Chinese Worker Group Reports New Wave of Abuse at Apple Suppliers
A report from New York-based China Labor Watch has raised concerns over a new wave of worker abuse among Apple suppliers.
Their Studio Gave them an Amusement Park Ticket—and Then a Pink Slip
Console Companies Continue to Keep Inspectors Out of Factories
We've written many times before about the working conditions at Foxconn and other Chinese plants at which nearly all of the electronics used for gaming are manufactured. The short version is, its not great. Factory workers manage extraordinary hours for very little pay, living in cramped conditions. Following a spate…
Pregnant Mom Fends Off Labor Long Enough to See Skyrim Demo [Updated]
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About six months ago, Bethesda Softworks' Pete Hines figured Feb. 18 was the perfect day to conceive a child, as the baby would be due on Nov. 11, the ship date for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. One couple conceived well early of that, but their baby's birth will still forever be associated with the game.
Inside the Seven-Year Labor Pains of L.A. Noire
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It took seven years. It spanned two console generations. It was the biggest undertaking in Australian games development. And the seven years it took to bring L.A. Noire to store shelves was consistently an unhappy time for many who worked on the game, reports IGN.
Test Drive Unlimited Studio Stages One-Day Strike
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Atari's plans to lay off more than 50 percent of Eden Games' workforce, plus alleged "mismanagement," were the catalysts for a one-day symbolic strike today by the developer of Test Drive Unlimited 2.
Employee, Soldier, or Hostage?
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THQ executive Danny Bilson's tweet on Tuesday about a visit to the developer of Homefront, crunching to deliver the game by its March 8 release. Seen via Develop, where a robust debate about the comment's appropriateness is in the comments.
How Much Would You Pay to Work in Video Games?
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For a New York graphic artist, it's $1,000 - just $998.95 more than the price of freedom. He's offered $1,000 for information that leads to getting hired to a video games gig, but there are conditions.
Transportation Strike Delays Battlefield Bad Company 2 Patch
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A transportation strike in Romania, of all things, is being blamed for a delay in the next Battlefield: Bad Company 2 patch on the PC.
Back Pay is Hell, and Utah Devs Still Aren't Getting Any
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When we last left Sensory Sweep, the Utah studio that just stopped paying employees, it cut a deal with the government to pay back nearly $1 million by September. That hasn't happened, and its founder is facing tax evasion charges.
Paid Less to Die More: The Actors' Union's Beef with Video Games
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The Screen Actors' Guild's rejection of a contract with game makers can be seen as a tempest in a teapot - 80 percent of voice work is non-union. But the LA Times goes further to see what's really at stake.
SAG Sacks Voice Acting Contract
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A contract proposal hammered out between the Screen Actors Guild and video game publishers was shot down after a union vote. A key sticking point seemed to be "atmospheric" work, in which one actor voices multiple minor characters.
Union Contracts Now Include "Vocally Stressful," "Atmospheric" Work
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Two major unions supplying voice actors for video games have both won pay raises under provisional new contracts, which also spell out terms for "vocally stressful" work and "atmospheric" roles in which one person voices multiple minor characters.
Getting Paid at GameStop: Not as Simple as it Should Be
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GameStop employees can't get paper checks. True, most of the civilized world is on direct deposit by now. But for GameStoppers who aren't, the only alternative is a cash card that nickel-and-dimes them.
Developer Reaches Back-Pay Deal With Government
Sensory Sweep, accused of not paying its 200 workers since at least October, has entered into a consent agreement with the federal Department of Labor under which current and former employees will be repaid.
Sensory Sweep Responds to Labor Claim
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Sensory Sweep, the Utah developer that is the subject of a $2 million unpaid-wages federal investigation, denies some allegations levied against it and says they are working out an agreement with investigators.