It seemed like companies couldn’t hire information technology analysts fast enough in 2014 when Michael Deneen began his IT career. Job counts nationally soared in the 2010s and early 2020s, but then the market flattened and a profession that looked like it might grow uninterrupted started shedding jobs. Laid off twice this year from Minnesota IT jobs, Deneen said he’s found it hard to snag the next gig. “Before I could have three, four offers lined up and would have to choose between them,” the Columbia Heights man said. “It’s like I’m struggling to even get a foot in the door in places that I’m more than qualified for.” ADVERTISEMENT Even with the state’s relatively low 3.5 percen t unemployment rate, some mid-career Minnesotans and those just coming out of college are seeing a job market now that worries them. Recent layoffs at Cargill in the Twin Cities and last week’s announcement that Arctic Cat, the Minnesota snowmobile maker, will shutter its manufacturing operations next year in Thief River Falls and St. Cloud, have added to the anxiety. Analysts say Minnesota’s job market remains robust, but for some there’s a skills matchup problem as some sectors grow while others flatten or decline. “I’m not gonna lie, it’s been hard,” Deneen said of finding the next IT job. “I’ve had a lot of self-doubt now, like questioning is this really an industry I am good at? Is this something I should even be in anymore? I’m also 40. It’s like, I can’t really switch careers at this point.” ‘Shouldn't be this way’ Health care, government, leisure and hospitality and transportation are among the Minnesota sectors that continue to show strong job growth, according to state data. Other industries are growing slower, including construction and manufacturing. “We’ve heard from some folks that maybe it has taken a little longer than what they remember in the past if they were previously unemployed. Some individuals don’t say that at all,” said Sara Garbe, workforce development supervisor at the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. “November and reaching December, we certainly see a slowdown of hiring and folks may mention things like that they’ve heard from recruiters that maybe a decision won’t be made until after the holidays or after the first or the last quarter of the year,” added Garbe, whose staff works with new job seekers and those in mid-career. For recent college grads who haven’t landed work, the holiday season can bring its own pressures. ADVERTISEMENT Raina Hofstede, 22, studied English at Harvard University. Since graduating in May and coming back to Minnesota, she said job prospects have been nearly nonexistent. “I feel kind of directionless in the time period that I’m waiting,” said Hofstede, who grew up in Coon Rapids. “I feel like I really want to plan. I’m at a point where, like, I’d love to get things moving.” She’s applied to post-undergrad internships and career-advancing work. She’s looking into publishing, creative writing spaces and museums and hopes a stint working in comedy clubs while at Harvard might intrigue an employer. The search and the uncertainty around it is a grind, she acknowledged. “I think, as time goes on, and this feels sad, but I think as time goes on, my belief in myself slowly drops a little bit more with more rejections, and so I feel like I’ll be applying to less and less competitive things as I move forward,” Hofstede said. ' Minnesota showed strong steady job growth coming out of the Great Recession in 2009, reaching nearly 3 million jobs by February 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic torpedoed that growth — the state lost more than 400,000 jobs, nearly 14 percent of its employment, in the span of a few months. Job counts didn’t return permanently to pre-pandemic levels until September last year. The current state and national unemployment rates are relatively low, although they have ticked up over the past year. Minnesota’s unemployment rate is lower than the U.S. unemployment rate at 4.2 percent. Based on the most recent data, Minnesota has six unemployed people for every 10 job openings where nationally there are nine unemployed people for every 10 openings. ADVERTISEMENT Knowing that doesn’t make it easier for those looking for work, waiting for answers from prospective employers. “It just kind of feels like they have no respect for a candidate or their time, or them as a person,” Deneen said of the current market. “It’s an entire game, and it shouldn’t be this way.” ‘A little community’ Garbe said technology is transforming job searches in ways that may make landing work more challenging for some in mid-career or just starting out. Companies are using automated systems or in some cases artificial intelligence systems to screen applicants before a human gets to them. She encourages job seekers to reach out to one of DEED’s more than 50 CareerForce offices across the state where analysts can review resumes or cover letters with job seekers and offer help with writing and strategy. They can also connect people to needed training or certifications. Garbe also suggests reflecting on what you’ve accomplished to boost your self-confidence if you get overwhelmed. Social media has become a resource for job seekers as they look. Groups on Reddit like r/StudentJobSearch have become a space for venting and advice with conversations about job searching and applications. LinkedIn is also seeing similar support groups, including two Deneen is in that focus on networking and project management. ADVERTISEMENT Hofstede said she’s found solace leaning on those around her who are going through these same experiences. She and a group of new graduates meet at their public library to sift through job postings and work on cover letters and resumes together. “Something of a little community of people who are unemployed and looking for jobs, and I like having the friends support,” she said. “It is harder to go through something uncertain like this alone.”
