Hugo Martin reflects on the long development processes in video games and recounts his experience with work periods extended over months.
With few days left until the launch of DOOM Eternal and with the conditions of labor exploitation (crunch) increasingly visible and denounced, the creative director of the id Sofware video game has reflected on what it is for him to undergo endless intensive days in the world of video game development.
"Nobody forces me to be in the office"
"It's not really crunch … this is going to sound shocking. It's like a lifestyle, "he begins by saying on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast. "I live and breathe this. No one forces me to be in the office. Even when I return home, I see my children, I do my things and, then, I keep investigating, ”he adds. For Martin, his work is his passion and, therefore, in his expensive, a self-imposed crunch condition does not have that degree of severity.
DOOM Eternal
"You have to ingest tons (of work), which means this job is 24/7," he continues. "I wake up very early; I try to get some exercise… I go home and take the kids to school. I have a couple of hours there where I have the house completely empty and I just play video games ”, he remarks on his day to day and how he manages his little free time.
Hugo Martin, who recognizes practicing jiu-jitsu to maintain a physical and mental balance; especially when sitting so many hours a day, he has not entered to value crunch in his employees, who are subject to the work delegated to them by a boss or superior. He can choose what to do, how and when to do it.
The controversy of crunch borders directly on today. Naughty Dog has been the last notable case, where the statements of former developers of the Californian team since the time of Uncharted 4 stand out. As they reveal, the majority under anonymity, more than 70% of those who participated in Drake's latest adventure already they don't work there; some even became hospitalized.
DOOM Eternal, apparently, has not been subjected to crunch. Not, at least, that it is publicly known. The video game will launch this March 20, on PS4, Xbox One and PC. Later he will do it on Nintendo Switch. FreeGameTips has already been able to play it for a few hours.
