Not the most reliable source, but this resonated with me: kotaku.com/…
The video game industry has been on economically shaky ground for the last several years. I've always felt that the industry is desperate for revenue in the face of skyrocketing costs and a consumer base that refuses to accept anything less than cinematic AAA experiences. Relying on a $60 base price to get customers to buy your product in the hopes that they'll spend more on DLC and microtransactions is an unsustainable business model.
It's a shame that the general public just isn't aware of this looming crisis. People need to understand what goes into a AAA video game. It is abundantly clear at this point that $60 is not enough.
There's been a growing push from people working in the industry to address problematic work conditions. I hope there's unionization efforts in the pipeline...
This is a very hard problem. You have to look at this from the viewpoint of the C-suite. If you spend more on your employees and contractors and your profits tank as a result, investors will sell. It doesn't matter if doing so enables better products and higher long-term revenues.
And if your stock price goes through the floor, you're not going to have the money to invest in your products and people. As much as I hate to say this, the only thing investors care about is money and there is very little anyone outside the industry can do about it.
It's an incredibly difficult problem. Between disgruntled consumers, overworked employees, and greedy investors, companies are stuck in a situation where any significant change is risky and potentially destructive.
Real change has to start with investors. Growth and stability matters, but there are ways to run a business that don't require exploiting workers or destroying the environment while still being profitable.
Indeed, a company that makes money doing the right thing is probably going to be a more stable long-term investment than one that just focuses on profits at any cost.
So... one thing about server gear. The few times I've encountered rackmount servers, the build quality simply amazes me. The chassis construction, especially the front cover and branding (logos, wordmarks, etc.) are often oh-so-beautifully made.
