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Larian publishing director says the notion that industry-wide layoffs are inevitable is 'just not true.'
Over the past few months, Baldur's Gate 3's developers have used its platform during awards season speeches to advocate for a healthier game industry. This tradition now extends to its publishing director, who, in a recent interview with Game File, shared his thoughts on industry-wide layoffs plaguing developers over the past two years as an "avoidable fuck up."
Chief among 2024's massive layoffs include Nintendo announcing its restructuring in March which has the potential to affect over 100 contract workers; Sony laying off roughly 900 employees in February — including developers across studios like Insomniac, Naughty Dog, and Guerrilla, and Microsoft laying off 1,900 staff from its workforce in January following its $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
Speaking with Game File's Steven Totilo, Michael Douse likened major gaming companies to massive oil tankers predicated on their ability to steer toward sucess. Should a company fail to plan accordingly, while giving developers proper financial reserves to pivot, fallout via layoffs is sure to come. Instead of feeling like layoffs are an inevitable aspect of the gaming industry, Douse argues that they are avoidable.
"But to prevent these giant operational failures that we call layoffs…they are an avoidable f*ck up. That's really all they are," Douse told Game File. "That's why you see one after the other. Because companies are going: ‘Well, finally. Now we can, too. We've wanted to do it for ages. Everyone else is. So why don't we?’ That's really kind of sick.’"
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Over the past few months, Baldur's Gate 3's developers have used its platform during awards season speeches to advocate for a healthier game industry. This tradition now extends to its publishing director, who, in a recent interview with Game File, shared his thoughts on industry-wide layoffs plaguing developers over the past two years as an "avoidable fuck up."
Chief among 2024's massive layoffs include Nintendo announcing its restructuring in March which has the potential to affect over 100 contract workers; Sony laying off roughly 900 employees in February — including developers across studios like Insomniac, Naughty Dog, and Guerrilla, and Microsoft laying off 1,900 staff from its workforce in January following its $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
Speaking with Game File's Steven Totilo, Michael Douse likened major gaming companies to massive oil tankers predicated on their ability to steer toward sucess. Should a company fail to plan accordingly, while giving developers proper financial reserves to pivot, fallout via layoffs is sure to come. Instead of feeling like layoffs are an inevitable aspect of the gaming industry, Douse argues that they are avoidable.
"But to prevent these giant operational failures that we call layoffs…they are an avoidable f*ck up. That's really all they are," Douse told Game File. "That's why you see one after the other. Because companies are going: ‘Well, finally. Now we can, too. We've wanted to do it for ages. Everyone else is. So why don't we?’ That's really kind of sick.’"
Baldur's Gate 3 Dev Larian's Publishing Director Calls Games Industry Layoffs an 'Avoidable F*ck Up' - IGN
Larian Publishing Director Michael Douse called games industry layoffs an 'avoidable f*ck up' in a new interview, touting what he says is the Baldur's Gate 3 dev's healthy and sustainable work environment.
