Master Chris Avellone Thread

[The_Mask]

I smell another round of layoffs at some big studios today that should be financially secure based on their owner. :/ Hope I'm wrong.

[rusty_shackleford]

It's microsoft game studios btw

[Shillitron]

I smell another round of layoffs at some big studios today that should be financially secure based on their owner. :/ Hope I'm wrong.

Well clearly they don't need developers anymore.. Look at Avowed.. you could make that dumpster fire with a ******** monkey on a etchie-sketch.

[The_Mask]

Here's the Phil Spencer layoff email:

[Rand]

etchie-sketch

Etch A Sketch
Not Ecchi Sketch, you ******* weeb brain.

[Shillitron]

etchie-sketch

Etch A Sketch
Not Ecchi Sketch, you ******* weeb brain.

Nobody cares ******.

[The_Mask]

No CWA union members were let go in the recent Activision-Blizzard layoffs announced by Microsoft/Phil Spencer.

https://cwa-union.org/news/releases/sta ... oft-gaming

Statement from CWA Following Layoffs in Microsoft Gaming
January 25, 2024
Microsoft’s announcement that it will be laying off 1,900 video game workers makes clear that, even when you work at a successful company in an extremely profitable industry, your livelihood is not protected without a voice on the job. While CWA-represented members at Zenimax, Raven, and Blizzard Albany will not be impacted by these cuts, we are heartbroken that the lives of so many dedicated and talented video game workers will be disrupted. Every video game worker deserves not only their fair share, but also the peace of mind that comes from having a say over the impact of job cuts.

Through organizing, workers have established basic workplace practices that are now common —from the eight hour work day, to the five day workweek. By coming together and exercising their right to organize, workers in the video game industry can make layoff protections standard practice for all workers. This is the power of organizing.

We will continue to support workers at Microsoft and across the video game industry who want to have a union voice on the job.

“Layoffs in the video game industry are becoming the norm, even at companies that continue to deliver huge profits. It hurts to see our coworkers, who are so passionate about this work, who actually make these video game companies so successful, be the first impacted by any cuts or layoffs at work. Companies will claim that we’re all a family, but a family doesn’t layoff or outsource people. It’s clear that one way or the other, the only way forward is for all of us to come together as workers to protect each other. Union representation can't always protect against layoffs, but through union representation and the bargaining process, video game workers can establish greater transparency and policies that put our needs first, including layoff protections. That’s why we want every video game worker to join our union. Together, we have the power to set new standards for our industry so that we can do the work we are passionate about safe from exploitation,” said Wayne Dayberry, Senior Quality Assurance Tester and member of ZeniMax Workers United-CWA.

###

Press Contact
CWA Communications
(202) 434-1168
[email protected]

[The_Mask]

Since Microsoft has so many studios, and those studios still have career positions up after the layoffs - I wonder if there any move from Microsoft and Phil Spencer to do internal re-hiring and re-distribute personnel among their other studios.

[The_Mask]

With all the discussions around the Suicide Squad game no one is focusing on the true crime… the lack of the supervillain Quiz.

Her power? She has every superpower you’ve never thought of.

You know, like turning opponents into toilet bowls filled with flowers.

Man, Doom Patrol back in the day had some of the villains and characterization in general - kudos to @grantmorrison, some of the best comics coming out around that time. : )

[The_Mask]

I can't tell what he's saying here, because I don't have the time to look into it, so you boys are gonna have to figure it out...

Microsoft: "Great content is our key to growth."

7B+ profit. And mention of layoffs? Er, what layoffs?

https://microsoft.com/en-us/investor/ea ... se-webcast

[Humbaba]

Layoffs bad.



-Humbaba

[Acrux]

Did any reasonable person think there wouldn't be layoffs? That's always what happens in a huge merger.

[Red7]

after watching his missing mommy posts (btw what kind of ****** would let vagina handle kid in water this how ******* get drowned) and then reading his spewed nonsense how will to power is being megalomaniac and about seeking to control others (what a ******** dogshit, its the weakness that demands control of others as they are threat when you are weak. by others i dont mean vaginas ofc cause those are sex objects and not ppl)
and then advertising that ******** pedo bear *** that woked on fallout1 i can say;


he is despicable utter commie kuk. which i guess i knew all the time, still its disgusting to watch.

also casar legion is right about vaginas

[maidenhaver]

This guy's dumb.

[Tweed]

This guy's dumb.

Just noticed? Chris might be able to write, but he's not really that bright a fellow. Look at the company he keeps.

[Vergil]

I don't care about Chris Avellone's random Twitter takes.

