Red Dead Redemption Artist Blasts Rockstar San Diego

[jaketheripper]

So.. a disgruntled worker and we can only take his word for it...right.

EXACTLY what i was thinking, hese full of grade-A bs.

 

[Treeinthewoods]

Disgruntled former employee, total pussy on top of that.

It's the price we pay for the life we lead. You want to earn the big bucks in a highly competitive job industry you have to learn to make the sacrifices when it's time. If you are not willing to make those sacrifices you will be replaced when someone willing steps up.

Try being an accountant from January to April, try running your own business, try being a farmer. You will be have to make sacrifices for work, you will fail if you don't. If you're not willing to put in the extra work when it needs to be done then please go find some cushy government job or something else low pressure and allow a smart, hard working and dedicated person to take your "terrible" salaried position with a highly successful developer.

Rockstar is richer having lost him.

 

[duchaked]

at least Rockstar hasn't set up a private security force to imprison their employees...

 

[DTWolfwood]

Wait aren't there laws that say they can't do that? I mean whats to keep him from just leaving after 8 hours? Assuming the work still gets done on time, companies can't shouldn't lay you off for working hours that are agreed upon. (also assuming they don't swamp you with work)

Everything in your statement is wrong.

The laws are set up so that they have to provide some form of compensation, that compensation could be extra paid time off.

And In the US, an employer can terminate your employment at any time for any reason or for no reason other than a very few illegal reasons unless they are in a contract with you that says otherwise (like a union contract.)

inherent points made previously <.< Terms of your employment can be used against your employer if he breaks them (you'll be out of a job but again there is always litigation should he chooses.)

p.s. so im wrong about can or can't but whats makes my questions wrong?

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Let's say this is all true.

I've done 70 hour weeks before, and by the end of it I couldn't even turn on the computer as it took too much brain power.

This guys did all that for 2 years before he decided to quit?

By that point, you'd be sectioned.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Some stuff I will read later.

Ullo Jeffers, how you doing? Long time and that.

 

[chronobreak]

I honestly can't believe how many people on this site have bought into the 'Your work is your life' mantra that Corporate America wants you to follow. Your work should be an enabler for all the things you want to do in life, and a way to pay for all the unfortunate necessities.

I have to take small issue with this statement right here. People do these types of hours for the payout, which in turn enables them to have what they want in life. I don't work 60 hour weeks for my health, I do it so my family doesn't have to go wanting. It isn't about your work being your life, it's how much you want out of life that decides the way you work.

 

[Da_Schwartz]

So the moral of the story is hard work, long hours and strict management makes good video games at the end of the day. Who knew...Whatever, screw this guy, I'll trade jobs with him anytime.

Whatever the work ethic was it payed of. RDR was the best game they've done to date, the time and energy shows. Or instead they can just push out some more shitty GTA games by the handful.

Because all that matters is that the game is good, not what the devs were forced to go through in making it. What a nice thought. Why don't we just chain developers to their desks. If they're forced to do nothing but work on games, that'll lead to better games won't it? We'll only promise them food and water if they meet their daily targets, and they won't be allowed to sleep until each level is fully modelled and tested. That'll have the added bonus effect of more levels, meaning longer games.

Hell, if we don't pay them, that gives more money to use on focus groups and advertising, all of which lead to better games and more return on investment.

You say you'd trade places with the guy. Try sitting and doing nothing at computer screens from 9 till 5, 5 days a week. Then, if your eyes haven't melted by that point, try doing that from 9am till 9pm, 6 days a week. See how you feel about trading places with him after then...

Done and done. My day starts at about 5:30 am. Off for supplies, wrap up at about 4:30pm. Then off home to my two kids for bathtime, cooking dinner, cleaning, down for bed, getting ready for tomorrow. On a given workday From 5:30 when i wake up till about 8-9pm when i finally sit down im working my ass off one way or another. SO yea... I'll trade. Ill take the cubicle and keyboard and he can have the jackhammer, yards of cement, concrete casts, palates of brick, block and stone and all the other heavy, cold and fun things i work with all day.

My point being a 72 hour work week is not that big of a deal. Not big enough to turn around and throw your company under the bus for. This guy must of enjoyed his work. Its not really the kind of job you just get stuck with one day cause mcdonalds wasn't hiring. I'm sure hes been an artist for years and had to of known what a job like this entails. It's not an everyday job. SOme extra work and extra hours im sure would be expected. Especially while working for a company such as Rockstar, and a project as big as RDR.

