Phil Spencer has discussed the devastating wave of layoffs that has impacted the video games industry, and said he was "most concerned" about the overall "lack of growth".

The Xbox boss presided over the departure of 1900 people across Xbox and Activision Blizzard in January of this year, a decision he described at the time as being one aimed at achieving "a sustainable cost structure that will support the whole of our growing business".

Across the video games industry as a whole, more than 15,000 people are thought to have been let go over the past 18 months.

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[–] newt@sh.itjust.works 16 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Most modern video games are full of battle passes and loot boxes. It’s not surprising to see people flocking to older games that were more fun and less of a cash grab.

[–] Z3k3@lemmy.world 5 points 7 months ago

That and even if you do find a good aaa game without any of that crap it's 70 quid a pop.

Dunno about you but I can't sink that kind of money too often

[–] Chestrade@lemmy.world 13 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

After many disastrous launches and shitty business practices, people do not trust AAA comapnies anymore.

[–] AlexanderTheGreat@lemmy.world 8 points 7 months ago

I certainly don't. Putting "micro"transactions in a single player game is fucking insane.

[–] Conyak@lemmy.tf 3 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

Why isn’t it okay to make the same profits as the year before? Why must there be growth? It’s not sustainable and will always lead to layoffs. I don’t think Phil is focusing on the real issue.

[–] AlexanderTheGreat@lemmy.world 1 points 7 months ago

Because if he said that he'd be disowned immediately by the higher ups lol.

[–] Atin@lemmy.world 3 points 7 months ago

I no longer trust Turn 10 or Playground games. They have driven Forza into the ground like a Mustang through pedestrians.

[–] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 2 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

How can the industry grow if you keep laying people off or spending even more on making a turd that doesn't even pay for itself?

The next time I see a game announce it has like a $800b budget, every single programmer, artist, writer, et al better be driving Rolls Royces by the time that shit releases.