Olivier Giguère-Durand

This week in Montréal the industry marked two serious milestones: the launch of Montreal Games Week and the return of MIGS 25. This is not just about one conference anymore. It is about a full week of games, business, culture and collaboration. For anyone in devs, publishing or services: - Week-long events equal more chances to engage, learn and network beyond the standard format. - Multiple formats (indie showcases plus B2B plus services) signal that external development and partnerships are front of mind. - Montréal continues to hold global relevance as a place for serious industry conversation and deals. Think about how you show up in this broader industry week, not just the big call event. #GameDev #Publishing #MIGS #MontrealGames #GamingIndustry

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In the past 3 years, several teams in our games industry have unionized First, and I am sharing my personal opinion only, I offer all my support and credit to these teams. Unionizing takes courage and a willingness to build trust, coordinate, and challenge the status quo. These teams clearly felt unionizing was essential to protect their rights and working conditions and whatever your view, that conviction deserves respect. I’m always pro-labor because being pro-labor is being pro-human. People often ask why I’m so measured on this topic, though. It’s because unions are widely misunderstood. They’re not a cure-all, and I think it’s important to be clear about what they do and don’t protect. So, what does a union actually do and what doesn’t it? Here’s my understanding (and feel free to correct me): ✅ What a union can do: 🟢 Negotiate better wages, benefits, and working hours Collective bargaining is at the heart of unionization. It allows workers to secure legally binding agreements around pay, healthcare, PTO, and more. 🟢 Provide a structured grievance process Unions ensure that employee concerns are heard without fear of retaliation and offer a path for disputes to be addressed formally. 🟢 Offer legal support and protection in layoffs or disputes While unions can’t prevent all layoffs, they can negotiate the terms, such as severance, notice periods, recall rights, and provide legal assistance. 🟢 Push for more transparency and accountability from leadership Unions can advocate for visibility into business decisions that impact workers, giving teams more voice in the process. ⚠️ What a union can’t do: 🔴 Stop layoffs, project cancellations, or studio closures outright A union can influence how these happen, but not whether they happen. Market realities still rule. 🔴 Guarantee job security in a volatile, hit-driven industry If a game underperforms or a strategic pivot occurs, jobs can still be lost, even in unionized environments. 🔴 Prevent performance-related terminations Unions ensure due process, but “just cause” policies mean consistent underperformance or misconduct can still lead to dismissal. 🔴 Override management’s business or creative decisions A union can advocate, but it can’t dictate what games get made or how a franchise evolves. 🔴 Block global labor shifts or outsourcing trends I think about this the most. In an industry where wages in North America can be more than 3x higher than in other regions, companies may move roles abroad to manage costs. A union cannot stop these structural shifts. It can only negotiate for its local bargaining unit. Unions aren’t magic, but they’re a powerful tool, especially when you feel unheard. In my personal capacity, as Amir the human, I encourage you to learn more and to decide for yourself if unionizing makes sense. I care deeply about people in this industry, but I stay clear-eyed about what we can protect ourselves from and what we can’t.

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6 Comments

There was a recent(ish) article in Canada highlighting how indie studios in Canada are faced with critical coverage gaps with their insurance. To be honest, you can probably replace Canada with any country. Indie studios are usually created by people who have a passion for making games, but are not always aware of the potential risks it involves. The article says: " Smaller developers – especially those operating with lean teams and limited budgets – often struggle to find comprehensive packages that address the full spectrum of exposures they face. Cyberattacks, intellectual property disputes, and business interruption events can all hit indie studios hard, particularly when they don’t have the scale or reserves to absorb a significant loss". It also goes onto say "The industry has yet to deliver flexible, right-sized solutions for this segment – a missed opportunity given how central indie development is to Canada’s gaming ecosystem." Well. . . . I disagree. What's missing is a fundamental understanding on how games studios operate, the complex challenges they face and how to translate that into the potential risks. Which is why we see time and again, companies being categorised under "generic tech policies" which ultimately wont pay out if they need to be activated. The cost for this kind of cover for small teams isn't high, finding someone who can arrange the right cover for them can be. That's the precise reason we exist, year on year, more companies trust us to protect them and they stay with us. If you want a quick chat to go through your studios cover and what you should think about when taking out insurance. I'm here all day, every day :) https://lnkd.in/eYEAPyyk  

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