Tag

Crunch

All articles tagged with #crunch

business10 days ago•6 min saved

Rockstar workers allege pay gaps and mandatory crunch as UK union drive grows

Rockstar Games employees and members of the Rockstar Games Workers Union allege opaque pay practices, a widening gender pay gap, and a culture of crunch baked into UK contracts, with discretionary bonuses and unstable promotions. They say overtime is incentivized rather than regulated and remote-work concessions are being rolled back, while unionization efforts push for voluntary recognition; Take-Two says it offers competitive pay and is open to dialogue.

via Game Developer|

#business #crunch #gta-vi

labor10 days ago•2 min saved

Rockstar staff push for union recognition as GTA VI looms

Rockstar Games workers have filed for voluntary recognition by the IWGB Game Workers Union, claiming a significant cross-site majority and seeking pay transparency, flexible scheduling, and reduced crunch; the move follows past layoffs accused of union busting, a September tribunal on those firings, and ahead of GTA VI’s November 19 launch at a $79.99 starting price, with Take-Two saying it will discuss with the union as industry-wide unionization efforts grow.

via The Verge|

#crunch #gta-vi #iwgb-game-workers-union

technology13 days ago•3 min saved

Dev warns Star Wars Eclipse could be canceled amid looming layoffs

Quantic Dream staff warn that Star Wars Eclipse could be canceled if the planned layoffs of about 115 workers proceed, saying the studio is already understaffed and losing that many would halt production; a French union strike presses for safer restructuring as Lucasfilm Games monitors progress. The project, announced in 2021 and set during the High Republic era, remains uncertain amid past abuse allegations at the studio.

via Rock Paper Shotgun|

#crunch #labor-unions #layoffs

business1 month ago•2 min saved

Rockstar Game Workers Union Forms, Plans Legal Challenge Over Dismissals

The Rockstar Game Workers Union (RGWU), under the Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain, has publicly formed and begun preparing a court case against Rockstar Games over the firing of 31 unionizing employees, accusing the company of union-busting. The union is growing across Rockstar sites in Edinburgh, London, Leeds, Lincoln, and Dundee, and is calling for pay transparency, flexible working, and an end to crunch, while fundraising for legal fees as GTA VI looms and Take-Two projects strong earnings.

via Game Developer|

#business #crunch #iwgb

news2 months ago•14 min saved

Crunch Was The Price Of Naughty Dog’s Creative Quality, Former Designer Says

A former senior Naughty Dog designer says crunch was ingrained in the studio’s workflow, with internal discussions implying it’s necessary to make games at their level; despite efforts to mitigate crunch after The Last of Us Part II, insiders and Bloomberg report the pattern has resurfaced during Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet’s development to meet internal milestones and a Sony demo, suggesting a continued cycle of overtime driven by deadlines.

via Kotaku|

#bloomberg #crunch #intergalactic-the-heretic-prophet

news3 months ago•15 min saved

Gunzilla CEO Denies Pay Delays, Praises Crunch, Teases Data Sale in Crypto

Gunzilla CEO Vlad Korolev pushed back on reports that the studio owed staff pay, saying only contractors faced delays to avoid disrupting operations and that full-time salaries hadn’t been delayed for years; he attacked critics as haters, defended ongoing crunch as necessary to deliver a project on the scale of Call of Duty, boasted about Off the Grid’s growth, and even floated access to player data for 100k GUN cryptocurrency, a claim juxtaposed with former employees’ reports of back pay and Off the Grid’s Steam peak of under 20,000 concurrent players.

via Kotaku|

#controversy #crunch #gunzilla

business3 months ago•7 min saved

Atlus boosts pay and trims fixed overtime to ease industry crunch

Atlus is boosting salaries and reducing fixed overtime to help its workers amid a crunch in the games industry, raising starting salaries from 300,000 to 330,000 yen, lifting average annual pay by about 15%, and cutting fixed overtime hours from 30 to 20 per month, with changes taking effect in April 2026.

