Almost a third of developers think generative AI is a negative for the games industry, says new survey

rockpapershotgun.com:

Each year, the Game Developers Conference (GDC) release the results of their State Of The Game Industry Survey, which collects responses from over 3000 developers. The 13th annual survey - which you can find in full here - queries respondents on topics including layoffs, generative AI, the live service boom, and funding. As is the nature of our times, it's a big grim salad with a few bright crouton sprinklings. From the report's introduction, which does not mention croutons even once:

It feels like the last 12 months have seen their share of fortune and heartbreak. Industry layoffs have continued, to the point where one in 10 developers say they’ve lost their jobs in the past year. More studios adopt Generative AI, even though it’s increasingly unpopular among developers. Working hours are going up, investment opportunities are shrinking, and recent severe weather events… are drawing attention to the growing impact of climate disasters.

But the game industry is resilient, as are its developers. PC development has skyrocketed, more studios are prioritizing game accessibility, unionization support holds steady, and Hollywood continues to see the value in adapting games for the big (and small) screen.

It's rare to see a week pass where we don't hear about job losses in some form, but even so, that one in ten figure hits especially hard. Narrative roles were hit worst at 19%, compared to 6% working in business and finance. The most common reasons given were restructuring, declining revenue, and market shifts/industry trends. In last year's survey, 53% of respondents had not been impacted by layoffs, either personally or at the company they worked for.

19% of developers told GDC that they were given "no reason" for layoffs at their company. "If you lost your job, have you been able to find a new one?" asked the survey for an 'in your words" section, which collects direct quotes from respondents. "The games industry is killing me," was one developer's reply. Otherwise,