Submitted 8 months ago by Carighan@lemmy.world to games@lemmy.world
https://www.vg247.com/cd-projekt-red-devs-form-polish-games-industry-union
From the article:
In an FAQ on the union’s website, it’s explained that discussions of a union began after the layoffs at CD Projekt, which amounted to roughly 100 people. “This event created a tremendous amount of stress and insecurity, affecting our mental health and leading to the creation of this union in response,” reads the FAQ. "Having a union means having more security, transparency, better protection, and a stronger voice in times of crisis.
Aren’t layoffs the norm for the games industry? You hire a bunch of people to make your new AAA title. A few years later, the game is out and the bugs are fixed, and now you don’t need all these employees anymore. Rinse and repeat until you’re ready to make the next AAA title.
Not defending the practice, but developers shouldn’t be surprised when they’re laid off after the company deems that they’re no longer needed.
echo64@lemmy.world 8 months ago
Unions don’t stop lay-offs, but this is still a strong move and probably the most likely to succeed. CDPR needs to find new income now that they don’t have a game on the horizon, so they need devs to produce.
Literally, the power is in the devs’ hands here. CDPR’s only option is to either work with the union or lay them all off and then not release any new products and go bankrupt.
Hopefully, it spreads to more European countries and becomes normal business for games to be made with unions in Europe
wim@lemmy.sdf.org 8 months ago
One issue is that unions have failed to globalize while industries have. CDPR could simply chose to bypass the union by opening a dev studio in a country with no or less union presence.
Given the recent wave of layoffs in the game industry, they’ll have no shortage finding capable people.
echo64@lemmy.world 8 months ago
i don’t buy into this defeatist attitude at all I’m sorry.
to do that without working with the unions in good faith, they would have to lay everyone off then meander for a few years rebuilding somewhere else. it’s not a quick process. and then probably release something of even lower quality than their recent releases.
the only way to do what you are saying is to work with the unions for the current projects and work to build non union studios for future projects. which unions would probably fight.
Dark_Arc@social.packetloss.gg 8 months ago
Devs are not as easy to replace as factory workers, EU and US/CA software talent is top tier. I’d imagine even factory workers aren’t so easy to replace these days.
DaCookeyMonsta@lemmy.world 8 months ago
Or sell off their assets to a US publisher and become another EA sacrifice.
Xanvial@lemmy.world 8 months ago
I think currently it should be changed to Microsoft sacrifice