Assuming I become a programmer, my future career will be full of it. Crunch is the (often unpaid) overtime work most common during the stages just before a game's release. Some members of the "Red Read Redemption 2" team from Rockstar Games worked hundred hour weeks to get it finished on time. French game studio Kalisto, which went bankrupt in 2002, had such an intense crunch culture that each team had a psychologist assigned to it to keep all members working productively. In general, shifts can often last 12 hours or more, and work weeks can last all seven days, which leaves workers with little time to sleep or spend with family, and can lead to health problems both mental and physical. The practice has become so normalized that despite these detriments, many in the industry are afraid to speak up for fear of damaging their careers or endangering their livelihoods. Frankly, I hesitated to write this post in case it hurt my chances of getting into the game industry. It's become so expected that refusing to crunch can end in many losing theirs jobs, and the game industry has always been defined by changeability. Stability isn't guaranteed, especially for contractors. Smaller studios have tried a variety of strategies to avoid crunch and other unhealthy standards. Motion Twin, which came from some of the former employees of the fallen Kalisto, pays all staff members an equal salary–all eight staff members, I should add. This also makes hiring more difficult due to the cost. Croatian game studio Croteam released "The Talos Principle" with only a couple hours of crunch a week. For massive AAA studios, however, many of the strategies of smaller teams simply don't work because of how these companies are designed. Some have suggested unionization as a solution, but again, this comes at a risk of losing one's job. Whatever comes of the debate, I hope (but don't expect) the problem will be fixed by the time I have a job. So, to summarize:
Citations:
Arguello, Diego, and Diego Arguello. “How Crunch Affects the Lives of Game Developers.” Digital Trends, Digital Trends, 21 Oct. 2018, www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/how-crunch-affects-game-developers/. Wright, Steven T., and Steven T. Wright. “Despite Resistance, Crunch Continues to Define the Video Game Industry.” Variety, Variety, 22 Oct. 2018, variety.com/2018/gaming/features/video-game-union-crunch-industry-practice-1202985642/.
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I've improved since I was younger, but time management still isn't my strong suit, and recently that's come back to bite me. It's time to start fixing that. One of the most important keys to effectively managing time is to eliminate distractions. I've recently taken this into account by banning myself from watching any videos YouTube or using any social media (I don't have a lot, but the one chat program I do use eats up substantial chunks of time). It's important to take breaks in order to not become too stressed, but I keep them short and avoid anything that might become a time sink–that means staying away from the TV or starting any lengthy conversations about, say, whether or not a hot dog is a sandwich. One strategy has been to find long playlists of music to listen to instead of constantly scrolling through YouTube looking for another song–this is typically where my problem of getting distracted by non-music videos comes from. I've had also issues with distractions working on a game in class recently, namely because I get caught up with constantly fixing the racetrack or fiddling with minor features. I've tried to rein in this urge to perfect things that are better left alone. When I notice something that can be left as it is without too much consequence starting to take up most of class, I move on. Another key practice is to not waste time waiting for things. I've begun working on homework during free time in class (especially when I arrive early), before school, and during lunch. It's typically something easy like a reading log so I don't get entirely burned out, but it saves time so I can worry about items like this portfolio when I'm at home. I even manage my breaks, such as using the rides to and from school to listen to music or work on personal writing so I don't end up feeling like I've done nothing enjoyable all day. Short deadlines also help productivity. Parkinson's Law states that work expands to fill the time allotted for it–the more time you have, the more you procrastinate. I've started setting hard deadlines for myself that are as early as absolutely possible–for example, I've committed to creating/digging up at least two pieces of artwork for my portfolio by the end of tonight, no excuses. So, to summarize:
Citations:
“8 Time Management Strategies for More Productive Work.” Teamdeck.io, Teamdeck, 7 Mar. 2019, teamdeck.io/project-management/time-management-strategies/. Rampton, John. “Manipulate Time With These Powerful 20 Time Management Tips.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 1 May 2018, www.forbes.com/sites/johnrampton/2018/05/01/manipulate-time-with-these-powerful-20-time-management-tips/#4935474e57ab. |
AuthorI'm moving on to my 4th (and final) year as a Game Art & Design student at Durham School of the Arts. I'd like to call myself an artist, but I'm a programmer at heart. Archives
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