Build a Rocket Boy
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MindsEye Studio Hit With New Round of Layoffs, Reportedly Affecting Around 170 Workers
Build A Rocket Boy, the studio behind MindsEye, has reportedly laid off around 170 employees, reducing its workforce to approximately 80. This follows a previous round of layoffs in March, which CEO Mark Gerhard attributed to espionage and sabotage. Several former employees have spoken out about the redundancies and alleged spying software used by the company.
MindsEye developer Build a Rocket Boy lays off even more people
Developer Build a Rocket Boy has conducted another round of layoffs, reportedly affecting up to 170 employees, following the poor reception of its MindsEye DLC, Blacklisted. This follows previous reductions that aimed to shrink the studio from over 800 employees to around 100. The game's concurrent player count on Steam has also fallen to a low of 11.
MindsEye Dev Reportedly Laid Off 170 Of 250 Employees
Build A Rocket Boy, the developer of MindsEye, has reportedly laid off approximately 170 of its 250 employees. This follows the game's poor reception last year and previous rounds of layoffs. The company has also faced accusations of installing surveillance software and issues with crunch time.
PS5 Gigaflop Mindseye Gets a Permanent Price Reduction, Free Update and PS Plus Premium Trial
Build a Rocket Boy has permanently reduced the price of their game MindsEye to $34.99 and is offering a two-hour trial for PlayStation Plus Premium members. A new free mission, BLACKLISTED, has been released as part of the game's ongoing support, delivered through its ARCADIA user-generated content platform.
I played the MindsEye mission about the alleged game saboteurs, and it sucks so bad
The 'Blacklisted' mission for the narrative shooter MindsEye, developed by Build a Rocket Boy, is a poorly executed and uninteresting experience. Originally intended as a Hitman crossover, the mission fails to provide any convincing evidence for the alleged sabotage against the studio, despite its short length and lack of engaging gameplay or story elements.
MindsEye's New Blacklisted DLC Is Out Now, And Things Are Seeminly Not Improving
MindsEye has released its new Blacklisted DLC, coinciding with a price cut for the base game amidst ongoing criticism. The DLC, which features an assassin named Julia Black, reportedly touches on themes of sabotage and internal company strife, mirroring real-life allegations surrounding the game's troubled launch. Despite the new content, player reception remains largely negative, with ongoing concerns about dialogue, voice acting, and overall game quality, further compounded by reports of invasive employee monitoring software used by the developer.
MindsEye's mission about Build a Rocket Boy's alleged "saboteurs" is a rather meh Hitman impression that saw me waste 30 minutes swearing in a warehouse
The MindsEye mission 'Blacklisted' for Build a Rocket Boy is a Hitman-inspired stealth experience that falls short of its inspiration. The review criticizes the game's underdeveloped stealth mechanics and linear objectives, noting that the mission's narrative elements referencing industry drama are largely inconsequential. Despite some action sequences, the overall impression is that of a missed opportunity.
MindsEye Gets BLACKLISTED Update and Price Cut
Build a Rocket Boy has announced a permanent price reduction for the game MindsEye. This price cut is already active on Steam and is expected to be implemented on the Epic Games Store soon. The update also includes a feature called BLACKLISTED.
MindsEye’s Former Developers Speak Out Against Crunch Culture at Build A Rocket Boy
Former developers from Build A Rocket Boy have spoken out about the studio's pervasive crunch culture, which led to significant mental and physical health issues among staff. Employees, including lead animator Chris Wilson and lead games analyst Ben Newborn, detailed months-long crunch periods, particularly within the cinematics team, with inadequate pay and excessive overtime. The use of employee monitoring software and a perceived lack of respect from leadership were cited as major grievances.
MindsEye’s Blacklisted Update, Where You Hunt the Game’s Alleged Saboteurs, is Out Now
Build A Rocket Boy has released the 'Blacklisted' update for their game MindsEye, which introduces a new story arc where players hunt alleged saboteurs. The update also brings new logic nodes and improvements to the PC version's Build ARCADIA mode, with console releases for races planned for later this year.
