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[LakeOf9]

"Speaking to myself and this company, I want to say that this is not something I would wish on the staff at FromSoftware in a million years," Miyazaki said. "I'm pretty sure our parent company Kadokawa understands that and shares that view."

"I think it was the old ex-president of Nintendo, Iwata-san, who said that 'people who are afraid of losing their jobs are afraid of making good things.' I'm paraphrasing that, but I totally share this view," Miyazaki said.

FromSoftware boss addresses gaming industry layoffs: 'As long as this company's my responsibility, I would not let that happen'

Hidetaka Miyazaki describes FromSoftware's relationship with parent company Kadokawa and references Satoru Iwata's perspective on layoffs.

www.pcgamer.com

I guess this is why companies like From and Nintendo are able to be so successful without having to chase industry trends, while almost everyone else is imploding

 

[Dr. Wilkinson]

I love this. Good on them! Leave your company better than you found it. Better yet, aspire to leave the console business (art form that is video games) better than you found it. Contribute to it by doing more than just eeking out every penny you can, with no regard for your fellow human beings.

Original quote he is referencing that I still think of from time-to-time:

"I sincerely doubt employees who fear that they may be laid off will be able to develop software titles that could impress people around the world."
-Satoru Iwata

 

[BossLackey]

From has it's problems, but man do I love them and Miyazaki.

 

[mansoor1980]

 

[tommib]

This man is a God at this point.

 

[Hohenheim]

With the amount of sucess they're having, combined with a healthy numbers of Staff AND using the same (their own) engine since 2009, layoffs thankfully don't seems likely at From anyways.

 

[Tiago Rodrigues]

FromSoftware boss addresses gaming industry layoffs: 'As long as this company's my responsibility, I would not let that happen'

Hidetaka Miyazaki describes FromSoftware's relationship with parent company Kadokawa and references Satoru Iwata's perspective on layoffs.

www.pcgamer.com

I guess this is why companies like From and Nintendo are able to be so successful without having to chase industry trends, while almost everyone else is imploding

The industry that is imploding is the one chasing realism in games. Both Nintendo and From aren't doing that and their games don't cost 200M to make.

 

[Dr. Wilkinson]

With the amount of sucess they're having, combined with a healthy numbers of Staff AND using the same (their own) engine since 2009, layoffs thankfully don't seems likely at From anyways.

The issue is the peaks and valleys. They're certainly doing great right now, but the core problem is that past success is no guarantee whatsoever of future success. The crucial thing here would be if they go through a rough patch 3 years from now that might last a couple years, do they have the wisdom and foresight to hold onto their people and weather the storm, or do they panic and lose talent for only short-term gains.

 

[Killer8]

This is what the Ship of Theseus that is Western game development fails to understand.

 

[feynoob]

When you recycle your games nonstop, it's easier to say that.

Do something else, and you will be talking about layoffs.

 

[ChuckeRearmed]

Do they even hire that much for laying off being an issue?

 

[GrayChild]

When you recycle your games nonstop, it's easier to say that.

Do something else, and you will be talking about layoffs.

In which galaxy are Deracine, Sekiro, Elden Ring and Armored Core 6 reskins of each other?

 

[Northeastmonk]

Let him cook.

 

[Mibu no ookami]

I think people should stop to consider that a lot of the layoffs may be companies purging undesirable and/or unnecessary employees.

A lot of community managers and back office workers who aren't necessarily crucial to game development. You also have people who were underperforming.

Even if you look at the Sony studios that laid people off, they're all already hiring again. These could be backfills, but that means at least they're backfilling...

 

[HerjansEagleFeeder]

 

[Mr Hyde]

That's why the quality is so consistent in their games. Their staff have been working there for many years and have the know how, instead of just being temps who get fired or switched out after 2 years. From staff also know how to pass down their knowledge to new interns and retain their talent.

 

[bender]

When you recycle your games nonstop, it's easier to say that.

Do something else, and you will be talking about layoffs.

 

[Raven117]

Its why they have such consistent games and absolutely incredible art design...they are retaining institutional knowledge.

 

[fart town usa]

When you recycle your games nonstop, it's easier to say that.

Do something else, and you will be talking about layoffs.

 

[fart town usa]

In which galaxy are Deracine, Sekiro, Elden Ring and Armored Core 6 reskins of each another?

Deracine is effing amazing and incredibly touching. Terrifying too at times with how it played with my imagination. Wish more people could experience it.

