In an unfortunate turn of events, Chris Stair, one of the creative minds behind the action platformer, Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus, found himself in a precarious situation. While celebrating the game's debut at BitSummit in Kyoto, he received news that the publisher overseeing the launch had undergone a complete staff restructuring, resulting in the termination of all 36 employees. This sudden and unforeseen development left Stair and his team grappling with critical post-launch responsibilities without the expected support, shedding light on the challenges faced by independent game developers in an unpredictable industry landscape.
Stair recounted the unsettling experience of watching colleagues depart from their shared communication channel, one by one. The publisher, Humble Games, though technically still operational, entered a dormant state. Its official website continued to feature Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus as a recent release, despite the game's launch occurring in July 2024. Humble Bundle, a separate entity under the same parent company, Ziff Davis, remained active.
Despite the initial turmoil, Bō managed to achieve a "Very Positive" rating on Steam, accumulating over a thousand user reviews, and recently received a significant free content update. However, Stair vividly recalled the profound stress that consumed him upon realizing that all the individuals responsible for managing the game's launch were no longer employed. Having transitioned from an English teacher to an indie game developer, Stair was new to the intricacies of game publishing. After four years of dedicated work to ensure Bō's successful debut, he was suddenly confronted with a multitude of unanswered questions. Humble Games had been the primary point of contact for platform holders like Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo, and had cultivated relationships with press and content creators. Stair's access was limited to the Steam backend, leaving him without the means to address even minor issues like localization corrections without extensive effort.
The uncertainty extended to fundamental concerns about financial compensation and the game's ownership. Stair admitted to still harboring questions regarding the record-keeping practices that followed Humble's mass layoffs. He often pondered how Bō's trajectory might have differed if the publishing team he had worked with for so long had been able to see the project through to its full potential.
Ultimately, a consulting firm called The Powell Group stepped in to manage Humble's remaining publishing duties. However, Stair expressed dissatisfaction with having to collaborate with new personnel unfamiliar with him or his game. A more positive experience came from working with the Good Games Group, founded by former Humble Games executives, on the November update. This update, known as the Tanuki Kabuki update, introduced a boss rush mode and has been well-received on Steam, where Bō was recently available at a discounted price during the Winter Sale.
Despite occasional moments of frustration and a period of burnout that impacted the update's development, Stair remains committed to game development. He and his co-developer, Trevor Youngquist, who together form Squid Shock Studios, are now planning their next venture. The challenging launch of Bō provides a unique insight into the broader issue of job cuts within the gaming industry. While the primary burden falls on those who lose their employment, there are ripple effects: uncompleted tasks, a loss of industry talent and knowledge, broken professional ties, potentially less successful game launches, and avoidable stress for developers. Stair emphasized that only those who have experienced game development firsthand can truly appreciate the extensive contributions of a publisher. He concluded by acknowledging Humble's excellent work up until the point when the unexpected layoffs occurred.
