Support NeoGAF

[Draugoth]

​

All of Keywords Studios’ unionized QA workers were laid off from the studio in late September after Dragon Age: Dreadwolf developer BioWare declined to continue its contract in August.

The QA workers, who were contracted to assist with playtesting and quality assurance at BioWare Edmonton, won their union vote in June 2022. All 16 eligible voters said “yes” to joining United Food and Commercial Workers Canada Union, Local No. 401. It was a historic vote, making the group the first games industry union in Canada. Keywords Studios workers were in bargaining with the company when they were laid off following the news of 50 job cuts at BioWare itself.

A UFCW representative told Polygon that 13 people were laid off — everyone supporting BioWare. Liz Corless, Keywords Studios’ global head of marketing, confirmed that 13 Edmonton-based QA workers were laid off.

“We can confirm that regrettably the 13 Edmonton-based staff have now left the business following the end of a fixed term client contract,”

Corless wrote in an email.

The group of workers were laid off on Sept. 27. Russwurm added that Keywords Studios has “taken the position there is no more work available.” (Keywords Studios has several QA job postings listed on its website, in Canada and across the world. Many, but not all of these listings, are related to language localization and require specialties that the laid-off workers may not have.)

 

[adamsapple]

left the business following the end of a fixed term client contract,”

If they 'left' after their contract ended, that's not really being laid off ... their contracts were just not renewed.

 

[FoxMcChief]

If they 'left' after their contract ended, that's not really being laid off ... their contracts were just not renewed.

That kind of take only works when console wars are at stake!

 

[VN1X]

If they 'left' after their contract ended, that's not really being laid off ... their contracts were just not renewed.

/thread

 

[Topher]

Wait.....what? Contract employees joining a union? lol....what's the point?

 

[ProtoByte]

Wait.....what? Contract employees joining a union? lol....what's the point?

All of the benefits of being a contractor, none of the risk. These days, everyone wants to have their cake and eat it.

 

[Topher]

All of the benefits of being a contractor, none of the risk. These days, everyone wants to have their cake and eat it.

I guess so. I was a contractor for many many years in non-gaming gigs and I was always sweating during contract renewal time. Joining a union would have done jack shit about that. lol

 

[whyman]

So a company (not BioWare) let 13 people go after their contract (signed before joining any union) was up.

Why is this a story?

 

[Shifty1897]

Wait.....what? Contract employees joining a union? lol....what's the point?

It's a fun new way to throw away $1000 a year.

 

[sigmaZ]

Absolutely dreadful.

 

[ProtoByte]

I guess so. I was a contractor for many many years in non-gaming gigs and I was always sweating during contract renewal time. Joining a union would have done jack shit about that. lol

Well, I didn't say that it was going to work out for them, it's just what they think will happen and believe in ideologically.

I would bet that there was something about crunch protections in there though.

 

[diffusionx]

cant unionize the workforce if there is no workforce

 

[Topher]

Well, I didn't say that it was going to work out for them, it's just what they think will happen and believe in ideologically.

I would bet that there was something about crunch protections in there though.

Yeah, I'm with you. Sucks they lost their job, but I guess they thought they had more leverage than they really did.

It's a fun new way to throw away $1000 a year.

 

[StereoVsn]

I am generally pro Union and pro labor. However, this was kind of iffy as when you have short term contracts (relatively speaking) it’s weird to try to organize without any leverage.

Gaming QA while very important to overall state of game at release, but they are fairly easy to replace and since it’s contract they don’t have the sort of institutional knowledge companies will be loath to lose.

 

[Scotty W]

If they 'left' after their contract ended, that's not really being laid off ... their contracts were just not renewed.

Daily reminder that you do mot hate journalists enough.

 

[Feel Like I'm On 42]

I wonder just how much QA is being cut in the last 5 years in general ...seems to me a lot because there are often issues with games that if you think about it would've HAD to have been noticed if there was testing being done.

Things like RE4 remake deadzones being terrible at release or HDR being broken.

 

[BacklashWave534]

Game devs being centralized in California and now unions. No wonder game development costs so much now.

 

[Bkdk]

Gaming industry is already laying off people left and right yet they unionize, of course it's not gonna work.

 

[cartman414]

Game devs being centralized in California and now unions. No wonder game development costs so much now.

Attributing the wrong cause.

 

[Cyberpunkd]

If they 'left' after their contract ended, that's not really being laid off ... their contracts were just not renewed.

Which is a nice and white glove way to fire someone without firing them. Game is done? No. QA not needed anymore? No.

