Rockstar has come under a hail of fire recently ever since the first "Rockstar Spouse" statement accusing the company of terrible working conditions. The Grand Theft Auto developer is also said to have crippled Red Dead Redemption thanks to bad management, and one employee even described the company as an overbearing "Eye of Sauron."
Rockstar is yet to offer an official public response, but the company's Web site has bit back in a rather snarky fashion, producing a wallpaper that actually shows Rockstar as an Eye of Sauron, casting its oppressive judgement down upon all who fall under its gaze. Very cute.
The response is quite amusing, but Rockstar is going to have to address this issue soon. The bad press simply hasn't stopped, and problems are resolved, they'll likely continue for a long time.
Rockstar Wallpaper Collection: The Eye Is Watching [Rockstar via GoNintendo]
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Contest:
10:00 AM on 01.16.2010
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just because some guys needy wife complains her husband isnt home to do stuff for her doesnt mean she should try and ruin the company by bitching about it.
So that's what it takes to make quality games? Huh.
If they're not happy with the working conditions (providing they are legal of course, which in this case they are) they can just quit. End of story.
Or they can be whiny bitches about it. Another option.
That said I like snarky. Keep it up Rockstar. This is getting interesting.
After all, nobody is forcing them to work there.
Everybody be diffeent!
And really this is a cautionary tale for all the virginal gamers out there...yes, that means you too Sterling.
Once you are in a relationship with a woman who has allowed you to put your cock in her, she will try to ruin your life. It may be more or less subtle than what the "wives" of R* employees are doing, but it is just part of what happens between men and women.
Hell if I were to lose my job w/ the video game publisher I work for, I cant just walk down the street and apply to another company. Nor would I want to go and just walk into a Wendys and apply.. this is a career. Maybe some of you don't know what that means yet, but its certainly something you don't just walk away from to find another job. Fortunately for me if that ever happened I can go anywhere.. but with people that have Family's.. you cant exactly support a family working at Wendys as a cashier.
Other than that...When it comes to deciding whether or not this is arrogant or humorous, I'm pretty much half-'n'-half. On one hand, I value employee input and know that long hours, late nights, and shitty conditions does not a happy employee make. On the other hand, Rockstar consistently makes great games, so part of me thinks these people are just a bunch of whiners...
Yeah, I'm split...
Ever heard of the recession? People tolerate a lot of shit to secure the financial well-being of their families. That doesn't mean that the employers can just say "fuck ethics" and put on their slave driver outfits.
Since it seems like the graphic designers would be part of the 'employee' class.
Personally I think GTA is overrated but I am looking froward to Red Dead Redemption so we'll see.
I think this is a bit overblown, Bungie had crazy work hours when they made Halo and let's not even mention Jaffe's team for God of War.
Also, Rockstar should be taking this a bit more seriously than this.
They *are* making great games and to do that it going to take a lot of hard work.
They work as hard as the the law allows them to work, no more. It has been decided that that is the maximum amount of work you can expect at a job. If you can't handle that, quit.
I don't know about Rockstar, but places I have worked promote managers from within the ranks. So you can get great artists and great programmers trying to balance deadlines.. and they just aren't good at it. A great game can be managed well or managed poorly and not affect it's greatness one bit. Extra hours are often the result of mismanagement and people should definitely be upset about someone else screwing up and them paying for it with their personal lives.
There are many ways to work smarter instead of longer and lead a balanced, enjoyable life while contributing to a great product.
Calm down. Sounds like you don't enjoy your work or at least have some pent up rage regarding work. It's touched a nerve.
Maybe you should quit?
Why? Because because some spineless employees got their wives to write an anonymous open letter? Nobody is forcing them to work there, Rockstar are not actually Sauron nor have they magical control powers. If they don't like it then they can leave and stop being sniveling cowards. Jesus christ what is wrong with people
--------------------
To everyone else: seriously? Are you incapable of putting yourself in someone else's position? Why don't you go even ATTEMPT to get a Game Development job and then not complain about having to work overtime without pay. Fuck you. "I don't care how you feel about it! Get back there and make my fuckin' hamburger! That's what YOU get for dropping out of school, if you don't like it...go die."
Brilliant.
You're all despicably selfish and I can't wait for the Zombie Apocalypse :\
What do you expect them to do after quitting? Just up and getting a new job and moving to a completely new location with no problem?
What would you do in their position if you had a family? Magically get a new job in the game industry while most likely moving to a new location with no problem?
Sounds like your friend was terrified of responsibility.
Seems to me people are still oblivious to the idea that this is probably a big PR stunt.
A story hits the web about these so called R* wives and all of the sudden, people start talking about the company like they themselves once worked for R*. Keep in mind R* isn't into the whole "Behind the scenes thing"...so have how many of you here have actually seen the inside of a branch of a R* development (house, whatever you want to call it)
Then the news about this new western game...and how "awful" it is. I have a question, what western game would we say is the best? Not a very populated genre now is it?
Does anyone see the tie in here?
This very web page is giving the new Red Dead title free publicity. Both the storys here could very well be a PR stunt to build hype.
But who knows? Rumour has it that my comment could very well indeed be a PR stunt to get someone to send me hate mail or insult me just because I left a long comment that took them to long to read.
Also, rumor has it that destructoid might even delete my comment because of a rumor that R* is giving this web site a rather large amount of cash to keep quiet about the long awaited
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If they agreed to their contract, which I can only assume states the maximum of work that is to be expected from them, then yes: they should just quit. Get another job.
"But finding another job is hard."
Then don't quit your current job.
"But they make me work as much as was stated in my contract, which is legal and meets all the standards in the business!"
Then you should have read your contract better.
Although, saying this now, I don't really know how the gaming industry works in that regard.
It could be possible that they're getting deadlines that are impossible to achieve, which would give them reason to protest the working conditions BUT sending a public "letter from the wifes of the programmers" is stupid and undermines the fact that they consider this to be a very serious problem.
But I'm beginning to see where you're coming from.
PR is created by letting it be known there is a controversial scene, by viral marketing, or various media, not by telling people what a shitty work environment you have, saying that one of your products has "huge problems", and that you will lose money. Perhaps if the extent of your business knowledge is asking if the customer want that order super sized you should shut the hell up.
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-CEO of Smacking Retards With Common Sense Inc.
Best regards, Anna, CEO of iscsi specification and download itunes