IGDA slams â??exploitativeâ?? overtime

The IGDA has issued a statement reiterating its vehement disapproval of overtime policies at game development studios.

“In any studio, the IGDA finds the practice of undisclosed and constant overtime to be deceptive, exploitative, and ultimately harmful not only to developers but to their final product and the industry as a whole,” read the statement.

The IGDA’s move to publicly condemn overtime comes in the wake of the infamous ‘Rockstar Spouse’ blog post, where a number of anonymous individuals claimed that Rockstar’s San Diego studio had forced its workers to work unreasonable hours.

The IGDA wouldn’t comment on the matter specifically, though said that unhealthy practices “are still far too common” in the industry.

“Particularly with the stresses imposed by the declining economy, game studios, like other independent businesses, are under increased pressure and therefore are more susceptible to production concerns,” the group said.

The IGDA added that quality of life standards are – despite the very public accusations fired at Rockstar – consistently rising.

“While crunch has always been a concern for the games industry, the IGDA concludes from its research that conditions in most workplaces are improving and, with diligence and an emphasis on increasing process efficiency, can continue to do so.”