Crunch time and the video game industry. Case-study

Abstract

Despite the fact that today we hear more and more about this term crunch time, there is still a sector of the population that still does not understand what it really means, why it is talked about, what its characteristics are and why it is more related in the video game industry. The video game industry is one of the fastest growing in the world, even ahead of other industries such as sports, music or cinema, according to the director of the Games Laboratory of the Center for Digital Culture, Héctor Guerrero. To maintain this growth, the work behind this industry is demanding since there are several factors that influence the development of its products, video games, and this way to meet the demands of its interest groups (customers, partners, shareholders, etc.) thus recurring to practices that damage the health, life and relationships of those who suffer them, as is the case of crunch time. According to a survey provided by the International Games Developers Association (IGDA) and carried out by the members of that organization, 58% of employees claimed to have been victims of "crunch" during the periods of 2019 and 2020. On the other hand, technological advances also play an important role in the appearance of these practices due to the fact that in the creative industries, being technologically upto-date is very important for the proper functioning of their creations and, through technology they must adapt to the needs of customers, what they demand and the times. Unfortunately, the crunch is very normalized in many companies that operate in this sector, being aware of these practices in the Human Resources departments, which raises an important question: ¿Is it profitable for an employer to resort to these practices? The death by suicide of a 24-year-old employee of the video game industry in Japan is one of many extreme cases caused by overwork, which led to unsustainable stress and mental health problems for the young woman. Today we know how important the human factor is in a company because if employees are satisfied in their work environment, if they feel valued by the company, they perform better, offer quality work, contribute to more ideas and are involved in company projects. The main objective of this case study is the analysis of certain unconventional practices such as crunch time in the video game industry, making use of a series of data at an economic, social, and organizational level. This final grade work will try to answer the following questions: ¿Is it possible to avoid crunch? ¿What are the effects of crunch time? ¿What role does the Human Resources department play in an organization and what recruitment and retention practices do they practice? ¿How does crunch affect creativity, and what is the relation between creativity and talent? We will also analyze the company Rebel Wolves, founded by former employees of CD Projekt Red, and we will see if they have founded a solution to the crunch they were subjected to in their former company. For this, this document will be structured as follows. Firstly, we are going to situate ourselves in the theoretical framework and analyze the importance of Human Resources and their contribution to the success of a company; next, we will analyze the video game industry to understand all the work behind the creation of a video game, as well as its history and economic aspects. In this point, we will add the concept of creativity and the importance it has not only in this industry but in general. Therefore, we will define the concept of “Crunch time” in this context of work, as well as the most relevant evolutions that this concept has undergone. To conclude with the theoretical framework, we will relate the concept or practice of crunch time with the video game industry, the object of study of this final degree. After the theoretical framework, we will focus on the case study of CD Projekt Red to analyze what crunch situations were carried out and their organizational and economic effects. Finally, the conclusion will show the final result achieved based on the study. All the data presented in this thesis are based on secondary sources of information, which are magazine articles, books, web pages, numerical data, etc.