‘‘Weekends became something other people did’: Understanding and intervening in the habitus of video game crunch’ – Amanda C. Cote & Brandon C. Harris
The article focuses on the persistence of crunch (employees working a lot of unpaid overtime) in the game industry, reducing the quality of life of many game developers. It is a dangerous and persistent issue, which is often not taken seriously enough. Previous research has attributed this continuity of crunch to the project-based nature of developing games, and a culture of secrecy in the game industry. The article recognizes that the project-based nature of developing games cannot be changed. However, it focuses on another aspect: the ‘habitus,’ which describes how previous practices and actions influence future decisions. The article tries to advise on how to improve the habitus in the game development industry, in order to improve the QoL of game developers.
Games are often viewed as an unmanageable and unpredictable industry due to its creative and fast-paced environment; this belief results in poor scheduling of projects. Past projects have proved that with better management it is possible to deliver good (maybe even better) results with less crunch. I think this factor should be the easiest to improve, as it can be strictly implemented company wide.
Additionally, most game developers have an anti-corporate ethos, resulting in them rejecting bureaucracy (including better structures, HR, etc.). Therefore, it is essential to show game developers that they are already part of a large capitalist structure. Even though it seems hard to change someone’s beliefs, it would reduce the resistance to management in the industry.
Lastly, the developer identity, which labels developers as passionate and precise, tries to relabel crunch as something positive (dedication), while it is labour exploitation. Making game developers realize the importance of their work, hopefully, will reduce the crunch.
Addressing these three main points will hopefully change the habitus in the game developer industry and improve the situation of its employees, as the current situation is unacceptable.
Secret Sauce: How Diversity in Your Game Narrative = More Players and More Money (oh, and a better game too) – Tom Abernathy
In the video, Abernathy tries to convince others to make games more diverse. His main inspiration for this is his daughter, who does not feel properly represented in many books, movies and especially games. This is something I can relate to, as many storylines (especially in genres like action, thriller, and comedy) revolve around man. Even though, I would not consider myself a gamer, even the games I play on my phone have a disbalance between genders, as the default character is often a Caucasian man.
In the video, Abernathy briefly discusses how games should include more ethnical and gender diversity for moral reasons, and how it would positively benefit the creativity and richness possible in the narrative. However, he mainly focuses on the business, as people often argue that it is not profitable to diversify games. With statistics, Abernathy is able to demonstrate that the image of a stereotypical young Caucasian teenage boy as gamer is not an accurate representation of the actual gaming demographics. As the actual current demographic of gamers is more diverse in both gender, and ethnicity it should positively impact sales to diversify games, as people like seeing people who look like them.
Focusing on the sales argument is smart, as I feel that it is often the only reasoning big companies will listen to. At the same time, these statistics really show that it is not only profitable to diversify, but also important to do so in order to represent the large number of gamers who are not Caucasian and male.
Zenobia Awards
The game ‘Beneath the Surface’ is set in the province of Limburg in the Netherlands, where mineworkers dug into the grounds to extract coal from the mines from the late 19th century till the 1970s. Players control a group of miners who can complete a range of tasks. The goal of the players is to make a large profit. Players would be forced to make trade-offs between issues like hazard risks, worker welfare and extraction rate. One of the mechanisms of the game would be drawing a card triggering a mining accident, workers’ strike, or other similar setbacks. It would also include cards representing real events state interventions in mining laws, large amounts of immigrant mine workers, or the supply shortage during WWII. The game aims to illustrate how easily companies get blinded by the idea of a large profit, ignoring the health and welfare of their employees.
The project manager would be responsible for scheduling the development of the game and monitoring the employees to avoid too much pressure and exhaustion. This person would be responsible for communication within the team, to keep the expectations realistic, and get everyone on the same page. Enough game developers are hired, who work on the mechanisms, and visual design of the game. Also, a historical researcher is appointed to ensure historical accuracy and gather stories from people who have worked in the mines to provide more depth to the game. These stories should include both stories from Dutch and immigrant mine workers, as their experiences and treatment would vary.