BaltimoreGamer sources confirmed both 38 studios and Big Huge Games announced layoffs across both companies. Our information was later confirmed when multiple employees via Facebook and LinkedIn updated their job status to “Ended work at Big Huge Games” and the same was noticed for some at 38 studios.
Why do game studios keep imploding?
Dysfunction is baked into the video game production process, as it currently exists. The big-budget games industry is dominated by a few large companies, the publishers. Like book publishers, they are responsible for distributing and marketing games (much but not all of this is entirely digital now, but most of the publishers established themselves when game distribution meant getting physical discs and cartridges on retail store shelves). Games are actually made by studios, which are generally either owned directly by the publishers or independent. Making big-budget video games takes an enormous amount of highly specialized labor. It is possible for one person to make a game, and even for that game to be a hit, but the biggest, most profitable games released each year are nearly always made by enormous teams of people, working directly or indirectly for those publishers.
Create their own studio ala Activision but never forget where they came from ala Activision
Unions breed garbage product no matter what’s being made. Passion and drive to make awesome stuff goes out the window and it’s replaced by laziness, seniority over skill, office politics and all around horseshit. As a welder of 23 years, I’ve seen it first hand, over and over again.
I’d say there’s a time and a place for unions. If work conditions have gotten so bad because the company is run by tyrants, unions will help.
But, on the contrary, I work for one of those rare companies that is better for the employee than a union is. Family owned, we purchased a new facility in Jersey and the workers voted the union out based on the offer (pay, hours, benefits, etc). Now we have UNION scabs, hired by the union, to protest against us at various locations.
DomiNations, and Rise of Nations developer Big Huge Games has been the victim of a cyber attack. It's the latest in a string of similar attacks.
Do you remember the good old days, when video games put fast hack-and-slashing combat sequences and extensive levelling systems first and a deep narrative with memorable characters second? BigHuge Games certainly banked on gamers holding some kind of nostalgia for those titles of yore with their fantasy RPG Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning.
This is hilarious that i would see an article after I went and re-bought the game and playing it all week! I love the QTEs in this game its satisfying, the combat is fluid where you can switch from weapons to magic so easily, the weapons, armor, quests, character customizations, lore, world, voice acting, are all great this game has almost everything you'd need and want from an RPG!
I really wish there was going to be a KoAR 2!
Thats really sad news. Kingdoms of Amalur is one of my favourite games this gen, thus far.
Shame. While I liked Kingdoms, I was really looking forward to their MMORPG.
I think it is safe to assume that it will never happen at this point.
Yes very sad! Being friends with the guys at the local company makes you want to cheer for them even harder.