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Xbox president: Studio closures will ensure 'business is healthy for the long term' (www.gamedeveloper.com)

submitted 5 months ago by Goronmon@lemmy.world to c/games@lemmy.world

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[-] newthrowaway20@lemmy.world 72 points 5 months ago

What's healthy for the business long term isn't healthy for the customer. Remember that.

[-] FordBeeblebrox@lemmy.world 36 points 5 months ago

Nor the employees, only the capitalist benefits

[-] DaseinPickle@leminal.space 18 points 5 months ago

I really hope these developers create new independent studios and if they ever get offered a big bag of money, they will remember what happened last time. Maybe they will be smart enough to create worker owned studios and not waste huge salaries on useless CEOs.

[-] qyron@sopuli.xyz 15 points 5 months ago

I won't bet on that, neither for nor against.

Look at the guy that created Minecraft. He was passionate about his work, had a company that was doing great and with prospect of future growth.

One thousand millions later and the guy checks out a boat load of money and sell off the company: he already had his.

[-] TachyonTele@lemm.ee 7 points 5 months ago

It was also his one game. Youd do the same if you were done with it and offered more money than you could spend in your life.

That's a very different scenario than a studio having released multiple games over a couple decades being bought out.

[-] qyron@sopuli.xyz 2 points 5 months ago

Don't know if I would. Never had such an offer, never will.

I'm not very invested in the game/game studio culture but boiled down it gets to either a private owner or a board of directors deciding if it is the right moment to cash out.

[-] TachyonTele@lemm.ee 3 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Right. So not the same situation as the Minecraft guy at all.

It's apples and oranges. You just took a name you heard and tried to shove into the wrong context.

[-] qyron@sopuli.xyz 1 points 5 months ago

I can't agree with you.

The major share holder of a game studio, with a major success on its portfolio, already working on other projects, decided he wanted to move away from it as the day to day work had become too demanding and made his part of the studio available for purchase, in fact cashing out on a very large sum of money.

I really can't see where that is "apples to oranges", concerning the current debate on studios being bought out and shut down on the turn of a dime.

Are game studios some separate entity that exist exempt of the at work business logic or human nature? Studios are companies created to generate profit for its founders, that will most likely take the opportunity to cash out when presented.

By contrast, independent authors/creators are becoming a growing force to be respected - which is very good - but will such authors be immune to selling their work for a high offer their work if such opportunity presents itself? Hopefully, they will, but I won't bet on it, neither for nor against.