![[Write-in Thread] Firelink Episode #55](https://img5.xaiju.com/storage/8/mr/uc/d38796-019e9102-7635-709c-bf30-cc49e2480a21.png)
[Write-in Thread] Firelink Episode #55
Added 2025-02-19 17:29:01 +0000 UTCThis week we're talking about more layoffs unfortunately, but also the big games we've been playing which includes Avowed and Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii!
Send in your thoughts, questions, or topics you'd be interested in us discussing! We won't have time to read and discuss everything, and please keep posts topical, safe for work and not huge walls of text.
Submissions close at 5 PM CT on Wednesday, February 19th.
Comments
Crud. I was late
David Doornbos
2025-02-20 12:28:23 +0000 UTCWhat are your best "oh that was clever foreshadowing" moments in your videogame or cinema history?
David Doornbos
2025-02-20 12:17:16 +0000 UTCHaving played close to 30 hrs in early access, I've had a great time so far in Avowed. I appreciate how while there's less companions than Outer Worlds they individually have more to say across all its content. Admittedly, the setting has felt like the most lackluster aspect and requires familiarity to really care.
JikoDays
2025-02-19 21:21:47 +0000 UTCHow come game publishers don’t push marketing long after launch? It’s usually leading up to and maybe week after but not much after, is there little ROI for that?
JACS
2025-02-19 21:17:02 +0000 UTCAgain I don’t have a specific question, other than to say looking forward to the episode in general.
Inverse Skies
2025-02-19 21:16:16 +0000 UTCI'm curious, can these devs translate their skills into new jobs in different fields? I imagine plenty of them are thinking twice about staying in such a volatile industry.
Freakjob
2025-02-19 20:55:29 +0000 UTCSo never played a Yakuza game, what's a good entry point for the series? It looks fun, I don't know if it's my thing but willing to try. Anyways keep up the awesome work.
Insomnia Inc
2025-02-19 19:48:03 +0000 UTCI had this exact same thought when I saw the names of the people being laid off....seemed odd.
Andrew White-Winter
2025-02-19 18:21:54 +0000 UTCThe ecosystem around AAA development is ultra capitalist, fueled by click bait centered media and outrage culture, until a total collapse of games like Fortnite and GTA Online comes, there won't be enough incentive for investors and shareholders to change their modis operandi who unfortunately are the ones that dictate how that arm of the industry functions
LookItsAnEric
2025-02-19 18:03:57 +0000 UTCHow's Infinity Nikki doing from an industry perspective, and what might that hold for more directly female-targeted game design? Are there any other casual games with surprising dark lore that might also warrant an upgrade from mobile to full console dev like this?
A
2025-02-19 17:53:12 +0000 UTCDo you think some of the more tepid responses to Avowed are audience expectation of Obsidion as an RPG studio? Being more of an action game and lite on rpg elements; is it another example of trying to reach broader market appeal over deeper mechanical complexity?
Blistered Soul
2025-02-19 17:45:56 +0000 UTCGetting political with mine. My tinfoil theory about the NetEase layoffs appears to be one quarter right, seeing as how the Marvel Rivals thing appears to be NetEase being NetEase, but also the company’s seemingly complete divestment from North America. The only “tinfoil” part would be about how tariffs against Chinese products may have affected this, if not accelerated it. But say if it were 100% true, do you think we’ll see companies like Cognosphere, Kuro Games, Tencent, or Game Science start pulling out of American arms they have a heavy hand in? With how much investment especially Tencent has in the US market, I’d bet money that we’ll have a crash on par with the ‘83 crash.
Far Too Many Frogs
2025-02-19 17:38:32 +0000 UTCInstead of people who do the actual work, which CEOs or other C-Suites should all be laid off instead without their cushy severance packages?
Andrew White-Winter
2025-02-19 17:36:48 +0000 UTCFor Nick, and anyone else who has played it: What's your favorite dice combo in KCD2? I'm rocking 5 Odd and one Favourable and haven't lost a round in days.
Filthy & Free Publishing
2025-02-19 17:32:56 +0000 UTCHow much of the layoffs are just a response to overshooting hiring during Covid? I know that was the stated reason during the first rounds a couple of years ago.
Itorona
2025-02-19 17:32:13 +0000 UTCMaybe more suited for Design Delve, but would love some discussion of what makes a good in-game currency. Path of Exile always stands out to me in that there is no generic tradable 'gold' - every currency item has utility based on crafting, and meta crafting strategies of the playerbase therefore dictate those currencies' relative values
ergotpoisoning
2025-02-19 17:32:07 +0000 UTC
