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The CWA claims Sony has dissolved some studios to avoid competing in select markets and secure a 'monopoly position.

The Communication Workers of America (CWA) has lambasted Sony over its decision to shutter Firewalk Studios and Neon Koi.

The labor union said the latest round of layoffs at Sony makes it clear that video game workers must pursue the "security of collective bargaining."

"Collective bargaining not only allows workers a seat at the table to bargain for fair compensation, but also a voice on the job to have a say over how workers will be impacted by job cuts," reads a statement.

CWA described the two PlayStation Studios closures as "devastating" and claimed "highly-insulated video game CEOs are creating perilous working conditions for video game workers by eliminating their job stability."

The organization suggested that Sony's decision to shutter mobile studio Neon Koi shows the PlayStation maker is largely interested in furthering its "monopoly position in the video game industry," and said it would be sharing its concerns with regulators and policymakers.

CWA calls Sony's practices "anti-competitive"​

"Sony's decision to dissolve studios outside their walled-garden of PlayStation-exclusive content, rather than making games that have to compete in the highly diverse and competitive mobile game market, should be a cautionary warning sign of Sony's interests in furthering their monopoly position in the video game industry," it continued.

"CWA plans to raise the anti-competitive impacts of Sony's increasing monopoly and monopsony power with the appropriate antitrust regulators, policymakers, and stakeholders."

This isn't the first time the CWA has taken a major platform holder to task. Back in May, the union asked Microsoft for more "respect and compassion" following a huge round of layoffs and studio closures. When the Xbox maker then proceeded to cut even more jobs, the CWA again expressed its disappointment. The CWA was a vocal advocate of Microsoft's colossal merger with Activision Blizzard. Despite initially protesting the move, the union eventually threw its weight behind the deal after signing a labor neutrality agreement with Microsoft and Activision Blizzard to enable workers to freely unionize.

The deal was hailed as a major win for the CWA, but the Activision Blizzard merger has now resulted in thousands of layoffs as Microsoft works to implement a "sustainable cost structure" after spending $68.7 billion to purchase the Call of Duty maker.

CWA claims Sony looking to further 'monopoly position' with latest studio closures

The labor union has implored game industry workers to seek the 'security of collective bargaining.'

www.gamedeveloper.com

A year ago, the CWA claimed that the acquisition of Activision Blizzard marked a milestone in efforts to improve working conditions in the video game industry.

October 13, 2023.Today’s announcement that Microsoft has completed its acquisition of Activision Blizzard represents a milestone in the effort to improve working conditions in the video game industry.

 

[Davevil]

monopoly

 

[mayham2199]

Haha who give a shit what they say. They still pander to MS even after MS made them look like idiots.

 

[RetroGamingUK]

Avoid competing = secure monopoly

Riiiiiigggghhhttt

 

[StueyDuck]

 

[adamsapple]

Go get 'em, tiger.

 

[{insert code here}]

Clown shit from the CWA. What kind of big brains logic gets you from a failed studio closure to a "molopsony" .

 

[Bernardougf]

Theres no job security if you are shit at your job .... good workers will find new ones Im sure.

 

[Mr Moose]

Are they retarded?

 

[BbMajor7th]

Generally pro-union, but this is an odd take.

 

[HAYA8U5A]

 

[Azelover]

Makes no sense...

 

[Magic Carpet]

Which way is the wind blowing today CWA?
My Tax money at work ladies and Gents.

 

[Skifi28]

I'm probably stupid, but I can't quite grasp how closing your own studios makes you a monopoly.

 

[TheInfamousKira]

Thought topic said CWC claims....etc.

I leave with the taste of disappointment on my tongue

 

[Angry_Megalodon]

I'm probably stupid, but I can't quite grasp how closing your own studios makes you a monopoly.

Because patriarchal neocapitalism.

 

[Unknown?]

They spent 400 million on a company and game that failed, they gave them more than they deserved. Collective bargaining won't solve that.

 

[SplunkyMunkey]

I think someone should take CWA to court for such nonsense. If they think sony is monopolising what does that make Microsoft? Bigger monopoly?

 

[laynelane]

"CWA plans to raise the anti-competitive impacts of Sony's increasing monopoly and monopsony power with the appropriate antitrust regulators, policymakers, and stakeholders."

Using words incorrectly is a great way to devalue your own argument. It's a level of amateurish immaturity that I wouldn't expect to see in this situation.

 

[IFireflyl]

Git em, Ass of Can Whooping .

 

[Radical_3d]

Hulst and Nishino planning the monopoly.

 

[DeepEnigma]

How does that make sense?

 

[yet_another_alt]

That is the stupidest thing I've read in a while.

