During the past fifteen years, with the connivance and permission of Congress, American businesses have moved billions of dollars to Asia, setting up the next generation of production and programming.

This is just another in a long string. I wish these gentlemen well. It will be interesting to follow up in five years, and see how many other software businesses in Asia have their same committment to worker mental health and balanced lives.

MargaretBartley

Of course we could be worse off like those who work in service industries who have to work two full time hourly jobs just to pay rent and feed their families.

nerd1951

DashTheHand

wwwyzzerr

So, if I have a company in California, and I have two American employees, Alice and Bob, and then I close up shop, move to China, and hire Chiang and Wu, I am outsourcing in the traditional sense, and "stealing American jobs", as it were.

But if I have a company in California, and I have two American employees, Alice and Bob, and then I close up shop, move to China, hire Alice and Bob again, and hire Chiang and Wu as chefs and maids, I'm not outsourcing in the traditional sense, and am certainly not "stealing American jobs", because the same Americans are doing the same jobs.

bugbread

I can't think of a single developer that likes working these hours, they're just resigned to the fact that it exists, so much so that most of them are stuck in the mindset that it has to be this way.

Poor management allows for scheduling where crunch time is taken into consideration and planned for, and poor deals with pushy publishers allows those schedules to be created.

Good for these guys I say.

Fidget

Outsource to Australia instead! =)

FunkyJ

I am curious about Japanese dev companies. The insinuation is that this is a Western problem, but the fix presented is just being able to offer amenities because they are cheaper somewhere else, and I'm assuming the cost of living low enough that they can do less work while retaining a higher quality of life. That doesn't strike me as a Western vs Eastern issue and does not seem sustainable over the long term.

mouroutaru

I am sure they are correct that U.S. game developers will outsource as much as possible but is that going to give anyone a better standard of living in the U.S. or just in the outsource country until their costs of living rise and the game developer abandons them also?

I would argue if you are unhappy with working conditions in the U.S., start a company here. There are plenty of unhappy game company employees who'd flock to your door for a slightly lower wage if better treatment and hours were part of the deal.

It's all about squeezing every penny out of your employees, which is not a decent way to treat folks.

Chilly Hollow

I think its great what's happening to china. I'm happy for you guys, really. But excuse me if I'm not elated that you're stealing our jobs.

Dishliquid

One of the many issues that still remain there is the lax enforcement of many of their labor laws.

I'm not arguing that there aren't laws on the books that theoretically outlaw these practices, I'm pointing out that they are not properly enforced. Saying they are is completely false.

Also, although the Chinese government does now allow for some small degree of currency fluctuation the exchange rate is essentially fixed at 8 yuan to $1. To argue that this fixed exchange rate doesn't greatly benefit the local economy of China is preposterous.

I'm not saying that China can't and won't modernize. I'm saying that the laws are still abused there and are less enforced than in other developed nations (look at the governments stance on labor unions for more on their acceptance of these problems) and that the fixed exchange rate makes it possible for the company to offer the amenities it mentions at a fraction of the cost it would in a less impoverished nation.

"Onsite chef for breakfast, lunch and dinner", he boasts. Massages, dry cleaning, company supplied drivers, language and cultural tutoring (English or Chinese), haircuts, fitness memberships, car washing and maid and grocery services.

aDEADguy

Working at a game company may sound like a dream job, but one can only take so much. The industry standard of working employees to death needs to change.

Kruel

Jesus.

Anywho, I'm Chinese and I've always believed that China's modernization is going to make more of stuff like this happen, which can only be a good thing for everyone.

As for cheap labor? Simple economics: more supply (bigger population) equals less steep prices.

Gunhaver

Very brave to do what your heart tells you.

vongarr

This is called taking advantage of massive poverty and a fixed favorable exchange rate.

aDEADguy

Perhaps only actual "laws" could stop this mindless "race" .. but it would in short term result in worst games (later with dev-teams developing new ways to make better games under the legal time restrictions.)

On the other hand, if well cared.. developers could become far more efficient (by not migrating to the movie industry / getting more experienced in time or simply having working conditions) .. as we have seen in other kinds of industry (unfortunately, only in a few sample companies).

Ludwig

doc_rob

dtrain

Mommar

I think a better question to be asking them is why that those services are cheaper. And the answer isn't that China is a magical world of economic efficiency.

Ape.of.Gods

The amount of productive work does seriously decrease the longer some one is in crunch. Things like this are pretty much unavoidable at times when your working under super tight deadlines.

thebigxer

Mommar

Sqube

Yeah, I know the rule changing thing is a pipe dream, but a man has to have hopes!

Sqube

JibbyJam