Former Sony exec has harsh words for laid off gaming employees

After thousands of employees world wide the gaming industry were hit with mass layoffs at some stage within the last year and a half of, some corporations conducting the job cuts have received sharp criticism on social media for laying off employees without reference to having increasing sales and profits.

In the pinnacle of a recent interview on the “My Perfect Console with Simon Parkin” podcast, former Sony (SNEJF) Computer Entertainment Europe President Chris Deering shared some blunt words for those criticizing the widespread layoffs world wide the gaming industry.

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“I don’t think it’s fair to assert that the resulting layoffs have been greed,” said Deering. “I always tried to minimize the rate with which we added personnel because I always knew there should be a cycle, and I didn’t find yourself having the identical problems that Sony did in Electronics."

He claimed that the new layoffs at Sony Interactive Entertainment in London, which resulted in roughly 900 employees in its gaming sector losing their jobs in February, were due to low sales. When Sony announced the layoffs in a press liberate in February, it said that the change change into the outcomes of a “without warning changing industry.”

“If the money isn’t coming in from the consumers on the last game, it’s going to be challenging to justify spending the money for the following game,” said Deering.

On the choice hand, Sony’s earnings report for the primary three months of 2024 revealed that its Game and Network Products and services sector had a roughly 17% year-over-year make bigger in sales, and about sixteen% spike in operating income.

Deering also stated world wide the interview that having a skill in game development does no longer mean a lifetime of “poverty or limitation,” and that individuals who were recently laid off should “figure out one way to get through it.”

Related: Ex-Google CEO responds to outrage over far flung work comments

“Drive an Uber or whatever, go off to detect a cost-effective place to reside and go to the beach for a year,” said Deering.

He also said that he is “optimistic” concerning the longer term of those world wide the industry who've been axed from their jobs, and that their severance packages might help cushion the blow.

“I presume people were paid some kind of decent severance package, and by the purpose that runs out … Well, , that’s life,” said Deering.

The Sony exec's comments receive backlash

In line with Deering’s recent comments, users on social media platform X blasted the former Sony executive for being “tone deaf.”

What's that? Oh, just the sound of the other bigwig being tone deaf. Go to the beach for a year? Yes, because people would no longer have those things most often often often is often referred to as bills to pay.— Paula B (@Dunedinediting) September 10, 2024

"Which is no longer the outcomes of corporate greed", coming from a corpo...
He should are trying living on an Uber drivers income and spot how he goes— Frost (@Frost0791) September 10, 2024

Explain to me why corporate execs never get laid off and even asked to take a pay cut (like Nintendo did under Iwata). How is it that the execs that hire in these irresponsible ways never see any consequence? Why are they never asked to downsize and go to the beach?— Miles Weaver (@mrmilesweaver) September 10, 2024

Deering’s comments come after about eleven,250 employees world wide the gaming industry worldwide lost their jobs by way of layoffs in 2023, according to data from Statista. The layoffs are continuing to accelerate as eleven,000 gaming employees were laid off at some stage within the primary six months of this year.

More Labor:

• Sony’s Bungie criticized for layoffs after CEO spends millions
• Dell makes a harsh move, solidifying fears concerning the longer term of labor
• Ex-Google CEO responds to outrage over far flung work comments

The layoffs come during a time when gaming world wide the U.S. has been dubbed as some of the “fastest-growing large sectors” world wide the entertainment and media industry by professional services firm Pwc. The corporate predicts that gaming revenue world wide the U.S. will top $300 billion in 2028, which is more than double than what it generated in 2019.

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