'Drive An Uber' Or 'Go To The Beach For A Year,' Ex-Sony President Tells Laid-Off Workers, Denying Corporate Greed As The Cause

In a surprising take on the recent wave of layoffs in the gaming industry, former Sony Computer Entertainment Europe president Chris Deering offered some unconventional advice. If you've just lost your job, consider driving an Uber or taking a year off by the beach.

On a podcast, Deering, who played a key role in launching the original PlayStation, downplayed the idea that corporate greed was behind the thousands of job cuts affecting gaming giants like Xbox, PlayStation and Riot. Instead, he argued that layoffs are part of the industry's natural cycle.

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“I don’t think it’s fair to say that the layoffs have been due to greed,” Deering said. "If the money isn’t coming in from the consumers on the last game, it’s going to be hard to justify spending the money for the next game." 

His take? Ride out the downturn by taking on gig work or relocating somewhere cheap and maybe “go to the beach for a year.” But he also cautioned against staying disconnected for too long, warning, “Once you get off the train, it's much harder to get back on.”

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This advice comes at a time when the gaming industry, despite record-breaking game sales like Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Diablo 4 and Spider-Man 2, has been slashing jobs left and right. Over 10,000 people were laid off in 2023 and an additional 12,000 in 2024. Big names like Epic Games, Unity and even Deering's former company, PlayStation, have been trimming staff to cut costs, blaming rising expenses and increased competition in the market.

Deering remains optimistic, though. He thinks there will be possibilities for people laid off now and the gaming business will rebound. He reassured, “It’s still where the action is.” But, perhaps unsurprisingly, there was some pushback after his remarks. 

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For instance, one Reddit user commented, “If he says stuff like this publicly, I can only imagine the greedy heartless bullshit he spews behind closed doors.” Another chimed in with, “Genuine question. Do MBA types enjoy any kind of media? They always downplay the talent and struggles of creators.”

Critics, including game industry unions, say his comments seem out of touch with the tough situation workers are dealing with. They believe better job security and less focus on company profits are needed.

Chris Deering is a veteran in the gaming industry and was president of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe between 1995 and 2005. After Sony, he worked at Atari and later served as chairman of Codemasters. Deering advises Cudo Ventures, a cryptocurrency mining software company and remains an influential figure in the gaming world.

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