[The_Mask]

https://videogames.si.com/news/disco-el ... um-layoffs

Sources: Disco Elysium dev ZA/UM to lay off around a quarter of its staff, cancels new game
ZA/UM in uproar after third project in three years gets canned

Around 24 employees are at risk of redundancy at Disco Elysium maker ZA/UM, according to GLHF sources close to the matter. This is roughly a quarter of the company’s current total workforce.

These cuts go hand in hand with the cancellation of a project codenamed X7, which we’ve been told was a standalone expansion for Disco Elysium. In a call with staff ZA/UM president Ed Tomaszewski said that X7 “was a game that was one to two years away from completion” and could’ve taken “more time and effort than Disco Elysium did.”

ZA/UM CEO Ilmar Kompus informed staff of the cuts in a message read by GLHF, writing that redundancies will mostly affect “the X7 team but also our non-development teams and non-X7 projects.”


ZA/UM is planning on letting a quarter of its workforce go, according to sources with inside knowledge.



Groups at risk of redundancy were listed in a separate message seen by GLHF and named writers as well as engineers on the X7 project alongside 3D, 2D, and technical artists, production, IT, and animation employees company-wide.

According to our sources this is the third big project at ZA/UM to be canned or put on hold in as many years with a Disco Elysium sequel (codenamed Y12) being cut in 2022 and a game set in a new sci-fi IP (codenamed P1) being paused in 2023.

This leaves two projects, codenamed C4 and M0 internally, in active development, with the latter believed to be related to the Disco Elysium IP. Just last week, ZA/UM opened job applications for a new design director with experience in creating narratively driven role-playing games.

Find the full message sent to staff by ZA/UM CEO Ilmar Kompus below:

Dear all,

Despite concerted efforts over the past eight months by our management team and the X7 disciplines, following consultation with our management team, I have taken the difficult decision to cancel X7. This decision, unlike the pause on Project P1, will unfortunately most likely lead to redundancies within our studio.

With the cancellation of X7 we are proposing to reshape our team to support our two remaining games. This adjustment will almost certainly lead to redundancies, mostly affecting the X7 team but also our non-development teams and non-X7 projects.

We are approaching this sensitive issue with the utmost care and respect. We will be initiating a formal redundancy consultation procedure with employees of Zaum Studio Limited who are at risk of redundancy in accordance with UK law. If you’re one of these employees, you will very shortly receive a Slack message, email, and a calendar invite for a meeting with your Lead and HR to discuss the next steps. Any individual whose role is affected, but who is not employed by Zaum Studio Limited, for example those employed by Deel or in our other EU locations, will be contacted separately about the procedure that will be followed. During this transition period, let’s maintain professionalism and support each other, upholding our studio values.

Ed will provide more context during our campfire in two hours (invite will be sent shortly). We will also open our anonymous Q&A form which can be found here: [Link]

Regards,
Ilmar

One source blamed mismanagement for the current situation, claiming that management was “always acting like there was an enemy, be it the old Disco team, the press, or even people working there” and consequently failed to value its existing talent, allegedly preferring to hire fresh blood from outside rather than promoting employees from within the company. They also said “I don’t think women were treated the same and that their work wasn’t as valued.”

Another source bemoaned that the studio had “turned into the very thing that Disco Elysium was against. Brilliant people work there and I want only the best for them but [...] I hope it's somewhere else.”

We’ll keep you updated on this situation as it develops.

Marco Wutz
BY MARCO WUTZ
Marco Wutz is a writer based in Parkstetten, Germany.

[Element]

Since neither Kurvitz nor Rostov are there anymore, Im surprised that people still follow zaum. Then again, Obsidian is still discussed

[The_Mask]

A conversation MCA had on a very tiny thing. Timestamped, for your viewing pleasure:

[Oyster Sauce]

Nok-Nok rules. I'm going to make a Nok-Nok thread someday.

[rusty_shackleford]

A conversation MCA had on a very tiny thing. Timestamped, for your viewing pleasure:

Does anyone happen to know how to bypass the 'playback on other websites has been disabled' ******** by chance?

[The_Mask]

Be sure to scroll down to Tim's letter, which is CEO Ettiquette 101, proving the best way to reach agreement in a divisive situation is profanity

https://gameworldobserver.com/2024/03/1 ... s-revealed

Tim Sweeney unleashes most Sweeney-esque tirade against Valve over Steam’s 30% cut in newly released 2018 emails

Published by
Evgeny Obedkov
Tags: Epic Games, Gabe Newell, Steam, Tim Sweeney, Valve, Wolfire Games

Some of you may remember an antitrust lawsuit against Valve filed by Wolfire Games back in 2021. The court case recently entered a new phase, revealing some internal data, including never-before-seen emails from Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney.


