The Jimquisition Thread

[Sheikah]

First of all, crunch happens everywhere, not just in video games. A lot of gamers (don't mean anyone here) seem to think it's a unique to this industry, it isn't, it's just a byproduct of tight deadlines and under staffing. As for Nintendo, some recent quotes ...

 

This might be how NoA handles it but in Japan where most of the games are made, I've heard crunch can be very bad there.

 

This article mentions how for over 10 years or so an employee was told "it's Mario time" by Miyamoto as a means to say "crunch time". Interestingly he only considered this crunch time to be when he was asked to stay at 11PM for another few hours. Seemingly staying up until 11 was not considered crunch!

 

That "Mario time" comment sounds very much like the "Bioware magic" line used to evoke feelings in the workers for gain.

[Ronnie]

I thought it was quite clear that it wasn't just NOA. I'll post this quote again

Quote

Nintendo of America CEO and president Reggie Fils-Aimé was one of the executives that weighed in on crunch policies for the story, saying that Nintendo largely prefers to hire contract employees to help the development team get through a period of crunch without disrupting their work-life-balance.

Oh and the "Bioware magic" line refers to a game falling into place towards the end of development, not working long hours. Although pitchfork-clad crusading gamers angry at everything have probably twisted the meaning ten fold by now.

[Sheikah]

I thought it was quite clear that it wasn't just NOA. I'll post this quote again Oh and the "Bioware magic" line refers to a game falling into place towards the end of development, not working long hours. Although pitchfork-clad crusading gamers angry at everything have probably twisted the meaning ten fold by now. 

 

 Well when we talk about games industry crunch and Nintendo it makes a lot more sense to talk about the people making the games and not NoA. Your post seemed somewhat irrelevant or at the very least neglected to mention the crunch that does very much happen at extreme levels at the most sizeable portion of Nintendo.

 

Also the point I was making about the Bioware Magic comparison was the intention behind the use - it was an almost meaningless trigger phrase (like Mario Time) to get your employees to tow the line and not ask questions. Bioware Magic was used to say that it would all turn out ok in the end because Bioware had the magic touch. Similarly, you could say Mario Time was said to remind people of the immense amount of work needed to make a game like Mario. Even if they don't exactly mean the same thing, I think they are phrases used for similar reasons. They are statements used to get people to put in silly hours and not question the task as a matter of blind faith.

[Ronnie]

8 hours ago, Sheikah said:

Well when we talk about games industry crunch and Nintendo it makes a lot more sense to talk about the people making the games and not NoA. Your post seemed somewhat irrelevant or at the very least neglected to mention the crunch that does very much happen at extreme levels at the most sizeable portion of Nintendo.

My post wasn't "irrelevant", thanks very much, it's the president of NoA talking about how NCL prefer to staff up and hire freelance developers when making games rather than crunch. That's just as relevant as your link to that one occasion/one staff member.

People work silly hours on occasion in almost every professional job, it's sad, but that's life. Some companies are better than others. The fact that employees often last a long time at Nintendo, far longer than the average, seems to show they handle overtime better than most.

[S.C.G]

Yes, it's another video not just about Anthem but also the "Liiiiive Serrrvice" genre in general...

 

...but it is mostly about Anthem.

[Hero-of-Time]

Following on from the reports of the crunch culture over at Netherealm Studios/Warner Bros, USGamer have done some cracking journalistic work that has led to this published piece about the awful work practices and conditions over at these places.

https://www.usgamer.net/articles/netherrealm-studios-crunch-mortal-kombat-injustice-2-contract?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Absolutely disgusting business and, like I done with Red Dead, I'm happy that I passed up on buying this game.

Developers are in desperate need to unionize. At the end of the day they are the ones with the power. Without them the greedy publishers and executives have no product to sell. 

[S.C.G]

Uh-oh... Epic has been spending its money again.

[S.C.G]

 

[Hero-of-Time]

 

[S.C.G]

I meant to post this one yesterday but I didn't, also I still haven't actually watched that Sonic trailer in its full form yet.

Borderlands 3 isn't even out yet and I'm not really warming to it due to all of this negative stuff surrounding Gearbox and Randy Pitchford.

I mean, I enjoyed the original two games for what they were nearly ten years ago but in 2019?

More and more games are becoming less "essential" purchases and more on the side of... "I might pick that up... if it's good, when it's cheap and only if it's a full game"

[Hero-of-Time]

10 hours ago, S.C.G said:

More and more games are becoming less "essential" purchases and more on the side of... "I might pick that up... if it's good, when it's cheap and only if it's a full game"

That's probably because more and more games are becoming unfinished, broken messes that are being sold bit by bit to the consumer. Honestly, these days you are best off waiting a few weeks before buying a game because 9 times out of 10 the game will need some patches to fix a bunch of stuff. A lot of games now just feel like early access products but gamers are having to pay the full price for them.

I've been playing on my Gamecube on and off over the past few days and it's just so nice to be able to pop in a disc and playing a game that is a finished product and actually works, without the need to download patches. Back then, you bought a game and it was all of the disc. No drip feeding content, no road map, no sly ways to get more money out of you. It was a finished game and that was it.

