Double Fine Head Calls Video Game Executives Greedy and Says He Does Not Understand Industry Operations

Tim Schafer is raising $50,000 for an actress who agreed to work with his studio for free.

Double Fine head Tim Schafer shared his thoughts on the current state of the video game industry in an interview with BBC News and attempted to explain why the past few years have been marked by widespread layoffs. According to the developer, he long considered layoffs part of a cyclical process, but what has happened over the last four years has made him doubt that explanation.

Schafer also discussed Double Fine’s departure from Xbox. He stated that the studio did not know Microsoft was considering shutting it down and only found out through rumors that surfaced on the internet.

Discussing the situation in the industry as a whole, the developer admitted that he does not fully understand the economics of video game production. He previously thought that layoffs and subsequent hiring constituted a natural cycle, with companies laying off staff after completing projects and then hiring developers back when new games needed to be made.

According to the head of Double Fine, current events look especially strange given that people continue to play video games and companies are making money from them.

At the same time, Schafer hopes that the current downturn will turn out to be part of a regular cycle and that the industry will begin to recover in the future. He also drew attention to the active growth of the independent sector, noting that indie games currently possess a lot of life, energy, and creative ideas.

However, independent development does not guarantee stability either. Schafer emphasized that indie developers face the same risks, although the problem may manifest differently.

According to Schafer, his years in the industry have led him to conclude that most people do not enter game development for stability or a comfortable lifestyle. Many view creating games as something they simply feel compelled to do.