One of the biggest questions following the Xbox layoffs earlier this month is the state of legendary Doom and Quake studio id Software. Some have claimed that the cuts were so deep that the studio’s ability to develop new games and support its proprietary idTech engine was called into question, while id Software itself released a statement, later repeated in almost identical language by TESO studio ZeniMax Online, that the company had merely been reduced to a headcount comparable to that of a decade ago when it developed the 2016 Doom reboot – so basically all is well.
Now studio director Hugo Martin has spoken out, and it’s no surprise that he’s in the “everything’s fine” camp. In a new Slayers Club live stream, Martin said: “Reports say we were completely destroyed and gutted and have 50 people.” [remaining]“are not true.
“We are at the size we were when we made Doom 2016, and idTech is very much alive and well. You have to understand that we have idTech engineers both in Frankfurt and at MachineGames.
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According to an Aftermath report, the initially small id office in Frankfurt was also halved as a result of the Xbox layoffs and reduced from 12 to six employees.
This statement from Martin was pretty innocuous and innocuous and was obviously intended to calm the nervous crowd without committing to anything concrete, and I think the truth is that we won’t know the true impact of the cuts until we know what id Software plans to do next.
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But he had more to say, and Martin’s subsequent comments struck me as distinctly tone-deaf. “The fact that we’ve made a game that people like and is critically and commercially successful… that’s good for everyone. For the people at the studio, for the people we sadly had to say goodbye to, I think that helps everyone, and we really appreciate your support.”
“The most important thing is that the games are good, and I’m so glad that the people – it’s just a good thing for everyone.”
As someone who likes and appreciates when games are good, I have to say that I’m not sure that’s even the most important thing, at least not compared to the long-term health of the industry that makes them – which of course means the people who make them. That’s true, technology advances at sometimes worrying rates, but the rush to embrace these advances without regard to any considerations beyond the bottom line will not get us to a better place – or to better games. If you act like everything’s fine as long as the games are good, you’ll quickly end up on our list of “25 Foolproof Ways to Get Fired in the Video Game Industry” – which of course includes creating an acclaimed and commercially successful game.
Martin isn’t the only one who wants to reassure players that everything is fine. Bethesda today released an extensive infodump about its plans for the future, including confirmation of a new Fallout game from Obsidian, remasters of Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas, and news that Fallout 5 is in pre-production.
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/doom-director-hugo-martin-says-id-software-is-fine-and-anyway-what-matters-the-most-is-that-the-games-are-good/
