Abstract
Crunch culture is taking the gaming industry by storm. Crunch refers to a period where developers work compulsory overtime to reach a specific stage of game development. This overtime is often unpaid, leaving employees uncompensated for their extra hours of hard work. It also negatively impacts the quality of games and the health of game developers. Crunch culture is an unethical practice that must be banned in order to provide fair working conditions for all developers.
Introduction and Background
At any top game studio, video game production is a whirlwind. As deadlines for development milestones or even release dates close in, many of these companies experience what is called “crunch.” In the video game industry, crunch refers to a period in which developers work compulsory overtime, typically 65-80 hours a week, to reach a specific stage of game development [1]. This overtime often goes unpaid [1]. A survey taken in 2019 revealed that about 40% of employees in the video game industry worked a crunch period of at least 20 hours in addition to their standard 40-hour week. Only 8% of these employees were compensated [2].
Unfortunately, it seems crunch culture has embedded itself into the game industry, so much so that, while recruiting, it has become common for game studios to pride themselves on their lack of crunch culture or lie about not having crunch despite being notorious for it. Such circumstances raise serious ethical questions regarding the work environment in the game industry.
Causes of Crunch in the Game Industry
While many employees who crunch are technically not required to do it by the company, they are largely driven by the unspoken fear of being fired. With such a dire threat looming over their heads, employees often feel the need to crunch [3]. Crunch is further perpetuated by existing salary laws. In the United States, computer professionals in development are exempt from overtime pay if they are “highly skilled” and earn over $112,065 as of 2023 [4]. These conditions are a dreamscape for employers, as they create a heightened sense of productivity that doesn’t require any compensation. As they seem to benefit from it, many companies see no need to eradicate crunch culture.
However, crunch is not as beneficial as some companies may believe. One study has shown that crunch actually results in lower quality work [5]. Moreover, developers who engage in these practices suffer from higher rates of depression, anxiety, and physical health issues [6]. Decreasing game quality and developer health are only exacerbated by the widespread layoffs occurring in game companies across the US. Some companies have gone so far as dismissing over 10% of their employees [7]. Having fewer developers on deck piles more work on remaining staff. Additionally, anxiety about job security increases stress levels [8]. This demanding environment, coupled with the dread of impending crunch, hinders employees from doing their best work [6].
Is it Ethical?
By the standards of many ethical viewpoints, crunch is not ethical. To highlight its unethicality, crunch culture is best viewed through the virtue lens. Virtue ethics places heavy emphasis on becoming a “virtuous” person by striving to excel in qualities such as “…honesty, courage, compassion, generosity, fidelity, integrity, fairness, self-control, and prudence [9].” Crunch violates the virtues of compassion, generosity, and fairness. From a manager’s point of view, there is no compassion in subjecting workers to unpaid overtime. Forcing this work is an act that does not consider the employee’s well-being and certainly does not contribute to their personal growth.
Further, crunch culture is not generous. Although one could argue that employees are generous for crunching, the large majority of crunch is both coerced and unpaid [2]. This is unfair to employees and cannot be labeled as generosity because true generosity is not forced. Fairness pertains to both the individual employee and consumers. It is unfair for an employee to suffer mental and physical health issues for an extended period of time [6]. It is unfair for consumers to waste money on a game that is not up to standard due to the low quality work created under crunch conditions. Both the employee and the consumer suffer at the hands of crunch culture, so neither production nor consumption is fair.
Virtue ethics is not the only ethical approach that crunch culture violates. For instance, justice ethics focuses on giving people their due. The foundation of crunch is that workers are unpaid and overworked. Therefore, they are given neither due payment nor consideration for their well-being [9]. This lack of consideration means that crunch culture does not follow Kantian deontology, which forbids intentionally harming individuals [10]. When a company prioritizes their desire to release a product over the well-being of their employees, they are willfully choosing to neglect the needs of game developers [3]. Thus, crunch culture is unethical under Kantian deontology since employees are treated as disposable objects rather than as valuable individuals.
Utilitarianism would also define crunch culture as unethical. This approach states that actions are moral as long as the end justifies the means [10]. Though video games provide “many creative, social, and emotional benefits” to players, games are also a form of entertainment that is not crucial to human survival [11]. In addition, the quality of video games upon release after a crunch period is compromised and often leads to less successful games [5]. Though one could argue that many highly acclaimed games have been produced during crunch, just as many have come from companies that do not make their employees crunch. Therefore, crunch is not a necessity for successful video games, meaning that the unsustainable working conditions it creates are not justified [5].
The major ethical violation of crunch culture, however, is its legality. Recall that most legislation in the US mandates that computer professionals who make above a certain amount are exempt from earning overtime [4]. In relation to the game industry, this law hits video game programmers the hardest because it provides legal backing for crunch. Under justice ethics, anyone working overtime should be compensated for their work so long as the work is approved by management beforehand. Though it may seem fair to cap such substantial salaries, work is work. Income should not be a factor in determining who can and cannot be compensated for overtime. Regardless of their salary, all employees should be compensated for any extra time they dedicate to their work. This would satisfy the virtue of equality.
The Fix
Ultimately, crunch occurs because the video game industry produces wide-scale products across multiple platforms, making deadlines non-negotiable. Whether due to employee neglect or poor planning, there are many reasons that the production schedule may fall behind. This forces employees into a desperate struggle to get the work in on time, the so-called ‘crunch time’ from which crunch culture gets its name. The solution of crunch then seems obvious: more efficient production cycles. The problem is that when a practice is ingrained in the workplace, it can be difficult to make such a large shift. The only way to move past crunch is to ban it. If they could not rely on crunch, companies would be forced to divert their energy into creating sustainable production practices that protect employee health [12]. When greater focus is given to an employee’s well-being, company morale and product quality increase [12].
If crunch cannot be completely eradicated, labor laws should, at the very least, ensure that any employee who crunches is compensated for every minute of work. This solution requires the abolishment of stringent overtime laws for computer professionals. Uncompensated labor is unfair. Once this ethical viewpoint has become standard and companies begin to fairly compensate their employees, working conditions will improve immensely [13].
Conclusion
Crunch, while legal, is unethical in every aspect. Companies think that the pace of crunch production is worth it, but they sacrifice the livelihood of their employees. The video game industry must undergo a significant shift in attitude and production to create ethical working conditions. Going beyond the game industry, state laws must change to ensure that computer professionals are fairly compensated. Unpaid overtime must be outlawed to eliminate crunch. As the game industry moves towards unionization, companies will be forced to put these ethical practices to work and give employees their fair due [14].
By Starr Hinton, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California
Links for Further Reading:
Why is the games industry so burdened with crunch? It starts with labor laws
More about the legal foundation of crunch in the U.S.
Crunch Culture: How Game Development Becomes Toxic
First hand accounts of crunch from several game designers
Game Development is Not Sustainable
An overview of how the game industry became a toxic workplace
References
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