These days, many video game fans are sensitive to delays. They realize that more time is being made for better games, and that game development is so complex that one can accurately predict release dates far in advance. So after this week's high delay thread, including role-playing game Cyberpunk 2077 and action game based on Avengers, a whole bunch of fans are happy to announce that they can wait a few more months instead of seeing engineers work overtime to put in their time. If Only!
Crunch – a colloquial term for overtime that can last weeks or months – epidemic in the video game industry. Sometimes only a few hours a week; other times it is a compulsory Saturday at the office. Companies may ask their employees to come up with an E3 demo, hit a goal to upgrade their publisher, or install interrupts before the game's release. Usually, game developers voluntarily put in many hours to help ensure that the game is deprecated or prevents their favorite features from becoming overwhelming. Crunch happens all the time, but it is on the rise in recent months, when problem emails start popping up. “Hello everyone, thank you for all your hard work. We will have to press a bit to get the game in good shape! ”
Imagine, though, that you have one release date in mind – knowing that you'll only have to work nights and weekends until then – only on that five-month back date. Maybe by then, the emails will start to get more contract. “Hello everyone, thank you for all your hard work. The good news is that we already have more time, which means we will be able to fit into all those donkey parts we want. The bad news is that we will have to continue to push a bit. ”
Yesterday, Cyberpunk 2077 CD producer Projekt Red has announced that it is delaying the match which is expected to take place from April 16 to September 17. At a time. Q&A with investors yesterday in Poland, where the company is based, CEO Adam Kiciński took up the question about overtime after delays. Here's how it goes:
P6: And is the development team needed to set crunch hours?
AK: To some extent, yes – to be honest. We try to limit the crunch margin as much as possible, but it's the first stage. We try to be reasonable in this, but that's ok. Unfortunately.
This shouldn't shock anyone, even if it follows promises of studio in order Kotaku last year that it would do your best to minimize overtime. Similar video games Cyberpunk 2077-It has a huge open space and hundreds of books growing – it's not done in hours. At least CD Projekt Red pays overtime (due to Polish labor laws), which separates it from its North American counterparts. If you're an annual wage instead of an hourly paycheck, all you can hope for is extra time behind the game ships and maybe, if you're lucky enough to work Fortnite, a generous bonus.
With very few exceptions, video game delays lead to more growth, not less. The laughing dog Finally for Us II from February to May has it meant another three months of developer overtime at a site well known for performance, according to those I asked about. Earlier this week, when Avengers delayed from May to September, developers at Crystal Dynamics may have been reduced—Avengers did not show well at E3 2019 and will undoubtedly benefit from overtime – but the streaming service will continue, even if, as in many articles, it is still called "optional." and on-site.)
It is only natural that people work hard when the time comes. In the development of a video game, where progress is not linear and the pieces may not coalesce until the end of production, the crunch is often very difficult at the last minute. That is why last year delays can be so difficult for developers' lives. All that extra height has to come from somewhere.
Getting started in the video game industry would not be too risky if it wasn't integrated and many other great stories-Great pressure, low pay, well-trained managers, sex, excessive self-control and more, but delays can sometimes exacerbate all. The delay may be good for games, but it is not always good for game personnel.
