Rockstar's Dirty Laundry

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

Rockstar sounds like a pretty fucking horrible place to work, which really isn't that surprising considering how video game companies are run. The worst part, for me, was the part where Rockstar fired the guy who wanted to fix their archaic as hell gameplay (at the 4:30 mark).

With just the poor game design coupled with the homogeneity of most AAA games makes it rather easy to not support most AAA pubs/devs for me let alone the moral part supporting that kind of business. Lastly, it's just really really hard to make good art in that kind of environment (i.e. Rockstar games).

 

[Casual Shinji]

Their dirty laundry has been out for years now -- Back during Red Dead 1 and L.A. Noire there was already talk of how shit of a place it is to work. But nobody cared back then and pretty sure nobody'll care now, because Rockstar makes too much money. At most the Hausers will be exposed for the hypocrates they are when the next GTA comes out criticizing corporate America, but I'm sure even that is wishful thinking.

 

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

Now the latest thing is Crunch Hours and Devs working too harshly.

Any other sensationalist topics I need in my gaming news?

 

[meiam]

The only way a company is going to fix there terrible treatment of employee is when they have a hard time hiring/retaining employee. So long as that doesn't happen there's nothing anyone can do. If the employee themselves decide to stick around it means that they accept the trade off, if a massive boycott was organize all this would do is reduce the amount of money rockstar get, meaning they'd have to fire employee, meaning the consumer would essentially take the decision of quitting for the employee which I don't think is a good idea.

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

Their dirty laundry has been out for years now -- Back during Red Dead 1 and L.A. Noire there was already talk of how shit of a place it is to work. But nobody cared back then and pretty sure nobody'll care now, because Rockstar makes too much money. At most the Hausers will be exposed for the hypocrates they are when the next GTA comes out criticizing corporate America, but I'm sure even that is wishful thinking.

In the case of their satirical aims in GTA, it seems to take one to know one. Maybe that?s the real reason they lay low, to avoid scrutiny.

 

[Kwak]

Now the latest thing is Crunch Hours and Devs working too harshly.

Any other sensationalist topics I need in my gaming news?

An ethics primer?

 

[MrCalavera_v1legacy]

Now the latest thing is Crunch Hours and Devs working too harshly.

Any other sensationalist topics I need in my gaming news?

How is crunch "sensationalist"?
It has been confirmed to be a norm by the very companies in question.

 

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

Now the latest thing is Crunch Hours and Devs working too harshly.

Any other sensationalist topics I need in my gaming news?

How is crunch "sensationalist"?
It has been confirmed to be a norm by the very companies in question.

Pardon the incorrect wording then.

I just think this is the next big controversial topic about gaming now that is gonna generate a lot of discussion, and potentially be abused by the gaming media and youtubers for clickbait.

Right now this is the next discussion after Online Passes, Loot Boxes, Broken Crowdfunding promises, etc.

 

[Specter Von Baren]

Now the latest thing is Crunch Hours and Devs working too harshly.

Any other sensationalist topics I need in my gaming news?

How is crunch "sensationalist"?
It has been confirmed to be a norm by the very companies in question.

Pardon the incorrect wording then.

I just think this is the next big controversial topic about gaming now that is gonna generate a lot of discussion, and potentially be abused by the gaming media and youtubers for clickbait.

Right now this is the next discussion after Online Passes, Loot Boxes, Broken Crowdfunding promises, etc.

I feel like the one key difference is that this is something directed at what is hurting game creators as apposed to game consumers.

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

Their dirty laundry has been out for years now -- Back during Red Dead 1 and L.A. Noire there was already talk of how shit of a place it is to work. But nobody cared back then and pretty sure nobody'll care now, because Rockstar makes too much money. At most the Hausers will be exposed for the hypocrates they are when the next GTA comes out criticizing corporate America, but I'm sure even that is wishful thinking.

It was more so all the other stuff outside of crunch time and Rockstar firing a guy for trying to fix their garbage gameplay.

The only way a company is going to fix there terrible treatment of employee is when they have a hard time hiring/retaining employee. So long as that doesn't happen there's nothing anyone can do. If the employee themselves decide to stick around it means that they accept the trade off, if a massive boycott was organize all this would do is reduce the amount of money rockstar get, meaning they'd have to fire employee, meaning the consumer would essentially take the decision of quitting for the employee which I don't think is a good idea.

If your skillset is video game development and most studios are run like this, then you kinda don't have that much of a choice unless you get lucky and get in with a good studio or choose to work some crappy minimum wage job making far less money. I'm not saying the employees have no power and can't do anything themselves, but doing something that risks your livelihood is super risky and most people aren't going to do it. That's sorta why labor laws became a thing to begin with because it's super hard for employees to do it themselves. Working more than 40hrs (like 45-55) for just like a couple weeks in a row sucks let alone the kinda ridiculous crunch that video game devs face.

