"Baldur's Gate 3 Publisher Urges Developers to 'Become Pirates' to Outdo BioWare"

The recent layoffs at BioWare, the creators behind the much-anticipated Dragon Age: The Veilguard, have sparked widespread discussion about the current state of the gaming industry. These layoffs have brought to light the challenges and decisions that companies face, prompting industry leaders to voice their opinions on the matter.

Michael Daus, the publishing director at Larian Studios, has been vocal on social media about the issue of layoffs. He argues that it's essential to value employees and that the responsibility for such decisions should fall on those who make them, rather than the regular workforce. Daus emphasizes the importance of retaining institutional knowledge within the development team, which is crucial for the success of future projects.

He critiques the common corporate justification of "trimming the fat" or reducing redundancies, especially when companies face financial difficulties. Daus questions the necessity of such aggressive efficiency in large corporations, particularly when it does not consistently lead to a string of successful releases. He suggests that aggressive layoffs are an extreme form of cost-cutting and not a sustainable solution.

Daus points out that the strategy developed by higher-ups is often the root of the problem, yet it's the employees at the bottom of the chain who suffer the consequences. He humorously suggests that video game companies should be managed like pirate ships, where the captain would be held accountable for the ship's fate.

These insights from Daus highlight a growing concern within the gaming industry about how companies manage their workforce and the impact of their strategic decisions on employees and the quality of their products.