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So, Loren, was it this bad at LucasArts?
Yes. But, it depended on your job. If you are a programmer or level designer or tester, it's that bad and worse at times. I always talked about this at work... I could never figure out how it was legal to have the kind of employment practices that gaming companies do, and it's only gotten worse with EA as the big competition (this is a theme in the US these days... Wal-Mart, MS, EA... all causing waves of effects in their industries regarding labor and costs of competition, but that's another post). I mean, they even advertise in the job descriptions, "must be willing to work 60 hour weeks." Salaried workers never get overtime and comp time has become a joke that never materializes. I never understood the programers and LD's that would work 80 hour weeks... I just don't get why you would do that to yourself for no compensation. I know a lot of them do it near the end of the project as a pride thing, but screw that. My life and health and happiness are way more important to me than pride in a Star Wars game, or any game for that matter. If I'm not getting paid then I'm not working, period. The only reason I worked overtime when I did was to make up for all the slack off time I had at the start... but I was lucky in that regard. Some people on the project put in 9 hour days at the start and it only gets worse and worse. The fact that if you refuse to work unpaid overtime, it's unspoken fact that you'll be fired is just messed up. Maybe I misunderstood employment law, but from where I sit what they are doing is illegal, and it's about time someone fought them on it.
The main reason I really don't want to go back into the business is this exact issue. I just won't do it to myself and I know I'll get fired and blacklisted if I refuse. Ah well...
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