Over the last couple of years, we’ve seen tens of thousands of employees in the gaming industry lose their jobs due to companies going under restructuring to cut costs amid economic turndown. The layoffs have affected even big names such as Microsoft, and Sony.
Certain worse-hit companies, such as Ubisoft, had to face job cuts more than twice during this period. In a new development, Bandai Namco has become the latest victim of what has been a terrible time for the industry. However, this might play right into Hidetaka Miyazaki and FromSoftware’s upcoming Souslike project.
There’s no doubt that Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero has proven to be a smash hit for Bandai Namco, as the game managed to ship millions of copies on its first day. Despite the positive results, the publisher, which employs some 1,300 people in Japan, is pressuring around 200 employees to leave the company, and sources suggest 100 of them have already left the company.
This practice is quite typical of big Japanese corporations, which have incredibly strict dismissal laws in the country. It’s a process of sending workers who they want to look to fire to empty rooms called “oidashi bey.”
In these places, workers basically have no function in the company anymore, and the vast majority of them end up resigning. If they don’t, the company can justify their poor performance and dismiss them.
Alongside these layoffs, Bandai Namco is also reportedly canceling multiple projects, and other unannounced games from well-known franchises such as Naruto and One Piece have also been completely scrapped, as well as a project commissioned by Nintendo.
The reason for these layoffs is the same as what’s been given by other companies: tightening of resources in the industry in the past two years after the explosive investment and profits in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
While it’s a terrible situation for the employees, it might be the right opportunity for FromSoftware. If you’re out of the loop, both Bandai and FromSoftware are based in the same city and country.
After the success of Elden Ring‘s Shadow of the Erdtree, the studio is on a mass hiring spree to get as many developers on board as possible for its next Souslike project.
Considering that Bandai is trying to cut its workforce, it gives Hidetaka Miyazaki a perfect opportunity to get the most brilliant minds out there to further evolve the Souslike formula and give us yet another generational hit.
Bandai has revealed that the Sparking has sold more than 3 million copies within 24 hours of its release. Sparking Zero is the first installment in the beloved Budokai Tenkaichi series after almost two decades, so it’s no surprise gamers are flocking to the title.
The game has been released with tons of content for players to go through, which has certainly contributed to the game’s 3 million mark. It features an Episode Battle game mode that lets gamers relive memorable moments from the anime and explore “what if” scenarios.
Sparking Zero‘s multiplayer has also received praise from critics and fans alike for its gameplay mechanics, even though it isn’t the most balanced out there.
Even before Sparking Zero debuted globally, it was making waves during early access as well. It managed to hit an all-time peak of 90,000 during that time, which smashed the record for any Dragon Ball game on Steam. As of this writing, Sparking Zero hit a new record of 122,554 players five days ago.
With that said, do you think Bandai Namco has made the right call with such huge changes in the current gaming landscape? If so, let us know in the comments below.
#Good #Hidetaka #Miyazakis #FromSoftware #Soulslike
