State of the Gaming Industry
Tags: gamedev
Published: 2024-01-26 06:22:06

Hello everyone, today's post is something a lot more personal than my usual posts. With all the recent layoffs in the past year in the gaming industry, I've had a weird feeling that I just couldn't quite understand. With this week's news of back-to-back layoffs, the number of people affected in 25 days of 2024 has already reached more than half of the total (reported) layoffs of 2023. I finally wrote down how I really feel about all of this, and I wanted to share it to the world. I struggled a lot deciding if I should go public with this. I'm not looking for anything other than to just share how I feel. I'm sure that I'm not the only person that feels this way and while not everyone shares publicly their feelings, it's always comforting to know that you're not the only one feeling this way. Anyways, here's how I've truly felt about the industry for quite a while now:

*It's disheartening to see the industry of your dreams, the motivation behind studying your university degree, behind all your professional dreams and hopes, crumble beneath its own weight. How can it be possible that a multi-billion-dollar industry, which is also the biggest entertainment industry in the world, be such a terrible workplace. From any angle that you look, there is a horror story warning you to stay clear and stay away from the industry if you want a peaceful life. Either the drenching crunch stories that end up at best in fatigue and/or burnout. Or the constant feeling for minorities of not fitting in or being diminished (something that happens at large in the tech industry). Or having to get out of bed and go to work every day not knowing if it's the last day you'll set a foot in the company of your dreams, being cut off access, without warning, to everything that you've poured every drop of your soul and passion for the last days/weeks/months/years. It's just awful to think of all the scenarios that are happening to thousands of people throughout the industry.*

*How can this industry bring so much hope, dreams, and entertainment to billions of players worldwide, but not be able to treat the people behind decently? How am I supposed to feel when all that I want is to be part of this industry, to be part of creating all the wonderful experiences that I've enjoyed since I was a little kid, to give back and bring joy and happiness through the beautiful art form of interactive entertainment. How am I supposed to feel when everywhere I look, everything I see, everything I hear, screams back at me to stay away. That no matter how hard I try, how much I do, how much I eventually put into this industry, it will eventually turn its back on me without any hesitation. That I will never truly feel safe, that I will never feel like I truly belong here. Because that's what it's telling everyone that is already part of the industry. From indies to AAA developers, from people that have just gotten their first "gig" to (~~war~~ game industry) veterans with years, even decades, of experience, no one is safe.*

*So, what should the hopes be for someone like me. Someone who is just starting his professional career. Someone without industry experience. Someone who has dreamed of being part of this horrendously amazing industry for the majority of his life. Should I feel grateful that so far, I've been rejected in every attempt I've made to be part of the industry? That I should give up on everything and accept that it will never be sustainable to live off something that you're really passionate about? Is this just a curse of working in anything related to the arts, to slowly succumb to the weight of entertaining the world while you give up your personal life?*

I really hope that the industry gets back on its feet and starts treating the people involved decently. My thoughts go out to everyone that has been affected by any of the problems of the industry.