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[Leb]

Sounds like we need a certified press sneak fuck to dig up some real answers before we get a second round of terrible Druckmann memes.

 

[loaf of bread]

Nothing. This is what happens when a major project wraps up.

.

 

[msdstc]

Perhaps they weren't satisfied with the the quality and seek to replace those they have fired? Maybe Sony wants nothing less than a universally held 9ish game.

That's definitely not the case given the sales, and the fact that Guerilla and Japan Studios still exist... not to mention David Cage games.

I wish they'd just keep these people on and move to two teams. I'd love a new IP from them and an Infamous follow-up.

Sony should just acquire them and get this done.

 

[Doctor_Thomas]

Sounds like we need a certified press sneak fuck to dig up some real answers before we get a second round of terrible Druckmann memes.

You're assuming Druckmann isn't behind this and is forcing Suckerpunch to make DLC for TLOU

 

[StoopKid]

Nothing. This is what happens when a major project wraps up.

Waiting on hyperbolic ign article.

 

[Doctor_Thomas]

Sony should just acquire them and get this done.

Sony already own Sucker Punch.

 

[Akahige]

That's definitely not the case given the sales, and the fact that Guerilla and Japan Studios still exist... not to mention David Cage games.



Sony should just acquire them and get this done.

They already own them.

 

[RedAssedApe]

Sucks but normal turnover it sounds like. Jason Schreier wrote about an interesting article about this stuff a few months back:

http://kotaku.com/video-game-layoff-stories-1593420342

 

[NEO0MJ]

happens with every project that ends for years now. ive been laid off way more times than i can count. at this point its normal within the industry which is also sad.

I wonder why they work like this. I mean, these are employees, not contractors, right? Just doesn't feel right to know that your current project might be your last with the company.
How is this news broken to people?

It sold (not shipped) over 1 million in 9 days.

That's good. I just hope Sony didn't have Square Enix Level of expectations for the game

 

[TomShoe]

It's probably just the usual contraction of staff after First Light finished.

A studio usually hires a lot of extra help when a game starts going into full production, and that help is laid off after the project is finished. You don't need all of those extra people during the pre-production phase, when ideas are being laid out for the next game.

Good luck to all those that were laid off.

 

[Pound_lb003]

A friend of a friend said they were "laid off" in a tweet, it's not exactly going to stand up in court.

I know it's just that contractors are contractors. You have to be an employee to be laid off. The amount of movement with contractors is not even worth a friend mentioning it in passing.

a game could have sold 10 million in its first year of launch and they would still lay off people due to their contracts. it has to deal with insurance and full time positions.

I am not denying that regardless of sales they may still lay people off, but 'lay offs' don't happen because of contracts coming to an end. What does it have to do with insurance?

 

[legacyzero]

End of a dev cycle?

 

[Magwik]

Nothing. This is what happens when a major project wraps up.

Yep.

 

[TalonJH]

Wait, what?

 

[ReturnOfTheRAT]

Oh... Terrible news. ;(

I loved second son, what's happening to Suckerpunch?

IGN comin'

 

[jonnyp]

Project finished (Second Son and Last Light), lay offs commence. It's an odd practice in the industry, shame it is so prevalent.

At least that is my guess..

Disgusting practice to fire people just because they're not in full production on another game just yet. No job security whatsoever. If they were independent contractors then I would have no problem as they have fixed, very specific contracts and are paid more than staffers but he mentions lay-offs specifically, which wouldn't be the case when a contractor has come to the end of his contract.

 

[Guymelef]

This is normal, always has been after a big project ends.
But you know... Twitter era...

 

[kurahador]

Nothing. This is what happens when a major project wraps up.

Yup. And considering Second Son is a close to launch title, I can imagine they recruited a bunch of talents to meet the deadline.

 

[Pattycakes]

End of a dev cycle?

Seems like it. Nothing abnormal really.

