Mortal Human

I went all out to conjure opinion on this subject and found discussions all over the web about it. I even joined in one and started another which isn’t really worth linking – apparently, the biggest fans of the Rockstar family have nothing to say in their defense even when someone is baiting the emotional connection one might feel toward this sort of news. Great site though. Join.

The first link, to Polycount, is a hell of a read. No matter what how you place yourself of the stance that an employee has choice to work there or not, there still remains the truth that more than just man hours are invested in games, and that walking away is more of a failure than being fired when you pour that much love into your product that you go through things that have only been confirmed and not refuted thus far.  There exists an angst that is apparently widespread throughout the gaming industry from over-promising leads that take the risk of their own necks out on employees who weren’t the ones promising the date of completion.

The entertainment industry is volatile stuff. And how productive will a stressed out, worried, beaten artist or designer, programmer or writer be? You might have read my first post about this, then why didn’t you comment?

But I digress to damn much – I linked you to the source of this public display of workplace turmoil – no matter who is to blame and who will be friends at the end of the day, you can see clearly that something needs to change for those people in the game industry who are being stifled and pushed at the same time.

That link again is here @ gamasutra.com Rockstar Wives Open Letter. Read the discussion that has resulted, and witness the allegedly less than glamorous side of being a Rockstar. It really doesn’t matter how much you argue that every bad thing we go through is of our own choosing and that it’s everyone’s responsibility to maintain their own chi; When there are that many people, even from other companies and facets of related industry, speak up and keep speaking when it isn’t even them you’re talking about, you know there is more to it than to each his own.

Good luck to all the Rockstar Wives, Employees, Managements, and Affiliates, no one likes this kind of stuff, but nothing gets done about it until someone speaks up. Better for you to shift out those managers or send them to classes on how to properly manage their team than it is lose the talent that builds the framework that your games run on.

Everyone involved, both directly and in our confused seats as the audience, should learn to value  and respect themselves more – including the leads at San Diego – if this is the way things are for you guys. Your bosses can take a clue from you taking the first step – you’ve claimed your ground with your letter and begun to hold it, now you can ascend and may you gracefully. LEVEL UP!