6 ms·

They’re likely earning ~40-70k so the shift isn’t very significant The real question is: are they changing the deadlines? Studio already suffer from crunch and

by sdf131 5y ago

They’re likely earning ~40-70k so the shift isn’t very significant The real question is: are they changing the deadlines? Studio already suffer from crunch and all the meetings you had on Friday are now spread throughout the week

Karawebnetwork 5y ago
> They’re likely earning ~40-70k so the shift isn’t very significant Exactly. I don't work in the video-game industry, but the local (Québec) programmer scene is pretty small and information travels fast. I've been told by people that work there that the employer already pays the equivalent of a 4 day week and that many employees are quitting now that WFH has opened up the market. My personal understanding is that instead of increasing the pay, they are betting that by cutting a day, people will stay and keep the same level of crunch time.
- NortySpock 5y ago
  "Crunch, and also crunch on Friday, which you now 'have off' but since you are (by design, perpetually) behind, we're going to need you to come in."
- 908B64B197 5y ago
  > My personal understanding is that instead of increasing the pay, they are betting that by cutting a day, people will stay and keep the same level of crunch time. How's the option package? A credible company will have most employees in the core business getting the majority of their revenue from the stock performance. Switching to 4 days a week should lower the number of release they can have per year...
  - sdf131 5y ago
    Stock options aren’t a thing in the game industry
    - 908B64B197 5y ago
      That's a red flag.
      - ornornor 5y ago
        The whole video game industry is a red flag. It’s notorious for underpaying, demanding insanely long hours, and treating people like subhumans.
        Darmody 5y ago
        I'd say that happens for 2 reasons. 1. Video games are really hard and costly to make and unless you're a big known company, nothing assures you'll get your money back 2. It's a dream job for a lot of young programmers, so they'll accept anything.
        ornornor 5y ago
        I’m sure they have very good reasons for exploiting people, whatever these reasons may be it doesn’t change the fact that video game companies are not good places to work at for the most part.
        Darmody 5y ago
        Don't get me wrong, I'm not defending them. I'm just giving the reasons I think there's so much crap in that industry.
    - bananaboy 5y ago
      That's not true. They are available if you work for the bigger publishers.
  - vvanders 5y ago
    Stock, I the game industry? That's a riot. In my time in that industry the only bonus/non-salary compensation I ever saw was a $20 Starbucks gift card for pulling a 90hr week before a major demo deadline.
908B64B197 5y ago
> They’re likely earning ~40-70k so the shift isn’t very significant On an annual basis some internships are better paid. Where do these folks hire?
- nick__m 5y ago
  In Montreal I have no idea but in Sherbrooke the salaries are generally low, I make ~90k (plus a solid, well managed, pension plan) and work for one of the best employer in the city. I could look into remote work but I am quite confortable where I am. I love the 35 hours workweek, the 21 days of paid time off, the week and a half around Christmas, my private office with a marble window sills (that I will use only 2 days a week when the telework plan is finally officialized) , the 7 minutes commute, the low cost of life and my beer aficionado colleagues.
  - tharkun__ 5y ago
    Just out of curiosity, is that ~90k CAD or did you convert to USD for the majority of the audience here?
    - nick__m 5y ago
      CAD, the boss of my boss is making 90k in USD !
- sdf131 5y ago
  There’s a huge gap between the game industry and the rest People do it out of passion, I guess. It’s funny too because the work is usually significantly harder than the much better paid start-up/SaaS jobs. Everyone has college degrees, there’s no C++ bootcamp grads I went to a school which was well-known for its game dev degree so I know dozens of people in the industry (mostly everyone works at Ubisoft) but opted out myself because the pay was way too low
  - vvanders 5y ago
    Yup, pretty much. When I left industry it was almost a 100% salary bump. I tossed 2 months of PTO(because the company wouldn't pay it out, per state law and I could never take it) and I made up the difference in the first few paychecks. Tons of fun problems and passionate people but the industry is an absolute meat grinder. Last I looked at the statistics median industry career length was ~3 years.

by sdf131 5y ago

Karawebnetwork 5y ago

> They’re likely earning ~40-70k so the shift isn’t very significant Exactly. I don't work in the video-game industry, but the local (Québec) programmer scene is pretty small and information travels fast. I've been told by people that work there that the employer already pays the equivalent of a 4 day week and that many employees are quitting now that WFH has opened up the market. My personal understanding is that instead of increasing the pay, they are betting that by cutting a day, people will stay and keep the same level of crunch time.

NortySpock 5y ago
"Crunch, and also crunch on Friday, which you now 'have off' but since you are (by design, perpetually) behind, we're going to need you to come in."
908B64B197 5y ago
> My personal understanding is that instead of increasing the pay, they are betting that by cutting a day, people will stay and keep the same level of crunch time. How's the option package? A credible company will have most employees in the core business getting the majority of their revenue from the stock performance. Switching to 4 days a week should lower the number of release they can have per year...
- sdf131 5y ago
  Stock options aren’t a thing in the game industry
  - 908B64B197 5y ago
    That's a red flag.
    - ornornor 5y ago
      The whole video game industry is a red flag. It’s notorious for underpaying, demanding insanely long hours, and treating people like subhumans.
      - Darmody 5y ago
        I'd say that happens for 2 reasons. 1. Video games are really hard and costly to make and unless you're a big known company, nothing assures you'll get your money back 2. It's a dream job for a lot of young programmers, so they'll accept anything.
        ornornor 5y ago
        I’m sure they have very good reasons for exploiting people, whatever these reasons may be it doesn’t change the fact that video game companies are not good places to work at for the most part.
        Darmody 5y ago
        Don't get me wrong, I'm not defending them. I'm just giving the reasons I think there's so much crap in that industry.
  - bananaboy 5y ago
    That's not true. They are available if you work for the bigger publishers.
- vvanders 5y ago
  Stock, I the game industry? That's a riot. In my time in that industry the only bonus/non-salary compensation I ever saw was a $20 Starbucks gift card for pulling a 90hr week before a major demo deadline.

908B64B197 5y ago

> They’re likely earning ~40-70k so the shift isn’t very significant On an annual basis some internships are better paid. Where do these folks hire?

nick__m 5y ago
In Montreal I have no idea but in Sherbrooke the salaries are generally low, I make ~90k (plus a solid, well managed, pension plan) and work for one of the best employer in the city. I could look into remote work but I am quite confortable where I am. I love the 35 hours workweek, the 21 days of paid time off, the week and a half around Christmas, my private office with a marble window sills (that I will use only 2 days a week when the telework plan is finally officialized) , the 7 minutes commute, the low cost of life and my beer aficionado colleagues.
- tharkun__ 5y ago
  Just out of curiosity, is that ~90k CAD or did you convert to USD for the majority of the audience here?
  - nick__m 5y ago
    CAD, the boss of my boss is making 90k in USD !
sdf131 5y ago
There’s a huge gap between the game industry and the rest People do it out of passion, I guess. It’s funny too because the work is usually significantly harder than the much better paid start-up/SaaS jobs. Everyone has college degrees, there’s no C++ bootcamp grads I went to a school which was well-known for its game dev degree so I know dozens of people in the industry (mostly everyone works at Ubisoft) but opted out myself because the pay was way too low
- vvanders 5y ago
  Yup, pretty much. When I left industry it was almost a 100% salary bump. I tossed 2 months of PTO(because the company wouldn't pay it out, per state law and I could never take it) and I made up the difference in the first few paychecks. Tons of fun problems and passionate people but the industry is an absolute meat grinder. Last I looked at the statistics median industry career length was ~3 years.