more likely to buy their product.

I see a lot of indie devs do this, but in many cases the games they've released don't look good, so I end up feeling very dubious about the game dev advice they give instead of attached.

[mercerxiv]

Most of those who get fired are the last beta **** low-T 9AM-5PM programmers who aren't D.I.E. hires, simply cowards, the same type like the generations past simps who allowed the 19th Amendment to be enacted in US, brown-nosers trying to keep their jobs, shutting up and doing what they are ordered to by their *****, femoid or ******** overlords. Anyone who isn't a woke, cuckold or simp has long given up working in such companies. For anyone who doesn't agree it would be a mental hellscape. Anyway, unfortunately the biggest culprits for this crap rarely get fired, only the small fishes, low ranking simp white ******* get booted, and only after the software house is completely bankrupt the biggest culprits may get the pink slip, maybe, or like locusts infest another not 100% pozzed company to do it all over again with the blessings of Larry Fink.

For real, I bet that for anyone who isn't a brainwashed woke ****, working in vidya now in those ESG/DIE/BRIDGE infested corpos must be more demoralizing than being a janitor cleaning blacked dot com studios after the videos were recorded. No ****.

I can testify that it was a demoralizing experience. Problem is, career changes are not easy and you can't just unwant to do something you've always been passionate about. It just puts you in a real bad spot in the end.

[Valter]

Riot Games lays off roughly 80 employees from 2XKO team

Developer Riot Games has announced it is laying off around 80 employees working on 2XKO, the League of Legends-themed fighting game.

The company shared the news in a blog post penned by 2XKO executive producer Tom Cannon. Cannon wrote that Riot was "reducing the size of the 2XKO team." A spokesperson for Riot Games informed Game Developer that approximately 80 workers were laid off, around half of the game's global development team.

Cannon appeared to blame the layoffs on sluggish player engagement with the freshly-released fighting game. "As we expanded from PC to console, we saw consistent trends in how players were engaging with 2XKO," he wrote. "The game has resonated with a passionate core audience, but overall momentum hasn’t reached the level needed to support a team of this size long term."

2XKO spent an exceptionally long time in development. In 2016 Riot Games acquired Radiant Entertainment, a fighting game studio founded by Tom and Tony Cannon. The team would spend a decade iterating on the game that would eventually become 2XKO.

He indicated Riot is not discontinuing support from the game, saying that with its "smaller, focused team," the developer will continue to work on "key improvements" for the game. Riot will continue to partner with fighting game community (FGC) tournament organizers and local communities. "We're reshaping the team to give 2XKO a more sustainable path forward."

Impacted workers will be given a chance to apply for jobs elsewhere within Riot Games. Those who cannot find other positions will be offered a minimum of 6 months pay and severance.

As much as I like to see Riot **** eat ****, this is unfortunately more indicative of how few people play fighting games rather than their faggy policies backfiring

[J1M]

Literally the first time I've heard of that game. Weird to see them **** away their MOBA money by trying to build a fandom around a limited pool of uninteresting RTS heroes. Do they actually think that putting every game in the same sloppy world with the same sloppy character designs is a net positive?

If they wanted a good fighting game they should have hired David Sirlin. It wouldn't have taken him 10 years to design it.

[Valter]

Literally the first time I've heard of that game. Weird to see them **** away their MOBA money by trying to build a fandom around a limited pool of uninteresting RTS heroes. Do they actually think that putting every game in the same sloppy world with the same sloppy character designs is a net positive?

If they wanted a good fighting game they should have hired David Sirlin. It wouldn't have taken him 10 years to design it.

Reusing an existing universe and its characters definitely cuts down on costs. Whether it is a good idea or not... For analysis, they have had lukewarm success with 3 of their attempts: Their own Hearthstone PVP card game, then a turn-based RPG and finally a 2D platformer. On another end, their Netflix show and their Autochess game are wildly successful.
That's 3 to 2 for no, though none have been embarassing failures... except maybe for this one. I find no fault with the practice from a business perspective.