 

[funkygunther]

Which is a nice and white glove way to fire someone without firing them. Game is done? No. QA not needed anymore? No.

The whole point of getting contractors is so you can get rid of them easier.

 

[Godot25]

It's kinda pathetic that Polygon is using "they were laid off" to paint a narrative that "Game company is exacting revenge on unions"
When in reality, their contract was up and EA opted not to renew it. Which is...completely normal.

If you told me that article was written by Jason Schreier I would have believed you.

 

[Cyberpunkd]

The whole point of getting contractors is so you can get rid of them easier.

It's kinda pathetic that Polygon is using "they were laid off" to paint a narrative that "Game company is exacting revenge on unions"
When in reality, their contract was up and EA opted not to renew it. Which is...completely normal.

If you told me that article was written by Jason Schreier I would have believed you.

C’mon guys, don’t be so dense. Highly unlikely a game in development doesn’t suddenly need QA work. It also just happens all the ones that didn’t have contract renewed happened to unionize a few months back.
Do not renew a contract with a unionized worker, hire someone that is not in the union. Fair game, but the main reason was their union membership.

Corporations are not your friends, even more when they make shit games like BioWare does lately.

 

[Godot25]

C’mon guys, don’t be so dense. Highly unlikely a game in development doesn’t suddenly need QA work. It also just happens all the ones that didn’t have contract renewed happened to unionize a few months back.
Do not renew a contract with a unionized worker, hire someone that is not in the union. Fair game, but the main reason was their union membership.

Corporations are not your friends, even more when they make shit games like BioWare does lately.

Lol. I'm sure as shit not a fan of this "new BioWare" despite the fact that Mass Effect trilogy is my favourite gaming trilogy ever.

Considering fact that gaming companies are cutting staff left and right there is literally no proof that it is because Keyword staff unionised. It's just convenient excuse.
You know. Maybe Polygon should ask EA or BioWare...

 

[Cyberpunkd]

You know. Maybe Polygon should ask EA or BioWare...

Excellent idea, it’s not like admitting their contracts were not renewed due to their union membership opens you up to all sort of potential lawsuits and investigations.

Read the article - their employer contracted by BioWare says there was no more work available while at the same time actively hiring for the same type of work.

 

[cireza]

Contract ended = laid off.

 

[TheSHEEEP]

Contract ended = laid off.

I mean, there are exceptions. Sometimes, the work is just done and there is no more point in renewing.

But most of the time? Yeah, that's pretty much what it is for contracts that were not "until the end of the project" kind of deals.

 

[Exede]

Oh nice a clickbait titel... is OP hiring at Kotaku?

 

[funkygunther]

C’mon guys, don’t be so dense. Highly unlikely a game in development doesn’t suddenly need QA work. It also just happens all the ones that didn’t have contract renewed happened to unionize a few months back.
Do not renew a contract with a unionized worker, hire someone that is not in the union. Fair game, but the main reason was their union membership.

Corporations are not your friends, even more when they make shit games like BioWare does lately.

yes fair game indeed, that’s my point…contractors are hired on the basis of the time on the contract, why their contract isn’t extended is irrelevant as long as the game is being played by the rules

 

[GymWolf]

Never a good news when people lose their job...on the other hand their last game was dogshit

 

[Drizzlehell]

So a company (not BioWare) let 13 people go after their contract (signed before joining any union) was up.

Why is this a story?

It sounds spicy and gets people to click on that butthole of a website. "Journalism" 101.

 

[ChuckeRearmed]

So a company (not BioWare) let 13 people go after their contract (signed before joining any union) was up.

Why is this a story?

Haven't you heard? Employer is obligated to keep employees forever.

 

[Cyberpunkd]

why their contract isn’t extended is irrelevant as long as the game is being played by the rules

Of course it is relevant. Legal? Yes. Ethical? No. It's no different than a female contractor not having her contract renewed because she refused to get touchy with someone.

 

[funkygunther]

Of course it is relevant. Legal? Yes. Ethical? No. It's no different than a female contractor not having her contract renewed because she refused to get touchy with someone.

that would be illegal: the proposition, not the contract renewal

 

[Hudo]

I am dreading this game's release.

 

[diffusionx]

It's kinda pathetic that Polygon is using "they were laid off" to paint a narrative that "Game company is exacting revenge on unions"
When in reality, their contract was up and EA opted not to renew it. Which is...completely normal.

If you told me that article was written by Jason Schreier I would have believed you.

