Work Culture

Work Culture in the Games Industry

Signs of a Healthy Culture

Most studios have a very casual work culture. Employees can dress casually and address coworkers and leadership in a casual manner. Employees are encouraged to keep open communication amongst peers and leadership and have open discussions about the studio and the game being developed. Open communication among individuals often leads to improvements in production or the game. Coworkers will often befriend each other and hangout outside of work.

Signs of a Toxic Culture

However, some large studios will heavily discourage open communication. Management will care more about your work and participation in Crunch than your health and well-being. Sexual harassment issues that get brought up to management may never get addressed and can lead to a very toxic bro-culture. Contract workers may feel resentment towards the studio because they get treated poorly. Any challenges to management will likely affect your career prospects, especially if you are a contract worker. At large AAA studios, there is a tendency to layoff staff on short notice. Mass layoffs may be due to studio closure or the business's interest in reducing overhead costs.

Non-Disclosure Agreement

It's very common at a games studio for employees to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). By signing a NDA, you agree to not discuss the game you are working on with individuals not involved in the project. If details of a game are leaked, it could have an effect on a game's success and reduce the impact of the game's marketing strategy. If you are caught for leaking information or source material, you will be reprimanded.

Sources:

Inside The Culture Of Sexism At Riot Games
Former Rockstar Designer Says Former Top Executive Groped Him