Behind the Guildhall - The Story of the Students

Sam Machkovech writes "Multiple stories about SMU's Guildhall game design school have already shown up on Slashdot, but none like this. My friend and coworker Paul dug into the motivations and stories behind people who dropped their lives to learn the art of game design in an upstart school, and what the story may lack in technical information, it more than makes up for in the students' accounts. Included is a particularly touching story about a student who survived the 2002 Sari Club terrorist attack in Bali. It also touches upon the excessive overtime and dedication that the job requires, which means graduates should be plenty prepared for their future careers."

Comments

Re:Wait a minute

[Darkon]

It's a joke. Laugh.

Re:Wait another minute

[MyLongNickName]

If people are aware of the situation that they are getting into, and choose to get into it anyhow, should government legislate it?

Now, I think employers should be required to divulge what actual working conditions are. Not just to prospective employees, but to the public as a whole. Then, as a consumer, I can choose whether or not to buy a product from a given company.

And all "subsidiaries" ought to display who their parent company is. I get sick and tired of a large company dividing themselves up... one division squeaky clean, the other not.

But bottom line: Make the information public, and you will find the need for gov't intervention decreases.

They are not ALL chop shops..

[th1ckasabr1ck]

I work as a programmer for a video game company. We don't work suicide hours unless it's a crunch period, we deathmatch after work a few times a week, and I completely love doing my job. I have fun just about every day I come into work. Top it all off with the fact that I get to do for a living what I've dreamed of doing since I was five years old and life is pretty good right about now.

I know this isn't how it is everywhere in the game industry. I've read the EA stuff and heard the horror stories. Our management takes quality of life issues extremely seriously, which probably makes us the exception rather than the rule, but with all of this recent coverage it seems as if people are finally stepping back to take a look at what is really happening in this industry. This business evolved very quickly, with lots of passionate people involved who were willing (and happy) to work suicide hours in order to get the game out of the door. The days of a couple of guys making Doom in their basement and pulling in millions is long gone.

Of course, coverage focuses on the negative and larely ignores the positive. I doubt there will ever be a slashdot story about how employees at game company X are working 40 hour/weeks and loving life. I just Hope that the lessons EA employees seem to be learning will be taken to heart by more than those people directly affected by it.

Of course, having a title that sells a ton of copies makes all of this stuff easier. Someone should tell that to the EA execs.

And the lawsuits have already begun

[Flexagon]

We should be trying to remedy this work situation, not prepare people for it.

The Merc is carrying an article just today on a lawsuit against EA [reg may be req'd] regarding deceptive work environment practices. It seems to me that companies that behave this way are just asking for unions.