LA Noire developer responds to accusations of exploiting workers
June 28, 2011 | 08:19
Companies: #rockstar #team-bondi
Brendan McNamara, boss of LA Noire developer Team Bondi, has responded to accusations of exploiting his employees at the Sydney-based studio.
Instead of downplaying the accusations, which involve excessive working hours and a thankless working environment, McNamara defended his management style.
'I'm not even remotely defensive about it,' McNamara told IGN. 'I think, if people want to do what I've done – to come here and do that – then good luck to them. If people who've left the company want to go out there and have some success, then good luck to them. If they don't want to do that with me, that's fine, too.'
Other reports suggested that 130 people involved in the seven year-long project hadn't been included in the game's credits, leading to the creation of an independent site designed to properly credit the game's contributors. Meanwhile, some workers claimed to have been forced to work for over 100 hours a week with little compensation.
Some accusations were also aimed squarely at McNamara himself, with one worker claiming he was the angriest person they'd met, and that he'd regularly scream at people in front of their colleagues.
However, McNamara claimed that everyone in the studio worked the same hours, including himself, adding that 'if you wanted to do a nine-to-five job, you'd be in another business.'
Defending the need for long hours, the Team Bondi boss also said that the developer was 'making stuff that's never been made before. We're making a type of game that's never been made before. We're making it with new people, and new technology. People who're committed to put in whatever hours they think they need to.'
What do you make of McNamara's comments? Were his actions justified or is this a classic case of poor management skills? Let us know in the forums.
Instead of downplaying the accusations, which involve excessive working hours and a thankless working environment, McNamara defended his management style.
'I'm not even remotely defensive about it,' McNamara told IGN. 'I think, if people want to do what I've done – to come here and do that – then good luck to them. If people who've left the company want to go out there and have some success, then good luck to them. If they don't want to do that with me, that's fine, too.'
Other reports suggested that 130 people involved in the seven year-long project hadn't been included in the game's credits, leading to the creation of an independent site designed to properly credit the game's contributors. Meanwhile, some workers claimed to have been forced to work for over 100 hours a week with little compensation.
Some accusations were also aimed squarely at McNamara himself, with one worker claiming he was the angriest person they'd met, and that he'd regularly scream at people in front of their colleagues.
However, McNamara claimed that everyone in the studio worked the same hours, including himself, adding that 'if you wanted to do a nine-to-five job, you'd be in another business.'
Defending the need for long hours, the Team Bondi boss also said that the developer was 'making stuff that's never been made before. We're making a type of game that's never been made before. We're making it with new people, and new technology. People who're committed to put in whatever hours they think they need to.'
What do you make of McNamara's comments? Were his actions justified or is this a classic case of poor management skills? Let us know in the forums.
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