Microsoft Closes Redfall Developer Arkane Austin, Hi-Fi Rush Developer Tango Gameworks, and More in Devastating Cuts at Bethesda

Because these corporations presumably think they’ll buy a talented studio, get it to make something its isn’t used to making, force a bunch of shit into it for monetisation and/or launch early in order to keep schedule. All this to keep investors/management happy. Then when the combination of the aforementioned (repeatedly) blows up in their face; usually by pissing off customers, they lose money. Finally you start layoffs and rehires if needed because you’re running into money problems.

They couldn’t care less about the talent. It isn’t rare for a lot of the talent to bail when these studio get bought up. Especially since it feels like you’re just going to be crunched the second you get the first job post acquisition. Found this while checking this assumption, a bunch of them left early for Arkane specifically.

I always viewed it companies like EA take a gamble. Either the investment pulls off the unlikely, convoluted shit you ask and makes you money or you take it out back and try with another studio.

My best guess is that Microsoft/Bethesda hired too many people during the pandemic, because gaming had a boom then. I do not know, if it's a massive management failure or planned, that all these people would need to be laid off shortly after the pandemic-boom ends.

Does Arkane Austin co-develop Blade? Because in the article, it says that Arkane Lyon is (also) working on that.

They're very good at identifying talented developers /s

They’ll keep the talent they want, and fire everyone else. “Talent Acquisition”.

Would have been cheaper for them to just poach the few talented people, under your scenario.

(And yeah, but, they'd be able to work around the poaching contracting/legal issues. They always do.)

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