What is crunch in the video game industry?

Crunch culture in the video games industry is where video game developers work incredibly long hours, sometimes 80-100 hour weeks, with unpaid overtime the norm. It usually takes place in the final stages of a video game’s development cycle, to make sure that everything is as good as it can be before launch.

Do game Devs get paid overtime?

“Do video game developers get paid for overtime?” Usually no. Most of the time game developers are exempt salaried, which means they get paid what they get paid no matter how much or how little they work.

How is crunch legal?

As far as the United States is concerned, crunch is legal, but with a few caveats: First, companies are allowed to require employees to work overtime, and for video game developers, there is no limit on the number of overtime hours an employee can work.

How bad is video game crunch?

According to a 2019 of survey from the International Game Developers Association, 40 percent of game developers reported working crunch time at least once over the course of the previous year. Just 8 percent said they received extra pay for those hours. Some have blamed crunch on bad managers or unrealistic deadlines.

How long is crunch time?

65-80 hours
Crunch is a term used in the video game industry to describe compulsory overtime as it relates to the development of a game. Crunch in the game industry is common and can lead to work weeks of 65-80 hours for extended periods of time, often totally uncompensated.

Are crunches illegal?

Is Crunch Illegal? As far as the United States is concerned, crunch is legal, but with a few caveats: First, companies are allowed to require employees to work overtime, and for video game developers, there is no limit on the number of overtime hours an employee can work.

Is crunch time illegal?

For the majority of these developers, crunch wasn’t just a few extra hours or a long weekend, but at least 20 extra hours on top of their standard 40-hour workweek. Crunch has endured for so long in the games industry simply because it’s legal.

What is employee crunching?

Crunch is a form of unpaid overtime where staff in a video game studio are forced to work long hours to finish a project. The idea behind the concept is employees are expected to work long hours until the project deadline has been met by the studio.

Why does crunch time exist?

It stems from an emphasis that getting work done well and done quickly is more important than work-life balance or personal well being. Most of the problems with crunch are a result of the crunch culture that runs rampant and is widely accepted throughout the industry.

What is “video game Crunch”?

How is video game crunch defined? We’ve looked through dozens of articles on the subject and spoken with plenty of colleagues, and no one seems to fully agree upon a standard definition of “crunch” – it means different things to different people. For some it’s “working long hours”, others it’s “working long hours repeatedly”.

Is Crunch good or bad for employees?

Crunch can be paid work, or additional annual leave can be provided as part of working overtime, benefits that employees may see as being desirable (and, therefore, a net positive). However, it’s also possible to provide counterpoints to the potential positive effects of crunch mentioned above;

Is company-wide Crunch an optional work policy?

Another is that company-wide crunch can often be an informal cultural issue, rather than a formal work policy. Statements from management about crunch being optional is often paired with claims about those who do crunch “working harder” than those that don’t.

Do developers get paid extra for Crunch hours?

For the majority of these developers, crunch wasn’t just a few extra hours or a long weekend, but at least 20 extra hours on top of their standard 40-hour workweek. Just 8 percent said they received extra pay for those hours. Some have blamed crunch on bad managers or unrealistic deadlines.