Tim Schafer Says Industry Layoffs Come Down to Greed

Double Fine founder Tim Schafer has spoken bluntly about the wave of job losses that has swept through the games industry, telling BBC News that the sustained downturn likely comes down to someone at the top being greedy. Schafer also addressed Double Fine’s recent separation from Xbox, revealing the studio had to learn about the possibility of its own closure through online rumors before ultimately choosing to operate independently.

Four Years Down With No Clear Answer

Speaking to BBC News in an interview highlighted by Insider Gaming, Schafer admitted he struggles to make sense of the economics driving mass layoffs across the industry. He described what he once assumed was a predictable hiring cycle: studios cut staff, realize they need those people to ship games, and hire them back. That pattern, in his view, has completely broken down.

“It’s been down for like four years, and I don’t know why,” Schafer said, according to Insider Gaming. “Because people are playing games and people are making money, so I don’t know why there’s a big loss of jobs. I just assume that it’s just someone being greedy somewhere.”

Despite that frustration, Schafer expressed hope that the cycle would eventually reverse and pointed to the independent development scene as a source of genuine creative energy right now.

Indie Games Offer Excitement but No Safety Net

Schafer was careful not to frame indie development as a straightforward refuge from corporate layoffs. As Insider Gaming notes, he acknowledged that working outside a publisher comes with its own version of financial risk. “In indie games there’s no guarantee of not laid off, but out of money,” he said, drawing a direct parallel between the two paths.

He went on to describe what he sees as the core motivation that keeps people in the industry regardless of the instability. In his view, most people working in games did not arrive seeking job security or a comfortable lifestyle. They came because making games felt like the only option that made sense to them.

Double Fine’s Exit From Xbox

The BBC interview also covered Double Fine’s departure from Microsoft’s Xbox portfolio, a move that Insider Gaming reports the studio did not see coming through official channels. Schafer said the team first heard that Xbox might shut them down through rumors circulating online, not from Microsoft directly.

“We have heard the rumors, then the rumors were true, and then we decided we wanted to go it alone, and worked in negotiations, and now we have sprung forth into the world again,” Schafer said. The studio has since moved forward as an independent outfit following those negotiations.

Sources: Insider Gaming