Interesting article on the game industry

[Wrath of Dagon]

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/29292/A...Happy_Place.php

 

Some of the comments are quite interesting too.

[Morgoth]

Some nobodies complaining how ****ty their working environment is.

 

That's why I only buy games from companies that respect their employees with dignity.

[Wrath of Dagon]

How do you know which ones those are?

[Morgoth]

Does Obsidian, Valve or Blizzard give you the impression they treat their employees like ****?

[Wrath of Dagon]

Are those the only developers you buy from?

[Volourn]

Plenty of companies treat their employees fine in the game industry.

 

Mya dvice to people who don't like how they are treated is to quit, and find another job. That's common sense.

[Humodour]

Plenty of companies treat their employees fine in the game industry.

 

Mya dvice to people who don't like how they are treated is to quit, and find another job. That's common sense.

 

It's good advice, but it's not always that easy.

[Volourn]

The right choice isn't always the easy choice.

[Walsingham]

Frankly I think there's a tremendous amount of bad management in most industries. Which is why I no longer work for a large firm. I couldn't take any more spoon faced morons frittering away the lives of their employees.

[LadyCrimson]

I'm not sure the complaints in the article are unique to the 'gaming industry' - while of course it depends on the company you work for & what position you hold, such complaints seem fairly common all over. Perhaps particularly in careers that deal with entertainment formats. In other words, such is life.

[Azdeus]

Does Obsidian, Valve or Blizzard give you the impression they treat their employees like ****?

 

Kotick noted that in the past he changed the employee incentive program so that it "really rewards profit and nothing else." He continued, "You have studio heads who five years ago didn't know the difference between a balance sheet and a bed sheet who are now arguing allocations in our CFO's office pretty regularly. ... We have a real culture of thrift. The goal that I had in bringing a lot of the packaged goods folks into Activision about 10 years ago was to take all the fun out of making video games."

 

Yes, he just said that.

 

Ultimately, Kotick doesn't want his employees to take anything for granted. They should always be aware of "skepticism, pessimism, and fear" in the midst of the global economic downturn. "We are very good at keeping people focused on the deep depression," he said.

Source.

 

 

Interpret that as you wish. Don't remember how much input or say he has over Blizzard, but they're the same company.

[Hurlshort]

I'm pretty sure studio heads should buy into a culture of thrift. Otherwise the studio will likely fail.

[Morgoth]

Does Obsidian, Valve or Blizzard give you the impression they treat their employees like ****?

 

Kotick noted that in the past he changed the employee incentive program so that it "really rewards profit and nothing else." He continued, "You have studio heads who five years ago didn't know the difference between a balance sheet and a bed sheet who are now arguing allocations in our CFO's office pretty regularly. ... We have a real culture of thrift. The goal that I had in bringing a lot of the packaged goods folks into Activision about 10 years ago was to take all the fun out of making video games."

 

Yes, he just said that.

 

Ultimately, Kotick doesn't want his employees to take anything for granted. They should always be aware of "skepticism, pessimism, and fear" in the midst of the global economic downturn. "We are very good at keeping people focused on the deep depression," he said.

Source.

 

 

Interpret that as you wish. Don't remember how much input or say he has over Blizzard, but they're the same company.

Kotick has no authority over Blizzard's management. Blizzard is still Blizzard.

 

Edit: If hypothetically Kotick could impose his rules on Blizzard, Diablo 3 would be by now released and WoW2 announced.

Edited July 24, 2010 by Morgoth

[Walsingham]

I think the solution is a change of culture. Lazy abusive managers who hide behind procedure need to be openly crticised or at least mocked for being what they are. And yes I know that means a whole lot of seemingly inoffensive people are going to get hoofed, but it can't take forever for change to occur.

[Nightshape]

This article is an excellent insight into what its actually like on the inside, ignore Morgoth's latest demonstration of his inane ignorance, he seems to have forgotten that Obsidian have also laid people off, and treated some staff like crap, there are always reasons why people leave, etc... And it usually is to do with how the company is treating them.

 

Just because you don't hear about it doesn't mean it isn't happening.

 

Anyways the article touches on points which I have experienced personally, or heard of from friends who are at, or are at other companies etc...

 

Though the most poignant and to the point part of the article is this though...

 

"A lot of game developers have an

[Nightshape]

I think the solution is a change of culture. Lazy abusive managers who hide behind procedure need to be openly crticised or at least mocked for being what they are. And yes I know that means a whole lot of seemingly inoffensive people are going to get hoofed, but it can't take forever for change to occur.

 

It's far more complicated sadly... The problem actually stems from the top, the CEO's and investers etc... They want to spend as little as possible, and gain the most reward. Developers are desperate to survive it's how they earn their bread, producers and studio managers will agree to unreasonable demands and then expect the team to deliver, and sometimes through blood, sweat, and tears they do, other times they don't, the result of missing too many milestones can mean that the studio closes.

 

People will work ridiculious hours, risking their homelife, I know one guy who hadn't seen his wife for over a month, and his kids for nearly 2 months, because the job needed doing.

 

This is the reality of the industry.

[Walsingham]

I think the solution is a change of culture. Lazy abusive managers who hide behind procedure need to be openly crticised or at least mocked for being what they are. And yes I know that means a whole lot of seemingly inoffensive people are going to get hoofed, but it can't take forever for change to occur.