 

[Anthony Soprano]

I guess this is why companies like From and Nintendo are able to be so successful

I mean, Nintendo is pumping out $60 cardboard kits, way behind in the hardware space, upscales of last-gen games and really bad remakes with poor quality control (links awakening remake should have had a seal of shit quality with that framerate, etc). Also, Nintendo just had those layoffs back in March or so in their testing department.

Good on Miyazaki, though.

 

[LectureMaster]

You know, once you join God Miyazaki Covenant, he's gonna bless you till the end of the time.

 

[Sentenza]

This man is a God at this point.

- Joins a company as a tester with zero political power or relevance
- Starts being involved in design more and more as the time goes out of sheer passion for the task.
- Suddenly takes control of a failing project no one believed in and turns it in a success story.
- Starts shitting out one hit after the other turning a niche studio in a major player in the industry
- Gets promoted head of the studio while keeping full creative control on his projects.
- Apparently he also starts creating a very stable work enviornment in a studio that was once known for underpaying and overworking people.

 

[Hudo]

Well, From Software and Nintendo are among the gaming companies I trust the most (for the moment, at least). And I am sure the institutional knowledge they maintain with this policy is a big part of why.

 

[Polygonal_Sprite]

He has a ridiculous amount of respect for Nintendo from the Souls combat system being massively influenced by Ocarina of Time, Elden Ring’s World design being influenced by Breath of the Wild and now his business philosophy being inspired by Mr Iwata. Good man.

 

[Tajaz2426]

When you recycle your games nonstop, it's easier to say that.

Do something else, and you will be talking about layoffs.

Folks just as a reminder, please stay in school, off drugs, and getting your news and views from some idiot on TikTok.

Yes idiocracy was a documentary.

 

[poodaddy]

- Joins a company as a tester with zero political power or relevance
- Starts being involved in design more and more as the time goes out of sheer passion for the task.
- Suddenly takes control of a failing project no one believed in and turns it in a success story.
- Starts shitting out one hit after the other turning a niche studio in a major player in the industry
- Gets promoted head of the studio while keeping full creative control on his projects.
- Apparently he also starts creating a very stable work enviornment in a studio that was once known for underpaying and overworking people.

I wish he'd give classes on game design to Western developers.

 

[Wastelander92]

I’m glad Japanese devs have honor unlike greedy Amerifatt devs.

 

[VolticArchangel]

When you recycle your games nonstop, it's easier to say that.

Do something else, and you will be talking about layoffs.

Ah yes, Armored Core 4, Demon's Souls, Bloodborne, Déraciné and Elden Ring, are all "rEcYcLeD" same games like the annual AssCreed, Fifa and CoD.

 

[Kokoloko85]

Elden Ring sold like 25million. It made enough money to afford to not lose people for many future games

 

[Saber]

When you recycle your games nonstop, it's easier to say that.

Do something else, and you will be talking about layoffs.

I know your takes are usually low brain efforts. But this time you surpassed yourself.

 

[Fake]

When you recycle your games nonstop, it's easier to say that.

Do something else, and you will be talking about layoffs.

You also can't wait for Horizon Zero Dawn Remake, right?

 

[feynoob]

I apologize, I spoke too soon.

 

[AJUMP23]

Differentiation strategy has worked for from and Nintendo. They are the Darksouls of video game companies.

 

[Kataploom]

I mean, Nintendo is pumping out $60 cardboard kits

Do you mean the one that also comes with programming interface software to create the LABO experiences? Because it was more than cardboad... It was far from interesting to most people tho, since most people just do the out of the box stuff instead of reinvent the wheel like that guy that made a controller for his wheelchair using LABO.

upscales of last-gen games

Do you mean the ones from their worst selling console ever that barely anyone played? How they dare to try and recoup investment.

really bad remakes with poor quality control (links awakening remake should have had a seal of shit quality with that framerate, etc)

Haven't played Link's Awakening but Metroid Prime, Xenoblade DE and Skyward Sword are pretty solid on the console. I think it's a case by case thing instead of them "pumping out bad quality left and right".

Nintendo just had those layoffs back in March or so in their testing department.

They were not directly working for Nintendo tho, they were working for a third party contractor that happened to provide the QA testing service to Nintendo.

I mean, Nintendo isn't perfect but the things people complain about them are pretty wild, like they try so hard to "find something" but never point out to the actual problems like WiFi on the Switch, Smash online, the lack of Virtual Console, etc.