 

[mansoor1980]

 

[IntentionalPun]

The idea is that shuttering jobs makes those remaining less likely to unionize. That’s their explanation at least.

The use of “monopoly” is dumb here either way.

Their support of MS is ironic though all things considered, but I guess all they care about is Activision QA unionizing.

And all they care about is the US obviously.

 

[EverydayBeast]

You’re seeing Sony and Microsoft make all these moves and their solutions seem to be spend money and it’s madness.

 

[Punished Miku]

I don't really see how a studio closure relates to monopoly in this instance as far as labor. And trust me, if I had a chance to shit on Sony I'd take it in a heartbeat.

I guess they can try and argue that Concord was a threat on the free market, so they bought it and killed the baby in the crib so it couldn't threaten their dominance.

Good luck with that argument lol.

They'd have a much better case arguing about the dynamics of the industry leader buying timed exclusives for much cheaper than the competition, nearly guaranteeing a perpetual dominant position with no risk or effort.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

A monopoly by closing studios??? You'd think it was the reverse.

LOL. Zero case on this one.

 

[OverHeat]

Sony

 

[graywolf323]

Generally pro-union, but this is an odd take.

reminds me when the port workers union boss was complaining about EZPass

 

[StreetsofBeige]

Well, got to take it for what it is. Union stuff. So they will always try to max out member wages and job security at all costs.

Heck, if it means the union members make an extra 25 cents per hour, where the entire company shuts down in 6 months taking the surrounding neighbourhood with it, they'll keep gunning for the quarter.

 

[ReBurn]

My favorite part is how they quote a guy who hasn't worked at Sony for nearly two decades.

 

[Dick Jones]

Stupid argument by a group who previously fucked over their members for bribe money. They could have made a better argument but here we are.

 

[GHG]

Time for Sony to leave all this clown shit behind and move everything back to Japan and Europe.

 

[Topher]

"The CWA was a vocal advocate of Microsoft's colossal merger with Activision Blizzard. "

Yeah....they were bought. CWA brought up Sony when Microsoft laid off workers as well.

"Microsoft’s decision to lay off 650 video game workers is an extremely disappointing move from one of the world’s largest and most profitable corporations. This news comes just after Sony Interactive Entertainment subsidiary Bungie announced 220 layoffs in late July. While none of those who are losing their jobs are represented by CWA, we understand how devastating layoffs are to the workers and their families."

Statement from CWA Following Layoffs at Microsoft Gaming

Microsoft’s decision to lay off 650 video game workers is an extremely disappointing move from one of the world’s largest and most profitable corporations.

cwa-union.org

 

[Guardian Monkey]

Firewalk was given over $200 million for development and made an unsellable game. I guess CWA has to look like they are doing something for optics but this looks like smoke and mirrors for their members.

 

[DeepEnigma]

"The CWA was a vocal advocate of Microsoft's colossal merger with Activision Blizzard. "

Yeah....they were bought. CWA brought up Sony when Microsoft laid off workers as well.

"Microsoft’s decision to lay off 650 video game workers is an extremely disappointing move from one of the world’s largest and most profitable corporations. This news comes just after Sony Interactive Entertainment subsidiary Bungie announced 220 layoffs in late July. While none of those who are losing their jobs are represented by CWA, we understand how devastating layoffs are to the workers and their families."

Statement from CWA Following Layoffs at Microsoft Gaming

Microsoft’s decision to lay off 650 video game workers is an extremely disappointing move from one of the world’s largest and most profitable corporations.

cwa-union.org

Painfully transparent, this corruption is.

 

[Barakov]

"The CWA was a vocal advocate of Microsoft's colossal merger with Activision Blizzard. "

Yeah....they were bought. CWA brought up Sony when Microsoft laid off workers as well.

"Microsoft’s decision to lay off 650 video game workers is an extremely disappointing move from one of the world’s largest and most profitable corporations. This news comes just after Sony Interactive Entertainment subsidiary Bungie announced 220 layoffs in late July. While none of those who are losing their jobs are represented by CWA, we understand how devastating layoffs are to the workers and their families."

Statement from CWA Following Layoffs at Microsoft Gaming

Microsoft’s decision to lay off 650 video game workers is an extremely disappointing move from one of the world’s largest and most profitable corporations.

cwa-union.org

Damn, that's dirty.

 

[GHound]

"The CWA was a vocal advocate of Microsoft's colossal merger with Activision Blizzard. "

Yeah....they were bought. CWA brought up Sony when Microsoft laid off workers as well.

"Microsoft’s decision to lay off 650 video game workers is an extremely disappointing move from one of the world’s largest and most profitable corporations. This news comes just after Sony Interactive Entertainment subsidiary Bungie announced 220 layoffs in late July. While none of those who are losing their jobs are represented by CWA, we understand how devastating layoffs are to the workers and their families."

