#1 ·
I was just reading some industry news and it honestly feels like every time I open a news feed lately, another beloved mid-sized studio is shrinking. It’s getting hard to stay optimistic about the "indie revolution" we were all promised a decade ago.
It feels like there’s this massive gap growing between the massive AAA giants and the tiny bedroom developers. The middle ground—those studios that actually have enough budget to take creative risks but enough staff to make something polished—seems to be getting hollowed out. It’s a tough spot to be in because you want to support unique voices, but you also want to know that the people making the games you love can actually afford to pay their rent next month.
I remember being so hyped about the idea of specialized teams having more autonomy, but lately, it feels like volatility is just becoming the baseline for everyone in the industry.
Do you guys think we're headed toward a future where it's either a billion-dollar corporation or a single person in a basement, with nothing in between?
It feels like there’s this massive gap growing between the massive AAA giants and the tiny bedroom developers. The middle ground—those studios that actually have enough budget to take creative risks but enough staff to make something polished—seems to be getting hollowed out. It’s a tough spot to be in because you want to support unique voices, but you also want to know that the people making the games you love can actually afford to pay their rent next month.
I remember being so hyped about the idea of specialized teams having more autonomy, but lately, it feels like volatility is just becoming the baseline for everyone in the industry.
Do you guys think we're headed toward a future where it's either a billion-dollar corporation or a single person in a basement, with nothing in between?