BTW From also looks like a pretty solid place to work on IF you are a very dedicated person, because AFAIK they do extra hours pretty often, it's just that their employees don't mind that much, that probably is way better than many other places in Japan anyway.

 

[Švejk]

Well, sure... When you make a quality product that will perform, why would you layoff anyone?

 

[MrRenegade]

That's why the quality is so consistent in their games. Their staff have been working there for many years and have the know how, instead of just being temps who get fired or switched out after 2 years. From staff also know how to pass down their knowledge to new interns and retain their talent.

Or they just have a few key people who know what works and what not. Not bootlickers, not yesman, not mindless robots, just people who can say when something is presented whether that specific thing would fit or not. Most of the devs do not have a fucking idea why their game works. They just made a game based on another successful title and in the end do not know why it sold as much as it did and what were the strong points. There are myriads of examples when a totally new game sells 1 million +, and they change it based on user feedback and the next one goes south. Because they are idiots, and can't filter the feedback since the strong foundation is missing, so in the end they gonna go south because they let others influence their choices.

Most of the US devs think about games as a soulless money making vehicle and that shows. The largest part of the US made AAA games are just literal trash, only exception right now is Hogwash Legacy, which was well executed.

 

[Denton]

That's cute, now do that when you don't have 25 million seller under your belt.

 

[Kataploom]

Or they just have a few key people who know what works and what not. Not bootlickers, not yesman, not mindless robots, just people who can say when something is presented whether that specific thing would fit or not. Most of the devs do not have a fucking idea why their game works. They just made a game based on another successful title and in the end do not know why it sold as much as it did and what were the strong points. There are myriads of examples when a totally new game sells 1 million +, and they change it based on user feedback and the next one goes south. Because they are idiots, and can't filter the feedback since the strong foundation is missing, so in the end they gonna go south because they let others influence their choices.

Most of the US devs think about games as a soulless money making vehicle and that shows. The largest part of the US made AAA games are just literal trash, only exception right now is Hogwash Legacy, which was well executed.

I think it's ok to think of gaming a business primarily since, well, it is... The difference I see is that most US companies try to emulate big players to milk brands and strategies as much as possible, that also happens in Comic and Cine (Marvel, DC and Disney being the biggest reiterators), while Japanese companies try to pursue differentiation a lot, even to the point of weirdness and absurdity very often, I guess it's all just a cultural thing.

Hell, many people are tired of soulslikes and most of those copies come from the west.

 

[SHA]

That person is the exception, not the role.

 

[FunkMiller]

When you recycle your games nonstop, it's easier to say that.

Do something else, and you will be talking about layoffs.

Whereas western game devs are the bastions of originality. What COD are we on now? How many open world Ubisoft games are out this year? Which GaaS games have failed in recent years?

But yeah, piss on the devs who consistently make classics and treat their staff well, because you don't like the gameplay loop.

And feel free to point out how Elden Ring and Armoured Core are the same game.

 

[MrRenegade]

[AAnderson sends his regards]

 

[Men_in_Boxes]

This is what the Ship of Theseus that is Western game development fails to understand.

Isn't Western game development without peer when it comes to jobs, profits, and game quality?

 

[Angry_Megalodon]

They tweak their formula in each new game. Let alone that their lore and characters become instant classics.

The most consistent studio in the industry and by far the most influential.

 

[Ceadeus]

When you recycle your games nonstop, it's easier to say that.

Do something else, and you will be talking about layoffs.

Just like you, who recycle your pessimistic comments and never feel the need for improvement

 

[cinnamonandgravy]

Ah yes, Armored Core 4, Demon's Souls, Bloodborne, Déraciné and Elden Ring, are all "rEcYcLeD" same games like the annual AssCreed, Fifa and CoD.

souls games kinda are at this point.
esp. when there's 1000 soulslike games everywhere else too.

demon souls/dark souls were amazing for me because they were so different from everything else at the time.
now that mystery is gone. play a new souls games and you more or less know exactly what youre getting.

great games regardless, but if its still super fresh for you, youre probably late to the party (lucky).
im not going to want to listen to remixes forever.

 

[DeepEnigma]

When you recycle your games nonstop, it's easier to say that.

Do something else, and you will be talking about layoffs.

Oh no, it's retarded.

 

[Danjin44]

More importantly they successful without making GaaS games.

 

[Nostalgic Nightmare]

 

[feynoob]

Just like you, who recycle your pessimistic comments and never feel the need for improvement

I am a broken machine .