6 ms·

Workers in the game industry are not only devs. There are also artists, testers, IT techs, marketers. I'm not sure the biggest issue is about the salary, but th

by 131012 9y ago

Workers in the game industry are not only devs. There are also artists, testers, IT techs, marketers. I'm not sure the biggest issue is about the salary, but the (unpaid) overtime, precarity, sudden lay-offs, etc.

horsecaptin 9y ago
Okay, let's call it compensation. That is a good umbrella term that includes salary, overtime and benefits. The compensation for game workers sucks compared to their counterparts in other software fields. This is probably because it is sexier to be a game dev than, say, working at Salesforce. It is a good idea for game industry workers to form a union or guild.
- checkyoursudo 9y ago
  Sexier seems like an odd choice of word. I assume you mean, being a video game designer is sexier to the person doing the job? Low pay. Low prestige. Long hours. I mean, give me two of those and maybe I'll consider the sexiness. Don't you think it's that a lot of young future-Salesforce-developers think that making games will be a lot more like playing games than it really is? (PSA: Making games usually is not at all like playing games, unless you're really into grindfests.)
  - booleandilemma 9y ago
    A better word might be “glamorous”.
    - checkyoursudo 9y ago
      Ok, I can accept that. I can even accept that some people think game dev is sexy. And I'm willing to say that it's all on me for not understanding, but I just don't understand how game dev (especially if you read about how it really happens) is more sexy or glamorous than Salesforce dev? My only guess is that gamers think games are way sexier than the way Salseforcers think about Salesforcing, and so maybe game devs get a little more hero status than Salesforce devs? Something like that? Do most actual game developers think, "whoa, this work I'm doing is so sexy"? I don't know that they don't. I've just never heard it. I'm sorry to all the sexy game devs I've slighted by these opinions. It is not at all my intention. Keep on with your sexiness.
- ttoinou 9y ago
  it is sexier to be a game dev than, say, working at Salesforce. So what should we do, besides educate people about the reality of working in this industry (which is not really the point of an union) ?
  - horsecaptin 9y ago
    When the industry is highly lucrative on the backs of overworked labor, some type of a union apparatus is the most affective way to ensure fair compensation. Yes, we can educate others who want to enter the industry, but when you're graduating out of university with a fat debt, you'll accept the poor working conditions for long enough and the cycle will continue to perpetuate. The best protection against predation is for the prey to act together. Predators will always divide and conquer and go after the weak, and so the weak must be protected. The other way is increased competition - but our environment is becoming more and more anti-competitive.
    - ttoinou 9y ago
      is highly lucrative on the backs of overworked labor You need to think about WHY this situation happens. I'm willing to believe grouped negotiations can bring value to a class of workers but it's a partial remedy to a bad situation. but when you're graduating out of university with a fat debt Paying expensive university could be a really bad decision, especially in markets like game industry / software dev, which doesn't require by law that you pass some exams. Funnily, once you create huge syndicates / unions for the game industry or software dev, maybe you'll see these kind of "protection" to emerge
      - horsecaptin 9y ago
        That's a good point about unions requiring minimum education levels for membership. I suppose this is where apprenticeships come in. There will still be non-union developers, just as there are non union plumbers.
- Jach 9y ago
  How about the game industry workers unsatisfied with their compensation come work for companies like SFDC? Everyone is hiring. Even if your passion is for games, there are still many benefits to the path of taking enterprise roles, not least among them is to build up a financial nest egg to fund your own game or to let yourself accept the lower compensation in order to fulfill a child wish to work on the next Halo with hundreds of others.

by 131012 9y ago

horsecaptin 9y ago

Okay, let's call it compensation. That is a good umbrella term that includes salary, overtime and benefits. The compensation for game workers sucks compared to their counterparts in other software fields. This is probably because it is sexier to be a game dev than, say, working at Salesforce. It is a good idea for game industry workers to form a union or guild.

checkyoursudo 9y ago
Sexier seems like an odd choice of word. I assume you mean, being a video game designer is sexier to the person doing the job? Low pay. Low prestige. Long hours. I mean, give me two of those and maybe I'll consider the sexiness. Don't you think it's that a lot of young future-Salesforce-developers think that making games will be a lot more like playing games than it really is? (PSA: Making games usually is not at all like playing games, unless you're really into grindfests.)
- booleandilemma 9y ago
  A better word might be “glamorous”.
  - checkyoursudo 9y ago
    Ok, I can accept that. I can even accept that some people think game dev is sexy. And I'm willing to say that it's all on me for not understanding, but I just don't understand how game dev (especially if you read about how it really happens) is more sexy or glamorous than Salesforce dev? My only guess is that gamers think games are way sexier than the way Salseforcers think about Salesforcing, and so maybe game devs get a little more hero status than Salesforce devs? Something like that? Do most actual game developers think, "whoa, this work I'm doing is so sexy"? I don't know that they don't. I've just never heard it. I'm sorry to all the sexy game devs I've slighted by these opinions. It is not at all my intention. Keep on with your sexiness.
ttoinou 9y ago
it is sexier to be a game dev than, say, working at Salesforce. So what should we do, besides educate people about the reality of working in this industry (which is not really the point of an union) ?
- horsecaptin 9y ago
  When the industry is highly lucrative on the backs of overworked labor, some type of a union apparatus is the most affective way to ensure fair compensation. Yes, we can educate others who want to enter the industry, but when you're graduating out of university with a fat debt, you'll accept the poor working conditions for long enough and the cycle will continue to perpetuate. The best protection against predation is for the prey to act together. Predators will always divide and conquer and go after the weak, and so the weak must be protected. The other way is increased competition - but our environment is becoming more and more anti-competitive.
  - ttoinou 9y ago
    is highly lucrative on the backs of overworked labor You need to think about WHY this situation happens. I'm willing to believe grouped negotiations can bring value to a class of workers but it's a partial remedy to a bad situation. but when you're graduating out of university with a fat debt Paying expensive university could be a really bad decision, especially in markets like game industry / software dev, which doesn't require by law that you pass some exams. Funnily, once you create huge syndicates / unions for the game industry or software dev, maybe you'll see these kind of "protection" to emerge
    - horsecaptin 9y ago
      That's a good point about unions requiring minimum education levels for membership. I suppose this is where apprenticeships come in. There will still be non-union developers, just as there are non union plumbers.
Jach 9y ago
How about the game industry workers unsatisfied with their compensation come work for companies like SFDC? Everyone is hiring. Even if your passion is for games, there are still many benefits to the path of taking enterprise roles, not least among them is to build up a financial nest egg to fund your own game or to let yourself accept the lower compensation in order to fulfill a child wish to work on the next Halo with hundreds of others.