 

It's far more complicated sadly... The problem actually stems from the top, the CEO's and investers etc... They want to spend as little as possible, and gain the most reward. Developers are desperate to survive it's how they earn their bread, producers and studio managers will agree to unreasonable demands and then expect the team to deliver, and sometimes through blood, sweat, and tears they do, other times they don't, the result of missing too many milestones can mean that the studio closes.

 

People will work ridiculious hours, risking their homelife, I know one guy who hadn't seen his wife for over a month, and his kids for nearly 2 months, because the job needed doing.

 

This is the reality of the industry.

 

Fair rejoinder. I need to consider.

[Nightshape]

Forum, meet Joel, you've probably played a game or three he's worked on...

 

Joel Payne-

 

Two decades making games. I've seen a computer fly through a window, I've seen an ex employee trying to sledgehammer through from one companies adjoining wall to ours so he can get to his office and get his "stuff" back, I've seen one of my friends, a long time game vet kill himself on his birthday because nobody would listen to his brilliance . I've seen a barefoot art director tromp down the hallway like a baby to complain to his bosses when his concept art failed to look like the real-time model he expected when the limits of technology at the time wouldn't permit the level of detail he expected. I've had someone say he wanted to kill me and eat me, I've had anonymous threats when I attempted to suggest that we work together and share better ways to make the game better but.. because I was an "artist" my opinion was considered destructive to the game design hierarchy. I've had CEO's and coworkers claim my ideas without mentioning the source. I've had artist apply for a job with my artwork featured in their portfolios when I was the interviewer. I've been told that I had to work a 48 hour day, sleep on a company couch at work or "families will suffer when the company can't pay it's bills when the deliverable isn't met, Joel we're counting on you" I've been a part of countless layoffs, herded into a room with 300 brilliant talents and told that "**blank*** has F*'d us so we have to lay you all off effective immediately.... now" I've shown up to work and handed a glad trash bag and told that our 200K payroll had been stolen and that I

[Malcador]

Sounds like most corp developer jobs.

[Volourn]

Don't like it quit it.And, if it goes too far, have the guts tio take it court. Otherwise, go cry elsewhere.

 

Game companies are not unqiue to this kind of experience.

[Nightshape]

Don't like it quit it.And, if it goes too far, have the guts tio take it court. Otherwise, go cry elsewhere.

 

Game companies are not unqiue to this kind of experience.

 

Oh dear, I think you've missed the point Volo... But hey that's okay, you rarely have a grasp of simple concepts.

 

People quit the industry because they become sick of it.

[Guard Dog]

After enduring a workplace like this and through sheer force of effort overcoming it all to release a great product (like Alpha Protocol for example) I think I would be a little pissed if someone told me it sucked.

 

I'm closing in on 40 now and I've had two careers already, politics and engineering. Each has had good apects and bad (usually more of the latter). There is one thing I have learned. If you are miserable in your work, do something else. You will spend roughly 40% of your life working. Spending that much of your time unhappy will kill you just as surely as a bullet in the head.

 

One other observation on this article, the easier someone is to replace, the worse they will be treated. Unfortunately there are thousands of lousy schools (Devry, ITT, etc) churning out software writers and graphic artists by the legion. So a highly talented well educated designer is easily replaceable with one not as talented or educated but the business types how make the decisions would never appreciate the difference between the two. If the talent in game design were to begin looking elsewhere for work over time the 'thinning of ther herd" would lead to better pay and treatment.

Edited July 24, 2010 by Guard Dog

[Wrath of Dagon]

I think the fundamental problem in the game industry is that most games cost more than they're ever likely to bring back in revenues. Having said that those kinds of problems are common in small companies in most industries, they really run the gamut from great to awful.

[Meshugger]

Forum, meet Joel, you've probably played a game or three he's worked on...

 

Joel Payne-

 

Two decades making games. I've seen a computer fly through a window, I've seen an ex employee trying to sledgehammer through from one companies adjoining wall to ours so he can get to his office and get his "stuff" back, I've seen one of my friends, a long time game vet kill himself on his birthday because nobody would listen to his brilliance . I've seen a barefoot art director tromp down the hallway like a baby to complain to his bosses when his concept art failed to look like the real-time model he expected when the limits of technology at the time wouldn't permit the level of detail he expected. I've had someone say he wanted to kill me and eat me, I've had anonymous threats when I attempted to suggest that we work together and share better ways to make the game better but.. because I was an "artist" my opinion was considered destructive to the game design hierarchy. I've had CEO's and coworkers claim my ideas without mentioning the source. I've had artist apply for a job with my artwork featured in their portfolios when I was the interviewer. I've been told that I had to work a 48 hour day, sleep on a company couch at work or "families will suffer when the company can't pay it's bills when the deliverable isn't met, Joel we're counting on you" I've been a part of countless layoffs, herded into a room with 300 brilliant talents and told that "**blank*** has F*'d us so we have to lay you all off effective immediately.... now" I've shown up to work and handed a glad trash bag and told that our 200K payroll had been stolen and that I

[Wrath of Dagon]

You'd be surprised how many unbalanced people are out there. It's especially noticeable in companies with high turnover and high stress.