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The output of Red Dead Redemption 2 is coming soon: On October 26, 2018, Rockstar Games released the studio's most important project. Much of the attention is not devoted to the publication, but to the working conditions of the development studio.
Since the studio's director, Dan Houser, said in mid-October that he and his team had worked 100 hours a week – to put it a little later – many current and former employees shared their experiences.
Kotakus Jason Schreier has maintained with nearly 90 company employees and has treated their impressions in a comprehensive article. Employee statements provide a rare glimpse into the daily life of Rockstar Games and show that extreme conditions prevail in one of the most prestigious gaming companies.
Weeks of 80 hours have been prescribed
Employees made comments to Kotaku mainly anonymously – for fear of the consequences of his employer – and his testimonies clearly show that the mood varies from one studio to the other.
"Whenever I went on weekdays or weekends, my colleagues gave me an angry look. […] If you do not spend more time, you are not worth working here. That's what the studio usually understands. "
An employee remembers his time during the development of Red Dead Redemption 1 back:
"We had to work six days a week in the six to nine months before the launch."
Jennifer Kolbe, Publications Officer, commented on the situation Red Dead 1 and explained that Rockstar has taken consequences to avoid similar situations. But that seems – depending on the location – only partially the case.
Between 2011 and 2016, executives told employees at Rockstar San Diego that overtime was not optional, but mandatory. To clbadify: This corresponds to a day of 11 hours, seven days a week.
"80 hours a week were prescribed for everyone in the studio. Who does not work Red Dead 2 had, should just GTA 5 test for eight hours. "
"They may not have asked anyone 100 hours, but they certainly asked us for 80 hours a week. Conceptual artists then simply had to act as question-answer testers. "
Crisis mentality: direct and indirect pressure
According to staff, attendance is Rockstar's major badetNo matter how many bugs you correct in a game, but how many hours you spend at work.
"Rockstar urges employees to work overtime in different ways, directly or indirectly. Working on weekends is perhaps the only way to show them that you are burning for your project. You can work efficiently and hard during the week, but if you do not show up on weekends, you will be accused of not doing your part and being bullied. "
"There is a lot of fear at Rockstar. Fear of being fired, of doing too little, being shouted and having a bad game. "
"I do not write because I want to harm the studio or the game. I am proud of both and I am with them. I think the incredible number of hours we have spent on the project is clear and I can not wait to see how people react. I write because I see a unique opportunity to denounce Crunch's senseless mentality and to think that Rockstar could change for the betterMaybe it will lead to changes in the other studios. "
Compared to Kotaku, many employees have confirmed that they by fear as much as possible in the office – even on weekends, they will not lose their job or their bonus will not be canceled.
Is Rockstar Lincoln the most difficult?
Many Rockstar employees who spoke to Kotaku work at Lincoln Studio. Working conditions seem more difficult than in the other branches:
"The Rockstar Lincoln Q & A service has been working overtime since August 2017. We officially started working in October 2017 and are still working in this mode today. "
"I have never suffered from depression before working for Rockstar. Now, I have to fight with her regularly. "
On October 19, 2019, rock star Lincoln stated that overtime in the studio was no longer mandatory. According to Kolbe, this has never been the case – however, many employees disagreed and relied on e-mails using the word "prescribed".
Working at Rockstar: There are also positive voices
In an interview organized by rock star SoHo for Schreier, several employees commented positively on their working relationship. However, the public relations officer, Simon Ramsey, was also present at these interviews.
"I know when to work overtime […] It has been very easy to combine my work and my private life."
"I have employees on my team who are going home at 5 pm and that's not a problem. Our company has changed, employees feel better treated, but there are still some old corporate cultures. "
"Of all the projects was Red Dead Redemption 2 the easiest thing I worked on. "
"Nobody ever told me that I had to work X hours. Sometimes we are asked if we have time on weekends. "
Many employees have explained, even those with negative experiences, that the circumstances since the first Red Dead have improved. The current situation could also contribute to improving the working conditions in the studios.
In this article, I have reproduced only one excerpt from the testimonials that Kotaku compiled. I recommend the full article in English, where the US magazine had to delete the most extreme stories according to its own statement, to ensure the anonymity of colleagues.
Most Important Information About Red Dead Redemption 2
Red Dead Redemption 2 is from October 26, 2018 available for Playstation 4 and Xbox One and can still come for the PC.
About the author: Alexander Schneider is a junior editor at IGN. You can open it twitter and Instagram follow: @ JannLee360.
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