Development Not All Fun and Games

Industry body responds to developer moans.

Recent months have seen increasing numbers of employees within the development industry voicing their dissatisfaction with current working conditions and practices.

The apparent spouse of an EA employee recently raised the ire of the company by publicly slamming what she called EA's unreasonable demands.

The International Game Developers Association (IGDA), a professional body for videogame creators, has stepped into the simmering cauldron with an open letter to the industry. In the document, the IGDA called for developers and publishers to reassess how they go about the business of making games.

The IGDA placed the blame for the current situation on both the management within publishing houses and also the developers themselves.

Often, the letter said, developers submit themselves to "extreme working conditions, adopting a macho bravado in hopes of 'proving' themselves worthy for the industry".

"Our own attitudes towards work/life balance and production practices need to change just as much as the attitudes of the 'suits'."

But what is the root cause of the mounting unease at the development workplace? Part of the problem is what the IGDA calls the "fundamental challenges within the industry".

The videogame industry has gone through many changes in the past decade, as technology advanced at breakneck speed and companies dealt with the financial obstacles presented by a hit-centric marketplace.

To reduce dissent, the IGDA aims to address these problems areas by holding workshops and discussions, so that developers can move towards better working conditions.

"We have no doubt that with everyone's help and contribution we can save the industry and art form we are all so passionate about," the letter concluded.

Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games