The recently announced delays of several major games, includingFinal Fantasy 7 Remake,Cyberpunk 2077, andMarvel’s Avengers, has led to some consternation among fans, but no one’s likely more exhausted by the delays than their own developers. Delays all too often mean extended periods of “crunch,” where developers spend weeks, if not months, working overtime to finish games. Crystal Dynamics, the developer ofMarvel’s Avengers, is already well-known for crunch, yet a new revelation about the state of Crystal Dynamics helps convey the state of these crunching studios.
In a post to Kotaku, reporter Jason Schreier cited two anonymous sources familiar withCrystal Dynamics' development process. According to these sources, Crystal Dynamics lets employees “exchange” overtime hours for raffle tickets. Overtime workers then have a chance to win raffle prizes for their extra time spent working. The idea that developers are working overtime for a random chance at a reward, for gift cards or blu-rays, is already being viewed as quite scandalous.
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The issue stems from the fact that many, if not most, game developers are salaried. They’re not paid for overtime. While overtime can’t be forced, the threat of losing one’s job often creates a situation where overtime is effectively forced. Usinggamificationlike a raffle, an opportunity to earn a prize, is a practice that paints troubling overtime issues as fun and rewarding. They may affect company morale positively, but they don’t address the problem itself.
Schreier does point out that this isn’t always the case. For example,CD Projekt Red is also well-known for its long periods of crunch, but Poland has labor laws that require employees, salaried or otherwise, be paid for overtime. Similarly, many developers like Q&A professionals are paid hourly and so are given overtime. Of course, many Q&A professionals are significantly underpaid, too. There are few, if any, examples where crunch is in the best interests of developers.
The good news is that more and more studios are dedicating themselves to crunch-free work environments.Nintendo’s delay ofAnimal Crossingfor the Nintendo Switch some months ago came with the message that it is doing it to ensure devs maintain a healthy work/life balance.Wolfensteindeveloper Machine Games has said it’s working to reduce or eliminate crunch.Destiny 2developer Bungie is going through a similar effort. Change takes time, but transparency helps shift expectations.
Marvel’s Avengersreleases September 4 on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
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