In an interview with Game File as part of the Game Developers Choice Awards, Michael Douse comments on current events in the industry. Larian’s publishing director doesn’t leave his colleagues in good stead.
Cloud Imperium Games (Star Citizen), Microsoft, Sony, Deck Nine (Life is Strange: True Colors), ZA/UM (Disco Elysium) and Unity are just a few examples of the dozens of layoff reports we have received this year alone have noticed. In particular, the long series of layoffs and studio closures at Embracer Group dominated the news for a long time.
Now Larian Studios speaks out in the form of Publishing Director Michael Douse and gives his opinion on the current situation.
“They are an avoidable fuck-up, that’s all they really are. That’s why you see one after the other. Because companies are going: ‘Well, finally. Now we can, too. We’ve wanted to do it for ages. Everyone else is. So why don’t we?’ That’s really kind of sick.”
According to Douse, the studios have been waiting for a long time for someone to start laying off people so they don’t have to be the first. He also complains that the industry should be cautious after such events instead of celebrating itself at events like the GDC Awards or the BAFTAs.
Douse, on the other hand, does not accept financial difficulties as a general reason. “None of these companies are in danger of going bankrupt. They’re just in danger of upsetting shareholders. And that’s a good thing. That’s just how they work. The job of a public company is to create growth for its shareholders… It’s not about creating a good atmosphere for employees.”
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Larian himself probably owes it to the good leadership of boss Swen Vincke, who is also willing to make decisions independently of the shareholders. This allows the studio to deliver games of the quality they deem appropriate, instead of releasing them as quickly as possible to make money. This is the reason for the studio’s great success recently.
The Belgians don’t want to reveal what Larian is currently working on, but they should Compared to Baldur’s Gate III, it probably pushes boundaries again.
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