Larian Studios’ publishing director Michael Douse isn’t afraid to call out the industry on its recent wave of mass layoffs.
Michael Douse sees the layoffs as “avoidable”, suggesting big companies are following the herd mentality rather than truly facing financial risk:
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.
This focus on short-term profit comes at a cost:
“None of these companies are at risk of going bankrupt,”
Douse said:
They’re just at risk of pissing off the shareholders. And that’s fine. That’s how they work. The function of a public company is to create growth for its shareholders… It’s not to make a happy climate for the employees.
He contrasted this with Larian’s success, attributing it to creative freedom thanks to their private ownership.
Douse believes remaining independent is key to Larian’s success.
Creating the games that we wanted to make, going public might give us more money, but it would be antithetical to the quality part of what we’re trying to do…It wouldn’t make our games better. It would just make us rushed.
Supporting Developers Who Do It Right
What can I say other than buying BG3 at full price in December was worth it?
I’m a different kind of gamer, I need to feel good about the developer and the game before I spend my money.
Larian consistently proves itself to be not only a great developer, but also a voice of reason in an industry full of hollow promises. They don’t just talk about valuing their workers, but seem to avoid the easy path of mass layoffs and prioritize a stable work environment.
