[bluefirebrand]

I think on the contrary somewhat

If everyone at a game developer goes on strike, there is basically no amount of outsourcing or scab labour that can replace them. This is actually probably true of basically all software

Just refusing to share passwords into key systems would be enough to significantly halt any attempt to bring on an entirely new development team

[nonethewiser]

Yes but what happens? The video game is not maintained or released. Society doesnt care that much. It's not critical and there are millions of alternatives.

[Lapra]

Most entertainment industries have very strong union presence.

[darkwater]

Well, it happens that the company that has workers on strike at some point stops making money because of that.

[bluefirebrand]

The point isn't about what society cares about. The company loses its investment entirely unless they bargain with the union

[cleversomething]

Magic: the Gathering is the only profitable arm of Hasbro. I don't have the specific revenue numbers, but Arena is a huge part of the ecosystem. Sure, society at large wouldn't care, but letting the Arena release schedule slip behind the "paper cards" product would be a huge embarrassment within the community of customers and content creators that fuel the MTG machine. I would be shocked if they let it happen lightly.

I would be a lot less shocked if Hasbro sends in the Pinkertons to do some "persuasion" in the coming weeks and months:

https://www.dicebreaker.com/categories/trading-card-game/new...

[northern-lights]

What has unionizing and society caring have got to do with each other?

[michaelt]

Some historically powerful unions have enjoyed their power because their strikes not only stop their employers making money, but also impose great inconvenience on many people downstream of them.

If truckers or dockworkers go on strike there's no food on the shelves, if coal miners go on strike the lights go out, and so on.

As a consequence of this, employers are motivated to make a deal not just by missed opportunities to make money, but also by politicians, other powerful capitalists, and public opinion.

Of course there are plenty of unions where this isn't the case; theatres and hollywood are unionised despite the fact nobody freezes or starves when they go on strike.

Game developers are, I think, closer to the hollywood position than the dockworkers position.

[satvikpendem]

Well, the theater and Hollywood workers themselves starve, as seen in the last recent strike, with many not being able to make ends meet.

[charcircuit]

Doing that would nuke your career. What company wants to hire someone who sabotaged their previous employer?

[bluefirebrand]

What worker wants to work for an employer that pays them bare minimum and treats them as a replaceable cog?