2023 was a challenging year for workers in the video game industry, but 2024 is even worse as not only is the number of layoffs about to surpass the previous year, but there are also cancellations, closures, and uncertainty since no one wants to venture beyond the established in gaming. It's a surprising situation, so much so that one of the most important developers in history shared his thoughts on it.
John Romero states that he has never seen a labor crisis like the current one in gaming
Through a post on his official Twitter account, John Romero, co-creator of DOOM, expressed his concern about the wave of layoffs that has hit the industry since last year, especially in the first 2 months of 2024. The creative mentioned that he had never seen anything like this in the decades he has been working and involved in gaming.
He also pointed out that beyond what happens at the financial and corporate level, game development has identity and cultural elements, which make this situation more dramatic: "I've been in the video game industry since I was a kid, and I've never seen anything like what we're seeing now. For many of us, being a game developer is not just a job but an identity, community, and culture. I feel so sorry for everyone who has lost their jobs."
I've been in the game industry since I was a kid, and I've never seen anything like we're seeing now. For many of us, being a game dev is not just a job, but an identity, community, and culture. I am so sorry to everyone who has lost their jobs.
— John Romero 🤘🏽 (@romero) February 29, 2024
When asked if this was similar to the video game crash of the 1980s, which almost ended the industry, John Romero said it has no comparison because in those years, gaming was a small business compared to what it is today.
The labor crisis in gaming has led some creatives to speak out, like Ben Arfmann, narrative director of Marvel's Spider-Man 2, who lamented the layoffs of some of his colleagues at Insomniac Games and questioned the value of the success of the sequel and previous projects that have delivered very good results, as they do not seem to have been enough to secure job positions in the PlayStation studio.
Similarly, the developer community criticized Geoff Keighley, producer of The Game Awards, for the silence he has maintained during this time in which he has not supported the workers in the industry. In that regard, they feel he does not represent them.
Stay tuned here at LEVEL UP.
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