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CONWAY — Luckily for Coastal Carolina , it has time to get some new players out of the transfer portal. The University of Texas at San Antonio dominated CCU in the Myrtle Beach Bowl 44-15 on Dec. 23 at Brooks Stadium. The Roadrunners cruised thanks to 254 passing yards and two touchdowns from UTSA quarterback Owen McCown, son of former NFL quarterback Josh McCown. After CCU lost its top two quarterbacks Ethan Vasko (Liberty) and Noah Kim to the portal and DJ Moore was dismissed from the team following an arrest , it turned to redshirt freshman and North Carolina transfer quarterback Tad Hudson to lead the Chants in the bowl game. The University of Texas at San Antonio dominated Coastal Carolina University in the Myrtle Beach Bowl 44-15 on Dec. 23 at Brooks Stadium. Hudson turned in a decent performance, going 15-for-22 for 165 yards and two touchdown passes. “I thought [he played] well,” CCU coach Tim Beck said. “He protected the ball. He played hard. Like everybody, there’s good things and bad things. I think there’s things he’d probably wish he had back, but for the most part, I was proud of the way he went in there and played ... He’ll certainly be in the mix [to start next year]. There’s no question about it. There’s no reason why he shouldn’t be in the mix.” The University of Texas at San Antonio dominated Coastal Carolina University in the Myrtle Beach Bowl 44-15 on Dec. 23 at Brooks Stadium. The only other quarterback left on CCU’s 2024 roster is Alex Walker, but it also recently added JUCO transfer quarterback Samari Collier. Quarterback Chris Denson committed to CCU back in April but flipped to Clemson after getting an offer from Dabo Swinney. Redshirt senior running back Braydon Bennett, who rushed for 54 yards on 22 carries in the game and led CCU in rushing yards and rushing scores this season, still has a year of eligibility left but he opted to enter the transfer portal after the Myrtle Beach Bowl. Coastal Carolina quarterback Tad Hudson got his first start for the Chants in the Myrtle Beach Bowl. The University of Texas at San Antonio overpowered CCU 44-15 on Dec. 23 in the bowl game at Brooks Stadium. CCU finished the season 6-7 overall and is now 2-3 in bowl games. The Chants gave up 514 yards of total offense to the Roadrunners. However, they were missing some of their best defensive players after they hit the portal, including bandit Clev Lubin (Lousiville), defensive back Matthew McDoom (Cincinnati) and defensive lineman Will Whitson. Overall, CCU has had over 30 players enter the portal since it opened in early December. The University of Texas at San Antonio dominated Coastal Carolina University in the Myrtle Beach Bowl 44-15 on Dec. 23 at Brooks Stadium. “Myself included, a lot of young guys out there got the chance to go out there and play their first college snaps or first college start,” Hudson said. “I mean, we were prepared. The coaches had us prepared all week. It just came down to me executing and getting it done.” Good news for the Chants is after the game, redshirt senior linebacker Shane Bruce, who led the team in tackles this season with 75, said he intends to stay with CCU for his last year of eligibility.
