As games get bigger and become more cinematic (and more expensive), there will be studios that grow and grow and then make big layoffs in a lull.
The coders, designers, and need an overarching union together from which they are contracted to work on projects. In fact, the writers and designers could probably work with the existing unions in Hollywood.
The huge studios would function just like in Hollywood. And yeah they would want to pump out those blockbusters, but nothing would stop indie developers from developing. I would allow for consistent and fair discussions for the unions and studios as to how pay will be done. It will also put in safeties for crunch and other abuses.
I’m not saying Hollywood is some perfect working model. I’m just saying it makes way more sense as a model for how modern AAA games are made.
There needs to be a tech-workers’ union. (Not just for gaming.)
Yeah, that would be ideal. Although whether game artists would be best fitted to a tech workers union or an artists union (which does exist in some places) is a question that would need to be answered.