It's been a rough couple of years for the games industry—and even laying it out like that feels like an understatement. Back in February, the number of layoffs and studio closures were already numerous enough to fit into a horrifying chart, and things haven't exactly slowed down since.
One of the more high-profile recent shocks came from Microsoft, which shut down studios Arkane Austin—developers of Prey and Dishonoured—as well as Tango Gameworks, the studio behind surprise hit Hi-Fi Rush.
It was an especially messed-up situation because, as plenty of developers noted in the aftermath: A studio probably shouldn't sink after a single flop like Redfall, but even if they do make an excellent game, that still won't save them from the margin-fuelled manoeuvres of executives who can't seem to put a straight answer together that justifies putting hundreds out of work.
- Sniper Elite CEO reckons Swen Vincke is right to snarl at short-sighted publishers: 'You could argue that their business at senior level isn't making games… their business is managing their shareholders' perceptions'
- After 2024, it feels like the games industry is poised for a vibe shift—or maybe a reckoning
To commemorate some of the recent losses, New Blood Interactive—the publisher behind games like Ultrakill and Gloomwood—rented a billboard in downtown Los Angeles to express posthumous frustration for the waste in a turbulent industry ruled by acquisitions of unimaginable scale.
“We love you. We miss you. We hate money.”An electronic billboard from New Blood Interactive in downtown LA mourns the closure of Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks, Roll7, Sony’s London Studio, Volition and more “Gone but not forgotten” pic.twitter.com/1zCeD4KEEwJune 7, 2024
"Gone but not forgotten," reads the billboard, which appears to be posted outside the Marriott LA. Out of curiosity, I went ahead and looked to see if this puts it within passing distance of the Summer Games Fest happening later today—it's a half-hour drive away from the YouTube Theater, so while it's possible an SGF-goer might drive past it before attending the event, Google Maps is telling me there are closer hotels.
The billboard lays out the start and end-dates of several studios. Where possible, I'll also go ahead and link to our coverage of their closures if you'd like to find out more:
- Arkane Austin, 2006-2024.
- Roll7, 2008-2024.
- Tango Gameworks, 2010-2024.
- Volition Inc., 1993-2023.
- London Studio, 2002-2024.
- "Everyone laid off, downsized, & 'made redundant'."
The billboard then reads "Thank you for great games, from your friends at New Blood", followed by the words "We love you, we miss you, we hate money." In the interest of fairness and context, "We love you, we hate money" is a slogan, of sorts, that New Blood Interactive sometimes uses when it has a sale.
I don't think that subtracts from the clear and heartfelt sentimentality of the billboard in any way, rather, it shows that this is a philosophy the publisher is genuinely committed to. One of the founders of New Blood Interactive, Dave Oshry, also took to Twitter to redouble the gesture of support: "I'm always trying to find new and creative ways to waste money. Miss y'all. Hope you land on your feet soon."
Gloomwood developer Dillon Rogers added: "We can’t get you your old jobs back, but we can at least help to make sure your work isn’t forgotten. Much love from us at New Blood."
It's a very sweet and simple gesture of solidarity—more than anything, the arrangement of dates there shows just how much in the way of legacy is being lost right now. These studios aren't teeny-tiny experimental startups that fumbled the bag (not that it'd make an unceremonious dismissal any better). Many of them, Arkane Austin especially, have created games that have earned rightful places in the PC Gaming canon.
But hey—dry your eyes. To borrow the phrasing of cartoonist Tom Toro, at least for a beautiful moment in time we created a lot of value for shareholders, and isn't that worth, uh, something?
