Video Games
A billboard remembering shuttered studios has appeared outside of Summer Game Fest in Los Angeles
A billboard funded by New Blood Interactive has been spotted in LA, where SGF is set to take place, to remind everyone of those the video game industry has cast aside.
“Gone but not forgotten”, reads a visually striking message from an electronic billboard in downtown Los Angeles. Accompanied by glitchy effects and white-on-black text, New Blood Interactive strategically placed the billboard close to where Summer Game Fest 2024 is set to take place to pay tribute to the many people that have been affected during this past year in the video game industry.
First spotted by reporter Stephen Totilo, the sign displays a list of studios that have been shut down throughout the last 12 months, as well as acknowledging “everyone laid off, downsized & ‘made redundant.’” Some the studios mentioned include Arkane Austin, Roll 7, Tango Gameworks, Volition, and London Studio.
A harsh reminder of the precarious state of the industry
Of course, the message has not gone unnoticed by members of the industry, many of which have found themselves suddenly looking for new job opportunities despite releasing critically acclaimed games that made their parent companies and publishers millions of dollars. The past few years have been especially difficult for game developers of all kinds and disciplines, as layoffs have been one of the most common sights.
From massively successful multi-million companies like Epic Games and Microsoft firing thousands of employees at a time, with repercussions dripping down to every studio involved in it, to other relatively smaller companies following suit (and leading workers to unionize). Even some parallel industries have been affected, like popular streaming platform Twitch.
This is all a good reminder that, while events like Summer Game Fest are exciting, we mustn’t forget about the very real people working tirelessly behind the scenes to make all of it happen, often without recognition or fair recompense.
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