via Eurogamer|

#atlus #business #crunch

technology6 months ago•2 min saved

Naughty Dog Enforces Mandatory Overtime to Meet 2027 'Intergalactic' Release

Naughty Dog is enforcing mandatory overtime to meet deadlines for its PS5 exclusive game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, aiming for a mid-2027 release, amid concerns about ongoing crunch and project delays.

via Push Square|

#crunch #intergalactic-the-heretic-prophet #mid-2027-release

business6 months ago•1 min saved

Naughty Dog Faces Crunch Controversy Over 'Intergalactic' Development

A Bloomberg report claims Naughty Dog mandated employees to work at least eight extra hours weekly, reaching up to 60 hours, over the past seven weeks to meet project deadlines, with increased in-office work disrupting routines. The studio has not commented on these claims.

via GamesIndustry.biz|

#business #crunch #game-development

technology6 months ago•2 min saved

Naughty Dog Faces Criticism for Mandatory Overtime on 'Intergalactic' Development

Naughty Dog is reportedly experiencing crunch again for its upcoming PS5 game Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, with mandatory overtime and increased in-office requirements despite previous efforts to address overwork issues, raising concerns about the studio's work culture.

via Kotaku|

#crunch #game-development #intergalactic

gaming2 years ago•1 min saved

Larian CEO Admits to Mild Crunch on Baldur's Gate 3, Writer Prioritizes Quality Over Earnings

Larian Studios CEO Swen Vincke admitted that the development team for Baldur's Gate 3 had to work overtime, or "crunch," to complete the game, though it was less than for previous projects. Vincke emphasized that while some overtime is inevitable in game development, the team did not overly crunch, with employees rarely working past 8pm or on weekends. The issue of crunch remains controversial in the gaming industry, but Baldur's Gate 3 has been highly successful, earning numerous awards and a perfect score from IGN.

via IGN|

#baldurs-gate-3 #crunch #game-development

gaming2 years ago•4 min saved

"Allegations of Toxic Culture and Abuse Rock Life is Strange Developer Deck Nine"

Deck Nine, the developers behind the Life is Strange series, have been accused of fostering a toxic workplace culture including sexism, crunch, and abusive behavior. Allegations include staff working up to 80 hours a week, toxic behavior left unaddressed by management, and references to Nazi slogans and racist memes found in an upcoming game. The studio's response includes claims of implementing better practices and conducting thorough internal investigations.

via Rock Paper Shotgun|

#allegations #crunch #deck-nine

gaming2 years ago•1 min saved

"Rockstar's GTA 6 Delay Concerns Spark Stock Tumble"

Rockstar is reportedly urging its workers to return to the office by April to prevent a potential delay of Grand Theft Auto 6 to 2026, with hopes for an early 2025 launch. Remote workers have expressed concerns about the mandate, citing fears of returning to crunch and its impact on work culture. Production on the game has reportedly been lagging, and the studio's push for in-office work has sparked controversy. If the game does slip to 2026, Rockstar may not have another title to fill the gap.

via Game Developer|

#crunch #game-development #gaming

gaming-industry2 years ago•1 min saved

"Dragon Age Creator: Industry Deserves to Die if Crunch is the Only Way to Make Massive Games"

David Gaider, creator of Dragon Age's setting, criticizes the fear of crunch in the games industry, stating that if it's the only way to make games, "maybe the industry deserves to die." He advocates for a realistic work schedule at his studio, emphasizing that employees should not feel like "a resource to be tapped." Gaider believes that the industry's focus on photorealistic graphics and long playtimes does not necessitate overworking, and expresses concern over the recent layoffs in the industry.

via Gamesradar|

#crunch #david-gaider #game-development

gaming2 years ago•2 min saved

"The Day Before: Allegations of Unpaid Work and Mismanagement Surface"

A recent report on the development of The Day Before alleges mistreatment of Fntastic employees, including fines for mistakes, toxic management, and intense crunch, leading to a lack of clear vision for the game. The co-founders are accused of imposing punishments and firing employees at will, with one instance of a fine of $1930 for "low quality" voice recordings. The game was critically panned and shut down shortly after release, leading to refunds and the closure of the developer.

via Eurogamer.net|

#crunch #fntastic #gaming