With every single game they release there's an article about mistreatment of employees;

GTA4 Voice Actors Complain of Union Follies

Alleged 'Degrading' Work Conditions at San Diego Studio

L.A. Noire Developer Being Investigated For Brutal Working Conditions

Team Bondi accused of dropping developers from L.A. Noire's credits

Poor working conditions in the industry is something that happens a lot, it's a bit of a classic problem. It's why so many people are leaving to start their own smaller companies (i.e. me), but this is a real fucking trend for Rockstar. What's going on?

I'd honeslty rather have smaller games, guys!

Team Bondi isn't Rockstar, nor are the owned by Rockstar. Most of the complaints actually came from people who worked on L.A. Noire prior to Rockstar picking up the publishing deal, actually.

Well, even though Team Bondi isn't Rockstar, Rockstar still had the same problems with Red Dead Redemption. 

Just another reason why indie games are the best thing to happen to the industry since Nintendo.

It's an industry-wide problem (see also: EA Widows). I wouldn't single out Rockstar for this sort of thing.

The whiny voice actor stuff really had nothing to do with Rockstar.

Rockstar games are massive, massive titles and they no doubt expect nothing less than perfection. Sadly, the bigger and more ambitious a game, the more workers seem to be mistreated. As the Bomb Squad have been saying, if they made a tighter, non-sandbox experience, the game would be super tight and probably easier on those who work there.

Oh ok I thought Rockstar was ontop of Team Bondi.

Anyway, still sucks!

@extremeradical said:

Just another reason why indie games are the best thing to happen to the industry since Nintendo.

aaaaaa not exactly. Indies still come close to killin emselves, for example Team Meat, "Even considering the game's success, I'd never go back and do it again."

So this is a problem everyone has.

The whiny voice actor stuff really had nothing to do with Rockstar.

@Lord_Yeti said:

The whiny voice actor stuff really had nothing to do with Rockstar.

Whiny?  I thought they were completely justified in their complaints.  

@Lord_Yeti said:

The whiny voice actor stuff really had nothing to do with Rockstar.

Whiny?  I thought they were completely justified in their complaints.  

@LaszloKovacs said:

It's an industry-wide problem (see also: EA Widows). I wouldn't single out Rockstar for this sort of thing.

Yeah. This. Rockstar seems to get the most guff about it though.

$100,000 for just one project is pretty damn good for a voice actor.

Oh no! Crunchtime happened at the end of a games development!

Also the last 2 that relate to LA Noire have nothing to do with Rockstar.

Did anything ever happen with the Red Dead controversy? Or did they just go make Undead Nightmare?

I don't care if they're using child labour, as long as I keep getting awesome games.

@benjaebe said:

Team Bondi isn't Rockstar, nor are the owned by Rockstar. Most of the complaints actually came from people who worked on L.A. Noire prior to Rockstar picking up the publishing deal, actually.

The TC is connecting how all of these rockstar published or developed games get a bad rep for horrible working conditions. Everyone knows that Team Bondi isn't rockstar, no need to point it out everytime someone affiliates LA Noire with rockstar.

@I_smell said:

@extremeradical said:

Just another reason why indie games are the best thing to happen to the industry since Nintendo.

aaaaaa not exactly. Indies still come close to killin emselves, for example Team Meat, "Even considering the game's success, I'd never go back and do it again."

So this is a problem everyone has.

It seems to be working well for iOS developers.

They also forced an editor to be fired because he refused to praise RDR as heavily as Rockstar demanded.

Just another reason why indie games are the best thing to happen to the industry since Nintendo.

They also forced an editor to be fired because he refused to praise RDR as heavily as Rockstar demanded.

People still pay.
 
If you don't like it, don't buy from them.

@Surkov said:

@Metal_Mills said:

They also forced an editor to be fired because he refused to praise RDR as heavily as Rockstar demanded.

Are you joking?

http://www.giantbomb.com/forums/general-discussion/30/video-game-journalist-fired-over-red-dead-redemption-coverage/415629/

@Metal_Mills said:

@Surkov said:

@Metal_Mills said:

They also forced an editor to be fired because he refused to praise RDR as heavily as Rockstar demanded.

