It's not that. It's that the fewer people they have to pay the more money they get to keep. It's incredibly short sighted and self destructive. But they don't care at this point.

[–] heyoni@lemm.ee 13 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

That or they’re planning to lean on generative ai to produce content

[–] lorty@lemmy.ml 3 points 11 months ago (3 children)

IIRC they contract and credit the artists. I don't think theyveven use any in-house srtists.

[–] caseofthematts@lemmy.world 4 points 11 months ago (1 children)

They've been caring less about artists and the community in recent years.

At cons, they used to pay for artists hotels and give them free booths to set up, now artists get nothing and have to pay something like $750 for a booth.

[–] tmyakal@lemm.ee 4 points 11 months ago

I think that's more about WotC giving up on cons and tourneys than giving up on artists. If they're having events at all, they're not putting as much money into them as they used to.

[–] optissima@lemmy.ml 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

And the generative card properties?

[–] lorty@lemmy.ml 3 points 11 months ago (1 children)

You mean using AI to design the card's mechanics? I'd like to think we are still a ways away from that, specially since they'd have to train their on model that adjusts not only for the text generated but what the actual card would do in a game. they could use it for french vanilla cards I suppose, but it's not like those take a human that long to make anyway.

[–] optissima@lemmy.ml 1 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

I didn't say they needed to be quality or anything, they just need to appear quality to corporate, as all the corps are starting to cannibalize staff at the idea of using LLMs. Corporate doesn't play the game and doesn't care about long term, just the short term gains.

[–] heyoni@lemm.ee 1 points 11 months ago

1100 layoffs and they don't use in house artists? I find that hard to believe but you might be right.