Paul Sweeting of Content Agenda writes: Warner Bros. just became the latest studio to announce cut backs, unveiling plans to eliminate 800 jobs, about 10% of its global workforce, through layoffs, attrition and outsourcing. The move follows similar cut backs at Paramount Pictures and NBC Universal, as well as earlier downsizing moves by Warner Bros. parent Time Warner. In a memo to staffers announcing the cuts, Warner Bros. toppers Barry Meyer and Alan Horn called the decision painful but necessary.
Where is the audience going? It's playing video games.
While the studios certainly need to get their fiscals houses in order, I'm not sure the long term trend is really reversible. For better or worse, interactive entertainment is becoming the dominant form of entertainment in the U.S. and abroad, apart from live events and television, and commands an ever-growing slice of the (shrinking) consumer leisure dollar.
That's not something the studios can cut their way out of.
New report from Skillsearch found that 22% of those surveyed had been laid off within the past 12 months.
It's a step forward for Stop Killing Games.
The Callisto Protocol director thinks the solution involves the right people, the right timing, and perhaps a little bit of AI
I don't agree with that. I WISH I could agree with that. But buying habits and customer opinions prove otherwise
We've seen developers in the AAA space try new things and ideas. More often than not, the customers aren't willing to give things a chance, or not enough people buy into the project for it to grow.
Creativity works better in the indie space because the budgets, pressures, and expectations aren't the same.
it's a nice idea and it worked during the PS2/PS3-era when AAA didn't cost hundreds of millions of dollars. smaller budgets and shorter development time left room for more creativity and more risk. a game didn't need to sell 4 million+ copies to break even. things are different now.
This is the guy who bragged about crunching his staff and having them work through the night. Crunch culture has lost more talent and done more damage to the industry than any other factor. Screw him.
