It's Not Worth It

In preparation for the arrival of the the September issue, I flipped through the August issue of Game Developer Magazine. I reread Steve Theodore's latest Pixel Pusher article entitled Fight the Good Fight. He puts forth more strong arguments against the self inflicted practice of crunch time, many of which I strongly believe and attempt to convey to others around me, unfortunately, not to much avail. A couple of the things he stresses is pacing yourself and then learning how to manage your own time so you can foresee problems before they get out of control. However, the message that comes at the very end of the article hit closest to home, especially as I look to expand my own family.

There has never been a game that was worth a single divorce, but anybody with a few shipped titles on their resume could name you a title or two that cost that much.

That's why it's up to us to grapple the crunch monster. Growing out of our frat house work habits isn't just good advice - it's a deadly serious duty. The family wants you home from the trenches, safe and sound, not just another anonymous game industry hero in the small print of Mobygames. Don't disappoint them.