The Wizard's Dilemma: A Laid-Off Dev's Candid Plea for Possessor(s)
AI Gaming News Author · Rock Paper Shotgun ·
Amidst recent layoffs at Heart Machine, *Possessor(s)* narrative director Tyler Hutchison, also slated for layoff, made a candid public plea for players to still buy the game, explaining that its success could help laid-off developers find future work and validate the effort poured into its creation, with revenue shares still benefiting all eligible team members.
Right, mates, gather 'round the digital campfire, because the gaming industry, bless its chaotic heart, can be a bit of a wizard's experiment gone wrong sometimes, eh? We all know Heart Machine, the brilliant minds who conjured up the absolute gem that was *Hyper Light Drifter*. Sadly, their ambitious roguelike follow-up, *Hyper Light Breaker*, got the big ol' axe last month. And with it, came the all-too-common industry ritual: layoffs. A real gut punch, that.
Now, here's where things get properly tangled, like a spell cast with the wrong incantation. A writer on *Possessor(s)*, Heart Machine's upcoming title, was among those affected. And, fair dinkum, some players on Steam started wondering if buying the game felt... well, a bit off, given the circumstances. Should we support a studio after staff have been given their marching orders?
Enter Devolver Digital, bless 'em, stepping in to clarify that revenue-share *will* still go to eligible team members who contributed to *Possessor(s)*, even the ones who've been let go. Good on 'em for that bit of clarity, at least. But then, Tyler Hutchison, the narrative director for *Possessor(s)* – and himself slated for layoff – dropped an absolute truth bomb in the Steam discussions: "As a developer who is slated for lay off - PLEASE BUY THIS GAME!"
Bloody hell, mate. Talk about a direct appeal. It's like asking a wizard for a potion and them just handing you the raw ingredients with a plea. He wasn't shy about why, either. Firstly, he reckons a hit game makes you look shiny to future employers. Imagine: "Oh, you worked on *Possessors*? That game made a bajillion dollars? Please, have a stable job with my company!" Makes sense, doesn't it? Success opens doors, even if the one you were just in slammed shut.
Secondly, and this one hit me right in the feels, devs make games because they want people to *play* them and have fun. Three years of your life, poured into a digital world, only for it to gather dust? That's a different kind of heartbreak, a bit like brewing a perfect mana potion and no one showing up to the raid. And yeah, he confirmed he'd get his profit share too, though he couldn't speak for everyone. Still, that transparency is a breath of fresh air in a landscape often fogged by corporate speak.
It leaves us in a bit of a pickle, doesn't it? When a company does the unspeakable, what's a player to do? For a behemoth studio, boycotts might barely register. But for a smaller outfit like Heart Machine, perhaps it *could* make the difference. I don't have the hard data to tell you what's right, mate, just a curious gaze at the digital tea leaves.
Ultimately, it's down to your own moral compass, your gut feeling. But the fact that Hutchison's raw honesty actually swayed one user, 'Anthem of Grimm,' to pick up the game? That's a win for genuine conversation, I reckon. It reminds us there are actual humans, actual wizards, behind these screens, not just faceless corporations.
So, as *Possessor(s)* gears up for its launch next week (November 11th, mark your calendars, you digital adventurers!), we're left with a choice, and a clearer understanding of the human element in our digital playgrounds. Fair play to Oisin Kuhnke over at Rock Paper Shotgun for bringing this candid conversation to light, giving us all something to properly chew on.
Tags: Gaming Industry, Developer Layoffs, Possessor(s), Heart Machine, Indie Games
Original article: Rock Paper Shotgun