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Sony Interactive Entertainment lays off 900 people

sonyinteractive.com

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Re: Sony Interactive Entertainment lays off 900 people

#101

Post by pjmlp »

Pathogen-David wrote: post #20

Here's a separate press release from PlayStation Studios has more details: https://sonyinteractive.com/en/news/blog/an-important-update... In particular it lists some other studios not mentioned in this one: The US based studios and groups impacted by a reduction in workforce are: * Insomniac Games, Naughty Dog, as well as our Technology, Creative, and Support teams In UK and European based studios, it is proposed: *…

Quite hefty, I guess this means SCEE is gone.

Once upon a time I visited their SOHO offices.

Re: Sony Interactive Entertainment lays off 900 people

#102

Post by neocritter »

raytopia wrote: post #83

Horrible year to be working in the games industry. Also does anyone know if there's something like HN or YC for gamedev?

The itch.io forums: https://itch.io/community

Newgrounds: https://www.newgrounds.com/bbs

Gamedev.net: https://www.gamedev.net/forums/

I've heard mixed reviews of the game development Stack Exchange: https://gamedev.stackexchange.com/

But there's also separate SE sites or Stack Overflow tags for the major components of game development like 3D art (Blender) and toolkits (godot, unity, etc).

The YC for gamedev is Kickstarter or shopping a game around to publishers.

Re: Sony Interactive Entertainment lays off 900 people

#103

Post by kevincox »

jl6 wrote: post #27

What I would dearly love is for Microsoft and Sony to recognize that nobody wants to release platform-exclusive titles that cut the audience in half, and pivot the console industry away from being mutually-incompatible bespoke devices and towards being a blessed open PC configuration that gets battle-tested, mass produced, and LTS-supported. Architecturally they’re 90% of the way there having AMD CPU+GPUs under the h…

It seems like this is happening on Sony's side. It seems that most or all of their AAA games are available on Steam now. https://store.steampowered.com/publisher/playstationstudios

(And I have to say they are probably my favourite big publisher. No extra DRM, online requirements or anything. Just a custom EULA)

Re: Sony Interactive Entertainment lays off 900 people

#104

Post by dirtybirdnj »

FpUser wrote: post #96
dirtybirdnj wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Spelling it out will not make any difference for them. For executive statement like this could be reason to join that terminated crowd. So because "it already happened" we should just "get over it and stop making a big deal?" Unless the executive is stepping down and taking responsibility for the employees losing their jobs, it's empty platitudes. The C-level folks that made these mistakes will do it again. And mor…

>"So because "it already happened" we should just "get over it and stop making a big deal?"" You can keep making your "big deal" as much as you want. They do not give a flying fuck. They just have to be legal and that is it.

I feel like companies would have difficulty hiring employees if they treated the opening interaction with the same hostility they end it.

You're not wrong FpUser

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6BYzLIqKB8

Re: Sony Interactive Entertainment lays off 900 people

#105

Post by dirtybirdnj »

xp84 wrote: post #97
dirtybirdnj wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> You think there is not one manager involved in layoffs that faced personal grief over firing people? I am 100% confident that the people who feel "personal grief" over this are extremely well compensated. They have a secure housing situation where they are not afraid of "where will I sleep, where will my next meal come from?" Trivializing the damage these people are inflicting on others for no reason other than "th…

Again I have to question: why do you feel like most of these experienced, skilled white-collar workers are housing insecure, and worried about their next meal upon getting laid off with severance? The only alternative to having layoffs be a fact of life and business is for companies to provide “jobs for life” regardless of profitability or business results. Businesses who do this don’t exist outside of uncompetitive…

> Again I have to question: why do you feel like most of these experienced, skilled white-collar workers

I worked at a tech startup in NYC that employed many local people in several different non-technical blue collar roles. They were some of the first to go when things weren't even over but sudden changes started occurring. Last time we ever saw the cleaning ladies was at a holiday party. All the developers still had jobs (me included) but the other team yeah we are moving what they do to another state. Ok now switch everything to mongodb and we have to decentralize our API because it's gotta run over there.

Unprecedented fad layoffs are having downstream implications on the job market, my experience was almost 8yrs ago. Yes most of the developers will be fine but the people that are on the margins will suffer first.

> The only alternative to having layoffs be a fact of life and business is for companies to provide “jobs for life”

What I want is less "thank you for your sacrifice" and more "this happened on my watch. I made a bad call. I am doing X so that the remaining hardworking people can continue the mission with/without me"

Was it just a bad luck / market forces, or was it an unplanned / risky bet?

That to me determines with/without. Sunshine cures all.

Re: Sony Interactive Entertainment lays off 900 people

#106

Post by prmoustache »

culopatin wrote: post #85
prmoustache wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I only own a switch but if I had to buy a console right now I would buy a second hand ps4 over a ps5 and max out its internal storage. Much cheaper and huge list of games, many available for very cheap on the second hand market.

What’s the price difference? $100? I’ve seen used ps5s sell for 250-300 in my area. I got a PS5 last year (my first non portable console since the N64) and what I was expecting was the old feeling of playing with friends on a big tv. The only game I enjoy doing that in is FIFA/FC24. Unfortunately my gf is not into it. Other than that… not a lot to choose from. I ended up building a PC and now I’m considering selling…

Last time I checked they were more like 400€ but maybe it has changed. I haven't looked at it in recent months.

Re: Sony Interactive Entertainment lays off 900 people

#107

Post by xp84 »

dirtybirdnj wrote: post #105
xp84 wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Again I have to question: why do you feel like most of these experienced, skilled white-collar workers are housing insecure, and worried about their next meal upon getting laid off with severance? The only alternative to having layoffs be a fact of life and business is for companies to provide “jobs for life” regardless of profitability or business results. Businesses who do this don’t exist outside of uncompetitive…

> Again I have to question: why do you feel like most of these experienced, skilled white-collar workers I worked at a tech startup in NYC that employed many local people in several different non-technical blue collar roles. They were some of the first to go when things weren't even over but sudden changes started occurring. Last time we ever saw the cleaning ladies was at a holiday party. All the developers still ha…

Thanks for the thoughtful reply.

Let’s suppose CEOs would all sign onto such a pledge, that all RIFs would clean out the whole C-suite, or CEO, whatever. Do you think it might also dramatically limit the upside, though, if a CEO knew they could only hire enough staff that they could only wait to shrink by attrition if a bet didn’t pan out.

I guess I see the role of a CEO as making bets. I’m not saying necessarily “risky bets” but if you have to guarantee never having a layoff, I think you’ll be very conservative. There are businesses that work sort of like that (It’s a little funny that we are discussing Sony, because if I understand correctly traditional Japanese business culture was a lot like that).

If someone wants pretty-much guaranteed steady work at the trade off of not a great deal of growth potential or possible equity, I’d recommend they don’t work in tech. Government work, utilities, etc. are far better suited for that kind of risk/reward preference.

Re: Sony Interactive Entertainment lays off 900 people

#108

Post by crocowhile »

BowBun wrote: post #88
diggan wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It is seemingly not selling well at all. Yeah, it's only the 15th best selling console after all :/ Sounds like something else might be wrong if you can sell +50 million units and still not consider it "selling well" or making a profit.

> Yeah, it's only the 15th best selling console after all :/ That's one way to frame it. Another is that the PS5 is the worst-selling Playstation console (non-handheld) ever. It has not met expectations at all.

I have PS4 pro and for as long as I tried to find one, there is not a single reason for me to upgrade. I bought a Quest 3 instead.
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