Are you joking?

http://www.giantbomb.com/forums/general-discussion/30/video-game-journalist-fired-over-red-dead-redemption-coverage/415629/

Interesting way to spin it. From reading the source article on Ve3D he wasn't canned because he gave the game a bad review and it certainly wasn't Rockstars decision, he was canned because he posted part of an email sent to him by a PR person at Rockstar that said "This is the biggest game we've done since GTA IV, and is already receiving Game of the Year 2010 nominations from specialists all around the world," it read. "Can you please ensure Toby's article reflects this — he needs to respect the huge achievement he's writing about here."

They might have been leaning a little heavily on him to mention the praise it's gotten around the world so far, but that's what PR people do in any situation - it's their job.

Blizzard is right next to my house and I hear stories fairly often about the hours demanded.  It's why having a family and striving for excellence in the game development community is extremely difficult.  

Team Bondi is Team Bondi. This recent stuff is about them, not Rockstar. Even more specifically Brendan McNamara.

@extremeradical said:

Just another reason why indie games are the best thing to happen to the industry since Nintendo.

You don't think that indie developers have to work long grueling hours with no overtime and no vacation pay in order to get their games done?  I think you might be living in a dream world my friend.  The less money you have the harder you have to work.  These are just a bunch of overpayed whiny white collar professionals who have probably never had to do a real days work in their lives and then complain as soon as they have to work more than 8 hours in a day to help out this company that has put food on their table for the last 7 years, in Team Bondi's case.  If you want to be successful in life you have got to be willing to sacrifice, and it just doesn't seem like these people give a shit about success.  And you know what?  That's fine.  Not everyone needs to be the best at what they do, but the one's who want to be the best aren't the type of people you'll hear complaining about having to work too hard.  Go read up on the production of Braid or Minecraft or Super Meat Boy and you'll find that these guys were not just putting in 8 hour day complete with overtime and benefits when making these games.  This is why GiantBomb needs to do more articles on indie developers.  Some people think that they actually have it easier than these big name developers, and it's just not the case.

When it's crunch time you have to work long hours, it's that way with any industries.  When we are about to close on a job, we have to work at least 50 hours a week for a while but that's just the way it is.  

Hah, I remember when a bunch og GB members were going to boycott Rockstar by not buying RDR because of the poor tratment to their employees. Fastforward a few months later and those same people had RDR as their top spot for GOTY, bunch of hypocrites I tell ya.  
 
As for this, most developers do this all the time, it's not that shocking.  

It might not be surprising, but I still think it's a problem.

@phish09 said:

You don't think that indie developers have to work long grueling hours with no overtime and no vacation pay in order to get their games done? I think you might be living in a dream world my friend. The less money you have the harder you have to work. These are just a bunch of overpayed whiny white collar professionals who have probably never had to do a real days work in their lives and then complain as soon as they have to work more than 8 hours in a day to help out this company that has put food on their table for the last 7 years, in Team Bondi's case. If you want to be successful in life you have got to be willing to sacrifice, and it just doesn't seem like these people give a shit about success. And you know what? That's fine. Not everyone needs to be the best at what they do, but the one's who want to be the best aren't the type of people you'll hear complaining about having to work too hard.

This is interesting because it sounds exactly like something a project manager would say. If you come in with a genuine concern about how things are being run, this is the kind of demeaning guilt-trip you'll get: "You're expected to give 150%" as if you've bin drafted in the marines or something, when really you are an animator, or texture artist, or programmer.

IT'S POSSIBLE to make videogames without throwing your life away. You might not be the next Halo or Half Life, but you'll be better off if you don't worry about that. The classic story with Meat Boy or Braid or Fez is that they planned something WAY BIGGER than they should've done and regretted it- they didn't keep working like some incredible robot- they kept working because they were terrified of throwing away the time they'd already spent. But there are teams out there who put their staff above their insane dreams, and I wish there were a lot more.

Also there's no such thing as "crunch time". All time is crunch time. That's the dirty secret.