Gaming Is UNRECOGNISABLE In 2024
9. 2023 Was "The Best Year For Gaming Ever" & No One Is Happy
2023 was an incredible year for video games and arguably even the best ever - more high-quality titles from indie to AAA were released than any single person could ever possibly get through.
And yet, even with so much brilliance and so much success, the games industry is in some of the direst straits it's ever been in right now. Reports estimate that over 10,000 video game workers were laid off in 2023, and barely a month into 2024, we're already at around 6,000 for this year.
It seems contradictory for the industry to be booming on the surface when the people actually producing the games are losing their livelihoods in deeply alarming numbers.
The reasons for this? Again, we're back to the unsustainability argument - publishers feel compelled to cut costs wherever they can in order to maximise profitability for shareholders.
Other factors include over-hiring during the pandemic boom, the effects of global inflation, and jobs being lost to AI-assisted development.
With more quality games than ever being released right now it should be a cause for celebration all around, and yet, there's instead an atmosphere of fear and dread behind the scenes, with little sign of the pervasive layoffs letting up anytime soon.