> I still believe that their requirement of overtime is due to poor management, pressure by execs, poor specs, and inflated goals.
It's only a requirement because game developers have tended to put up with it. Especially in the earlier days, game development attracted people who were extremely passionate about making games. This meant they were willing to put up with a lot of shit. You don't have to ascribe much malice or incompetence to companies to explain crunch time under those conditions--it would be more surprising if it hadn't happened. Fortunately, things have changed for the better, although there's still a long way to go.
I'm fine with crunch time so long as (1) it is surgically applied, (2) employees know what they're getting into, and (3) employees are rewarded for going above and beyond the call of duty.
It's only a requirement because game developers have tended to put up with it. Especially in the earlier days, game development attracted people who were extremely passionate about making games. This meant they were willing to put up with a lot of shit. You don't have to ascribe much malice or incompetence to companies to explain crunch time under those conditions--it would be more surprising if it hadn't happened. Fortunately, things have changed for the better, although there's still a long way to go.
I'm fine with crunch time so long as (1) it is surgically applied, (2) employees know what they're getting into, and (3) employees are rewarded for going above and beyond the call of duty.