South Korea Consumer Sentiment Index fell from previous 100.7 to 88.4 in December
The world’s 10 most costly climate disasters of 2024 caused $229bn in damages and killed 2,000 people, the latest annual analysis of insurance payouts has revealed. Three-quarters of the financial destruction occurred in the world’s biggest economy, the US, where climate denier Donald Trump will become president next month. For the first time since the ranking was first compiled in 2018, there were two storms in a single year responsible for more than $50bn of losses: the hurricanes Helene and Milton that battered the US in September and October. Released at the end of what is almost certain to be another record-breaking year for global heat, the top 10 also included , which killed at least 829 people and wreaked $12.6bn of economic havoc; Storm Boris in Europe, which killed at least 26 and caused $5bn of losses; and the devastating floods in southern China, Bavaria, Valencia and Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil. The rising financial impact of human-caused climate disruption was apparent in another first: all of the top 10 disasters racked up bills of more than $4bn. In every case, climate scientists calculated how much more likely the catastrophes were made by the burning of fossil fuels, such as gas, oil and coal. Dr Mariam Zachariah, a world weather attribution researcher at Imperial College London, said: “Most of these disasters show clear fingerprints of climate change. Extreme weather is clearly causing incredible suffering in all corners of the world. “This report is just a snapshot of climate devastation in 2024. There are many more droughts, heatwaves, wildfires and floods not included that are becoming more frequent and intense.” The ranking is compiled at the end of each year by Christian Aid, using data from insurance payouts. The charity said the true cost of disasters is likely to be much higher because many people are uninsured, particularly in poor countries. The NGO noted that other major climate disasters in 2024 had a lower immediate financial impact, but would have an incalculable knock-on cost in terms of deaths, destruction of globally important ecosystems and long-term damage to food supplies, social stability or sea levels. This included , , droughts in southern Africa and heatwaves in Bangladesh, Gaza and . Christian Aid’s CEO, Patrick Watt, urged global policymakers to cut emissions and increase compensation payments to poor countries. “The human suffering caused by the climate crisis reflects political choices. There is nothing natural about the growing severity and frequency of droughts, floods and storms,” he said. “Disasters are being supercharged by decisions to keep burning fossil fuels, and to allow emissions to rise. And they’re being made worse by the consistent failure to deliver on financial commitments to the poorest and most climate-vulnerable countries.”China’s trade with other countries and regions participating in the Belt and Road Initiative will keep growing in 2025, fueled by many emerging economies’ surging demand for products to meet their need for green transformation, consumption upgrade and industrialization, said market watchers and businesses leaders on Thursday. They noted that this trend is also driven by Chinese exporters’ efforts to diversify markets and reduce risks linked to protectionism and “decoupling” attempts by certain countries, along with advancements in both regional connectivity and supply chain operations. China’s trade with other economies involved in the BRI grew by 6 percent year-on-year to 18.74 trillion yuan ($2.57 trillion) between January and November, said the General Administration of Customs. Meanwhile, China’s trade with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations rose 8.6 percent on a yearly basis, while its two-way trade value with Latin America and Africa increased 7.9 percent and 4.8 percent year-on-year, respectively. Benefiting from the tangible growth of the BRI, favorable conditions created by the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor and China-Europe freight train services have all provided strong support for China and its partners involved in the BRI to boost their trade ties, said Wan Zhe, a professor at the Belt and Road School of Beijing Normal University. Countries in the Middle East and Southeast Asia, in particular Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia and Vietnam, are also experiencing strong demand for goods and infrastructure projects, providing Chinese exporters with opportunities for growth, said Wan. Lyu Yue, a professor at the Academy of China Open Economy Studies, part of the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, said China has nurtured a number of innovative companies and industrial clusters with strong international competitiveness. They have been transitioning toward green growth in recent years. She said that the increase in new orders from other BRI economies will not only lead to new growth points for Chinese manufacturers, but also propel them to invest in new plants, service centers and innovation facilities in markets involved in the BRI. Huzhou Sany Loader Co Ltd, a Huzhou, Zhejiang province-based equipment manufacturer, has been heading in that direction. The company began to export electric-powered loaders to BRI markets, specifically to Indonesia, Malaysia and Brazil, since last year. The average price of each unit is around 1 million yuan, which is twice the price of traditional diesel loaders. “Our calculations show that the operating cost of electric loaders is about one-third to one-quarter that of diesel loaders, bringing significant savings for users,” said Gao Pengfei, head of the company’s research and development unit. “Our export growth will focus on electrified products in the coming years,” said Gao, stressing that it is practical for Chinese manufacturers to expand their sales channels in more emerging markets to hedge against the risks brought forth by protectionism. Amphenol High Speed Technology (Nantong) Co Ltd, a Nantong, Jiangsu province-based wire and cable manufacturer, shipped a batch of cable worth 1.35 million yuan from its plant to Vietnam by trucks earlier this month. This is the 198th batch of cables exported by the company to countries participating in the BRI this year. The company exported 1.45 billion yuan of wire and cable products during the January-November period, jumping 190 percent year-on-year. More than half of its exports were shipped to BRI markets, said Nanjing Customs. The ongoing reshaping of the global supply chain has created new opportunities for Chinese companies to align their capabilities with evolving market needs, said Hu Weizhong, the company’s general manager. Source: China Daily
