If we want the indie category to mean something, we need to nail down what an indie is.
"The solution might be to look towards the film industry in this case...a budget restriction...The Independent Spirit Awards the budget can't exceed $22.5 million."
Um, no. Hollywood Accounting is real. It has hit the games industry. I recently read that GTA VI has a supposed budget of 1-2 billion. That's a complete fabrication and laughable. Horizon FW budget was leaked at 220 million.
And just like the film industry we are seeing articles with made up budgets attached to games. No one knows the budget of a game. They can use the budgets to bludgeon their "in the chair" developers to take less money in compensation, to not unionize, to make this industry exist on "gig work," to pay less in taxes.
I like the idea, but unless there are reciepts, no one will ever know the budget of a game.
How about a game made by independent studios or developers and not owned or financed by a major publisher or company?
Also, there are decidedly indie games that choose to work with “indie publishers” like Team17.
The game is still made on a really small budget, by a very small team, but still have the backing of what is arguably a big publisher (or at least decently sized).
The real answer is.. there really isnt a way to clarify it that will work for every scenario and there really isnt anything wrong with that anyway
Videogame software provider Unity Software will eliminate 265 jobs or 3.8% of its global workforce and end an agreement with a digital video effects company founded by the "Lord of the Rings" director as part of a "reset," the company said on Tuesday.
The percentage is lower compared to recent layoffs we been hearing. But still 265 jobs is quite a number.
The executives make obviously terrible decisions, then their profits drop, and it's the work force that suffers because of it.
Exactly. It's never the idiot executives that suffer the consequences of their idiot actions, it's always the talented people that actually make the product.
Indeed, imagine being a good employee, then losing your job because the executives screw things up while also paying themselves yearly bonuses.
Disgusting.
https://www.gamespot.com/ar...
Unity has announced a round of layoffs and the closure of Weta Digital, after it decided to end its agreement with Peter Jackson's Weta FX. The layoffs will impact 265 employees, a total of 3.8% of its workforce, Reuters reports.
Back in December 2021, Unity acquired a part of Peter Jackson's Weta Digital, including "Weta Digital's tools, pipeline, technology, and engineering talent" in a deal worth $1.625 billion. The remainder of Weta Digital remained under Jackson's ownership and rebranded to Weta FX, with the company maintaining an agreement to use Weta Digital's tools and services.
Now, Unity says it has terminated the professional services part of this agreement, which will result in the layoffs of 265 employees involved in the agreement. Weta FX issued a statement to FX Guide, saying it would be looking to re-hire as much of the Weta Digital team as possible. Unity will retain ownership of the tools it acquired, and they will remain readily available for Weta FX to use.
I worked at Unity, super smart...super woke. John was a piece of old school work...how he survived so long is a mystery.
While the games themselves made it one of the best years ever, the game industry itself was just a whole other level of disappointing in 2023.
I like digital. Its super convenient. which is funny to say as a 50 year old guy who has been gaming since 77. So I've enjoyed my fair share of physical media over the years. Lately though... I just buy digital. Unless its a cool collectors edition that i want to have. Even then many of those are coming with digital codes... go figure.
Xbox One Two?
https://www.youtube.com/wat...
I for one and all for this. Hopefully it will reduce hardware costs but probably not.