What causes crunch in game development?

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.

Do game developers work overtime?

The 2021 State of the Industry survey indicates that long working hours remains an issue for the game industry. Crunch—the practice of developers working sustained overtime hours in order to meet a deadline—is a major issue in the game industry.

What is crunch time work?

“Crunch mode”, also referred to as “crunch time,” is the term used by those in the software development industry to describe working extra hours for extended periods of time in order to finish a project or meet a deadline.

How long is crunch time in game development?

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.

Why is game crunch bad?

At least if you’re working on your own game, the crunch you put in is to your own benefit, an investment in a game that you own. Whereas crunch on salary is just a gift to your employer, rewarding them for poor scheduling, poor management, and the disrespect that they are showing you by even asking.

Are crunches legal?

Few people point to the law as a primary cause of crunch, but in many cases that’s the best explanation. Crunch has endured for so long in the games industry simply because it’s legal.

Why is it called crunch time?

Crunch quickly became a part of everyday language, primarily through sports, where writers and game announcers would use the expression “crunch time” to refer to the dying embers of an extremely close game of basketball. Churchill’s use of the crunch had now become a common colloquialism.

Are crunches unavoidable?

The fact is that crunch, while presented as voluntary, is a demand. If you want to work in the gaming industry, you adhere to crunch. It’s a widespread industry standard, one which smaller studios try to avoid. Sometimes though, it can be unavoidable.

Do game developers get crunchy days?

This crunch comes in many different forms—sometimes it’s long and drawn-out; other times it’s just a few weeks at the end of a project—but for people who work in video games, it’s always there. And because most game developers work on salaries, it’s almost always unpaid.

How common is Crunch in the gaming industry?

A 2014 survey by the International Game Developers Association found that 81\% of polled game developers had crunched at some point over the previous two years. (50\% felt crunch was expected in their workplaces and a “normal part of the job.”) Why is this still happening? Why do people so often have to work crazy hours just to make video games?

Is the video game development industry stuck in the past?

Video games are a multi-billion-dollar, international industry; the once-niche medium has gone mainstream. Video game development, however, remains stuck in the past — game developers across the spectrum report archaic business practices.

How many hours do video game developers really work?

Some say they’ve taken vows to never work more than 10 hours a day. To many developers and outside observers, one thing is increasingly clear: the video game industry’s reliance on crunch is unsustainable, and hurts far more than it helps. Why does this happen? Pretend, for a second, that you’re the head of an independent video game company.