With more than 9,000 layoffs in the games industry this year, I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve read a statement of practiced contrition from the people responsible. It was a tough decision, we’re told again and again, but don’t worry, it’s being done for the health of the company. It’s hard to imagine a person who’s comforted by that idea, but that’s the cold logic supposedly at play. Yet, as it turns out, working with a staff that you’ve just gutted, with the survivors now unsure if they’ll be next on the chopping block, may not be the best way to make games.
