Have your say: What is the impact of crunch?

Following the results of our salary survey and our analysis of overtime and crunch in game development, we’re opening up a call for contributions on the subject.

We’re asking: How damaging is crunch and overtime to studios, indies and their games?

We’re not looking for mud-slinging at studios, but a serious discussion on the real effects of overtime and crunch.

Can long hours have a serious effect on health? Can it result in a less productive workforce? Do you see working overtime as part of the passion of game development, or an expectation of the job? Can crunch produce a better product, or does it hinder the final result? Is there anything that could be done to address crunch or reduce it? How is crunch best managed?

All responses will be published in an article next week. We will accept anonymous comment but we are encouraging open discussion, as we have done previously. If you’d like to write up your thoughts in a full article of your own, then let us know.

If you’re working in the game industry and have an opinion you’d like to share on the matter, email Craig Chapple at cchapple@nbmedia.com.