Another week, another round of layoffs, another studio closure, and another blow to the Vancouver game dev scene. Game development in Vancouver has been on life support for the past few years, and what a shocking fall from grace in comparison to how things looked in the early to mid-2000s where you couldn't throw a BC roll (sushi reference) without hitting a triple-A studio! You can blame more favourable tax credits in other Canadian provinces (which doesn't help!) but that's not the real reason for the decay, is it? We're not really competing against other provinces within our country, we're competing with a global talent market and a shift to remote work that has driven game development to lower cost regions that can produce stuff that's just as good as anything we can make. It's a shock and a wake-up call, perhaps too late. Everyone is on survival mode right now and there are still rough waters ahead. Today doesn't seem to be the day for big-picture industry analysis, but when the dust settles and the pain of layoffs is not so fresh for people, it'll be time to sit down and ask ourselves some tough questions about how we got here. I'm getting tired of saying it, but my heart goes out to all those affected by the current round of layoffs and closures. 💔
It's a hard day. Thanks for the thoughts Raphael van Lierop
I remember way back when I was at BioWare, 12 years ago and EA top brass would go on in all hand presentations about the dream at the end of the day being that your “game disc” never left the console. That players would just keep playing your game over, and over, and over again endlessly, spending money endlessly and putting the competition out of business. That was the dream. Now, it’s the reality. What was the recent figure? Something like 8 of the top ten most played games this year came out 6+ years ago? The dream came true, and we all lost as a result.
Cost of housing is a big factor. Not games specific obviously but so much business doesn’t make sense to do in west coast cities anymore.
Watch the vfx credits for Mad Mad Furiosa 90%+ of the names are from India. If gaming goes the way VFX indsutry did go, we are all in a very difficult position in 5 years
It’s also sad to realize that BC is where it all started with Sydney Development Corporation and Distinctive Software (look it up) back in the 80s. But I think the issue is also about the cost of living in Canada that skyrocketed these past few years especially in Vancouver. It’s crazy! Combined with underpaid staff in the industry because it’s still considered as a passion-driven business and you have a recipe for disaster. And let’s not even talk about the publishers pipe dream of never ending live service games that fail more often than not rather than giving the players what they want. I hope laid off staff bounces back and find better positions in better places.
I visited Van in 2012 and instantly knew I wanted to move and work there, but pretty soon the closures started and it's been a slow downhill from there. Fast rising living costs and high salaries combined with a lack of tax incentives pretty much signed the writing on the wall in favor or other locations. Personally I made it there but my dream only lasted 6 months until the Capcom shutdown. Such a shame, lovely city and people.
Not just how we got here, but how we can insulate the Canadian parts of the industry from it happening again. I think it's possible, but it's going to take dedication and investment from people who aren't just in it to flip a company or IP to some foreign conglomerate. It's also going to take efforts on the legislation side of things to create buffers and supports, a conversation I'm starting with my MP and their colleagues.
I could go another ten years without hearing the words “more” and “layoffs” together. It’s incredibly anxiety inducing, not to mention the feeling of powerlessness to stop the waves of countless brilliant and talented game developers suddenly worrying about financial security. It feels foolish to realise I genuinely thought the worst was behind us back in 08, and that I viewed interactive entertainment as nearly bulletproof (after all, everyone loves a bit of escapism!). If anyone reading this happens to notice I might have a pre-existing relationship with a studio you’re looking to move into and some insight or guidance might help, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I’ll gladly do whatever I can to help.
There seems to be many outsource companies out there just now. Every week you get messages form overseas studios promoting their abilities and the cost savings that go along with them. Either they are doing very well or are trying to find work to keep afloat.
CEO / Chief Designer @ YumeBau Inc. - Spatial Age Game Studio & Lab
3moI also think we are at an inflection point, gaming on existing platforms have reached saturation with players, and teh new platforms haven't matured or scaled yet. I think this is not a BC thing but a once in a decade industry thing.