"I Assume Someone Is Being Greedy Somewhere" - Tim Schafer Discusses Current Game Industry Woes Following Double Fine's Split with Xbox
Schafer says layoffs and studio closures have made game development economics harder to predict, even as players keep spending and studios keep hiring.
- Double Fine founder Tim Schafer told the BBC he no longer "understands the economics" of game development, citing a four-year industry downturn despite continued consumer demand and player spending.
- Xbox, a major publisher, initiated a massive restructuring involving thousands of planned layoffs and studio divestments, shifting toward fewer, larger IPs and forcing Double Fine's separation from the company.
- Schafer explained he previously assumed layoffs followed a cyclical pattern where executives rehired staff after cuts, but the current four-year downturn defies that logic, leading him to suspect "someone is being greedy somewhere."
- Despite industry volatility, Schafer remains "very pro Game Pass," believing the subscription service helps players discover "weird games" like Double Fine's offerings, and he described the Xbox divestment as a "creative awakening."
- Currently, Double Fine is running Amnesia Fortnite, a game jam on Kickstarter featuring four smaller-scope projects, while Schafer expressed hope the industry downturn "is a cycle and it bounces back.
11 Articles
11 Articles
"I assume someone is being greedy somewhere" - Tim Schafer discusses current game industry woes following Double Fine's split with Xbox
Tim Schafer - the founder of acclaimed developer Double Fine Productions, and the legendary designer behind the likes of Day of the Tentacle and Psychonauts - has spoken out about his studio's recent shift to independence, as well as Game Pass, and industry woes at large.
'I Assume It's Someone Being Greedy Somewhere' — Double Fine Founder Tim Schafer Questions Economics of the Game Industry Amid Mass Layoffs and Studio Closures
Double Fine founder Tim Schafer says he no longer “understands the economics” of game development following Xbox’s mass layoffs and industry-wide studio closures.
NewsGaming.net "I guess someone, somewhere, is just very greedy": Tim Schafer says he doesn't understand the crisis that the Double Fine industry is going through just a little bit from closing by buying his independence from a [...] The article "I guess someone, somewhere, is just very greedy": Tim Schafer says he doesn't understand the crisis that the industry is going through is available on NewsGaming.net
Tim Schafer, from Double Fine, doesn't understand why the video game industry hasn't recovered yet and there are still layoffs, and comments that "it's worth fighting" for his studio.
Tim Schafer on cutbacks in the gaming industry, greed, creative ideas, collaboration with Xbox, Game Pass models, future games
Tim Schafer, leader of Double Fine Productions, does not understand why the video game industry does not feel positive improvements. In his opinion, nothing is changing because of greed. Read more
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