Microsoft Xbox recently announced large-scale layoffs, sales of studios and organizational restructuring, which shocked the entire gaming industry. In this regard, IGN directly commented that Xbox is indeed facing serious problems, but continuous layoffs and loss of top talents are definitely not the solution. The article pointed out that in recent years, Xbox has acquired a large number of studios, but has closed, sold or reorganized them one after another. Teams including Arkane, Double Fine, Compulsion Games, Ninja Theory and other teams have been in turmoil, forcing many outstanding developers to leave.
Is Marvel’s Blade just the tip of the iceberg?
IGN also mentioned that “Marvel’s Blade” has received the most attention recently. It has been previously reported that Arkane Studios is not only facing sale or reorganization, but it was even reported that the game may be canceled, causing players to worry. Although the official cancellation has not yet been officially announced, the prospects of the entire project are still full of uncertainty. For many players, what is more sad than losing a game is that a studio that has created “Dishonored” and “Deathloop” may lose years of accumulated creative energy.
The problem isn’t the employees, it’s the management
IGN believes that grassroots developers should not be solely responsible for Xbox’s current predicament. What really needs to be reviewed is the management strategy, which includes years of acquisitions, failed integrations, and repeated adjustments in direction, resulting in many teams never being able to develop stable products. Nowadays, with the wave of layoffs, the most valuable talents in the entire industry are lost in the end.
What I fear most is not the delay!
You can wait for game delays; you can wait for new consoles; but once an experienced development team is dismantled, those tacit understanding, technology and creativity will probably never come back, and this is the core of what IGN wants to express. Xbox may really need to change, but if every reform starts by killing the people who are best at making games, what will be left in the end?