Video game layoffs are commonplace in the industry, but while some companies might be cutting ties with employees in an effort to save money, others are determined to buck the trend.
Clovers director Hideki Kamiya, of Bayonetta and Devil May Cry fame, finds himself in such a position, stating that he feels a “very strong responsibility” to protect employees from layoffs.
This stance comes amid a strange time for the gaming economy. While it’s becoming increasingly expensive to both produce and buy games, they seem to be making more money than ever before, leading to many questions about long-term sustainability.
Clovers
Hideki Kamiya now heads his own games studio called Clovers, where he and his team are working on a sequel to his acclaimed 2006 title Okami.
In an interview with VGC, Kamiya spoke about how important it was for him to protect his staff, citing the current trend of video game layoffs and suggesting that it’s more of a problem with Western companies, than in Japan.
“I’m deeply grateful to all the colleagues who have gathered here at CLOVERS. Actually, even more so than when I was at Capcom or Platinum, because this is a company we built ourselves, starting with just a handful of people and growing one by one into the team we have today.
“That’s why I feel a very strong responsibility to protect this place no matter what. That means that we can’t just say like, ‘oh, the project failed and didn’t go well, goodbye everyone’.
“We really have a deep commitment to keep the company going for these people, who we’re grateful to. Of course, I understand there are circumstances that force large companies to make layoffs, but for us, that’s a route that we don’t want to go down. We want to take care of our staff.”
“Speaking from a creative perspective, I’ve worked with Sega, Capcom, and Nintendo. And during my time at PlatinumGames, I also collaborated with Japanese publishers like Konami and Koei Tecmo, as well as overseas publishers such as Microsoft, Tencent, and Activision.
“What it feels like when working with Japanese publishers is that the development culture feels closer to mind, and they tend to be more understanding toward creators.”
Video Game Unions
In other parts of the world, employees are increasingly seeking to establish common groups, such as the 450-strong union at Blizzard, that can provide them with some sort of safeguarding against being suddenly terminated from their positions.
Whether this means making it more difficult for that to happen in the first place, or it means they are guaranteed some form of severance and a longer notice period, these arrangements can help developers to find more security in their work in regards to supporting themselves.
Prevalence of AI in Game Development
With the rising costs of game development being what they are, the idea of laying off developers might seem like a bizarre choice – especially if it leads to studios unable to make games at all.
However, this is where generative AI technology comes into play, with many studios hoping that this will be able to take over a lot of the work from developers.
This creates a contentious environment, and a distinct when it comes to more creative lines of work like writing, art design or voice acting, where utilising AI too strongly can negatively impact the quality of the work.
