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Inspired by the success of games like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, French president Emmanuel Macron declares 'videogames are part of our culture' and announces a new international gaming festival (www.pcgamer.com)
submitted 2 months ago by to c/pcgaming@lemmy.ca
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[–] 87 points 2 months ago (18 children)

If the lesson is "just let Ubisoft die, and support their former workers if they want to produce labour-of-love games in small indie studios", then we could be in for great things. E33 is possibly the French-est game ever made and has brought French culture around the globe, in the way that "yet another Rainbow 6 sequel" certainly does not.

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  • [–] 9 points 2 months ago (2 children)

    Is it though? It feels very J as in JRPG with a superficial French coating. I don’t see much „culture“ but it might be too subtle for me.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 months ago* (1 child)

    This post is funny because it sounds like you may not be aware of the whole cultural confluence/intentionally cultivated relationship between French and Japanese art (particularly in the fields of animation, woodworking, and video games) that’s been going on for well over a century now

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  • [–] 9 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (11 children)

    I wish that was how it would work, but we have to step all the way back here and consider how there is a fundamental difference from an employment perspective, from a target product perspective and from a budget perspective between indie game companies and large boring game companies.

    I love indie games, I don't play AAA games really, but you have to recognize the crucial role larger game companies play at providing consistent employment for entry level game development jobs... those workers can go on and found indie game companies and make their best games fine... but what about before that? What if you want to develop awesome video game but you have a family? You really want to fuck around with going it alone as an indie game company?

    From the other side, even in the sanest possible world are indie game companies the right tool to craft highly iterative cinematic sports games with? ... that sports fans will want to play?

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  • [–] 20 points 2 months ago (4 children)

    Sorry, let me point out one thing: that's a load of crap.

    The only thing I agree with is that AAA studios have the funds to make huge projects, while indie devs usually will not.

    However, their business model is built around developers being treated as an expendable workforce, and offers little if any job security at all, almost all mass layoffs in tech up until recently were by AAA studios.

    Especially entry level jobs, including Q&A folk, they're the first to go once a project is complete, if they were even hired in the first place and not just contractors. Zero job security.

    And if you think they provide stability from a family time perspective, you mustn't have heard about the "crunch", the ridiculous number of mandatory overtime, or the high burnout rate.

    AAA is cancer.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 months ago* (1 child)

    Trust me, there's just as much crunch and toxicity in indie studios. Layoffs are just as common, if not more so.

    But your boss is clueless and well intentioned with the abuse... which honestly is almost worse I'd say. A prick boss that is honest about being a prick boss is a + in my book. At least you know the game.

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  • [–] 1 point 2 months ago*

    I am not saying the culture of AAA studios isn't toxic as hell, but the size difference does create the potential for stability a smaller studio just physically cannot have even if its culture is far better.

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  • [–] 5 points 2 months ago*

    We have a big sample bias with good indie games too. For every big hit, there are dozens of abject financial failures. Which in Canada with stuff like the CMF, its fine... but these funds can only support so many things.

    AAA studios might be ruthless with layoffs and cancelations, but they have a much better batting average of breaking even or making money. Indie games go belly up all the time and people lose everything.

    Like just play stuff on the Steam next fest. Tell yourself that only the top 10 or so games will ever get any sales. Half the games you play might never even make it to market. There's hundreds of good games there.

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  • [+] -9 points 2 months ago* (4 children)

    Just don't be creative if you want a family

    Edit doubly so it's the thing you do when you are following your biological programming, so like, pick a lane.

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  • [–] 6 points 2 months ago (3 children)

    Insane take

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  • [–] -2 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    What do you mean, let Ubisoft die? That's not the presidents decision to make.

    Alao, certainly not everyone that currently works at Unlbisoft would find success making indie games. The games industry is fucking brutal. Force closing Ubisoft would be a cruel decision and almost everyone currently working there would suffer for it.

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  • [–] 8 points 2 months ago

    What do you mean, let Ubisoft die? That’s not the presidents decision to make.

    I don't know about france specifically, but in general the state has many options to prop up a failing capitalist endeavor.

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