10 years in the video game industry and I can say with conviction that getting laid off from it was one of the best disguised blessings I've ever received. Don't get me wrong; I am grateful to have had the chance to work my once dream job of designing narratives and quests for games. But, unimaginably, I find myself significantly more fulfilled in my current role as a project manager and team lead for a world renowned tech giant's largest AI model. And don't mistake me here either - the tech industry is notoriously stingey, and the contractor we work through is no exception. But while true they slash & burn benefits and exploit their workforce in new and innovative ways, my rancor is becalmed by the supportive and positive team and culture I influence and am influenced by each day. This was not the case at the mobile game studios I worked for, for less than minimum wage, salaried, no benefits and the necessity of working indefinitely during crunch times with no additional compensation. I am consistently reminded in my current role, by those I manage and those who manage me, of the value I bring to the project; in the gaming industry, I most often faced either cold criticism, angry ranting, insensitivity, and a clear lack of executive interest or concern for the storyline. I found myself consistently disheartened, unmotivated, complacent, unfulfilled, and, for the better part of that decade, depressed. Just three months after my last company decided my job could be done by a fledgling AI program (ha!), the transluscent veil of a complacency-driven depression lifted. The gaming industry, even in smaller companies and start-ups, was soul-sucking with little reward for all the parts of ourselves we gave. And you know what? The games coming out from these large companies today are largely as soulless as their overworked art teams. Many of the biggest hits these past years have not been the hyped-up series staples released from the AAA studios; it's the independent stuff that's most making waves— Valheim, Hades, Ori— these games are thoughtful, innovative, immersive, and imbued with more soul than I've seen an original, main entry Final Fantasy game since 2010, or World of Warcraft since the death of Arthus. The only way I'd consider getting back into game development is if I were miraculously approached by a small team like the 5-man Irongate team who became overnight millionaires thanks to the absolute triumph and work of art that is Valheim. Some day, I may find myself in a tangential field, such as localization, but my time within the hollow halls of the video game industry snuffed out a lifelong passion for regaling the world with tales of adventure, and limit breaks, and god-slaying... a passion only recently reborn, though in an entirely different context, one which only my peers now get to see. #gameoverforgreed
Be loud. If you stay silent, others will tell the story and forge the narrative. Solidarize. With those who are affected by layoffs and disrespectful behavior. Unionize. With unity comes strength and influence. Take back video games. This industry does not belong to big money. These people don't give a flying fuck about games, creativity, words, stories, designs, art. They have made it a multi-billion dollar business to exploit our passion. Without us, this industry is nothing. Without us, they are nothing. Let's make them remember. #GameOverForGreed #VideoGameIndustry #FixGaming #VideoGameSolidarity ver.di AudioVisual Translators Europe AVÜ - Die Filmübersetzer*innen Fair Play 4 Game Workers Game Workers of Southern California Game Workers Unite Ireland Związek Pracowników Branży Gier / Polish Gamedev Workers Union IWGB - Independent Workers Union of Great Britain