If you think that EA choosing not to renew this contract had nothing to do with their union status, you are willfully blind. They will hire new QA, and they won't be union. That's the goal here. It's also why Activision gave their entire QA staff a raise *except* for the unionized people. They said, hey, we can't do that, that wage is collectively bargained.

This also shows the limits of unionization as a broad-based strategy because, as I said earlier, if the company can easily get rid of you and still get the job done, then they're going to do that and there is nothing you can do about it.

 

[EDMIX]

If they 'left' after their contract ended, that's not really being laid off ... their contracts were just not renewed.

lol thank you.

I hate when folks try to report some shit as spicy and as sensationalist as they can.

Its like...you mean the people scheduled to leave, left? lol

 

[Kacho]

If you want a job as a QA tester it’s probably best not to join a union. These companies will look elsewhere. The last thing they want to do is give low skill, easily replaceable people any type of leverage.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

If they 'left' after their contract ended, that's not really being laid off ... their contracts were just not renewed.

Well, that's gaming "journalism" for ya.

It can be baity articles, or simply the writer knows nothing. Or both. Always hedge your bets to both.

 

[Dr. Wilkinson]

Doesn’t affect development at all. Who cares

Layoffs especially of QA contract employees is extremely common.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

So if a pro athlete finishes a two year contract and the team doesn't resign him to an extension or new deal, he got laid off. Got it.

 

[BacklashWave534]

Attributing the wrong cause.

Making a half of a statement with no explanation doesn't explain your position.

 

[Gamer_By_Proxy]

13 people unionize? sounds like a "fuck around and find out" situation. Not renewing a contract is the easiest way to get rid of a union.

 

[Bridges]

Can't think of a group with less leverage than gaming QA testers.

There must be an infinite pool of nerds who would kill to take their place for mere peanuts just as an "in" to the industry.

 

[Gordon Fearman]

The article is written very confusingly, partly due to a lack of organisation and partly due to the inclusion of extraneous details. Here's what actually happened, afaict:

1. Keywords Studios employed 16 QA testers.
2. Keywords had a contract with Bioware for 13 of their testers to work with Bioware.
3. In June all 16 QA testers at Keywords joined a union.
4. At around the same time or slightly after, Keywords (not the union) had to negotiate with Bioware for a renewal of their contract.
5. Bioware did not renew their contract with Keywords Studios.
6. Keywords (not Bioware) laid off the 13 testers that had worked with Bioware.
7. The union started an employment standard complaint against Keywords (still not Bioware) for insufficient severance.

Then as a separate completely unrelated fact, some ex-Bioware employees are suing Bioware (not Keywords) for insufficient severance.

So, yes the QA testers were laid off, no Bioware didn't lay them off. Bioware is sorta barely involved in this story. There is no evidence that suggests unionisation was the reason behind Bioware cancelling the contract or the testers being laid off other than timing.

 

[Daneel Elijah]

that would be illegal: the proposition, not the contract renewal

In some countries both can be linked. If you can prove the proposition, then the employer must take you back and pay you for the damages. In the US the woman would still be ousted and at best have a deal with the employer. Here if they were in western Europe they would simply go to a judge and say that EA never stopped a contract before at this stage and if true could win something. I think so at least.

 

[Evil Calvin]

I wonder just how much QA is being cut in the last 5 years in general ...seems to me a lot because there are often issues with games that if you think about it would've HAD to have been noticed if there was testing being done.

Things like RE4 remake deadzones being terrible at release or HDR being broken.

Influencers are testers. The public are testers during early access on Steam. The public are testers during open betas. The public are testers during the one-week early-access for deluxe editions. The public are testers after a game launches and the company sends out multiple patches.

 

[ReBurn]

I guess so. I was a contractor for many many years in non-gaming gigs and I was always sweating during contract renewal time. Joining a union would have done jack shit about that. lol

I know what you mean. I did contract work, too. Being in a union working for a company that contracts with another company does precisely jack when the contract ends.

 

[SlimySnake]

Never a good news when people lose their job...on the other hand their last game was dogshit

QA doesnt design the game.

 

[ReBurn]

Influencers are testers. The public are testers during early access on Steam. The public are testers during open betas. The public are testers during the one-week early-access for deluxe editions. The public are testers after a game launches and the company sends out multiple patches.

In my experience QA is one of the first things companies cut when looking to reduce expenses. They tend to rely on agile methodologies where teams self-test or make people in other roles fill in. Public previews are becoming more and more a thing to get users to regression test the next version for free.