A survey of game developers shows that nearly half of game developers support game industry unionization, a majority believe that Steam no longer justifies its 30-percent revenue take of PC game sales, and that nearly half of game makers have spent working overtime hours in so-called “crunch” mode. The organizers of the 2019 Game Developers Conference (GDC) have released the results of the seventh annual State of the Industry Survey, revealing trends in the game industry ahead of GDC 2019 in March. More than 4,000 developers participated. Unionization comments Above: GDC 2018Image Credit: Dean Takahashi Unionization is a hot topic in the game industry these days, and nearly half of the game industry professionals surveyed think it’s a good idea. When asked whether they thought game industry workers should unionize, 47 percent said yes. 26 percent said maybe, 16 percent said no, and 11 percent said they didn’t know. However, when asked whether they think video … [Read more...] about GDC survey: Half of game developers support unionization, believe Steam is too greedy
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Many game developers support unionization, but few think it’ll happen
One of the big talking points at last year’s Game Developers Conference was unionization, and it’s a subject that’s only become more important in the wake of events like the closure of Telltale Games. According to GDC’s latest annual survey, which includes responses from close to 4,000 developers, nearly half — 47 percent — of those who were polled support unionization, with only 16 percent saying they’re against the idea. “It is critical that people who work in games are able to maintain a healthy lifestyle, live normal lives, and be able to enjoy a high quality of life that will work well for their spouses and families,” explained one anonymous developer. However, despite this growing support, it seems that most in the industry don’t believe unionization will actually happen — at least not anytime soon. According to the survey, only 21 percent of respondents believe that workers will actually unionize, with the … [Read more...] about Many game developers support unionization, but few think it’ll happen
Magic Leap CEO: ‘We can be a public company’ if developers support us
Magic Leap CEO Rony Abovitz suggested an initial public offering might be planned for his company if it is able to continue building momentum with developers. The suggestion came during our first interview with Abovitz on Tuesday during Magic Leap’s developer conference in Los Angeles. The Magic Leap One Creator Edition headset started shipping a couple months ago and we expected it to win over some developers. Some developers, though, are undoubtedly waiting to see what emerges from this conference before spending $2,300 on one of the gadgets. Abovitz said the company would discuss a new “Magicverse” technology stack during the October 10 keynote which should extend the company’s tools so that phones, tablets and even VR headsets might be able to see into worlds created with Magic Leap technology. “We don’t like the idea of a completely closed ecosystem. You should be able to build something and be able to inter-operate with a phone, … [Read more...] about Magic Leap CEO: ‘We can be a public company’ if developers support us
Google’s new Android TV dongle for developers supports 4K, HDR
Google announced a brand-new version of its Android TV developer hardware platform at I/O today. The ADT-2, sequel to the ADT-1, is being given out to attendees of the conference in Mountain View (they'll ship at a later date). The ADT-2 takes on a Chromecast-like dongle form factor, and was first outed in an FCC certification listing around a month ago. The ADT-2 will not be sold to consumers. Speaking to Googlers on the Android TV team in a briefing ahead of the show, we learned that the ADT-2 is intended to provide developers a "typical" Android TV experience in terms of hardware capability. It's equipped with an AMLogic 905X chipset, the same one used in the 2017 Amazon Fire TV 4K dongle, so it's one with a lot of developer support. It's also the same chip in the Xiaomi Mi Box, which has often been derided for poor performance, but Google says it believes this hardware will provide a good experience on Android P. It does support 4K60 and HDR, so it's a fairly capable - if cheap - … [Read more...] about Google’s new Android TV dongle for developers supports 4K, HDR
Judge expected to rule on Helmerich Park development case within a few weeks
A judge is expected to decide by the end of the month whether the city can move forward with a plan to build a commercial development on a portion of Helmerich Park.During a pretrial hearing Monday, Tulsa County District Judge Jefferson Sellers said he expects to rule on the parties’ requests for summary judgment within the next two weeks.The legal battle began in August 2015, when the Tulsa Public Facilities Authority sold 8.8 acres of the park for $1.465 million to a Dallas developer. The proposed development is widely expected to include the state’s first REI store.The sale was immediately challenged by Tulsa resident Craig Immel, who argued TPFA did not have the authority to sell the property.The lawsuit was later amended to include more plaintiffs and other legal arguments against the sale.Among those who joined the lawsuit was former Mayor Terry Young. Young said Monday the plaintiffs’ request for summary judgment rests on three key arguments: that the Helmerich … [Read more...] about Judge expected to rule on Helmerich Park development case within a few weeks