Episode 160: A Bad Year for Game Creators is a Bad Year for Games (News Show)

Oct 8, 2023

The industry’s labor situation is reaching a boiling point, as Epic Games sacrifices employees on the altar of its fight against Apple and Google. Also: Unity has burnt its goodwill to the ground, voice actors prepare to strike, a leadership shake-up at PlayStation, and Microsoft’s purchase of Activision Blizzard now seems like a sure thing.

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TIME STAMPS

• [00:00:31] - The State of the Industry 
• [00:09:05] - Unity Update - An Attempt to Save Face
• [00:28:57] - Bye bye, Jim Ryan
• [00:30:03] - Epic Implements IARC Ratings for Fortnite Creative & more Parental Controls
• [00:35:59] - Investment Interlude
• [00:41:50] - Quick Hits
• [00:50:18] - Labor Report
• [01:18:27] - Listener Questions

SOURCES

• Introducing IARC Ratings in Fortnite, Paving the Way for a Multi-Game Ecosystem | Epic Games
• Epic Games Safety and Security Center | Epic Games
• Crystal Dynamics (Embracer) Layoffs | Crystal Dynamics (@crystaldynamics) on Twitter
• Embracer open to divesting studios, confirms more closures on the horizon | Game Developer
• Roblox cuts 30 on talent acquisition team as hiring slows | TechCrunch
• Blizzard lays off several Hearthstone developers after restructuring team | Game Developer
• Hyenas Cancelation and Layoffs at Creative Assembly | Creative Assembly (@CAGames) on Twitter
• Significant job losses likely at Worms publisher Team17 - sources | Eurogamer
• Last Of Us Studio Naughty Dog Is Cutting Developers | Kotaku
• Boomerang X Developer Dang is Shutting Down | Dang (@dangmakesgames) on Twitter
• CLOSING PUNY HUMAN | Puny Human
• Layoffs at Epic | Epic Games
• Five former Ubisoft executives arrested after sexual harassment investigation | GamesIndustry (via Libération)
• Terminated BioWare Employees Sue for Better Severance | Jon Renish (@jonrenish) on Twitter
• SAG-AFTRA Members Approve Video Game Strike Authorization Vote With 98.32% Yes Vote | SAG-AFTRA
• Nickelodeon game developer Workinman unanimously votes to unionize | Game Developer
• Over 100 Developers of Just Cause, Contraband at Avalanche Studios Have Unionized | IGN
• CD Projekt Red devs unionise after its third round of layoffs in three months | Eurogamer
  

INVESTMENT INTERLUDE

• VIRTUOS LAUNCHES GAME DEVELOPMENT STUDIO IN TOKYO | Virtuos
• Supercell acquires majority stake in Ultimate Studio | GamesIndustry
• XSOLLA ACQUIRES ACCELERATXR | XSOLLA
• New Microsoft/Activision deal addresses previous CMA concerns in cloud gaming | UK CMA