ANALYZING CRUNCH CULTURE IN THE VIDEO GAME INDUSTRY: A QUALITATIVE STUDY ON DEVELOPER EXPERIENCES

• Main Author: Hidayatullah Wijanarko, Ryan
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/87542
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

The video game industry has become the de facto hegemony within global entertainment. With a market valued in the hundreds of billions, this fast growing industry is not without its growing pains. Particularly with the persistence of “crunch” which can be defined as the prolonged overtime work, often due to an unusual project schedule. Crunch and its subsequent perception within the industry has sparked ethical labor and productivity concerns. The study’s purpose is then to investigate the causes and effects of crunch through qualitative interviews and thematic analysis with developers from backgrounds and roles within the industry. The structure of the data collection will be a semi-structured interview of nine developers to gain some nuanced perspective on their views regarding crunch. The findings reveal that crunch culture stems from poor project management, feature creep, and the inherent challenges of game development, compounded by external pressures such as unregulated labor practices in many countries. While passion for the craft motivates developers, self-imposed and over crunching frequently leads to burnout, compromised mental and physical health, and a precarious work-life balance. Despite efforts in some studios to mitigate its impact, the normalization of crunch remains pervasive. This research highlights the need for systemic change, advocating for better labor policies and management practices to foster a sustainable and equitable work environment in the video game industry.