Statement from CWA Following Layoffs at Microsoft Gaming

Microsoft’s decision to lay off 650 video game workers is an extremely disappointing move from one of the world’s largest and most profitable corporations.

cwa-union.org

Bought and fucking paid for. Shame them.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

Firewalk was given over $200 million for development and made an unsellable game. I guess CWA has to look like they are doing something for optics but this looks like smoke and mirrors for their members.

Considering how bad the product was with shit loads of people making good wages, heck any company in a situation like this tanking the company down the tubes should have the workers pay back the company.

 

[GHG]

"The CWA was a vocal advocate of Microsoft's colossal merger with Activision Blizzard. "

Yeah....they were bought. CWA brought up Sony when Microsoft laid off workers as well.

"Microsoft’s decision to lay off 650 video game workers is an extremely disappointing move from one of the world’s largest and most profitable corporations. This news comes just after Sony Interactive Entertainment subsidiary Bungie announced 220 layoffs in late July. While none of those who are losing their jobs are represented by CWA, we understand how devastating layoffs are to the workers and their families."

Statement from CWA Following Layoffs at Microsoft Gaming

Microsoft’s decision to lay off 650 video game workers is an extremely disappointing move from one of the world’s largest and most profitable corporations.

cwa-union.org

"SonyToo™"

Quite laughable.

 

[DeepEnigma]

"SonyToo™"

Quite laughable.

It's like MS ambassador marketing wrote that up for them.

 

[GHG]

It's like MS ambassador marketing wrote that up for them.

I'm sure Microsoft are loving this at the moment though (surprised there's no thread here about it though, wonder why...):

On the day of Activision’s release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Activision quality assurance workers with CWA Locals 6215, 7250, and 9400 held rallies in Texas, Minnesota, and California outside their respective buildings to demand that Microsoft allow its workforce to work remotely under certain circumstances.

After four years of working from home, Activision’s parent company Microsoft implemented return-to-office mandates for all workers without input from quality assurance employees. When workers requested reasonable accommodations to work from home, Microsoft refused to provide exemptions for workers who disclosed serious medical conditions or recommendations from doctors to work remotely.

“Remote work is more than just a perk. It’s an essential tool for equal access to work,” said Activision Quality Assurance United-CWA Local 6215 member Allen Junge. “When they force our disabled coworkers to continue struggling at the office, they’re emphatically saying that we must rely on other people to take care of an issue that is deeply personal.”

In March 2023, over 600 Activision quality assurance workers joined CWA, making them the largest group of union-represented workers at any U.S. video game studio and the first group to organize under CWA and Microsoft’s labor neutrality agreement.

CWA Members at Activision QA Rally for Remote Work Options

After four years of working from home, Activision’s parent company Microsoft implemented return-to-office mandates for all workers without input from quality assurance employees.

cwa-union.org

Reap what you sow.

 

[LordCBH]

How does closing a shit studio that made the biggest bomba in gaming history “furthering a monopoly position?”

 

[ANIMAL1975]

CWA claims Sony looking to further 'monopoly position' with latest studio closures

The labor union has implored game industry workers to seek the 'security of collective bargaining.'

www.gamedeveloper.com

A year ago, the CWA claimed that the acquisition of Activision Blizzard marked a milestone in efforts to improve working conditions in the video game industry.

So,
buying publishers and dozens of studios _ milestone in the videogame industry
closing a recently bought studio (after a major fuck) up and eating the losses _ MONOPOLY!!!

Is this change of Monopoly meaning only in América or a worldwide thang?

 

[DeepEnigma]

So,
buying publishers and dozens of studios _ milestone in the videogame industry
closing a recently bought studio (after a major fuck) up and eating the losses _ MONOPOLY!!!

Is this change of Monopoly meaning only in América or a worldwide thang?

"It's only whom doesn't line our pockets and gives into our collective agreements." - CWA

You think the industry budgets and games taking long to make are bad now. Wait until they're mass unionized. Layoffs and closures will be a norm.

 

[jm89]

There's a part of me wants to say CWA is compromised by bigger corporations like MS.

This is the only way I can make sense of this.

 

[Loomy]

I'm all for labour organizing, and collectively bargaining for better pay, work conditions, etc.

But shit like this is what makes it harder to have these conversations.

 

[Crayon]

I'm on team Don't Make Sense.

 

[Zacfoldor]

How does Sony losing their investment in the studio help them make a monopoly?

How does not competing with mobile games further a monopoly?

I'm sorry guys but this press release says words that appear to make sense but in context they do not. In fact, can anyone explain this to me?