id Software dev says mass layoffs like Microsoft's are weakening the games industry, because developers 'don't have the incentive to care anymore'

Id Software employee Chris Hayes has criticized Microsoft's management, claiming that the company's mass layoffs are weakening the games industry. Hayes states that the leadership at Xbox fundamentally doesn't understand what makes a good game; quality comes from developers learning to work together and being able to learn from failures.

Hayes argues that mass layoffs and nearsighted cost cutting are harming the industry by denying developers the opportunity to improve their craft and motivating them to create better games. He notes that while big companies like Microsoft may boast about their owned IPs and studios, they seem unable to understand that they regularly harm their own capability to produce valuable games.

Hayes believes that the biggest publishers and companies have lost their understanding of what makes a good game, which is crucial for maintaining a healthy industry. He warns that if developers assume they will be cut after their game launches, those who stay won't feel invested in the future of the game and may not care about its success.

This loss of investment, Hayes says, is progressively damaging the overall health of the games industry.