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Developer Spills Beans On Gameloft Working Conditions

by Matthew Kato on July 18, 2011 at 11:30 AM

8,923 Views

Inspired by recent allegations of overworking at L.A. Noire developer Team Bondi, former head studio programmer Glenn Watson has blown the whistle regarding possible unfair work practices at the Auckland, New Zealand branch of mobile games developer Gameloft.

Gameloft, which was founded by Ubisoft's owners the Guillemot brothers, produces games mainly for mobile phones, and has studios all around the world. Watson told games.on.net of the studio's "dangerous working conditions," including some weeks where he was working 100 to 120 hours. Watson said he decided to resign after a month of working 14-hour days, including weekends.

Watson says that Gameloft's main office pushed artificial deadlines onto the studio and seemed more concerned about getting product out than rectifying a perpetual crunch time development culture that, in Watson's view, created poor work from its developers. Watson believes that Gameloft's work practices constitute a violation of New Zealand's 2002 Health and Safety in Employment Act, but so far he hasn't gotten any engagement with Gameloft on the issue. Site games.on.net says that Gameloft has declined its interview requests and not issued a statement on the matter.

Although games.on.net says that other developers have confirmed Watson's statements anonymously, Watson himself says that he felt he had to come out front and center with what he's seen. "Gameloft asked me to ‘apologise’ for leaving the studio and shouldering others with the burden of my work. I feel the best apology I can give is to ensure that they never get put through the same rubbish conditions again."

Email the author Matthew Kato, or follow on Twitter, and Game Informer.

Filed under: News, Gameloft, Guillemot Brothers, Glenn Watson

Comments

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by shooterboy23 Monday, July 18, 2011 at 11:41 AM

i thought it was spelled "apologize"?have i been spelling it wrong?
by Proditus Monday, July 18, 2011 at 11:42 AM

I guess I feel sorry for the employees. Harsh working conditions aren't fun. On the other hand, they should probably go work for a respectable studio that doesn't just rip off other people's ideas.
by Chris Mcgrath Monday, July 18, 2011 at 11:42 AM

Crappy studio giving crappy working conditions? Sounds about right.
by shooterboy23 Monday, July 18, 2011 at 11:45 AM

speaking of which there should be a new dlc for la noire called "Team bondage" where you investigate a murder inside rockstar studios (a made up movie company).dan houser could make a cameo,it can just be a joke to whats going on in the game industry.
by leahkitty Monday, July 18, 2011 at 11:52 AM

I feel sorry for them it dosnt sound that fun to work that long
by Lancehead255 Monday, July 18, 2011 at 11:53 AM

One has to wonder why Gameloft even needs their employees work for so long for what can only be called rip-off games. Then again they're not worried about quality, only as many copycat games as possible.
by Undertaker Adrian Monday, July 18, 2011 at 11:55 AM

I keep getting reminded of the old times of the Coal Mine industry. When there's money to be had, then whip the people harder to get it done. Fire any that speak out because there are hundreds trying to get into the industry.
by TurdFurgy Monday, July 18, 2011 at 11:58 AM

Shut up and get back to work! Those vidga games wont make themselves!
by famous. Monday, July 18, 2011 at 12:00 PM

If you're working in a factory where they are constantly churning out copied sh*t, then I guess this seems like just desserts.
by Ed Monday, July 18, 2011 at 12:01 PM

At the rate that Gameloft farts out console quality App Store games, it is not surprising that they treat their workers like this. I figured they must have had a huge studio, or forcing their employees to work crazy hours. Looks like it was the latter.

Not a day goes by where a story like this doesn't pop up on the net and paint the video game industry as soul-less slave drivers. Maybe this industry should realize that, eventually, people are going to get tired of being treated like garbage and quit.

The studios are nothing without the people manning the stations.
by Eyros Monday, July 18, 2011 at 12:06 PM

How is there even that many hours or work to go around for their products?
by DEADxECH0 Monday, July 18, 2011 at 12:07 PM

Strike time?
Mod

by mojomonkey12 Monday, July 18, 2011 at 12:45 PM

So it isn't bad enough that Gameloft has to copy the games of all the other hard working developers, now they want to copy Team Bondi's corporate practices as well!

**Disclaimer**-I am unfairly assuming that the claims against Team Bondi are true, but let's be real, if it looks like a duck...then you'd best put it over a spit before it flees and finds it's voice.
by God Of Irony Monday, July 18, 2011 at 12:47 PM

as long as they are getting paid i see no problem with this. they still get their two weeks of vacation like everyone else, and they also get paid for the work they do. some people don't have jobs at all, let alone a job that pays 60k a year plus overtime. and believe me, thats a lot of overtime.
by awesomninja133 Monday, July 18, 2011 at 12:53 PM

yikes! these things we've been hearing make me worried about the industry
by Ziogirth Monday, July 18, 2011 at 01:23 PM

It's bad how many developers are putting too much work on their employees. At least make it reasonable! (Which isn't 100 to 120 hours a week).
by Angelic Magnus Monday, July 18, 2011 at 01:45 PM

This is kind of upseting I wish them the best. Being over worked is not cool especially if you don't choose to be.
by OhDihBot Monday, July 18, 2011 at 01:51 PM

TBH I am extremely surprised that Games Loft hasn't been hit with multiple copyright infringement suits from Bungie and Blizzard. I don't recall the titles of its games, but the style, design and play-style of its FPS and MMO are border-line indistinguishable from Halo and WoW, respectively. And now it seems that they are running "sweat shop" development operations as well. Bad company if you ask me.
by Anthony Monday, July 18, 2011 at 01:54 PM

So much torture, for "copycat to the bone" games of existing series'. How unfair :(