Ideals Like Full-Time Employment and Job Security Are ‘Too Romantic’ in Game Dev, Says Monument Valley Studio CEO
IGN • • technology
Key Points:
- Ustwo Games CEO Maria Sayans announced plans to reduce development costs by relying more on contractors instead of hiring full-time staff, aiming to adapt to changing industry conditions.
- Following Netflix dropping the Monument Valley games and fewer deals with major companies, Ustwo is focusing on creating meaningful single-player experiences for PC and consoles, recently porting games to Steam and Switch without publishers.
- Sayans revealed that previous development budgets of £7-10 million over three to four years are unsustainable for new projects, especially outside the Monument Valley series, necessitating lower-cost production similar to smaller PC game developers.
- The studio acknowledges the challenge of balancing employee job security with financial realities, admitting a shift toward a core team supplemented by contractors, despite Sayans’ personal dislike of this industry trend.
- Ustwo’s strategic pivot reflects broader industry pressures to manage costs while continuing to produce quality games amid evolving market dynamics.
