Summary
Don’t Nod, the studio behind the original iteration ofLife is Strange, is currently in turmoil as staff prepare to strike on November 22. This industrial action follows an announcement in October that Don’t Nod is planning on laying off up to 69 employees.
Two weeks ago, approximately 150 Don’t Nod Paris employees sent anopen letterto the studio’s management, citing “irresponsible decision-making” rather than economic conditions as the primary reason for the layoffs. The letter highlights several problems at the studio, namely short-term decision-making, an ill-advised obsession with growth, inefficient management, simultaneous overstaffing and understaffing and a lack of communication between management and staff.
A notable series of events regarding Don’t Nod’s dismantling of theJusantproduction line was described in the letter. Following the release of Jusant, management sent the game’s lead developers to other projects, causing a duplication of efforts within their new teams. The letter suggests a more intelligent solution would have been to let the team begin work on a sequel to Jusant, as the project would have been much cheaper than the original because the technology had already been assembled.
Chaos at Don’t Nod
The aggrieved workers are not satisfied with management’s response to the letter, striking as a result: “After three weeks of social conflict, Don’t Nod’s management refuses any sort of dialogue with us, its employees. Instead they tell us to “open our chakras” and to be “future-oriented.” But what future is there if we lose 69 of our colleagues in an industry in crisis?” theirstatement reads.
The statement notes that Don’t Nod CEO Oskar Guilbert has refused to speak about the layoffs, allegedly having said “Times are tough for everyone here, and me in particular.” The objective of the strike is to achieve the following goals: for management to address every point put forth in the open letter, to cease the “unjust and irresponsible layoffs plan,” for employees to have a say in “all studio decisions,” and for Guilbert to “face his responsibilities as CEO” and sit at the negotiating table.
The striking employees at Don’t Nod have set up astrike fundso people can monetarily support their industrial action. Don’t Nod Montreal, the sister studio of the striking Parisian team, is currently working onLost Records: Bloom & Ragewhich is set to release on February 28.
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage
WHERE TO PLAY
Rewind back to the 90s and live the defining summer of four high school girls as they forge bonds through their growing friendship, their punk band, and an unexplained event that will forever change their lives.A 27-YEAR PROMISENavigate between dual timelines and shape both narratives – in 1995 and 2022 – with each offering a piece of the larger puzzle: the life-changing secrets they uncovered back then and why they’re reuniting now, after all these years. Together, in this place, they’re forced to try and remember clearly the fateful memories that have eluded them for the past 27 years.CAPTURE & CONNECTConnect with your newfound sisterhood through lifelike interactions and conversations that feel real: engage in immersive dialogue that changes based on where you look and what you say; where you’re able to do things like interrupt and ignore. Grab your camcorder and explore, filming Velvet Cove and capturing the essence of its people, places, and lush nature. Film just for the fun of it or attempt to find the dark secrets tucked away.GIRLS TO THE FRONTPlay as Swann and get to know your new friends, each with their own lives and battles. Come out of your shell and embrace rebellion over the summer as you form friendships with Nora, Autumn, and Kat. Through your actions and words, you’ll shape your relationships with each of them on your journey to self-discovery. Will your bond wither over the years or will it feel like you were barely separated at all?A NOSTALGIC DREAMSCAPEIn a picturesque corner of Michigan in 1995 lies the seemingly sleepy little town of Velvet Cove. Between dense woodlands and serene lakes, it’s a place where beauty meets the bizarre. Cloaked in a carefully crafted dreampop soundtrack that blends nostalgia and ethereal vibes, you’ll definitely find it all nice and relaxing…
