News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:Activision-Blizzard layoffs after reporting record results by why_only_15 on Wednesday February 13, 2019 @03:00AM (#19151285)
The thing is that if you fire a teacher, they must find another job _as a teacher_ because they have no other skills because it isn't transferrable. As a game dev, programming is programming and if you can program a game you can program other things. You won't starve or even have a serious problem if you get laid off and need to change fields.
Re:Activision-Blizzard layoffs after reporting record results by ido on Wednesday February 13, 2019 @04:24AM (#19151666)
Programmers are not the only employees in game companies, nor even the majority or biggest plurality (the latter are probably graphic artists). Programmers are indeed the ones in the best position & probably why they are generally the best paid segment.
Re:Activision-Blizzard layoffs after reporting record results by jplayer01 on Wednesday February 13, 2019 @05:10AM (#19151869)
I already addressed this. Why are we okay with an entire industry having shitty work conditions, regardless of circumstances? Why should a game developer have to work 80-100 hour weeks for months on end just because he wants to make games? The issue of skills transference is just distracting from this issue.
Re:Activision-Blizzard layoffs after reporting record results by baud147258 on Wednesday February 13, 2019 @05:44AM (#19152053)
> The issue of skills transference

The issue of skill transferance is that nobody is forcing them to work in such companies; it means they can leave and try to find another job.

Re:Activision-Blizzard layoffs after reporting record results by jplayer01 on Wednesday February 13, 2019 @06:10AM (#19152155)
That's what they do after a few years, but I'm not sure how that excuses it.
Re:Activision-Blizzard layoffs after reporting record results by CydeWeys on Wednesday February 13, 2019 @11:07AM (#19154061)
I don't understand why it's so hard to understand that these people don't want to work in other industries, they want to make games. And thus it makes sense for them to organize and try to improve the industry they want to be in rather than having to flee to another industry, which currently happens all too often after severe burnout.

If it's so bad that many people are being forced out, then clearly it meets the bar of unionization being helpful. I'd rather start organizing than quit the industry I love, as the worst that could happen is I get fired (and potentially get a big payout on a subsequent lawsuit), and if it's so bad that the alternative is to leave anyway, it's the same result.

Re:Activision-Blizzard layoffs after reporting record results by jacobush on Wednesday February 13, 2019 @04:20AM (#19151653)
But most involved in game making are not programmers.