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AUSTIN, TEXAS / ACCESSWIRE / December 23, 2024 / Interactive Strength Inc. (Nasdaq:TRNR) ("TRNR" or the "Company"), maker of innovative specialty fitness equipment under the CLMBR and FORME brands, today announced it had issued a shareholder update for 2024, and look ahead for 2025, available on the Company's investor website. TRNR Investor Contact ir@interactivestrength.com TRNR Media Contact forme@jacktaylorpr.com About Interactive Strength Inc.: Interactive Strength Inc. produces innovative specialty fitness equipment and digital fitness services under two main brands: 1) CLMBR and 2) FORME. Interactive Strength Inc. is listed on NASDAQ (symbol: TRNR). CLMBR is a vertical climbing machine that offers an efficient and effective full-body strength and cardio workout. CLMBR's design is compact and easy to move - making it perfect for commercial or in-home use. With its low impact and ergonomic movement, CLMBR is safe for most ages and levels of ability and can be found at gyms and fitness studios, hotels, and physical therapy facilities, as well as available for consumers at home. www.clmbr.com . FORME is a digital fitness platform that combines premium smart gyms with live virtual personal training and coaching to deliver an immersive experience and better outcomes for both consumers and trainers. FORME delivers an immersive and dynamic fitness experience through two connected hardware products: 1) The FORME Studio Lift (fitness mirror and cable-based digital resistance) and 2) The FORME Studio (fitness mirror). In addition to the company's connected fitness hardware products, FORME offers expert personal training and health coaching in different formats and price points through Video On-Demand, Custom Training, and Live 1:1 virtual personal training. www.formelife.com . Forward Looking Statements: This press release includes certain statements that are "forward-looking statements" for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements do not relate strictly to historical or current facts and reflect management's assumptions, views, plans, objectives and projections about the future. Forward-looking statements generally are accompanied by words such as "believe", "project", "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "intend", "strategy", "future", "opportunity", "plan", "may", "should", "will", "would", "will be", "will continue", "will likely result" or similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the possibility of accomplishing various initiatives in 2025 and the potential positive impact on the company's financials. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of future events. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from the expectations and projections of the Company. Risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to: demand for our products; competition, including technological advances made by and new products released by our competitors; our ability to accurately forecast consumer demand for our products and adequately maintain our inventory; and our reliance on a limited number of suppliers and distributors for our products. A further list and descriptions of these risks, uncertainties and other factors can be found in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. To the extent permitted under applicable law, the Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements. Contact Information John McNamara IR john@tradigitalir.com 917-658-2602 SOURCE: Interactive Strength Inc. View the original on accesswire.comLong waiting lists for NHS weight loss services ‘driving unsafe buying of jabs’
Meet the 12 CFP Title Contenders: No. 11 SMUHutson scores 20 as Northern Iowa defeats Southern Illinois 78-67
DMG Blockchain Solutions Secures New Patent To Further Strengthen Its Intellectual Property For Regulatory ComplianceLAS VEGAS, Dec. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VoxelSensors, a Belgian deep-tech startup, is excited to announce at CES 2025 its innovative solution focusing on enabling a future where AI empowers technologies like humanoid robots and smart agents to communicate with people as naturally as individuals interact with one another. VoxelSensors technology is geared at gathering ‘first person view' frontier data off of wearable devices to enable and deploy advanced contextual intelligence models to understand and assist any specific user in the context of their real-world experiences. The resulting foundational models will be capable of adopting personalized, contextual insights. Most notably, integrating non-verbal cues that are missing in current datasets and models and are essential to gaining human-level interaction. VoxelSensors leverages advanced sensing methods to gather accurate data about how individuals interact with their environment, providing smart, real-time agentic assistance tailored to the unique context of each user. Our proprietary mix of the industry's most efficient light sensing SPAES sensors and the PERCEPT inference module forms a real-time sensor-fusion system for wearable devices, enabling unparalleled data collection that is both efficient and cost-effective, collecting only the data relevant for interpreting relevant experiences. By proactively modulating data collection based on user context, VoxelSensors revolutionizes the way AI processes user data, facilitating personalized insights that enable agentic user experiences. Our SPAES sensors excel in world, spatial/3D, and gaze sensing, delivering over 