As a seasoned gamer with decades of experience under my belt, I’ve witnessed the ebb and flow of the gaming industry like the tides of time itself. The recent closure of Firewalk Studios by Sony is a matter that stirs both my gaming heart and my sense of justice.
A labor organization that advocates for video game creators has strongly reprimanded Sony for shutting down two of its studios, including Firewalk Studios, claiming that their actions suggest a behavior that is both anticompetitive and monopolistic in nature.
In a statement, the Communications Workers of America (CWA) expressed that Sony’s recent closures of Concord studio Firewalk and mobile game company Neon Koi underscore the need for video game workers to have the chance to unionize freely and equitably now more than ever.
In recent times, the video game sector has faced a series of large-scale job losses and major changes. According to the CWA, these decisions to reduce workforce and halt projects are being made by video game CEOs who are perceived as being well-protected from industry fluctuations.
The assertion made in the CWA declaration further stated that Sony persists in exhibiting monopolistic behavior by shutting down studios and cutting jobs.
As a gamer, I can’t help but see Sony’s move to shut down studios that focus on non-PlayStation exclusive content as a red flag. Instead of diving into the cutthroat world of mobile gaming where competition is fierce and diversity is key, they seem intent on strengthening their monopoly in the video game industry. This could be a sign of their ambition to dominate the market even more, which isn’t exactly a promising development for gamers who crave variety and healthy competition.
In his opinion shared through social media, industry expert Daniel Ahmad disagrees with the reasoning presented here. He states that the argument doesn’t apply in this particular case, as the studios did not hold strong positions before they were taken over. Instead, their dominance was a result of poor leadership, according to him.
As a gamer, I’m planning to voice my worries about Sony’s growing dominance in the gaming market – both as a seller (monopoly) and a buyer (monopsony power) – to regulatory bodies, policy makers, and relevant parties in the future.
Approximately 250 employees from the studio behind Fallout and Elder Scrolls, Bethesda Game Studios, have recently joined forces with the Communications Workers of America (CWA) to establish a union. This move is part of a growing trend in the video game industry where development teams are increasingly seeking collective bargaining agreements, a momentum that appears to be gaining traction as of late.
Based on information from Kotaku’s report, the initial development budget for Concord was estimated at $200 million. However, this amount allegedly did not cover all expenses associated with game development. Additionally, it appears that these costs were distinct from those related to Sony’s acquisition of Firewalk and acquiring the rights to the Concord IP.
In just under a month since its launch, Concord went offline as Sony declared they would offer full refunds to all players. For a while, there were hopes that the game could return with a fresh business strategy or alterations, but unfortunately, those expectations won’t be realized.
Even though progress isn’t being made with the game Concord, the Concord franchise is expected to appear in Amazon Prime Video’s television series titled “Secret Levels,” set to debut in December.
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2024-10-31 19:39