In an interview, Denis Dyack bemoaned the "staggering" layoffs seen in game development over the past 18 months, then went on to talk about how such attrition has helped cement Silicon Knights as one of the longest tenured studios left.
Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, Dyack touted Ontario as a potential global leader in the games sector once the economy recovers, and rather pointedly mentioned the rarity of his own studio's lifespan and that it makes him a well-positioned survivor amidst the bloodbath. Said Dyack:
It's been really a rough year and a half for the industry as a whole. The number of layoffs in the industry has been staggering. As an external developer it's been tough. I actually don't know anyone who's older than us any more. There used to be four or five people I knew of but I feel right now that we're one of the last of the V8s. I've talked to a lot of people and I know a lot of people who have gone out of business.
Further:
What that means for us is we're really excited because we're going to be able to come out, and the industry is going to rebound and grow, and we'll be one of probably five companies in the world that has any serious business beyond ten years.
"Serious business beyond 10 years"? Is he talking about the development of Too Human?
Dyack: Developer Layoffs and Closures have been "Staggering" [GamesIndustry.biz]