10X improvements in accuracy, latency, and power consumption compared to conventional methods. Supported by leading industry innovators, VoxelSensors is poised to lead the next generation of AI contextual interaction technologies. With a team that holds decades of experience in transforming complex hardware and software into scalable products—as evidenced by our previous success in selling a sensing venture to Sony—we are uniquely positioned to drive the intelligent agent revolution. "We are collecting user point of view data with which we see the world as close as possible to the way the user does. This is achieved through our expertise in developing cutting-edge sensing technologies and data sciences. We believe this will enable the next generation of AI, offering contextual and reasoning abilities that will usher in the age of autonomous agents and superintelligence," said Johannes Peeters, CEO of VoxelSensors. Join us at CES 2025 to experience firsthand how VoxelSensors is shaping the future of human-computer interaction. Discover the potential of contextual intelligence and witness how our technology can redefine user experiences in today's increasingly connected world. For more information about VoxelSensors and our innovative solutions, please visit www.voxelsensors.com . About VoxelSensors: VoxelSensors is a Belgian deep-tech startup committed to developing advanced sensing technologies that enhance human-centered contextual interaction. With a focus on efficiency and scalability, we aim to empower AI with the necessary contextual data for smarter and more personal insights. For Press Information contact: Karina Kovalenko – Marketing and Communications Manager Email: press@voxelsensors.com Website: https://voxelsensors.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/voxelsensors A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/69b41118-817d-4535-ac2c-d025d1b49eb5 © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
President-elect Trump wants to again rename North America’s tallest peak
Since November 2023, Houthi forces in Yemen have conducted over against commercial ships and warships, creating an unprecedented challenge for the maritime industry. This escalation has not only disrupted vital trade routes but also sent ripples through the global economy, affecting everything from shipping costs to consumer prices. Transit through the Suez Canal, a critical chokepoint connecting the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, has plummeted by over compared to the previous year. This has caused the canal’s revenue to decrease by , painting a stark picture of the crisis’s impact on global commerce. The economic ramifications are equally severe. As ships are forced to reroute around the Cape of Good Hope, journey distances are increased, transit times are lengthened, and fuel consumption is boosted. Specifically, this detour adds approximately to shipping journeys, resulting in longer transit times and additional lead times of up to for shipments between Asia and Europe. While military intervention has been the go-to response for such crises, it’s time we considered a more sustainable, market-driven approach to maritime security. The private sector, with its capacity for innovation and efficiency, could offer solutions that are both more effective and economically viable in the long term. These entities have already proven their worth in combating piracy, having been employed by shipping companies. By creating a competitive market for maritime security services, we could drive innovation in threat detection and deterrence while potentially reducing costs through market efficiencies. Insurance companies could play a pivotal role in this market-driven approach. By offering reduced premiums to vessels that implement enhanced security measures, they could create a financial incentive for ships to invest in their own protection. This approach aligns security interests with economic ones, hopefully leading to a more widespread adoption of security measures. The maritime security market, valued at in 2023, is projected to grow to by 2032. This growth potential could attract significant investment in developing advanced technologies for threat detection and response. The collaboration between BlackSky Technology and Spire Global to create a real-time marine tracking service capable of monitoring over worldwide is a perfect example of the potential for the private sector to find innovative solutions in maritime security. Some critics have argued that a private sector solution to the Red Sea Crisis might lead to a fragmented approach to maritime security. However, this concern can be addressed through proper regulation and international cooperation. This approach is not about completely privatizing maritime security, but rather about using the strengths of both public and private sectors. Government oversight and international cooperation remain crucial, but it needs to be complemented by policies that encourage and facilitate private sector involvement in maritime security. The fallout surrounding the Red Sea crisis has shown that a secure maritime domain is essential for global prosperity, and by harnessing the power of the market, we can work towards achieving this goal. It’s time for policymakers and industry leaders to come together and chart a new course for maritime security which embraces the private sector while maintaining the necessary oversight and coordination of governmental bodies. By SchiffGold.com, via Zerohedge.comAs part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme, Dynamik Technologies Sdn Bhd hosted a donation handover ceremony to provide essential school supplies to underprivileged students in the Brunei-Muara District. The Dynamik Prihatin initiative is aimed to assist students in preparing for the upcoming academic year while alleviating financial burdens on their families. The donations were handed over by Dynamik Technologies Head of Finance Rachel Chew, and Head of Corporate Services Hajah Siti Rozana binti Dato Paduka Haji Mohd Yunos. The effort was made possible through the combined contributions of Dynamik Technologies and its employees.