 

[Pound_lb003]

Disgusting practice to fire people just because they're not in full production on another game just yet. No job security whatsoever. If they were independent contractors then I would have no problem as they have fixed, very specific contracts and are paid more than staffers but he mentions lay-offs specifically, which wouldn't be the case when a contractor has come to the end of his contract.

Well said.

I think it's why studios such as Rockstar and Ubisoft work as satellites now. So that production staff are continually effective.

It is a horrible indictment of job stability in the games industry. And they probably don't hire contractors because they're so much more expensive. Just kinda nasty.

 

[iamvin22]

I wonder why they work like this. I mean, these are employees, not contractors, right? Just doesn't feel right to know that your current project might be your last with the company.
How is this news broken to people?



That's good. I just hope Sony didn't have Square Enix Level of expectations for the game

no, they are contractors. level designers, QA, producers it really doesn't matter unless you're a sr.producer, director, and whatever other position is at a senior level.

they do this so that once that year comes up they no longer have to give you a full time position. there are some times where a contractor can move over to another project but that usually never happens before because pre-prod takes so long now.

contractors that have been in this position just do they're positions then go on unemployment then return once a project ramps up.

 

[krioto]

Sony should just acquire them and get this done.

i don't think it's good business sense to purchase something twice...

 

[Mr.Mike]

So who are the main people normally laid of after a project finishes? I assuming QA testers are the bulk, but are programmers and artists usually part of this as well?

 

[SuperSonic1305]

What exactly do programmers/modelers do when there is no game to make yet? Do they sit around and get paid while the rest of the team brainstorms ideas for the next game?

 

[Interficium]

So who are the main people normally laid of after a project finishes? I assuming QA testers are the bulk, but are programmers and artists usually part of this as well?

QA, then lower level artists, prop and environment usually.

 

[Linearskillz]

Disgusting practice to fire people just because they're not in full production on another game just yet. No job security whatsoever. If they were independent contractors then I would have no problem as they have fixed, very specific contracts and are paid more than staffers but he mentions lay-offs specifically, which wouldn't be the case when a contractor has come to the end of his contract.

Yeah it's really shitty. My understanding is that the film industry has a support structure built around the project-to-project way things are made, gaming really should have something similar - at least for QA, artists, and level designers since they seem to be affected by this the most.

 

[MrTroubleMaker]

damn

 

[iamvin22]

What exactly do programmers/modelers do when there is no game to make yet? Do they sit around and get paid while the rest of the team brainstorms ideas for the next game?

get put on other products within the company as do sr. producers and directors. producers, artist and engineers are always working on something.

 

[Poodlestrike]

I don't know sure, but isn't some turnover normal after a project is wrapped up?

God, I hope not. That would be nightmarish. "Congratulations on working so hard! You're all fired, clean out your desks."

 

[Interficium]

Yeah it's really shitty. My understanding is that the film industry has a support structure built around the project-to-project way things are made, gaming really should have something similar

Haha. No.

Google some on film VFX work. It's even worse.

 

[cuyahoga]

Didn't they have layoffs a year or two ago? I don't know if there is much to read into here. Would assume it is cyclical until I assume otherwise.

 

[NEO0MJ]

no, they are contractors. level designers, QA, producers it really doesn't matter unless you're a sr.producer, director, and whatever other position is at a senior level.

I guess it would make more sense if they were contractors.

 

[beril]

The amount of acceptance of this practice in this thread is sad. Yes it happens but it's still shitty and at a big first party studio they really ought to be able to offer a bit more job security. Of course we don't know any details yet, so it's hard to comment on this specific case.

 

[Pound_lb003]

Yeah it's really shitty. My understanding is that the film industry has a support structure built around the project-to-project way things are made, gaming really should have something similar - at least for QA, artists, and level designers since they seem to be affected by this the most.

