The closures of Harmony developer Firewalk Studios and cell dev Neon Koi have attracted intense criticism from a labor union in North America. In a moderately weird assertion, the Communication Staff of America (CWA) implied that Sony is strengthening its monopoly by buying and shutting down studios. Yeah, we don’t perceive that one both.
CWA’s assertion on closure of Harmony dev Firewalk and cell dev Neon Koi
I’m having a tough time placing CWA’s assertion in my very own phrases, thanks largely to the truth that it merely is not sensible. The quote, as shared by Sport Developer, is as follows:
Sony’s resolution to dissolve studios outdoors their walled-garden of PlayStation-exclusive content material, moderately than making video games that need to compete within the extremely various and aggressive cell recreation market, needs to be a cautionary warning signal of Sony’s pursuits in furthering their monopoly place within the online game trade.
If I’m studying this proper, the closure of Neon Koi (which didn’t launch any recreation beneath Sony) is being taken as a transfer to do away with studios that don’t make PlayStation unique content material, and CWA thinks that Sony didn’t even have any plans to compete within the cell recreation market?
The union added that it “plans to boost the anti-competitive impacts of Sony’s rising monopoly and monopsony energy with the suitable antitrust regulators, policymakers, and stakeholders.”
Whereas our ideas exit to these affected by the closures, I’m unsure how Sony chopping its losses has been translated to “furthering their monopoly” on this case. However the CWA isn’t any stranger to creating weird claims, just like the time it advocated for the acquisition of Activision Blizzard, arguing that it will safe jobs.
