IGDA Promises Investigation into Team Bondi's Alleged Employee Abuses

June 28, 2011

The International Game Developers Association (IGDA) has finally made a public comment on Team Bondi, the Sydney, Australia-based development studio contracted to do work on Rockstar Games' LA Noire. Echoing the sentiments of developers and the community worldwide, IGDA said that the horror stories of extensive crunch times and generally poor working conditions at the studio are "absolutely unacceptable."

Games industry professionals and association members have loudly criticized Team Bondi and its founder Brendan McNamara for the studio’s intense crunch time work policy. Brian Robbins, chair of the IGDA Board of Directors, said the group that advocates for developers plans to "fully investigate" the issues raised by former employees of the studio.

"[But] certainly reports of 12-hour a day, lengthy crunch time, if true, are absolutely unacceptable and harmful to the individuals involved, the final product, and the industry as a whole," Robbins told Develop.

He added that the IGDA didn't comment sooner because "they didn't have all the facts" - or at least didn't know enough to take a position on the situation.

"We encourage any Team Bondi employee and/or family member to email qol@igda.org with comments about the recent past and current situation - positive or negative," Robbins added.

Over the weekend stories came out about an allegedly ruthless work ethic at the studio. Some developers claimed that a regular "working week" could mean more than 100 hours at the office.

Founder Brendan McNamara said his studio’s work policies are not unfair.

We will continue to follow this story as it develops.

Source: Develop

Posted in

Comments

Re: IGDA Promises Investigation into Team Bondi's Alleged ...

Submitted by edmoss87 on Wed, 06/29/2011 - 14:36.

The games industry is notorious for unpaid overtime, and 12-hour days during crunch I could understand, but over 100 hours a week? I hope that's hyperbole.

Re: IGDA Promises Investigation into Team Bondi's Alleged ...

Submitted by kurifu on Wed, 06/29/2011 - 06:46.

I wonder if they will go as far as to write a sternly worded letter

Re: IGDA Promises Investigation into Team Bondi's Alleged ...

Submitted by Zerodash on Tue, 06/28/2011 - 15:14.

IGDA: "We have reports you are abusing your employees. What's going on with that?"

Bondi: "That's not true"

* cue piano sound *

IGDA: "You're lying. Your employees are working 12 hour days!"

Bondi: "Where's your proof?"

Poll

Shout box

E. Zachary Knight: If the videos are of sufficient quality that people subscribe and watch regularly, then those let's players are providing a service that people want. That is the heart of capitalism. That is not something that should be shamed.05/17/2013 - 8:06am

E. Zachary Knight: I have no idea who either of those people are. However, I still don't see why making a business out of creating let's play videos is somehow evil or wrong.05/17/2013 - 8:04am

MaskedPixelante: It sure is if you're just doing it for the money. See Tobuscus and/or Pewdiepie for what happens when people get into it just for the money.05/17/2013 - 7:30am

E. Zachary Knight: Why is it wrong to make money doing LPs? Why should that be something that should be shamed?05/17/2013 - 6:20am

MaskedPixelante: https://twitter.com/PsychedelicSA/status/335183893214924801 Now here's an interesting, glass half full thought about the Nintendo LP thing. It outs the people who are just doing LPs to make money.05/17/2013 - 5:56am

E. Zachary Knight: I responded in writing to all this "let's play" stuff Nintendo Started. No need for my permission, I won't give it. It's not mine to give. http://divineknightgaming.com/?p=29205/16/2013 - 2:21pm

E. Zachary Knight: Lars Doucet of Levelup Labs has a Reddit going on game companies that allow monetization of Let's Play videos. http://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/1egayn/lets_build_a_list_of_game_studios_that_allow/05/16/2013 - 1:04pm

Sleaker: @Imautobot - yah I wouldn't use an emulator as a good first run test of how stable the console is, haha.05/16/2013 - 11:47am

E. Zachary Knight: The 50th person to jump off a bridge is just as dumb if not dumber than the 1st.05/16/2013 - 10:03am

MaskedPixelante: Yeah, let's all jump on Nintendo for doing this, even though they're hardly the first company to do this...05/16/2013 - 9:47am

E. Zachary Knight: Wow Nintendo, this is wrong. http://kotaku.com/nintendo-forcing-ads-on-some-youtube-lets-play-video-50709238305/16/2013 - 8:44am

Imautobot: @Sleaker, further gameplay has revealed that the controller button do stick under the faceplate. Also, The NES emulator (Emuya)keeps crashing on me, though I think a bad ROM is causing it.05/16/2013 - 7:10am

Papa Midnight: AE: I wonder if any other publishers will follow suit.05/15/2013 - 8:12pm

Andrew Eisen: EA is ditching Online Pass. http://venturebeat.com/2013/05/15/ea-kills-its-controversial-online-pass-program/05/15/2013 - 7:20pm

Avalongod: @Zach and quicnkold...I've read the bill and the intent of it is to fear-monger. It's not a balanced message. I don't recall the ESRB being mentioned at all. It's more "keeps your kids away from these movies/games or they'll become violent"05/15/2013 - 4:35pm

E. Zachary Knight: quiknkold, The big problem with that legislation is the amount of misinformation out there. Who is going to ensure that the information in the pamphlet is accurate?05/15/2013 - 3:25pm

quiknkold: REBeardogg : I'm on the fence about this. on one side, I want parents to be aware of the ESRB, and even Movie Ratings. On the other hand, I feel this will be used for nothing but Propaganda. The ESRB does a good job.05/15/2013 - 3:07pm

IanC: Frostbite is coming out on iOS devices. Yet the Wii U cant handle it? *coughbullshitcough*05/15/2013 - 2:31pm

BearDogg-X: http://www.politickernj.com/65515/lesniak-ruiz-bill-limit-children-s-exposure-media-violence-clears-senate - Bill requiring schools to publish pamphlets with anti-fake media "violence" propaganda clears NJ Senate05/15/2013 - 2:03pm

quiknkold: I am thinking of writing a musical about videogames, violence, and the first amendment. Would need a collaborator though and would kickstart it after the script is written. was thinking off broadway.05/15/2013 - 2:00pm

All shouts

<< Return To Top

Forgot your password?
Username :
Password :