Build a Rocket Boy Launches MindsEye: BLACKLISTED Update; Announces Permanent Price Reduction
Build a Rocket Boy has announced a permanent price reduction for their sci-fi action-adventure game MindsEye, now available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. The update also includes the new BLACKLISTED story mission, delivered through the ARCADIA user-generated content platform. This expansion aims to evolve the game with ongoing drops of missions, races, puzzles, and challenges.
Build A Rocket Boy facing legal action, Behaviour Interactive cuts jobs, and Xbox has a new 'north star' - Patch Notes #49
This week's gaming news includes Behaviour Interactive confirming job cuts, Microsoft lowering Xbox Game Pass prices, and Nintendo facing lawsuits over tariffs. Build A Rocket Boy is also facing legal action for alleged privacy violations, while the Super Mario Galaxy Movie has surpassed $747 million at the global box office. Xbox is reportedly rethinking its exclusivity strategy and focusing on daily active players.
The MindsEye Saga Never Ends as Devs Accuse Studio of Violating Their Privacy
Unionized employees at developer Build A Rocket Boy are taking legal action against the studio, accusing it of violating their data protection and privacy rights. The company reportedly installed surveillance software called 'Teramind' on developer devices, which tracked keystrokes, screen activity, and microphone audio without full disclosure. This follows previous accusations of mistreatment and claims of corporate sabotage regarding the game MindsEye.
MindsEye Staff Sue Developer
Staff members at MindsEye are suing developer Build a Rocket Boy, alleging the company installed secret surveillance software. The lawsuit details accusations of covert monitoring of employees.
MindsEye studio Build a Rocket Boy sued by unionised staff, who accuse management of breaking the law with "invasive" surveillance software
Unionized staff at MindsEye developers Build a Rocket Boy are suing the studio, alleging that the installation of surveillance software violated data protection laws and their basic dignity. The IWGB Game Workers Union claims the software, Teramind, recorded keystrokes, screen activity, and microphone audio without employee consent or transparency about data collection. The lawsuit is separate from previous claims regarding mishandled redundancies.
MindsEye Devs Demand Answers Regarding Corporate Surveillance Issue
Employees of Build A Rocket Boy, represented by the IWGB Game Workers Union, are taking legal action against the company for installing surveillance software on their devices without consent. The union is demanding transparency regarding the data collected and its usage, while the company's leadership, including Leslie Benzies and Mark Gerhard, has accused former employees of corporate espionage related to the game MindsEye's poor launch.
MindsEye Developer Sued by Employees Alleging Unauthorized Surveillance
Build a Rocket Boy (BARB), the studio behind MindsEye, is facing a lawsuit from unionized employees alleging the unauthorized installation of surveillance software. The IWGB Game Workers Union is representing the employees, claiming BARB violated data protection laws and employee dignity by using Teramind software without consent. This lawsuit adds to a series of setbacks for BARB, including the troubled launch of MindsEye and subsequent layoffs.
Union takes legal action against Build a Rocket Boy over alleged data privacy violations
The Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain (IWGB) has initiated legal action against Build a Rocket Boy, alleging data privacy violations due to the installation of Teramind surveillance software on employees' devices without consent. The union claims this software violates data protection laws and employee dignity by tracking keystrokes, screen activity, and audio. Build a Rocket Boy acknowledged installing the software, calling it 'enhanced cybersecurity,' and stated it would be removed within three months, though the IWGB reports it was removed in March after employee grievances.
Union workers take legal action against Build A Rocket Boy over alleged privacy violations
Unionized employees at Build A Rocket Boy (BARB) have filed legal action against the studio, alleging data privacy violations due to the installation of surveillance software called Teramind on work devices. The IWGB Game Workers Union claims BARB management has been uncooperative in disclosing what data was collected, how it was stored, and the reasons for the software's installation, which they describe as invasive and installed without consent.
MindsEye Studio’s Employees File Lawsuit Alleging Privacy Violations With Monitoring Software
Employees of Build A Rocket Boy, represented by the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain, have filed a lawsuit alleging privacy violations due to the studio's installation of surveillance software called Teramind. The union claims the software, which tracked keystrokes, screen activity, and microphone audio without consent, violates data protection laws and employee dignity. Studio leaders Mark Gerhard and Leslie Benzies confirmed the software's installation without employee knowledge, which has since been removed following a collective grievance.