But you're right they took way too ******* long

[J1M]

Literally the first time I've heard of that game. Weird to see them **** away their MOBA money by trying to build a fandom around a limited pool of uninteresting RTS heroes. Do they actually think that putting every game in the same sloppy world with the same sloppy character designs is a net positive?

If they wanted a good fighting game they should have hired David Sirlin. It wouldn't have taken him 10 years to design it.

Reusing an existing universe and its characters definitely cuts down on costs. Whether it is a good idea or not... For analysis, they have had lukewarm success with 3 of their attempts: Their own Hearthstone PVP card game, then a turn-based RPG and finally a 2D platformer. On another end, their Netflix show and their Autochess game are wildly successful.
That's 3 to 2 for no, though none have been embarassing failures... except maybe for this one. I find no fault with the practice from a business perspective.

But you're right they took way too ******* long

Would Blizzard have been better off if they released Orcs in Space instead of StarCraft?

I understand the logic behind what they are doing, but I think they need the freedom to make a game with a different art style even if technically it takes place in the same IP. Star Wars does this by setting games thousands of years apart from each other. Because as much as there are halo effects from releasing products within the same IP, if someone decides they are done with League of Legends, they are probably not interested in any other LoL games you make either.

[Oyster Sauce]

https://steamdb.info/app/3255890/charts/ @grok set reminder 1 week

[Nemesis]

https://steamdb.info/app/3255890/charts/ @grok set reminder 1 week

!RemindMe 7 days

[methoxetamine]

Riot Games lays off roughly 80 employees from 2XKO team

Developer Riot Games has announced it is laying off around 80 employees working on 2XKO, the League of Legends-themed fighting game.

The company shared the news in a blog post penned by 2XKO executive producer Tom Cannon. Cannon wrote that Riot was "reducing the size of the 2XKO team." A spokesperson for Riot Games informed Game Developer that approximately 80 workers were laid off, around half of the game's global development team.

Cannon appeared to blame the layoffs on sluggish player engagement with the freshly-released fighting game. "As we expanded from PC to console, we saw consistent trends in how players were engaging with 2XKO," he wrote. "The game has resonated with a passionate core audience, but overall momentum hasn’t reached the level needed to support a team of this size long term."

2XKO spent an exceptionally long time in development. In 2016 Riot Games acquired Radiant Entertainment, a fighting game studio founded by Tom and Tony Cannon. The team would spend a decade iterating on the game that would eventually become 2XKO.

He indicated Riot is not discontinuing support from the game, saying that with its "smaller, focused team," the developer will continue to work on "key improvements" for the game. Riot will continue to partner with fighting game community (FGC) tournament organizers and local communities. "We're reshaping the team to give 2XKO a more sustainable path forward."

Impacted workers will be given a chance to apply for jobs elsewhere within Riot Games. Those who cannot find other positions will be offered a minimum of 6 months pay and severance.

As much as I like to see Riot **** eat ****, this is unfortunately more indicative of how few people play fighting games rather than their faggy policies backfiring

Isn't this **** 3v3 or tag team fights only or something like that? Sounded destined to fail no matter what

[sheet]

Game requires an active multiplayer scene to prop it up and isn't in the same genre as their main appealling game.

But they don't release it on Steam.

:shrug:

[rusty_shackleford]

https://steamdb.info/app/3255890/charts/ @grok set reminder 1 week

22 people on a game that got promoted on every news outlet, video game event, etc.,

and yes, it got promoted by news outlets:

Selection_004.webp

being a ****** means you get free everything without trying

[Fox1]

The dumb ***** responsible for the Body Type A/B in Dragon Quest has been fired. Square looks like they are cleaning house.

A person of "color"? ***** you are fuckin Asian, stop acting like a ******. Also being a different shade of **** brown makes you infinitely less colorful than a White person with blue/green eyes and blonde/brown/red hair. You're ********.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

Star Wars does this by setting games thousands of years apart from each other.

