Contents page 1 — passion and Overtime page 2 — “a Lot of money not earned here,” page 3 — self-exploitation and romanticization in the game industry in common On a page
read “you should Be glad that you make your Hobby into a career.” This saying most of the people who work in the video game industry. The most Important thing is, finally, the passion. And because passion knows no money or Overtime, take employees low wages and long working hours. Until Recently, there were alarming reports about the working conditions before the completion of Red Dead Redemption 2, one of the most successful games of the year.
But times are changing. In Germany In fact, in the last twelve months, more than in the previous years. In the coalition agreement, Games and E are mentioned sport as worthy of support. Since August, the social adequacy clause is also on video games applicable, – the German entertainment software self-regulation body (USK) is now allowed to give Games, the anti-constitutional symbols such as hooks represent crosses, a youth release. In November, the announcement follows that Games should be promoted by the Federal government in 2019, with 50 million euros. Under-employed in the Games industry, there are plans to form a Union.
are The self-evident Games economically and socially, the stronger will also change the work conditions, one would think. But how is the situation in Germany specifically? TIME ONLINE has been around.
the pressure in The neck
Marcus Bäumer has been through 2018, the final stage of a video game development in the Small. Together with two friends, he founded the end of 2015, the Indie-Studio, Backwoods Entertainment. Has helped them both in the media promotion in NRW as well as a Publisher who supports you financially. In may 2018, their first game is available and Unforeseen Incidents – later than actually planned. “We were inexperienced, pretty, have not realized that we can make it to the actual date,” he says.
move A release date to, is a tricky thing, because the placement of the games is extremely important. “An Indie game we can’t publish it in the Christmas business, because it goes totally under,” says Bäumer. If the completion does not work until September, it is moved directly to the beginning of the next year – and the developers and have to look then how will you cope financially. Because fresh money comes only when the game is sold.
Also, for the Publisher date shifts to be a Problem. If a Publisher is behind a game, so the distribution takes over, then the area of large sums of money to flow also in the Indie of money in advertising. Application systems Heidelberg, the Publisher behind the Unforeseen Incidents, has invested 250,000 euros in the game and the marketing. As a developer you do everything you can to be able to the targeted date yet create – you can feel the pressure.
“At the end, we develop all games and not saving lives,” stresses John Roth, founder of Mimimi Productions, a German developer Studio with headquarters in Munich, Germany. The 19 employees have already developed games such as Shadow Tactics, which with the German computer game prize was awarded. In his company, every Overtime hour will be detained, says Roth. If the work dies down, could this be abgebummelt. For a new project, seven new employees were hired – even so, you could reduce the loads.
But Roth can not exclude that it comes in its operation time Crunch-like conditions, as the Phase is just prior to the Deadline of the game. The development was just too complex, so would need to grab as many gears interlocking – Design, Story, programming, music, Marketing, as that it is not, however, more work is nearing completion. “But I can say in good conscience that today so few people ever for us to work Overtime.”
