Loots of Their Labor: Analyzing Wage & Hour Challenges in Gaming’s “Crunch Culture”

Several industries rely on high volumes of creative input from their labor forces; the legal, accounting, medical, and financial fields are infamous for time demands placed on employees. Tech professionals also confront similar high-volume work periods, typically before a big product release. Yet an underexplored industry featuring this demanding work culture lies within interactive entertainment space: video game development. While most of the listed industries offer long-term benefits like equity, job security, or financial stability, game development studios often do not have the same carrots-and-sticks available to sweeten the pot for overworked employees. This post was originally published on the Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal website on November 2, 2020. The original post can be accessed via the Archived Link button above