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Why is the video game industry in crisis? (sh.itjust.works)

submitted 6 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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I keep hearing about layoffs, studios being closed and how the industry is troubled. Are companies losing money and sales are poor, or is it the same as Google and other companies laying off people just to pump their stock price and make money despite profitability?

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[–] [email protected] 15 points 6 months ago

Growth, public companies, shareholders, profits.

I think the writing is on the wall. Indie devs are more capable than ever, it just doesn't require a big studio to make a high quality game anymore.

I think making movies and making videogames are art forms that have historically been dominated by large conglomeration a of owners of the means of production. It used to be hard to do a green screen. Now 12 year olds do it to stream.

It's like music. Producing music used to be a whole thing. Like going to a brick and mortar studio, with like... A parking lot. Employees. The whole 9. Nows it's a dude on Craigslist or Fiverr. That's where movie making and videogame production are headed.

So big studios have big investments in a market with an ever lower barrier to entry. Their investments don't significantly position them beyond the likes of a passionate kid in the middle of a manic episode.

So they're closing up shop.