Updated
Updated · Rock Paper Shotgun · Aug 1
Necrosoft Launches 150-Game Bundle for $10 to Aid Laid-Off Developers
Updated
Updated · Rock Paper Shotgun · Aug 1

Necrosoft Launches 150-Game Bundle for $10 to Aid Laid-Off Developers

3 articles · Updated · Rock Paper Shotgun · Aug 1

Summary

  • Nearly 150 games are now bundled on itch.io for a minimum $10, with proceeds going to a hardship fund for laid-off and under-employed game developers.
  • Necrosoft said the bundle responds to deep industry job cuts, citing reports that 33% of game workers lost their jobs over the past two years.
  • United Videogame Workers distributes the fund to cover basics such as food and rent, though eligibility is limited to developers in the US and Canada.
  • The bundle includes titles such as A Short Hike, Arranger and Lucah: Born of a Dream, and follows an earlier launch that had already raised more than $20,000.

Insights

Will a grassroots charity bundle actually spark a massive unionization wave across the unstable video game industry?
How exactly do volunteers decide which laid-off developers receive the crucial $5,000 emergency payouts?