The video game industry is currently at the end of a long consolidation period of a 20-30 year economic-creative cycle I define loosely as:
Consolidation -> Stagnation -> Fracture -> Innovation Boom -> Re-Establishment -> Consolidation...
But due to pressures after a COVID-era mini boom and investment decline across tech, it seems the Stagnation period is hitting full swing with mass layoffs. 2023 was a rough year for workers and yet 2024 is already far worse.
As major studios, publishers, and related tech companies teeter with overgrown bloat post-Consolidation, how many will end up so far overexposed that they collapse? This question attempts to track one aspect of that.
Feel free to add any relevant game companies, whether they be development studios, publishers, distros, engine providers, hardware suppliers, or related tech; subsidiaries, independently-owned, or umbrella companies; big or small. Ambiguous answers may be renamed for precision.
Each will resolve YES if they layoff 20%+ of their workforce by 2026, whether all at once, or in a succession of rounds. Since many companies have already hit this threshold in the past couple of years before this question was asked, we're starting after Playstation's recent announcement of 8% layoffs (27 Feb 2024). Also resolve YES if they shut down or disband for any reason.
Otherwise they resolve NO after 2026.
Compare/ contrast:
wow I didn't have Annapurna on my bingo card, but damn we're lucky bc I wouldn't know how to resolve Entire Staff Resigns
12 hours in and EA just announced a 5% layoff