I think it's really only been this 'big' for 6 or 7 years. I am certain it will get there, as I mentioned above, there's already satellite studios set up to avoid this kind of redundancy. The industry is already reacting in that sense. But it'd be nice if the industry workforce could be unionised like the film industry.

 

[ArkkAngel007]

God, I hope not. That would be nightmarish. "Congratulations on working so hard! You're all fired, clean out your desks."

It's hardly ever like that. Don't get why so many are trying to dramatize these things. It's a crummy situation still having to wait to be hired back on or find new work. I'm in the same boat right now.

 

[Linearskillz]

Haha. No.

Google some on film VFX work. It's even worse.

Really? I thought they had unions and stuff. Huh...

What exactly do programmers/modelers do when there is no game to make yet? Do they sit around and get paid while the rest of the team brainstorms ideas for the next game?

Programmers are pretty much always busy. They just move on to the next project. The issue occurs when you haven't pipelined your projects properly and the coders are still building the foundation. If things aren't ready when the previous project finishes then you will have a bunch of artists and designers with nothing to do other than concept work and you don't need a full team for that.

QA are pretty much screwed either way it seems, unless you're a massive company and you always having something that needs to be tested.

 

[Boke1879]

While this sucks. I don't think it's an indication of anything negative going on at Sony or Sucker Punch. First Light is releasing next week. I'm sure with that game finished it was time to downsize.

 

[iamvin22]

The amount of acceptance of this practice in this thread is sad. Yes it happens but it's still shitty and at a big first party studio they really ought to be able to offer a bit more job security. Of course we don't know any details yet, so it's hard to comment on this specific case.

every company does this in the games industry in the US except valve. valve is by far the best game company to work for if you can actually land a job there.

 

[Interficium]

The amount of acceptance of this practice in this thread is sad..

I'd like to cross-reference those posts to see if the poster also made any barely-veiled "lazy dev" accusation posts.

 

[LiquidMetal14]

The cycle of downsizing after a project.

 

[Boke1879]

That's definitely not the case given the sales, and the fact that Guerilla and Japan Studios still exist... not to mention David Cage games.



Sony should just acquire them and get this done.

David Cage games actually make money. The games still sell around 2 million.

 

[simplythebest]

WHAAAAAAAAAAAAT?! I thought Second son sold well. Damn that sucks.

 

[krypt0nian]

Pretty normal until next project gets closer to release.

 

[PanicFreak]

Perhaps they weren't satisfied with the the quality and seek to replace those they have fired? Maybe Sony wants nothing less than a universally held 9ish game.

That would be an absurd expectation.

 

[hodayathink]

Haha. No.

Google some on film VFX work. It's even worse.

The Visual FX people have it pretty bad, but that is basically how it works for the majority of the people that are actually on the film set.

 

[Pound_lb003]

I guess it would make more sense if they were contractors.

Just to reiterate this. If someone says 'laid off' they are almost certainly not referring to contractors. Contractors get paid extra to deal with the insecurity that comes with their job, it's not worth mentioning if a contractor's role is not renewed, it's a reality of being a contractor.

 

[Jigorath]

Can't wait to see how IGN will spin this as doom and gloom.

 

[FinalStageBoss]

WHAAAAAAAAAAAAT?! I thought Second son sold well. Damn that sucks.

Second Son sold well. Again this has nothing to do with the state of Sucker Punch. It's how the games business works. Extra people are brought in to help with a major project, once that project wraps up they are let go.

 

[Cess007]

Second Son sold well. Again this has nothing to do with the state of Sucker Punch. It's how the games business works. Extra people are brought in to help with a major project, once that project wraps up they are let go.

Pretty much this. Still it's a shame for the people who lost their jobs; here's hoping they can get something soon without problems

 

[travisbickle]

I know it's just that contractors are contractors. You have to be an employee to be laid off. The amount of movement with contractors is not even worth a friend mentioning it in passing.

Normal employees have contracts too, and most have termination clauses based either the individuals output, or the output of the organisation they work for.