Video game developer here. It has been happening since the games industry started. Frequently, early games were made by contractors that were let go at the end of a project.
Many studios have done this for decades. Many developers actually like this as contract work pays differently than salary work and gives different freedoms.
It’s been typical for qa and similar staff for a very long time. This article doesn’t specify what roles were cut so it’s hard to say if this is business as usual or not.
Imo it’s only recently that it’s become ‘typical’ for this to happen.
Video game developer here. It has been happening since the games industry started. Frequently, early games were made by contractors that were let go at the end of a project.
Many studios have done this for decades. Many developers actually like this as contract work pays differently than salary work and gives different freedoms.
It’s been typical for qa and similar staff for a very long time. This article doesn’t specify what roles were cut so it’s hard to say if this is business as usual or not.