An id Software employee calls Xbox management incompetent and says they set unrealistic goals
, by Thibaut
Criticism is beginning to mount following the latest round of layoffs at Xbox this week. Studios have been transferred to different entities, employees have been laid off, and projects have been canceled.
The website Aftermath shared the thoughts of an anonymous id Software developer (DOOM). He describes a toxic work environment within the company, noting that Microsoft failed to anticipate the consequences of drastic budget cuts for its studios. As a result, many employees are unsure what the future holds for them. The interviewee also points to management’s incompetence and targets that are simply unrealistic.
"Things are very chaotic. While there has been an attempt to communicate to the studios, it is still entirely in bullshit corporate speak. I still don't believe they have a clear vision for the future. The only concrete thing they have communicated is they want higher profits, and they want it now. Aggressive goals are being set that would have been unrealistic even before the layoffs. ... To say the workers within Xbox have a dim view of the future is putting it mildly. We keep thinking morale can't sink lower but the obvious incompetence of Xbox management somehow keeps driving it down worse."
Halo, for example, was simply handed over to Activision, which will aim to quickly revive the franchise and generate profit with this iconic Xbox license. Rare is also moving to the publisher of Call of Duty, as is World's Edge. Obsidian Entertainment, meanwhile, is now under Bethesda's control. These are almost unnatural mergers, and for now it’s hard to see the point of them beyond cutting costs.
Source: aftermath.site