GDC 2024 targeted the frustrated and unemployed, offering discounted tickets and a group therapy session
Despite the sunny spring skies in San Francisco, the mood among nearly 30,000 video game industry professionals at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) was gloomy. Some, frustrated with the industry’s state, organized a group screaming session in a park.
“Those of us who have a job and can afford to be here are going through the motions and trying to have a good time,” said Maxi Molina, a game developer from Spain. “But the industry vibe is rancid right now.”
The gaming industry witnessed over 10,000 layoffs in 2023, up from 8,500 in 2022, as reported by the Game Industry Layoffs project, which monitors job losses globally among game developers and publishers. Layoffs have impacted studios of all sizes, from small independent publishers to industry giants like Epic Games, the creator of Fortnite, which laid off 830 employees in September 2023; Microsoft, which cut 1,900 employees at Activision Blizzard and Xbox in January; and Sony, which announced in February that it was laying off 900 people globally across its studios. This trend is accelerating, with 2,000 games industry professionals losing their jobs in February – a fivefold increase year over year, according to the layoff tracker.
Alongside the ongoing layoffs, a recent resurgence of “anti-woke” ideology reminiscent of the Gamergate controversy and harassment campaign from 10 years ago has further disheartened many who have worked to promote diversity and safety in the gaming industry.
“It’s a persistent issue in the industry,” said Molina, who also works as a diversity consultant in gaming. “I think in the years following Gamergate, people didn’t want to address it – but that doesn’t make it disappear.”
In response to these and other concerns, Caryl Shaw, a former Epic Games producer, and Scott Jon Siegel, a Fortnite Festival designer, organized a collective primal scream in a park across from the Moscone Center, where GDC was being held.
“The game industry is crumbling around us, yet we’re all converging on San Francisco for a week to pretend everything is okay,” the organizers stated on an event page for the scream, which was attended by dozens of game industry members. “Let’s take a moment to stop pretending and express how it truly feels to be a game developer in 2024.”
More individuals require support at this moment
While some GDC attendees felt pressure to enjoy themselves despite the challenging industry environment, GDC organizers chose to confront the issue directly. Stephenie Hawkins, GDC’s event director, stated that this year’s programming was tailored to address unemployment and layoffs.
“With the industry changing and the increase in layoffs, I believe people need support now more than ever,” she said. “Our top priority has been to bring people together.”
In pursuit of this goal, GDC offered discounted tickets to unemployed attendees and established job boards for both employers and job seekers. Organizers arranged speed-networking events and expanded lounges and communal seating areas to facilitate natural networking. They also introduced a “travel together” initiative, connecting attendees staying in close proximity so they could converse while walking to events.
Hawkins, who has served as the GDC event director since 2021, explained that the pivotal moment in the gaming industry inspired organizers to adopt a retrospective theme for this year’s conference. The expo floor featured a booth from the Oakland-based Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment, where attendees could play refurbished classic games on vintage systems. GDC also hosted several “postmortem” panels reflecting on classic games such as Karateka (released in 1984) and Chapter 1 of the Elder Scrolls (released in 1994).
“We aimed to celebrate and pay tribute to the gaming industry’s legacy, reflecting on its evolution as we gaze toward the future,” she stated.
AI is a significant factor to consider
In the gaming industry, much like in other technological fields, the future is heavily focused on artificial intelligence and its potential effects. A survey published by GDC in January revealed that 84% of respondents, predominantly from the games industry, expressed some level of concern about the ethical implications of using generative AI.
These concerns were evident at the conference, as most AI-focused panels at GDC reached full capacity. Developers, investors, and industry experts lined up around the conference center to secure a seat. Outside a panel titled “The AI Revolution,” which included speakers from EA Games and Roblox, Kyle Gordon, a Sony employee working with PlayStation, expressed cautious optimism about AI’s role in gaming.
“AI is a significant consideration – things are evolving rapidly,” he stated. “I’m intrigued by how we can utilize this technology to create tools that lower costs and shorten release timelines.”
Hawkins, the organizer of GDC, noted that the conference’s research indicated a higher use of AI tools among independent developers compared to larger studios. This trend is partly due to AI enabling them to achieve more with limited resources.
The potential for AI to streamline developer workloads has been a subject of discussion amid ongoing concerns about “crunch” culture in gaming. This culture refers to the expectation that employees work intense, often unpaid, overtime to meet game launch deadlines. Some argue that AI could automate more mundane development tasks, while others raise concerns about creative ownership, a topic that has become more prominent as AI applications have expanded.
“It’s challenging, but we ensure that we only use clean and licensed data,” stated Nico Perony, director of AI research at Unity Games, during the AI in gaming panel. “Game creators have a responsibility in this regard because many artists are concerned about whether their work will be used to train generative models, and with good reason.”
We can protect ourselves
Amid the looming challenges of layoffs and AI, organizers in the gaming industry are advocating for more workers to unionize and advocate for improved protections. During a panel titled “Now Is the Time! Workers in Games Are Ready to Form Unions,” advocates highlighted that the challenging industry landscape has created an opportune moment for unionization.
“Workers are being laid off, regardless of their years of dedication or performance,” said Chrissy Fellmeth, a representative of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees. “People fear losing their livelihoods at any moment. This fear is precisely why we should organize unions now.”
Efforts to unionize in the gaming industry are gaining momentum, with Microsoft recently voluntarily recognizing a union of 600 Activision QA workers – the largest video game union in the US to date. Gaming unions in the UK have experienced a significant increase in membership since layoffs accelerated in 2023. According to the GDC industry survey, only 5% of developers polled were unionized, while 57% believed that workers in the industry should be unionized.
“We can unite and protect ourselves from unilateral changes made without our input,” Fellmeth added. “Why should we continue to live in fear of sudden layoffs?”
