Few people are madder at Microsoft for its mishandling of id Software than Michael Maynard, a game developer of over 40 years, and id veteran of 21 years, who was caught up in heavy layoffs which hit the studio as part of widespread Xbox cost-cutting. Maynard's story demonstrates the institutional knowledge that's being sacrificed in the name of spreadsheets, with multiple studios gutted to the point that they're unrecognizable if not outright closed, and his criticism echoes the pain and fury heard around the industry.
"Big day today at Id Software!" begins a LinkedIn post from Maynard (all emphasis caps his). "We produced arguably THE BEST first person action games, in the entire industry. DOOM, DOOM: Eternal, DOOM: The Dark Ages. The [quintessential] modern trilogy of first person action!
"Yet today, Microsoft/XBOX decided half the team was no longer needed and should be let go; despite all the amazing work and effort from every designer, programmer, artist, audio specialist, level designer, fx, tech design, and on and on and on.
"Yes, I was part of the team (roughly 50% of the company) that was let go today," he continues, confirming reports on the scale of layoffs. "(I was there for OVER 20 years! RAGE through DOOM: Dark Ages) Sad but, I've been doing this (video games) for over 40 years so, not a huge surprise to me. Just really sad that this is how Id Software, the PIONEER/INNOVATOR of FPS action games is relegated to just another 'reorganization' of assets."
It really is hard to overstate the fumbling of the bag here. Id is the FPS studio, and the modern Doom trilogy is an exemplar in the genre. In its rush to save money by cutting anyone, irreplaceable knowledge be damned, Microsoft has thrown the treasure overboard just to keep the ship above water for another hour.
Microsoft's mistake in this particular arena is perhaps matched only by Sony and Bungie, which have collectively lost hundreds of the best FPS developers in the business – in their case, by squandering Destiny 2.
Id co-founder and Doom father John Romero addressed the impacted devs online, praising the people who kept the studio's legacy alive and highlighting the "real care, skill, and respect" demonstrated by recent releases.