KotoR has the same aesthetic the OT and all of the other Tie Fighter and Jedi Academy games. Utilitarian looking rusty spaceships with the paint chipping off. Star Destroyer wedges. Evil grey headed bald guy bad guy in a life support suit. Etc. Now George Lucas' prequel trilogy, yes those have different aesthetics with the curvy spaceships with the shiny surfaces, the grandiose Renaissance era spanish palaces, senators in lavish dresses, the termite hive architecture, etc. Even though SWTOR was made after the Prequel movies came out, they still ape the OT aesthetics with the discount Han Solo and his Millenium Falcon knock off, yet another bald grey bad guy in a life support suit, etc.

[J1M]

Star Wars does this by setting games thousands of years apart from each other.

KotoR has the same aesthetic the OT and all of the other Tie Fighter and Jedi Academy games. Utilitarian looking rusty spaceships with the paint chipping off. Star Destroyer wedges. Evil grey headed bald guy bad guy in a life support suit. Etc. Now George Lucas' prequel trilogy, yes those have different aesthetics with the curvy spaceships with the shiny surfaces, the grandiose Renaissance era spanish palaces, senators in lavish dresses, the termite hive architecture, etc. Even though SWTOR was made after the Prequel movies came out, they still ape the OT aesthetics with the discount Han Solo and his Millenium Falcon knock off, yet another bald grey bad guy in a life support suit, etc.

Trilogy
Prequels
Old Republic
High Republic
Clone Wars cartoons
Young Jedi adventures

These all have a distinct enough aesthetic that someone reasonably familiar with Star Wars can distinguish between them. Riot games have a lot less variation.

[Norfleet]

Also being a different shade of **** brown makes you infinitely less colorful than a White person with blue/green eyes and blonde/brown/red hair. You're ********.

Yes, the wife has said this before, she is like "Why do I have to be the colored one? I have ONE color, YOU are the ones who keep turning different colors like some kind of chameleon."

yet another bald grey bad guy in a life support suit, etc.

Hey, I resemble that remark!

[KnightoftheWind]

OH HOH HOH NO NO NO NO....

lol.png

Buy a studio known for remakes after they shat on Demon's Souls, force them to waste 5 years and tens of millions on a God of War live service game nobody wanted, cancel game, devs twiddle thumbs for a year, then ask them to **** off. If Sony was a person, they'd be black with an IQ of 70.

[Segata]

OH HOH HOH NO NO NO NO....



Buy a studio known for remakes after they shat on Demon's Souls, force them to waste 5 years and tens of millions on a God of War live service game nobody wanted, cancel game, devs twiddle thumbs for a year, then ask them to **** off. If Sony was a person, they'd be black with an IQ of 70.

Good riddance

[Maledict]

OH HOH HOH NO NO NO NO....



Buy a studio known for remakes after they shat on Demon's Souls, force them to waste 5 years and tens of millions on a God of War live service game nobody wanted, cancel game, devs twiddle thumbs for a year, then ask them to **** off. If Sony was a person, they'd be black with an IQ of 70.

Good riddance

Total remakeoid death.

Remakes should be made with original devs doing less downscaling on original art and using the remake as an opportunity to train new staff.

[stormvermin]

OH HOH HOH NO NO NO NO....



Buy a studio known for remakes after they shat on Demon's Souls, force them to waste 5 years and tens of millions on a God of War live service game nobody wanted, cancel game, devs twiddle thumbs for a year, then ask them to **** off. If Sony was a person, they'd be black with an IQ of 70.

IT WAS GOD'S PLAN

IT WUZ GAWD'S PLAN.png

Nick Rekieta said I could cum on your grave IYWTKTTAI BISH

I'm just glad they won't be butchering a Bloodborne remake. Rest in **** you won't be missed.

[UltraFan123]

Do correct me if I'm wrong, but this is referring to that "Roe vs Wade" debacle I've seen pop up occasionally, right?

I wasn't much aware of the world's geopolitical situation back in 2022, but I think it was basically about making abortion a "federal right" or something? As in, the whole thing wasn't even if child murder should rightfully become illegal, but if child murder should be funded by the state.

If I hit the mark, then I think that it's quite laughable how a ******* game studio was so obsessed about how leftard wahmahs weren't able to get free abortions.

