Staff in France’s videogame {industry} took half in a nationwide one-day strike yesterday, and to assist cowl their misplaced wages the Syndicat des Travailleurs et Travailleuses du Jeu Vidéo (STJV) union has put collectively a Grève {“Strike”) Bundle on Itch.io, providing a mixture of greater than 50 video games, digital books, and different materials for $10.
The strike was in protest of “layoffs and exhausting working situations” within the recreation {industry}, and noticed greater than 1,000 individuals participate throughout the nation. Whereas there have been strikes at particular person French studios previously, that is apparently the first-ever industry-wide strike, in keeping with an RFI report, and comes because the {industry} continues to grapple with layoffs, studio closures, and different labor disputes. As of 2022, there have been 580 recreation studios in France.
The STJV was considerably extra pointed in its description of the sport {industry}, calling it a “company circus” in a name to strike issued in January. It additionally issued 4 “extremely sensible” calls for, which it stated “are available in response to many years of company mismanagement, opacity and denial of staff’ struggling:”
- Preservation of jobs, the cancellation of layoffs and the accountability of decision-makers who should first make sacrifices themselves when their corporations face difficulties.
- Corporations’ full transparency about their monetary scenario and financial well being, in order that staff can plan their future, and revenue sharing with staff.
- Consideration for work-related well being and private life, by work reorganisation and the discount of labor hours.
- Direct participation of staff in decision-making at their corporations to be able to keep away from administration errors and management the correct use of personal and public funding.
The union additionally stated that, “as it is a nationwide strike name, no motion is critical to go on strike: simply don’t go to work.” All very French, certainly, and within the wake of the strike it referred to as for “a fair wider motion” to comply with.
“Unionise, go on strike, achieve new rights!” the union wrote on Bluesky. “Collectively, we are going to win ✊”
The GG25 Grève Bundle is supposed to boost funds for the STJV’s strike fund, which helps compensate putting staff for his or her lack of earnings. The theme of the bundle—no shock right here—is “strike,” and consistent with the entire “in keeping with your skill” factor, there are three tiers at $1, $5, and $10, though you’ll be able to kick in additional if you wish to do a strong for staff.
🕹️✊ GRÈVE BUNDLE / STRIKE BUNDLE : from you in keeping with your skill, to our comrades in keeping with their wants.Because of a number of beneficiant presents, we’re providing you a strategy to help our strike fund by contributing to this bundle on itch: https://t.co/dAALVzceZhFebruary 12, 2025
Whereas there are not any actual blockbusters within the lineup, Coldridge regarded very promising once we checked out its demo final 12 months, and a few years in the past (it initially launched in 2013) we had been fairly taken by Tetrobot and Co. Off the highest of my head, Blocks That Matter, Minami Line, The Purple Hike, and Flipon appear like they is likely to be cool too when you get pleasure from deeply indie video games, and I like Phoenix WRONG simply because the title makes me giggle.
STJV stated the earlier version of this bundle raised $1,500 with a mean donation of $11 (the top-tier bundle worth is $10 however), and with two weeks to go this bundle has blown well beyond it, incomes greater than $28,000 and a mean contribution of over $15. The Grève Bundle on Itch.io will likely be accessible till February 28.
