THIS is not okay! How do the fatcats keep getting away with it? Not only the crunch, but now they even steal money.
>"The video game Borderlands 3 was a big sales success when it launched last fall, according to its publisher, 2K, which described it as “a billion-dollar global brand.” That’s why it was shocking to employees at Gearbox, the developer of the game, when the studio’s CEO, Randy Pitchford, told them yesterday that they would not receive the significant royalty bonuses they expected."
>"To make up for that, the studio offers something unique: profit-sharing. Royalties from all of the developer’s games are split 60/40, with 60% going back into the company (and its owners) while 40% is distributed to employees in the form of quarterly bonuses. This system has been in place since Gearbox’s inception, and when the company has big hits, it can be lucrative."
>"Then, in a meeting yesterday, Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford told employees that Borderlands 3 bonus checks would be significantly lower than they hoped, according to three people who were present. He said the game had been more expensive than expected, the company had grown significantly larger than it had been in the past (it now operates a second studio in Quebec, Canada), and that their sales projections had been off-base.
>"Pitchford also told Gearbox developers that if they weren’t happy with the royalty system, they were welcome to quit, according to those who were in the meeting. He did not attribute the diminished bonuses to the coronavirus pandemic, which has led to economic uncertainty and pay cuts in many other fields. "
What do you think, Yas Forums? Did you play Boarderlands 3?
kotaku.com