Pardon the incorrect wording then.

I just think this is the next big controversial topic about gaming now that is gonna generate a lot of discussion, and potentially be abused by the gaming media and youtubers for clickbait.

Right now this is the next discussion after Online Passes, Loot Boxes, Broken Crowdfunding promises, etc.

Like Specter Von Baren implied (I think) and I said, you just can't make something creative/fresh/passionate/etc in the current AAA landscape. It shows greatly in games that we have seen releasing over the last 2 gens that video games are in a really horrible place with regards to game design and homogeneity. AAA is filled with poorly designed same-y games with the rare occasional bright spot. You think anyone at Bioware actually wanted to make Anthem for example. You can see the difference in a game that the devs were actually excited to make just like any piece of art in other mediums. Beyond just a basic ethics standpoint of supporting such practices, we are also getting a shit product most of the time. Plus, the video was more than just crunch time as well.

 

[Squilookle]

Now the latest thing is Crunch Hours and Devs working too harshly.

Any other sensationalist topics I need in my gaming news?

We're sorry if unfair dismissal and a pervading workplace sense of fear so oppressive it is leading to mental breakdowns and people afraid to speak out about it is 'sensationalist' to you.

Oh wait. No we're not.

 

[Fieldy409_v1legacy]

Nobody will care until if or when they put out bad games, like Konami. Then everybody will jump on their soapboxes to piousley condemn rockstars business practices.

I don't know why people are like this, but I think nobody is capable of nuance anymore. There's going to be a huge amount of people who think criticising Rockstar means you hate everything about them.

 

[Dalisclock]

Now the latest thing is Crunch Hours and Devs working too harshly.

Any other sensationalist topics I need in my gaming news?

Its about Ethics in Games Manufacturing.

Is it too soon?

 

[Avnger]

Now the latest thing is Crunch Hours and Devs working too harshly.

Any other sensationalist topics I need in my gaming news?

How is crunch "sensationalist"?
It has been confirmed to be a norm by the very companies in question.

Pardon the incorrect wording then.

I just think this is the next big controversial topic about gaming now that is gonna generate a lot of discussion, and potentially be abused by the gaming media and youtubers for clickbait.

Right now this is the next discussion after Online Passes, Loot Boxes, Broken Crowdfunding promises, etc.

It's almost like despite being a fun hobby for people with disposable income, there is a real dark side to gaming... Nah, must just be sensationalist nonsense.

 

[Gordon_4_v1legacy]

Now the latest thing is Crunch Hours and Devs working too harshly.

Any other sensationalist topics I need in my gaming news?

Its about Ethics in Games Manufacturing.

Is it too soon?

Fucking. Savage.

I love it. And yeah, like I get there are times where shits gone wrong and its nose to the grindstone to get it fixed but making those conditions your operating norm is fucking appalling.

 

[Fieldy409_v1legacy]

And yeah, like I get there are times where shits gone wrong and its nose to the grindstone to get it fixed but making those conditions your operating norm is fucking appalling.

Yeah. If you need to crunch it should be because of a problem. Either something's gone wrong and you've lost work or something takes longer than you thought. If it consistently happens, that means the management has failed because paying all this overtime shouldn't be cost effective for them. Being forced to crunch is arguably a failure of time management.

They can just hire more people if deadlines aren't being met during normal workhours, it has to be cheaper than paying so much overtime, I assume in America its at least time and a half?

 

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

Now the latest thing is Crunch Hours and Devs working too harshly.

Any other sensationalist topics I need in my gaming news?

We're sorry if unfair dismissal and a pervading workplace sense of fear so oppressive it is leading to mental breakdowns and people afraid to speak out about it is 'sensationalist' to you.

Oh wait. No we're not.

Did I wanted people to be sorry for me about this? We should be sorry about the game devs.

While improving the working conditions of Game Developers is great thing to do, and yes I do think it is, I don't know if that also translate to better games being made. But that is not the issue here of course.

 

[Erttheking]

Really glad I feel no strong interest in anything Rockstar has been putting out lately. I don't feel comfortable supporting this company.

Now the latest thing is Crunch Hours and Devs working too harshly.

Any other sensationalist topics I need in my gaming news?

Yes, we get it, you're tired of people having the audacity to criticize gaming, but the rest of us don't just like to sweep nasty stuff under the rug.

 

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

Really glad I feel no strong interest in anything Rockstar has been putting out lately. I don't feel comfortable supporting this company.

Now the latest thing is Crunch Hours and Devs working too harshly.

Any other sensationalist topics I need in my gaming news?

Yes, we get it, you're tired of people having the audacity to criticize gaming, but the rest of us don't just like to sweep nasty stuff under the rug.

I am just wondering when all this will end and gaming will be better?

 

[Drathnoxis]

Is there a AAA company that's actually a good place to work?