5 ms·

Farther into the article: > To be fair to Squad, the Mexican minimum wage is about $100 USD monthly, so they weren't technically paying anyone lower than the m

Farther into the article: > To be fair to Squad, the Mexican minimum wage is about $100 USD monthly, so they weren't technically paying anyone lower than the minimum wage...

asimuvPR 10y ago
Some were US based developers who could have gotten more money as dish washers. I don't get this.
- meowface 10y ago
  Moreover, they know they were directly working on a game that made at least (1.5M * 39.99) ~60 million USD. I admire dedication to one's work and love of the game and all, but that's just not rational.
  - sidlls 10y ago
    What about working for literally nothing? Like, say, open source?
    - asimuvPR 10y ago
      In open source you keep the rights. Which for this game probably means millions. They did not get the rights or Rúe money. It just baffles me to no end.
      - sidlls 10y ago
        Keeping the rights to something you're giving away for free is the definition of meaningless symbolism in this context.
  - esrauch 10y ago
    Not that it justifies anything but that is probably a significant overestimate, Steam takes 30% and most people didn't pay full price for the game.
  - makomk 10y ago
    It's entirely likely they didn't know that - apparently none of the people working on it were told how much it sold and the company tried to stop outsiders estimating its sales figures through services like SteamSpy.
  - stordoff 10y ago
    It doesn't change your broader point, but I suspect that could be a significant over-estimate. Steam take ~30%, and many copies was have been sold at a discount price (I paid ~$15) due to the frequency of Steam sales.
Zyst 10y ago
I live in Mexico, I've never seen anyone in Mexico make minimum wage, ever. And I do know people from all walks of life. As to what they earn, again, I live in Mexico, I am employed by a Mexican company, and work for Mexican clients. I make their yearly salary in 15 days or so. It really is disgusting that they would treat employees this way, specially when they were such a big success.
- megablast 10y ago
  > I live in Mexico, I've never seen anyone in Mexico make minimum wage, ever. And I do know people from all walks of life. But what do you mean by that? Do they get paid less or more?
  - patrickthebold 10y ago
    They mean more.
randomsofr 10y ago
The minimum wage in Mexico is only used as a unit to pay fines, no one earns that, you simply can't live with that kind of money. Even $200 per month is low for a engineer. A Junior Engineer's salary is around $500-$1k per month.
- lazaroclapp 10y ago
  ~13% of the fraction of the country that is formally employed earns minimum wage[1]... just not usually people in any sort of specialized profession working in cities. [1] (in Spanish) http://www.milenio.com/politica/salario_minimo-aumento_salario_minimo-quien_gana_un_salario_minimo_5_353414667.html http://www.milenio.com/politica/salario_minimo-aumento_salar...
  - dethstar 10y ago
    13% are reported earning minimum wage. This is a known way for employers to avoid paying more taxes, seguro social, etc. Then they get all other part of their salary marked as 'bonus'
    - emodendroket 10y ago
      I don't see any reason to think that there aren't a number of laborers being paid the minimum wage in Mexico, or else why would anyone go to the trouble and risk of illegally crossing the US border to take sub-minimum wage work?
      - RonanTheGrey 10y ago
        The very large population earning $30-$50 a week work for companies or individuals who will never report that salary in order to avoid paying taxes on it. This means any statistics related to this issue are going to be hard to trust namely, the situation looks better than it is and thus why so many desperately want to cross the border. It's not like Mexican companies don't make money, they make tons of it. They just don't share or invest it.

Farther into the article: > To be fair to Squad, the Mexican minimum wage is about $100 USD monthly, so they weren't technically paying anyone lower than the minimum wage...

asimuvPR 10y ago

Some were US based developers who could have gotten more money as dish washers. I don't get this.

meowface 10y ago
Moreover, they know they were directly working on a game that made at least (1.5M * 39.99) ~60 million USD. I admire dedication to one's work and love of the game and all, but that's just not rational.
- sidlls 10y ago
  What about working for literally nothing? Like, say, open source?
  - asimuvPR 10y ago
    In open source you keep the rights. Which for this game probably means millions. They did not get the rights or Rúe money. It just baffles me to no end.
    - sidlls 10y ago
      Keeping the rights to something you're giving away for free is the definition of meaningless symbolism in this context.
- esrauch 10y ago
  Not that it justifies anything but that is probably a significant overestimate, Steam takes 30% and most people didn't pay full price for the game.
- makomk 10y ago
  It's entirely likely they didn't know that - apparently none of the people working on it were told how much it sold and the company tried to stop outsiders estimating its sales figures through services like SteamSpy.
- stordoff 10y ago
  It doesn't change your broader point, but I suspect that could be a significant over-estimate. Steam take ~30%, and many copies was have been sold at a discount price (I paid ~$15) due to the frequency of Steam sales.

Zyst 10y ago

I live in Mexico, I've never seen anyone in Mexico make minimum wage, ever. And I do know people from all walks of life. As to what they earn, again, I live in Mexico, I am employed by a Mexican company, and work for Mexican clients. I make their yearly salary in 15 days or so. It really is disgusting that they would treat employees this way, specially when they were such a big success.

megablast 10y ago
> I live in Mexico, I've never seen anyone in Mexico make minimum wage, ever. And I do know people from all walks of life. But what do you mean by that? Do they get paid less or more?
- patrickthebold 10y ago
  They mean more.

randomsofr 10y ago

The minimum wage in Mexico is only used as a unit to pay fines, no one earns that, you simply can't live with that kind of money. Even $200 per month is low for a engineer. A Junior Engineer's salary is around $500-$1k per month.

lazaroclapp 10y ago
~13% of the fraction of the country that is formally employed earns minimum wage[1]... just not usually people in any sort of specialized profession working in cities. [1] (in Spanish) http://www.milenio.com/politica/salario_minimo-aumento_salario_minimo-quien_gana_un_salario_minimo_5_353414667.html http://www.milenio.com/politica/salario_minimo-aumento_salar...
- dethstar 10y ago
  13% are reported earning minimum wage. This is a known way for employers to avoid paying more taxes, seguro social, etc. Then they get all other part of their salary marked as 'bonus'
  - emodendroket 10y ago
    I don't see any reason to think that there aren't a number of laborers being paid the minimum wage in Mexico, or else why would anyone go to the trouble and risk of illegally crossing the US border to take sub-minimum wage work?
    - RonanTheGrey 10y ago
      The very large population earning $30-$50 a week work for companies or individuals who will never report that salary in order to avoid paying taxes on it. This means any statistics related to this issue are going to be hard to trust namely, the situation looks better than it is and thus why so many desperately want to cross the border. It's not like Mexican companies don't make money, they make tons of it. They just don't share or invest it.