Complaints about the working conditions in game development in general, as well as specific companies and projects, are legion.

The latest one to hit the wires are claims against Gameloft's studio in Auckland, New Zealand, from former head studio programmer Glenn Watson.

He claims some weeks he was working 100 to 120 hours.

"There were other times when I would be called back into the office at 11:30pm by the studio producer, only to head home again at 2:30am," he told the Games.On.Net website.

"It was after I worked four consecutive weeks of fourteen-hour days - including weekends - that I realised I needed to resign."

Management pressure

Watson goes on to say he thought such working conditions were sanctioned by Gameloft's French management, claiming it was standard practice for it to falsely manufacture deadlines to get games completed before they were required.

After complaints, Gameloft did change its employee contracts to offer time in lieu for overtime worked however.

"They went in and fixed this, so why aren't they willing to fix the fact that employees are even being asked to work fourteen hour days in the first place?" Watson asked.

[source: Games.On.Net]