Donald Trump 's showering praise on the late Jimmy Carter ... saying he did his best to improve the lives of his fellow Americans -- and, the country owes him a debt. The president-elect posted to his social media platform, Truth Social, Sunday ... only about an hour after the Carter Center announced the former president had passed away at 100. In his message, Trump writes that anyone who has been president knows it's a very exclusive club ... and, only members in its ranks can understand the responsibility of leading the country. DJT says JC faced numerous issues when he was president ... and, he did everything he could to "improve the lives of all Americans. For that, we all owe him a debt of gratitude." Trump says he and his wife Melania are thinking of the Carter family at this difficult time ... and, he urges his followers to keep them in their prayers. It's a stark change to Trump and Carter's relationship while the latter was still alive ... just two months ago, on Carter's 100th birthday , Trump called Joe Biden the worst president ever -- before saying Jimmy was "the happiest man because Carter is considered a brilliant president by comparison.” Carter passed away surrounded by family Sunday night after spenging nearly two years in hospice care. His wife, Rosalynn Carter, passed away last year at the age of 96. Tributes from all over the political world are pouring in for Carter ... including from President Joe Biden who called him an "extradordinary leader" and former president Barack Obama who wrote Jimmy taught the world "what it means to live a life of grace, dignity, justice, and service." It seems Jimmy's bringing people from all sides of the political spectrum together.
Meet the 12 CFP Title Contenders: No. 11 SMUBig budget games have nearly killed the gaming industry. It finally seems that people are waking up to the reality of unsustainably massive video game budgets, but it’s sadly a decade too late. In a new article in The New York Times , Rami Ismail explains how and why the focus on high-end graphics created an unsustainable budgetary arms race that has ravaged the games industry. He’s entirely correct, but this is something I’ve been consistently writing about since 2015 . The widespread and ongoing layoffs in gaming are also due to this runaway budget problem , but what is happening now was already set in motion a decade ago. Modern games have a 7-8 year production cycle, with many taking even longer than that. Thus, the decisions and investments made to make the games we see today were made nearly a decade ago. This is an issue because as gaming hardware improves in graphical potency, the requirements to fulfill that increase logarithmically. Forbes also has an excellent breakdown of this problem, courtesy of ex-Valve developer Stephen Theodore . So, the layoffs we are now seeing are a means for publishers to pay back the money layer, who are understandably livid that they didn’t earn back on their prior investments. The Sensual Horror Of ‘Nosferatu,’ Explained The Good, Bad And Ugly From The Packers’ Loss To The Vikings Israel Adesanya On UFC Saudi Arabia Fight Night: ‘I Still Get Paid’ Admittedly, laying off development staff to pay investors that fund publishing is a bit like cutting off your legs while trying to escape from a rampaging lion, but most of the people in publishing management are rather dim-witted. What’s maddening about all of this is that this situation was entirely avoidable . There was never any need to spend crazy sums of money on game development; it was a choice people in publishing made to try to scale what is, in actuality, a hit-based business. This is also mainly why the Silicon Valley money layer are still somewhat baffled and bewildered by gaming. They are used to funding tech startups that scale to infinity and hopefully beyond. Gaming simply uses tech to facilitate a creative and cultural output, which is very much hit or miss in a business sense. That aside, the future of gaming is now in a precarious place . The mass layoffs have resulted in the loss of a great deal of institutional expertise and knowledge. While this loss won’t be immediately noticeable, it will definitely cause issues in the next few years. Admittedly, if the money layer wises up and starts funding developers directly and having them self-publish, that could bring back many of the skilled people who have recently been lost. Not to mention cutting out the deadweight middlemen in publishing. However, I am not overly optimistic about that, as the money layer funded this big budget nonsense in the first place. Ideally, we need the mid-tier games back that fuelled the success of the PlayStation 2. This is something the Switch has begun to facilitate , but this really needs to be an industry-wide change. For now, I suppose I should take solace in the fact that the warnings I’ve been giving over the last decade are finally beginning to sink in. It’s just a huge shame it took this long for people to catch up. Follow me on X , Facebook and YouTube . I also manage Mecha Damashii and am currently featured in the Giant Robots exhibition currently touring Japan.
