General Gaming Former developers (employees & contractors) detail "severe crunch" at NetherRealm Studios, update: extensive USgamer report detailing culture of "crunch and class division"

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

80-100 hour weeks were common at NetherRealm for weeks or months at a time, while contractors struggled with low pay.

[Paperclyp]

Certainly seems like the norm. But the ball seems like it’s rolling on these stories. 

[Chris-]

So how much longer until the bubble finally bursts?

[skillzdadirecta]

Damn this brings back memories from my time at Riot... that was the first time I've ever been close to being broken professionally. I was at a restaurant the other day and I overheard a group talking about working there at the bar and they pretty much had the same experience. Insane... they confuse working hard and long for working smart.

[Kal-El814]

1 hour ago, Chris- said:

So how much longer until the bubble finally bursts?

The bubble will burst when these practices get gamers to stop supporting developers who do this.

 

So... likely never.

[HGLatinBoy]

4 hours ago, skillzdadirecta said:

Damn this brings back memories from my time at Riot... that was the first time I've ever been close to being broken professionally. I was at a restaurant the other day and I overheard a group talking about working there at the bar and they pretty much had the same experience. Insane... they confuse working hard and long for working smart.

What'd you do at Riot?

[skillzdadirecta]

1 hour ago, HGLatinBoy said:

What'd you do at Riot?

I was producing and editing one of their video series.

[Kal-El814]

16 minutes ago, skillzdadirecta said:

I was producing and editing one of their video series.

How many times did you get farted on in meetings?

[skillzdadirecta]

Lol never.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

13 minutes ago, skillzdadirecta said:

Lol never.

[Keyser_Soze]

9 hours ago, Chris- said:

So how much longer until the bubble finally bursts?

 

Until a studio comes along and makes an effort to treat it's employees fairly.

[Xbob42]

13 hours ago, Kal-El814 said:

The bubble will burst when these practices get gamers to stop supporting developers who do this.

 

So... likely never.

It's not on gamers to get these dopes to fucking unionize like grown ass adults.

[Keyser_Soze]

Why doesn't d1p make a studio?

We've got programmers, artists, music makers, leadership. Everyone gets paid the same regardless of position, no sweatshop hours. Let's do this!

[GameDadGrant]

@Keyser_Soze for president.

[Bacon]

13 hours ago, Keyser_Soze said:

Why doesn't d1p make a studio?

No one will agree on what kind of game. 

[GameDadGrant]

16 hours ago, Bacon said:

No one will agree on what kind of game. 

Nah, it'll be easy. Battle Royale Music/Rhythm. 

 

Obviously. 

[Keyser_Soze]

53 minutes ago, GameDadGrant said:

Nah, it'll be easy. Battle Royale Music/Rhythm. 

 

Obviously. 

 

Not a bad idea. Like Luminies Battle Royale? Or Tetris Effect mixed with Tetris 99?

[Mr.Vic20]

I nominate @Derek to HEAD up the PCCB division! 

[Bloodporne]

On 4/27/2019 at 3:43 PM, Kal-El814 said:

The bubble will burst when these practices get gamers to stop supporting developers who do this.

 

So... likely never.

Don't agree, unions are the answer. There are issues there as well, sure, but unions have been proven to be the only way to beat what the American system does to the average worker. If you leave it up to some employer's empathy and/or sales figures, best of luck. 

 

If people stop buying their product, they'll simply start firing staff and make the 10 sorry motherfuckers left work 200 hours per work to prove a point that their job is a biblical (@SFLUFAN, eh eh????) blessing which should be worshiped every night before their 2 hours of bed time. 

 

Is that a lofty goal, I'm sure, but damn, the video game industry sounds like some of the most hideous working conditions based on all these articles hitting lately. There has to be a breaking point, no? I don't know how much of this is really common but to an outsider like me, this seems really widespread.

[GameDadGrant]

1 hour ago, Keyser_Soze said:

 

Not a bad idea. Like Luminies Battle Royale? Or Tetris Effect mixed with Tetris 99?

 

[Bacon]

6 hours ago, GameDadGrant said:

Nah, it'll be easy. Battle Royale Music/Rhythm. 

 

Obviously. 

Sounds like shit. Pass. I want an ARPG. 

[Remarkableriots]

On 4/28/2019 at 2:18 AM, Keyser_Soze said:

Why doesn't d1p make a studio?

We've got programmers, artists, music makers, leadership. Everyone gets paid the same regardless of position, no sweatshop hours. Let's do this!

Where would the studio be located? @SFLUFAN 

I'll be the janitor! Would be a big pay increase from my current job! My job has been depressing me.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

5 minutes ago, Remarkableriots said:

Where would the studio be located? @SFLUFAN 

I'll be the janitor! Would be a big pay increase from my current job! My job has been depressing me.

Unlike every other game studio, we're NOT going to be located in a ludicrously high-cost place like the Bay Area.

 

Instead, we're going to be located in Bangui, Central African Republic.

[Keyser_Soze]

1 hour ago, SFLUFAN said:

Instead, we're going to be located in Bangui, Central African Republic.

 

All costs offset by affordable real estate are going to be poured into security.

[Remarkableriots]

10 hours ago, Keyser_Soze said:

 

All costs offset by affordable real estate are going to be poured into security.

 

11 hours ago, SFLUFAN said:

Unlike every other game studio, we're NOT going to be located in a ludicrously high-cost place like the Bay Area.

 

Instead, we're going to be located in Bangui, Central African Republic.

This could be our office building!

 

[Bloodporne]

13 hours ago, SFLUFAN said:

Unlike every other game studio, we're NOT going to be located in a ludicrously high-cost place like the Bay Area.

 

Instead, we're going to be located in Bangui, Central African Republic.

Fuck no, this office is opening in NY next door to my house. I will be Human Resources and therefore falsify all reports against my incessant harassment and offensive, stupid jokes. Also face-farting. 

[Remarkableriots]

2 hours ago, Bloodporne said:

Fuck no, this office is opening in NY next door to my house. I will be Human Resources and therefore falsify all reports against my incessant harassment and offensive, stupid jokes. Also face-farting. 

The office can be near your house but you will be getting roommate's!  FYI I'm the big spoon! 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

USgamer published an extensive report on the allegations against NetherRealm today:

 

"This Is How They Get Away With It:" Former NetherRealm Studios Contract Devs Reveal a Troubling Studio Culture

Last week, just as NetherRealm Studios celebrated the release of Mortal Kombat 11, ex-contractors at the company shared stories on social media with startling allegations of crunch and stressful workplace conditions; particularly for contracted employees. Our investigation into the allegations has revealed a long-running culture at NetherRealm that has taken advantage of a contracted workforce, enabled by a full-time staff and management team that are still currently working at the studio.

 

Perhaps the most damaging allegation: 

One anonymous source tells USgamer that some Mortal Kombat fatalities come from temp workers, as part of open invitations for ideas. “They invite the temp workers because they can just give away an awesome idea without having to pay them extra for it. One person in QA made storyboards for their suggested fatality sequence. Their idea made it in, but they never got that full-time position they were chasing.”