Developers at Insomniac games have announced that they managed to complete Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart without needing to crunch.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart launches in just two days (June 11) and positive reviews have been pouring in. The game currently sits at a score of 89 on Metacritic. NME writer, Tom Regan described it as “a popcorn-ready summer blockbuster”.
As the team celebrated the positive reception, game designer Grant Parker decided to share some positive news with fans.
I'd appreciate ppl sharing this positive. Because it's important.#RatchetPS5 is at 89 avg score & I can't speak for anyone on the team but myself, but I didn't crunch once. 40h weeks the whole time.
It is possible to work on a great game w/o suffering.https://t.co/8GOzukf2sh
— Grant Parker (@GrantPDesign) June 8, 2021
Though noting that he can only speak for himself, Parker goes on to say: “I was very encouraged by how my managers actively pushed for me to avoid burn out.”
The term ‘crunch’ references a form of mandatory overtime – sometimes unpaid – where staff are forced to work significantly long hours in order to finish a project or meet a deadline.
Crunch culture has come under fire in recent years for putting heavy burdens on studio staff. In particular, allegations of crunch culture within Naughty Dog and CD Projekt Red were met with significant backlash.
This came to a head in the case of Cyberpunk 2077, which involved a development process fraught with allegations of mandatory crunch and “demeaning” comments from leadership.
One developer at Naughty Dog, speaking on crunch, said “At a certain point you realize, ‘I can’t keep doing this. I’m getting older. I can’t stay and work all night.’”
With that in mind, it’s good to see proof that critically acclaimed games can be created without a negative environment for workers.
In other news, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart will recieve a performance mode patch on day one.
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