A new Gamasutra feature on games industry quality of life asks, "Does Anyone Still Give a Damn?" On hand to answer the question is Jason Della Rocca, executive director of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA), the workers' organization that followed up the ea_spouse scandal with a QoL survey in an attempt to improve the landscape.

Four years later, what's the state of things now?

Electronic Arts, the publisher-accusé in the ea_spouse controversy, just as recently as this week included a "significant improvement" since 2004 on its employee satisfaction survey as part of its annual financial results announcement.

In the Gamasutra feature, ea_spouse herself, freelance game designer and writer Erin Hoffman, agrees that the situation's gotten better at EA:

"I think EA is tremendously reformed, having made some real strong efforts to get the right people into their human resources department," she says.

Now, says Della Rocca, "every studio head, every producer, every HR person is keenly aware of this quality of life issue, of this working conditions issue and, believe me, none of them want an EA_Spouse to surface in their company."

As a result, he says, the number of companies being proactive and deliberate about QoL has increased substantially. "But the issue hasn't disappeared, that's for sure," he says. "The average developer at the average company is still overworked, underpaid, and doesn't have the right tools or training."

"I have a developer-friend in the business who spent about two months of required evenings and weekends last fall," Robinson recalls. "And though that is less common than it used to be... and is far from the incredibly egregious long-term crunch that Erin [Hoffman] described... it still occurs. We've made dramatic improvements, but the problem has not gone away, regardless what anyone says."

Quality Of Life? Does Anyone Still Give A Damn? [Gamasutra]

EA says its employee survey results point to improved morale under the new city-state (aka label-division) structure, with a "positive" work experience, improved "knowledge sharing" and more respect. It's possible that a new batch of Successories brand motivational posters aided in the change.

For the full, feel-good report, make the jump to hear from human resources at EA. While you do that, we'll keep checking the tips line to see if anyone calls bullshit on this with an @ea.com host name.

Exclusive: Internal EA Survey Shows Boosts in Employee Satisfaction & Morale [GameDaily] [Image Credit]

The article is filled with quotes from Hoffman, illustrating how game companies have changed since the whole situation started. It's an interesting look at how one voice can change the way an entire industry works. If you come across a copy, pick it up and give it a read, and be sure to check out the Quality of Life Discussion forums over at GameWatch.org, where you can read some fairly candid accounts of employee mistreatment. Strangely addictive, but that's human misery for you. Michael Fahey

Game Developer Revisits EA_Spouse, Three Years On [GameSetWatch]

Ms Hoffman said the EA lawsuits had prompted a big improvement at the company.

She said: "EA in Los Angeles has completely turned around its work practices. They have an agreement in place never to work on Sundays.

"People there are very happy now. They are still producing games on time and getting good reviews."

The rest of the article speaks generally about the poor working conditions at many game companies, and what entertainment union BECTU hopes to do about it. Eliza Gauger

More here [BBC, via Aeropause]

The lawsuit filed by Shapiro Haber & Urmy of Boston charges that an animator who worked for Activision's internal studio Luxoflux between 2001 and 2004 was forced to work unlawful unpaid overtime. The class action lawsuit asks not only for the animator's unpaid wages, but for Activision to pay penalties and punitive damages current and former Activision employees who were similarly sweatshopped.

"Excessive overtime is endemic in the videogame industry, but we hope that this and other lawsuits will spur major changes in the way employers treat their employees," Thomas Urmy, one of the lawyers involved, said. You tell 'em. Sock it to 'em, Tommy boy!

Activision Sued for Unpaid Overtime [Next Generation]

Well, she's finally come forward, and her name is Erin Hoffman. Her husband, Leander Hasty, was hired by EA to work on Battle for Middle-Earth and it was their plight that sparked the famous EA Spouse post. Now, a couple years later, things are a lot better for them: Hasty won some cash from the class-action lawsuit and is still a programmer, Hoffman is a game designer at Playable Productions.

We're really glad that things worked out for her and her husband, and they are also starting up a sort of game designer abuse watchdog site at GameWatch.org. So if you're a beleagurered developer, maybe you should stop by and seek commiseration from a couple of people who've been there... and won.

Exclusive: Nicole Wong Reveals Identity Of EA Spouse [Mercury News]