In recent years, the gaming industry has been gradually moving away from the so-called “crunch” model, which involves an enormous amount of overtime over extended periods to meet game deadlines. Many developers have stated that this has negatively impacted their health, relationships, and led to other adverse consequences.
One studio that has faced significant criticism on this matter is Naughty Dog, which has been notoriously known for its crunch culture. Although they have taken steps to try and improve the situation, it appears that the crunch culture is here to stay. In an interview with Kiwi Talkz, former Uncharted designer Benson Russel reveals that the studio effectively accepted crunch as a necessity after The Last of Us, and that the situation has only worsened with each subsequent project.
“After The Last of Us, finally, it was an admission in the meeting. It was said, ‘Well, we’ve just realized that this is what it takes to make games at our level.'”
As recently as last December, it was reported that Naughty Dog mandated heavy overtime for seven weeks after Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet missed several milestones leading up to a Sony Interactive Entertainment presentation, reigniting the debate. Even at that time, according to Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier, “some staff members were questioning: If they’re crunching now, what’s next year going to look like?”
How Naughty Dog manages this issue going forward could be crucial for both the studio’s reputation and its future recruitment, especially as Intergalactic approaches its major launch. The crunch remains a challenge to overcome. Ultimately, it often comes down to meeting deadlines versus more reasonable employment conditions; what is your perspective on the matter?