[Stack of Turtles]

Do correct me if I'm wrong, but this is referring to that "Roe vs Wade" debacle I've seen pop up occasionally, right?

I wasn't much aware of the world's geopolitical situation back in 2022, but I think it was basically about making abortion a "federal right" or something? As in, the whole thing wasn't even if child murder should rightfully become illegal, but if child murder should be funded by the state.

If I hit the mark, then I think that it's quite laughable how a ******* game studio was so obsessed about how leftard wahmahs weren't able to get free abortions.

No, abortion has both never and always been federally funded (it's not legal to fund it explicitly, so democrats just give other funding to abortion providers because money is fungible and the abortion providers pinky promise none of it TECHNICALLY goes near the abortion room). The repeal of Roe v. Wade allowed the states to decide individually whether to outlaw abortion instead of mandating a federal minimum amount of abortion.

[Vaako]

OH HOH HOH NO NO NO NO....



Buy a studio known for remakes after they shat on Demon's Souls, force them to waste 5 years and tens of millions on a God of War live service game nobody wanted, cancel game, devs twiddle thumbs for a year, then ask them to **** off. If Sony was a person, they'd be black with an IQ of 70.

Good riddance

Didnt even know they did race/sex switches there and to think that was the only ps5 game I was even midly interested in... guess a good case to let that one guy out of his cage so he can do his thing in the nexus there.

[UltraFan123]

Do correct me if I'm wrong, but this is referring to that "Roe vs Wade" debacle I've seen pop up occasionally, right?

I wasn't much aware of the world's geopolitical situation back in 2022, but I think it was basically about making abortion a "federal right" or something? As in, the whole thing wasn't even if child murder should rightfully become illegal, but if child murder should be funded by the state.

If I hit the mark, then I think that it's quite laughable how a ******* game studio was so obsessed about how leftard wahmahs weren't able to get free abortions.

No, abortion has both never and always been federally funded (it's not legal to fund it explicitly, so democrats just give other funding to abortion providers because money is fungible and the abortion providers pinky promise none of it TECHNICALLY goes near the abortion room). The repeal of Roe v. Wade allowed the states to decide individually whether to outlaw abortion instead of mandating a federal minimum amount of abortion.

Thanks for clarifying.

So basically, leftards were melting down in 2022 because now the states were capable of making abortion illegal if the people in those states voted to do so, rather than making child murder a "universal right" that could never be outlawed by anyone in the US.

The libtard crashout was and still is dumber than I thought.

[Xenich]

Also, even if the whole industry collapsed, unless it took the whole of civilization with it, people will still keep making entertainment media on their own. People make games for free, write books for free, compose and perform music for free, draw pictures for free, and always will.

Bingo, if this wasn't true, the entire "internet" culture would never have been created. There was a time when the bulk of what was on the internet was free, where people actually "paid" to put up their material for others to see it, be it guides, instructional information, etc...

[DDC]

OH HOH HOH NO NO NO NO....


Buy a studio known for remakes after they shat on Demon's Souls, force them to waste 5 years and tens of millions on a God of War live service game nobody wanted, cancel game, devs twiddle thumbs for a year, then ask them to **** off. If Sony was a person, they'd be black with an IQ of 70.

How did they **** on Demons Souls? The remake felt like the original to me as far as I remember (having played them a long time apart). The complaints later listed seem pretty minor. They race-swapped some people in a cinematic most probably ignored, you spend half a second scrolling past the ****** in the character selector, and one minor in-game NPC was race-swapped (the most serious offense). If that's all they did, it's a low bar for "shits all over." It would be one of the weakest outrage lists for any modern remake.

[Fox1]

OH HOH HOH NO NO NO NO....



Buy a studio known for remakes after they shat on Demon's Souls, force them to waste 5 years and tens of millions on a God of War live service game nobody wanted, cancel game, devs twiddle thumbs for a year, then ask them to **** off. If Sony was a person, they'd be black with an IQ of 70.

Good riddance

For a good minute looking at the date I thought that message was talking about COVID and the vaccines