If you want to see the fate of "unionized gaming companies" just look
at what happened over the last 5 years to musical instrument industry >companies that thought this was a good idea... lol. Sell off, layoff, >manufacturing in China. Enjoy.

https://www.gamesindustry.biz/ubisoft-shuttering-freshly-unionised-halifax-studio-71-jobs-affected

rms







--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Wed, 7 Jan 2026 10:24:35 -0700, "rms" <rmsmoo@moomoo.net> wrote:

If you want to see the fate of "unionized gaming companies" just look
at what happened over the last 5 years to musical instrument industry >>companies that thought this was a good idea... lol. Sell off, layoff, >>manufacturing in China. Enjoy.

https://www.gamesindustry.biz/ubisoft-shuttering-freshly-unionised-halifax-studio-71-jobs-affected

rms

Yep.. typical pattern.

My own management style of development teams is one that's
philosophically based in the idea that, for talented people to thrive
at what they do, there needs to be work-life balance, there needs to
be a certain amount of creative freedom, etc. In other words "my way
or the highway" can only work on lazy, stupid or less talented people
(and it can be an effective tool for getting rid of them sometimes),
but it's not an effective option for development of software, much
less creation of entertainment art (game development is mixture of
both).

But even still I can say that labor unionization of anything software-development related is simply never going to work. Best to
shutter any company that it happens in and nip it in the bud.

Other forms of labor like assembly line manufacturing? Sure, it can
be beneficial there, but not software dev.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Sat, 10 Jan 2026 09:40:13 -0500, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action, Rin Stowleigh wrote:

In other words "my way
or the highway" can only work on lazy, stupid or less talented people
(and it can be an effective tool for getting rid of them sometimes),
but it's not an effective option for development of software, much
less creation of entertainment art (game development is mixture of
both).

On the contrary. Unions are often formed because of an *employer* saying
"my way or the highway," and both ways being abusive and/or untenable.
And it's really that. They say put up with our shitty workplace or get
lost. We are lord here. You are a serf.

A Union is the only third way when a company's culture becomes corrupted
and/or exploitative, and it's hardly demanding "my way." Contracts gained through collective bargains are negotiated, not mandated. It's merely a
way to gain leverage and level the playing field.

Not everyone's a superstar like you, Rin. Ordinary people deserve respite
from this decade's relentless, end-stage capitalism and unabashed greed.

So I'm with you in general. Unions should not be necessary, are
undesirable, and cause complications that will get *some* people laid
off/fired with good reason. However, your opinion omits the possibility
of employer abuse. Some people are cogs, and cogs deserve fair
compensation, fair terms of employment, and a decent workplace. That
should not only be for the dynamic talents. Dynamic talents don't need
unions, because employers will go to great lengths to retain them.

Firings have to be limited to *some* people though. Firing an entire
department or site for unionizing is union busting, which is illegal.
It's clear what the intent was. To silence and suppress any collective bargaining. If the entire industry follows suit, and attempts by
employees to organize against it continue, then I would deem that as a
fair sign that the industry is corrupt.

The final thing I'll say is that unions are very tolerable in good times
(GDP growth), but utterly terrible and crippling during a recession. They
tend to dig in and ask for more than anyone can afford to insulate
themselves from a downturn that should affect everyone.

A union is a poor, imperfect solution, but it should be seen by C-suite a$$holes as a consequence to be avoided. The possibility of unionization
should prevent employer abuse in the first place. I have no doubt all
these companies *deserve* unions. Their actions say it all.

Read a history book. We have weekends off because of unions. You sound
like you think "It's a poor excuse to pick a man's pockets." But I'd
expect nothing less from a dynamic talent like yourself. It's good to be blessed like that. Not everyone is. They deserve a good life too.

--
Zag

Give me the liberty to know, to think, to believe,
and to utter freely according to conscience, above
all other liberties. ~John Milton

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/lost-records-developer-dont-nod-montreal-lays-off-an-undisclosed-number-of-employees/

rms


--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Sat, 10 Jan 2026 14:17:37 -0700, "rms" <rmsmoo@moomoo.net> wrote:

https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/lost-records-developer-dont-nod-montreal-lays-off-an-undisclosed-number-of-employees/

Hopefully all of this will flush the schlubs out of the industry that
have been able to coast on spending their time creating woke cut
scenes and other bullshit, reduce the flood of mediocrity that AAA
releases have become, and refocus the industry so that more gems start
to emerge and gaming becomes interesting again.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Sun, 11 Jan 2026 07:07:12 -0500, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action, Rin Stowleigh wrote:

On Sat, 10 Jan 2026 14:17:37 -0700, "rms" <rmsmoo@moomoo.net> wrote:

https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/lost-records-developer-dont-nod-montreal-lays-off-an-undisclosed-number-of-employees/

Hopefully all of this will flush the schlubs out of the industry that
have been able to coast on spending their time creating woke cut
scenes and other bullshit, reduce the flood of mediocrity that AAA
releases have become, and refocus the industry so that more gems start
to emerge and gaming becomes interesting again.

I don't think the "schlubs" have any choice at all about that. I think
you blame the bottom when we should be looking at the decision makers.
Line workers just do what they're told, and - to stay on topic - when
they ask for a voice in the matter, their entire department is laid off
as retribution.

This all comes from up top, and corporate leaders are a bunch of
capitulating cowards who need to "grow their audience" at any cost.

Unfortunately, it's short-sighted. They're not growing their audience
because the people who will appreciate such concessions aren't really
gamers, they just complain very loudly about everything that causes them
any measure of discomfort. They expect everyone else to resolve their
cognitive dissonance. The publishers, OTOH, are shrinking their audience because people who *are* gamers, and still mostly men, are sick of this
shit.

Eventually they'll learn what "go woke and go broke" means. You can't
satisfy everyone, especially a radicalized 2-15% demographic. The
majority of the people in the world, the other 85-98%, aren't having it.
They will vote with their dollars.

Just look at the about face Bud Light had to do. Over someone who isn't
really trans, but is just a shock jock attention whore. They had to start running ManProudMerica ads almost a week later. Because that's their bread-and-butter. Bud Light is a culture thing. It's shitty horse piss.

Give the people what they want first. Listen to your community. Make good decisions about how much you're willing to lose in order to gain. Make
damned sure you *net* customers with that decision. (*face palm*)

--
Zag

Give me the liberty to know, to think, to believe,
and to utter freely according to conscience, above
all other liberties. ~John Milton

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)