Former President of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Christopher Deering is being lambasted regarding his comments concerning layoffs in the gaming industry. Deering’s remarks were made on the most recent edition of the podcast My Perfect Console, hosted by writer and journalist Simon Parker. The controversial opinions were published on myriad news websites; they were then disseminated across social media. Gamers, writers, and unions alike have criticized Deering’s seemingly blasé attitude toward the volatile gaming industry.
Who is Chris Deering?
Chris Deering served as President of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, Consumer Electronics Division, from 1995 to 2005. Notably, Deering spearheaded the successful marketing campaign for the original Sony PlayStation in Europe. His first involvement in gaming came as Vice President of international marketing for Atari in 1981. Since departing Sony, he has held numerous high-profile job titles at multiple companies, including Board Director and Chairman positions. While he maintains a respectable legacy in the industry, his recent comments have highlighted the stark contrast between the nascent industry in which he found success and the juggernaut it is today.
“Drive an Uber or whatever”
Deering appeared on the My Perfect Console podcast, published on September 10, 2024. The wide-ranging interview with host Simon Parker touched on a multitude of subjects. However, the conversation surrounding the abundance of layoffs within the gaming industry in 2024 has become the episode’s main point of attraction. When asked about the latest trend of workers being cut at various companies and studios, Deering had this to say:
“I don’t think it’s fair to say that the resulting layoffs have been greed,” Deering said. “I always tried to minimize the speed with which we added staff because I always knew there would be a cycle and I didn’t want to end up having the same problems that Sony did in electronics.”
There is a cognizable defense to be made in this argument. As Deering later notes, not every game released is going to garner a big profit for a company. Some games may even cost money depending on their budget and sales. It is hard to justify further development on a series that does not generate interest or money. While this is a fairly milquetoast take, it was the following statement he made that enflamed the Internet:
“I think it’s probably very painful for the managers, but I don’t think that having skill in this area [of game dev] is going to be a lifetime of poverty or limitation. It’s still where the action is, and it’s like the pandemic but now you’re going to have to take a few…figure out how to get through it, drive an Uber or whatever, go off to find a cheap place to live and go to the beach for a year. But keep up with your news and keep up with it, because once you get off the train, it’s much harder.”
Response and Sony’s Problems This Year
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Needless to say, Deering’s statements were not welcomed by denizens of the Internet. IWGB, a trade union whose Game Workers branch defends workers’ rights in the United Kingdom, criticized Deering’s stance on X. In response to his “Uber” comment, they stated: “With a strong union, we can get what we deserve – work-life balance and job security. Without it, we’re left with ‘let them eat cake.'” While layoffs have been a recurring phenomenon in 2024, so too has the push for stronger unionization efforts in gaming. Near the end of August, union members at Raven Software filed a complaint against Activision Blizzard and Microsoft with the U.S. National Labor Relations Board.
It has been a problematic year for Sony. In February, the company announced they were planning to lay off roughly 900 workers, 8% of its global workforce. While this round of releases affected subsidiary companies like Insomniac and Naughty Dog, Sony’s London Studio was the most impacted. The entire team from London Studio was cut and the first-party development studio ceased operations in May. The Sony-owned Bungie, Inc. has also suffered multiple rounds of layoffs, sparking outrage from ex-employees. On the software side, Sony announced that they would be shutting down their recently released first-person hero shooter Concord after slightly more than a week of being online.
Gaming Industry in 2024
Each passing month in 2024 harbors more unfortunate news for jobs in the gaming industry. A spate of layoffs has consumed various companies and studios, including Ubisoft. NetEase Games announced they were planning to lay off most of their staff at development subsidiary Ouka Studios just a day after the release of Visions of Mana. In the past 2 years, more than 20,000 layoffs have battered the gaming industry. Developers, artists, and other staff members have responded through coordinated and concerted labor efforts. While many of these coalitions have had notable wins, more layoffs could be coming. Deering’s comments are just part of the larger discussion to be had regarding worker treatment and shifts in the industry.
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