Tim Sweeney (Image credit: Unreal Engine’s YouTube channel)

Wolfire, which initially accused Valve of usurpering the PC games market, monopolizing it, and killing competition by enforcing pricing parity, decided to turn the case into a class action. The lawsuit has now entered the discovery phase, meaning that many documents (both redacted and not) like witness testimonies and internal correspondence are becoming public.

Simon Carless examined the data in the latest GameDiscoverCo newsletter, focusing on several emails between Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney and three Valve execs — CEO Gabe Newell, COO Scott Lynch, and project manager Erik Johnson.

The first email chain, dating back to August 2017, starts with Newell asking Sweeney, “Anything we doing to annoy you?” The Valve head suggested that Sean Jenkins’ “public dumbness mith be part of it,” referring to a post from Jenkins about limiting the issue of Steam keys.

Sweeney replied that he has “never heard of Sean Jenkins,” going on a rant about 30% platform cuts. He said they were no longer justifiable, trying to encourage Valve to reduce the fees. “If you subtract out the top 25 games on Steam, I bet Valve made moreprofit from most of the next 1000 than the developer themselves made,” the Epic Games CEO noted.

Another unredacted correspondence released as part of the Wolfire v. Valve case took place between November 26, 2018 and December 4, 2018. Mailing Newell and Johnson, Sweeney hinted at the upcoming announcement of the Epic Games Store, Steam’s direct competitor, and its main USP being a “permanent 88%/12% revenue split.”

He went on to discuss what he called “Apple’s antitrust practices” (long before the Epic v. Apple lawsuit), urging Valve to improve its Steam policies and make better conditions for developers of all sizes. Ending his email, Sweeney noted that he would be very disappointed to see Valve making “unannounced revenue-sharing changes that favored big publishers over indies.”

On November 30, 2018, Steam introduced a new revenue split, decreasing the 30% cut to 25% for all sales between $10 million and $50 million and to $20% for revenue above $50 million.

That’s when Sweeney got really mad, criticizing Valve’s move and writing on December 3 that the best outcome for open platforms would be if “Apple speedily concludes that the combination of an app store monopoly and 30% fees is untenable, and that opening iOS up is the best stop-loss strategy.”

He ended his email with the following rant: “Right now, you assholes are telling the world that the strong and powerful get special terms, while 30% is for the little people. We’re all in for a prolonged battle if Apple tries to keep their monopoly and 30% by cutting backroom deals with big publishers to keep them quiet. Why not give ALL developers a better deal? What better way is there to convince Apple quickly that their model is now totally untenable?”

On December 4, Valve’s Scott Lynch mailed Newell and Johnson with a one-line reaction to Sweeney’s message: “You mad bro?”



At the time, Valve’s decision to lower platform fees for the highest-grossing games was clearly an attempt to keep major publishers, who were trying to open their own storefronts and launchers avoid paying the 30% cut from each purchase, on Steam. Although the company has never changed its policies since then, Steam is now in a better position than ever both, remaining the largest platform for PC games both in terms of the number of users and opportunities for developers and publishers of all sizes.

In any case, seeing Tim Sweeney tease Valve with the announcement of a direct rival to Steam and then call the company “assholes” for not changing its economics is both wild and very Sweeney-esque, given his stance and commitment to his long-lasting antitrust crusade.

[The_Mask]

Psylocke was the one who seemed to prove the theory that if you take a character and make them a ninja, they gain +10 cool points. Admittedly, Psylocke in Excalibur had a lot of room for costume improvement. :/

[wndrbr]

[rusty_shackleford]

He didn't learn a **** thing, better if he just fades away.

[wndrbr]

MCA should establish his own narrative development studio, and name it 'Rape Baby Inc'.

[Roguey]

MCA should establish his own narrative development studio, and name it 'Rape Baby Inc'.

Sort of happened already

[wndrbr]

MCA should establish his own narrative development studio, and name it 'Rape Baby Inc'.

Sort of happened already

sounds too memey to be true.

[Irenaeus]

Psylocke was the one who seemed to prove the theory that if you take a character and make them a ninja, they gain +10 cool points. Admittedly, Psylocke in Excalibur had a lot of room for costume improvement. :/

Her costume here looks much better than the generic mortal kombat ***** stuff they put her in later. Also, she doesn't seem to be a **** here which is +1000 cool points than later versions.

[Anon]

The industry done him really dirty after these fake accusations, it's understandable that he feels done with it.