Wanna get into the games industry? Have a heart attack.

[Intrepid Homoludens]

I know this is old news, but I just stumbled on this. Those of you seriously intent on working in the games industry must listen to this audio story to know what you may be up against, what is being done about it, and what to possibly watch out for. It includes interviews with a couple of guys who worked for EA (one of whom suffered a heart attack because of it). Hopefully it won't be this way much longer (thanks to things being done, finally). Your starry eyed idealism aside, get off your asses and wake up! Mmph!

Digital Culture

Stressed-Out Game Designers Sue Software Maker

NPR.org audio news

Morning Edition, December 7, 2004 · Those amazing video games that some people spend months playing take even longer to create. Now, overworked programmers have filed a lawsuit against their employers, citing extreme job stress and health problems. Laura Sydell reports.

Read the Amended Complaint Against Electronic Arts (.pdf file)

Some details from this story:

- 80+ hour work weeks, 3-4 months at a time

- "you have to nearly destroy your body, destroy your relationships, have no life other than working on this game"

- high blood pressure, heart troubles

- doctor giving you antidepressents, medication for ulcers

- heart attacks

That's just at EA, and at the time they got a class action suit slapped on their greedy asses by disgruntled employees a few months back.

But then Jason De la Rocca from the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) says that development companies trying to win contracts often make big promises, but once they're signed on they realize that the game needs to be done by Christmas, they have half the funding required to work on the game, they're very low on staff, and soon find themselves working 20 hour days and sleeping under their desks 7 days a week.

Now, does that actually sound like fun?

[MrHoatzin]

Unionize now!

[MrHoatzin]

...

That, of course, will lead to a massive outsourcing of game-design from US to third world countries such as "India", "Philipinnes", or "France".

[netmonkey]

Or Shanghai. Oh, wait...

[Intrepid Homoludens]

I'm not sure that would really solve anything in the long run for those game companies. Once reports of overseas employee abuses start trickling in, accusations flying, and more legislations passed on an international level (as well as specific laws in those countries where the abuses took place), they'll be back where they started. All because the pricks want to have the games done by Christmas to sell millions.

Also, this won't guarantee that games will increase in quality and decrease in bugs, precisely because those 3rd world employees are being abused to the point where lack of sleep and healthy life affects their performance to churn out good games.

And as we all know, who wants to buy a shitty game?

[RLacey]

Unionize now!

Somewhat ironic, perhaps, to picture Lenin and mention Unions. Unions weren't allowed in Communist Russia, you know ...

[MrHoatzin]

Somewhat ironic, perhaps, to picture Lenin and mention Unions. Unions weren't allowed in Communist Russia, you know ...

The whole fucking country was one big ass union.

[Intrepid Homoludens]

[baconian]

The whole fucking country was one big ass union.

yeah. and just as corrupt. pity that.

[Intrepid Homoludens]

Well, like I always say, any political ideology sounds damn sexy.....until you throw people into the mix.

[Dingo Chavez]

The industry is in the toilet, it just is.

[lailoken]

nice picture though...

[n0wak]

Well, like I always say, any political ideology sounds damn sexy.....until you throw people into the mix.

Kind of like game development. Any old game plan sounds sexy... until you throw managers (slightly less than people) into the mix.

[Intrepid Homoludens]

And publishers (far lesser than people).

[Scout]

Here's IDGA's offical column on unions and such in gaming development.

http://www.igda.org/articles/msakey_qol.php

They're for for unionizing.

[MrHoatzin]

They're for for unionizing.

They're for for?!?

Man, they must must really like the idea.

[General Fuzzy McBitty]

The industry is in the toilet, it just is.

No... the Industry IS the toilet. How else do you explain EA...

[Salka]

You know what's amazing? Being for for unionizing, is the exact same as being against against unionizing... I find that fascinating, and this is why the English language is far better than say, French.

[loonyboi]

You know what's amazing? Being for for unionizing, is the exact same as being against against unionizing... I find that fascinating, and this is why the English language is far better than say, French.

Or to translate:

T = T

F = F

T != F

T = !F

!T = F

[General Fuzzy McBitty]

Or to translate:

T = T

F = F

T != F

T = !F

!T = F

What are you on about?

[SiN]

What are you on about?

T = T

true equals true

F = F

false equals false

T != F

true does not equal false

T = !F

true equals (not false)

!T = F

(not true) equals false

SiN

[DanJW]

You know what's amazing? Being for for unionizing, is the exact same as being against against unionizing... I find that fascinating, and this is why the English language is far better than say, French.

Not true

If you are for unionizing, then you think there hould be unions. If you are against against unionizing,then you might be indifferent to unionizing but critical of the people that actively oppose it.

Remember folks, maths and English is not the same.

This has been an edutainment broadcast by Idle Thumbs.

[Scout]

Heh. Mea culpa. Okay I just scanned it for tone and missed the swerve around unionizing. Pan me quick and get it over with.

Sounds like they need a union to me though.

[baconian]

You know what's amazing? Being for for unionizing, is the exact same as being against against unionizing... I find that fascinating, and this is why the English language is far better than say, French.

postmodern and racist at the same time! nicely done.

[lailoken]

ain't we all...

... fascinating I mean... of course... god! I certainly didn't mean we're all...

...nevermind