Chris Hays an id Software's lead services programmer has criticized Xbox after recent layoffs hit the studio. “It is hard to make a game that is AAA that’s like we’ve done before with half the people. And by hard I mean impossible,” said Hays “It’s hard to make a game when there are entire departments that are gutted that you need. Entire disciplines that are gone. So the reassurances that we’re still the same id and we’re still gonna do things—well, first of all, We’re not the same id. We’re half the same id.” According to Hays, id management has been given “talking points” and instructions on what they can and cannot say. And according to him, it feels like Xbox is trying to reassure the remaining devs at the studio that things are okay and that id has a future because it doesn’t want “more people to jump ship” and then be left with nobody. “At the end of the day, most of it was just trying to tell us that, ‘Oh no, everything is fine. And things will be okay,'” said Hays. “The same lines that they said publicly, like, ‘Oh, well, [the studio is] the size of Doom 2016′ or ‘we’re close to that same size,’ and so we shipped that game, so we could ship another game. Things of that nature.” Hays responded, "There is a reason they say close to, because it is less," to the host's observation that Xbox and ID's assertion that the studio is the same size appears questionable given the number of names in the Doom (2016) credits. Hays also expressed some disapproval of Xbox's well-liked Game Pass membership service. A significant portion of the Xbox and PC fan base is not required to purchase any new Microsoft games. And yet, Hays says Xbox would still criticize Bethesda’s sales numbers. “I know that [id has] serious issues with how Game Pass is done,” said Hays. “Whenever we see the financial reports that say that there were poor sales under Bethesda, like, what’s a sale? If you have Game Pass, are you saying poor sales means a poor number of games sold? Cause of course. [Xbox isn’t] doing a ‘games sold’ business model.” Hays also criticized Microsoft and claimed the company “fundamentally” doesn’t understand art. “If you cut half of a studio and don’t take into account how it’s made,” said Hays, “you don’t understand the cohesion between our teams was a part of what made it successful.” In a financial report, Microsoft says they have “great IPs and studios, and that's a strength, and thats a strength Microsoft has under Xbox. Well they weakened their studios, when they do layoffs they weaken and devalue their studios. But they don't understand that, they continue to say that they have strong studios while they weaken them.” “I think that since they don't understand entertainment or art or games and they're thinking of their normal business to business software brain, they're thinking about the stock price.” Trust in long-term stability is shattered; many no longer believe “hire-to-retire” assurances. The union continues pushing to negotiate restructuring so fewer people are harmed and the studio can remain viable. *For some great insights into how employment works in the current gaming industry, this is a must watch. via: Well Played Podcast (1hr 30m) youtube.com/watch?v=aA64Ogzm…