Gamers with dreams of working in the interactive entertainment industry may want to think twice before committing to such employment. According to the UK’s BECTU (Broadcasting Entertainment Cinematograph and Theatre Union), the game industry frequently burns out creative talent due to the heavy workload and long hours often connected with the job. Gerry Morrissey of BECTU remarked to BBC News that "It’s not unusual… to do 12 to 16 hours a day for three to four months at a time.”
As one former industry employee remarked, “The first thing that I was told was that if I decided to quit, there were hundreds of people standing in line to take my place. This didn,t do much for my confidence level.”
Erin Hoffman, whose blogsite “EA Spouse,” recounted the pain of being separated from her spouse because of his difficult schedule said, "If they don’t want to sacrifice their lives and their health and their talent so that a multibillion-dollar corporation can continue its Godzilla-stomp through the game industry, they can work someplace else"
Those in game production have a dedication and love for the medium that transcends the normal call of duty. But according to Hoffman, this has taken a turn for the worse. "No one works in the game industry unless they love what they do…they are and were more than willing to work hard for the success of the title. But that good will has only been met with abuse.’
Hoffman, whose blogsite drew national attention to the plight of game employees, remains an outspoken critic of the industry. Her husband, who was involved in a class action lawsuit against EA, won a settlement in the case. EA
