Several factors have come together to make this an incredibly tumultuous time for video game developers, and could have lasting effects on the industry.
The main issue with video game development is it is many people’s dream job. They are willing to put up with anything to get the job; until they aren’t, and then the next crop of fresh faces are waiting in line to get their dream job. In that setting, a union won’t form as there is just too much competition among prospective hires, too many people not doing research into the industry, and too many people willing to work insane hours for no gain.
Actors and professional athletes both have an advantage: name recognition. There is only one Tom Holland, there is only one Michael Jordan. It doesn’t matter how many people are lined up, the industry cannot replace them 1-for-1. The same is not true of video game development. Think of the last video game you played, do you know the name of even a single developer that worked on it? Almost certainly not. That person will be replaced by one of thousands of people in line; Tom Holland cannot be. This gives actors and athletes significantly more bargaining power to affect change in the industry, such as forming unions.
This was an ironic read for me. Your examples really solidified the opposite of your point for me. People can name their top 20 favorite offensive linemen in football. You had an entire industry and thought of 3 names that most people even within the fandoms would fail to recognize.
Just because you don’t recognize them doesn’t mean no one else would be able to. I couldn’t name an athlete I hadn’t read about in the last five minutes if I tried. That doesn’t mean they don’t have name recognition.
Interesting that you only chose one of the three names as something you didn’t recognize.
Lmao, I’m talking to a person who couldn’t name a single one of Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Michael Phelps, Babe Ruth, Messi, Usain Bolt, Muhammid Ali, etc… let’s do some less top athletes and just drop some athlete names I can do off the top of my head: Brett Farve, Manning, Mike Tyson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Williams sisters,
I’ll probably try to think of more later.
then, I don’t think you can be considered a trustworthy input on this topic. That says so much more about you than anything else.
It’s such a monumentally clueless statement about the world around you. I would be embarrassed to out myself as that clueless on physical fitness. This is all coming from a guy who never watched sports, except maybe in high school a decade+ ago.
No shit I told you I don’t recognize the name I said I didn’t recognize. I’ve followed video games and worked in video game development for 25+ years. I was establishing how far you were fishing for 3 recognizable names, even amongst would be experts on the subject.
Yea, I don’t trust your input. It feels better to assume you wrote that comment in bad faith rather than out of cluelessness.
How many unions are there for game dev, and how successful are they in the industry?
My experience trying to join a Union in America makes me critical of this callout.
The main issue with video game development is it is many people’s dream job. They are willing to put up with anything to get the job; until they aren’t, and then the next crop of fresh faces are waiting in line to get their dream job. In that setting, a union won’t form as there is just too much competition among prospective hires, too many people not doing research into the industry, and too many people willing to work insane hours for no gain.
Acting and professional sports are dream jobs with plenty of fresh faces waiting in line and yet they have unions.
Actors and professional athletes both have an advantage: name recognition. There is only one Tom Holland, there is only one Michael Jordan. It doesn’t matter how many people are lined up, the industry cannot replace them 1-for-1. The same is not true of video game development. Think of the last video game you played, do you know the name of even a single developer that worked on it? Almost certainly not. That person will be replaced by one of thousands of people in line; Tom Holland cannot be. This gives actors and athletes significantly more bargaining power to affect change in the industry, such as forming unions.
There’s tons of recognition in game development as well. Notch? ConcernedApe? Peter Molyneux?
There’s tons of no-name actors and athletes to go with the big names as well.
This was an ironic read for me. Your examples really solidified the opposite of your point for me. People can name their top 20 favorite offensive linemen in football. You had an entire industry and thought of 3 names that most people even within the fandoms would fail to recognize.
Who even is concerned Ape?
Just because you don’t recognize them doesn’t mean no one else would be able to. I couldn’t name an athlete I hadn’t read about in the last five minutes if I tried. That doesn’t mean they don’t have name recognition.
Interesting that you only chose one of the three names as something you didn’t recognize.
Lmao, I’m talking to a person who couldn’t name a single one of Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Michael Phelps, Babe Ruth, Messi, Usain Bolt, Muhammid Ali, etc… let’s do some less top athletes and just drop some athlete names I can do off the top of my head: Brett Farve, Manning, Mike Tyson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Williams sisters,
I’ll probably try to think of more later.
then, I don’t think you can be considered a trustworthy input on this topic. That says so much more about you than anything else.
It’s such a monumentally clueless statement about the world around you. I would be embarrassed to out myself as that clueless on physical fitness. This is all coming from a guy who never watched sports, except maybe in high school a decade+ ago.
No shit I told you I don’t recognize the name I said I didn’t recognize. I’ve followed video games and worked in video game development for 25+ years. I was establishing how far you were fishing for 3 recognizable names, even amongst would be experts on the subject.
Yea, I don’t trust your input. It feels better to assume you wrote that comment in bad faith rather than out of cluelessness.