E148: Why AAA Game Studios Won't Save Themselves

Level up your leadership: https://forms.gle/nqRTUvgFrtdYuCbr6 North American AAA isn't just struggling in a downturn. It is actively choosing to die. With record budgets and elite talent, senior leaders continue to reach for quick fixes like AI, outsourcing, and layoffs while ignoring the true rot: broken leadership incentives, political empire-building, and a refusal to adapt. In this episode, Benjamin Carcich breaks down why the industry's current survival strategies are failing, why the leaders who can fix the problem are being pushed out, and what the future of game development looks like for those willing to build something better. What You'll Learn in This Episode: What the North American games industry reset reveals about the shifting balance of global development power Why AI, outsourcing, and headcount cuts aren't fixing the real problems inside struggling studios How bad incentives and politics keep studios stuck Why fear of accountability can make risky decisions harder to challenge even when the warning signs are obvious How emerging studios can adapt by staying smaller longer, facing reality earlier, and prioritizing shared vision over sheer output If you're a leader in game dev who sees the structural flaws in traditional AAA and wants to build adaptable, high-performing teams for the future of the industry, this episode is for you. 🔗Watch my reaction to ShadowHand's video here: https://youtu.be/HCeqGKcMcLY Connect with us: 🔗Ben's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-carcich/ 🔗BBG's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/building-better-games/ 🔗Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingbettergames/# 🔗Website: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg 🔗YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@buildingbettergames If you want help leading teams and studios to better games players love, you can reach me at: info@valarinconsulting.com #GameDev #GameDevelopment #TripleA #GameIndustry #StudioLeadership