Whatever, again screw this guy. You don't hear the devs bitching over at nintendo trying to meet a super mario galaxy deadline. Cause I'm sure they don't put in some xtra time now and again >.> I'm just not seeing this as a "OMG they tied me down to my chair, forced me to stay late.. kept my eyes open with paperclips, and i typed till my fingers bled kind of story. I just assume working conditions/ situations like this would be expected in a job like this.

 

[Amarsir]

Those of us who are self-employed and regularly work 80+ hour weeks with absolutely no guarantee of a paycheck would like to know who to complain to.

Look, that's what a salary is. You get paid to get the job done, regardless of what it takes. If you're underpaid then you do what people do when they're underpaid: go find another job that pays more. Unions wouldn't work well because work is very individualized. You're not paid for typing on a keyboard, you're paid for writing code. And tying your pay to the other guy's doesn't guarantee you won't both be underpaid. It just means you won't get a raise for doing better work.

Now this doesn't mean Rockstar can do whatever they want to their employees. It means this guy needs to quit crying about it and take some responsibility for his choice. He should go demand better pay or he walks. If he's doing something special he's worth a raise. If not then how is he entitled to this job over the unemployed folks who would happy trade spots with him?

 

[asinann]

Wait aren't there laws that say they can't do that? I mean whats to keep him from just leaving after 8 hours? Assuming the work still gets done on time, companies can't shouldn't lay you off for working hours that are agreed upon. (also assuming they don't swamp you with work)

Everything in your statement is wrong.

The laws are set up so that they have to provide some form of compensation, that compensation could be extra paid time off.

And In the US, an employer can terminate your employment at any time for any reason or for no reason other than a very few illegal reasons unless they are in a contract with you that says otherwise (like a union contract.)

inherent points made previously <.< Terms of your employment can be used against your employer if he breaks them (you'll be out of a job but again there is always litigation should he chooses.)

p.s. so im wrong about can or can't but whats makes my questions wrong?

Working hours aren't something agreed upon either, you work what they tell you to work. The only protections you have are that they aren't allowed to keep you for 24 hour shifts unless you work in certain fields (military, fire fighters, emergency relief workers.) And most employers just use the "there isn't enough work to keep them on the payroll" excuse to cut people loose. If this story is true it was unethical, but only illegal if they failed to provide compensation of any kind, and since there is usually a bonus at the end of a production cycle of a video game, he got compensation.

 

[TransMando]

I really hope this isn't the case. I work a job that sometimes requires 12+ hour days to 'get the job done', but I get paid for all of that time!

At the end of the day you should get paid for the work done!

Sadly that is the case and if your getting paid more then $14 an hour at your job your pretty lucky because most companies switch to a salary base after that (since it's so much more cost effective).

I had a friend who got hired at a cell phone company (many years ago when they were still brand new) right out of high school. He got hired at $18 an hour and over the first few years jumped up to $22. He often had to work overtime (on average probably an extra 12 hours a week) but never on the weekend (we were all in our early 20's then and had huge get together/parties all weekend).

He averaged more at 17 then most people did with a Masters degree because of the way he was paid. Sadly he blew everything and when his job went away after about 10 years he had nothing saved up and no marketable skills or training. He ended up living off the government the last time I saw him and was very unhappy with life.

Moral of this story. If your young and have a job that pays a freaking TON.....save some of your money and try and get some training while your at it (night school etc) so when your job ends you still are employable. Oh yeah....and appreciate any job that requires you to work less then 50 hours a week while still paying enough for you to live on comfortably.

Best bet seems to be to get a government job like at the post office etc. They pay around $60k starting where I live, have fixed hours, health care, retirement and high job security (even now). Not easy to get those jobs though of course.

I get $25 - $35 per hour because I am with a union. There isn't any 'overtime pay' but the wage in itself compensates for that in a way. I work in a trade and I get calls to do technical work for theatre companies and large venues that do concerts etc... When there is work there is tons of work (for example December is always jam packed with shows) but when it dries up for a couple weeks and you haven't been smart with your cash its like you hadn't worked at all.

 

[noles82]

If this guy is telling the truth, then I have lost absolutely all respect for Rockstar. No game, and I mean this, no game is worth treating your employees like slave labour.

This isn't slave labor. You can't walk away from slave labor. You also don't get paid for slave labor. Don't exaggerate the issue with five-dollar phrases. Video games fall under the umbrella of the entertainment industry, and as such, are subject to different labor laws. This includes extended hours in a week to meet deadlines.

That being said, you'd think that with that much talent working that many hours, they'd be able to produce something better than Red Dead Redemption, but I digress.

(Source: http://www.gamespot.com/news/6113582.html / http://www.dir.ca.gov/t8/11170.html)