The more I think about this kind of thing the more I really dislike what my favourite hobby has become.  

Edited May 9, 2019 by Hero-of-Time

[Sheikah]

That's probably because more and more games are becoming unfinished, broken messes that are being sold bit by bit to the consumer. Honestly, these days you are best off waiting a few weeks before buying a game because 9 times out of 10 the game will need some patches to fix a bunch of stuff. A lot of games now just feel like early access products but gamers are having to pay the full price for them.
I've been playing on my Gamecube on and off over the past few days and it's just so nice to be able to pop in a disc and playing a game that is a finished product and actually works, without the need to download patches. Back then, you bought a game and it was all of the disc. No drip feeding content, no road map, no sly ways to get more money out of you. It was a finished game and that was it.
The more I think about this kind of thing the more I really dislike what my favourite hobby has become.  

This is why games generally aren't really becoming cheaper, like you hear some people say. Half games, or unfinished games, are becoming cheaper.

[Dcubed]

17 minutes ago, Sheikah said:

3 hours ago, Hero-of-Time said:

That's probably because more and more games are becoming unfinished, broken messes that are being sold bit by bit to the consumer. Honestly, these days you are best off waiting a few weeks before buying a game because 9 times out of 10 the game will need some patches to fix a bunch of stuff. A lot of games now just feel like early access products but gamers are having to pay the full price for them.
I've been playing on my Gamecube on and off over the past few days and it's just so nice to be able to pop in a disc and playing a game that is a finished product and actually works, without the need to download patches. Back then, you bought a game and it was all of the disc. No drip feeding content, no road map, no sly ways to get more money out of you. It was a finished game and that was it.
The more I think about this kind of thing the more I really dislike what my favourite hobby has become.  

This is why games generally aren't really becoming cheaper, like you hear some people say. Half games, or unfinished games, are becoming cheaper.

Literally unfinished in many cases.  Early Access games are quickly becoming the norm; even amongst games that aren't advertised as such.

 

Any game with a visible "roadmap" is clearly a game that isn't finished.

 

Even Smash Bros Ultimate was released unfinished.  Pirahna Plant was supposed to be in the game from the start (as evidenced by the fact that it is the only DLC character that has ever been released that has Palutena's Guidance to go along with it).  Likewise, it's pretty clear that Stage Builder and the video editor was meant to be in there from the beginning, but wasn't ready in time.

 

Likewise, Mario Tennis Aces even added additional story mode FMV cutscenes; clearly indicating that they released the game before it was finished (granted, this is a far better situation than the ridiculous BS they pulled with Ultra Smash.  A game that was blatantly an early alpha version of what would eventually become Mario Tennis Aces).

 

At least in those cases, they gave the content out for free.  It's still poor form though, and it's a real shame that you can't just buy a cartridge with the full and complete game on it (unless Nintendo quietly released an updated reprint that I don't know about, like they used to do in the Wii era).

 

Sadly this is becoming the norm.  You're better off just waiting a year or so before playing new games, where you'll actually get a complete experience for less money.

[Hero-of-Time]

Man, the YouTuber type apology at the start is hilarious.  

I still can't get over that Randy is in the industry, especially after the whole Aliens Marines fiasco. Dude is a born liar.

[Dcubed]

Jesus! His new voices are a fucking riot! 

 

You honestly couldn't make up half the shit that Randy has gotten away with!

[S.C.G]

Nintendo eShop sale? PSN sale? Xbox Live Marketplace sale? They all pale into insignificance when compared with the Epic Store Mega Sale!

[S.C.G]

If you have an account on the Epic Store and you try to buy multiple games on it (a feat in itself as it doesn't have a shopping cart) then your account might be blocked.

Good to know.

[Hero-of-Time]

 

 

[S.C.G]

Yep, another Randy Pitchford video, not really sure what to say about this...

Well other than that Gearbox could probably do with a new CEO.

Unless they like all of this publicity and that's all part of the "plan" I have no idea at this point.

Edited May 28, 2019 by S.C.G

[Glen-i]

Sooner or later, there has to be a breaking point. I know the gaming industry is a lot more tolerant of this, but I wonder where the line is.

[Hero-of-Time]

 

[S.C.G]

 

[Mandalore]

Is Sky Sanctuary music playing faintly in the background of that video? 

[Hero-of-Time]

 

Gotta say, I'm so glad that I'm done buying games from that company. The working conditions and the way the staff are treated sounds absolutely terrible. Sadly, the mass market either doesn't know about what's going on or simply doesn't care.

It's so sad that it's only a handful of gaming outlets investigating and reporting this kind of thing. IGN are probably the biggest gaming site out there but how often do you see them bringing these kinds of things to the attention of the masses? Not many. 

[Dcubed]

So the people who run the company that makes GTA are a bunch of sociopathic nutjobs who blow their riches on hookers, strip clubs and parties?  Why is anyone surprised?

 

Also nice to know that I was right in saying that the Housers don't give a shit about gameplay as well; and that they just want to make movies.  I've been saying this for well over a decade!

 

Absolute cunts, the lot of them.  Feel really sorry for anyone who is trapped underneath their boots  

Edited June 4, 2019 by Dcubed