An uncomfortable truth

Zych’s tweet has raised a difficult question, is the norm to find a job one is passionate about inherently linked with being underpaid.

A significant portion of this week’s write up is informed and built upon a conversation I had earlier this week. I lead two lives one, where I think and write about video games and the other where things couldn’t be more different; but once in a while for a few moments the two converge and this week’s write up utilizes the thoughts from both my worlds.

On the 27th of this month Martyna Zych, a former employee of Polish game developer CD Projekt Red and someone who worked on the face animations for The Witcher 3 confrimed that she was paid $ 430 per month (approx. ₹ 30,000). Money which was less than her monthly rent and thus inadequate to meet necessary basic expenses.

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Zych’s tweet has raised a difficult question, is the norm to find a job one is passionate about inherently linked with being underpaid. The question is further compounded when one factors in the stupendous success of The Witcher 3, a game that sold over 50 million copies and made the developer billions of dollars.

The problem though is not as simple as being paid the right amount of money because in the entertainment sector the success of a product/service is often determined after the launch of a product but the staff is paid during its creation.

In other words, payments are made at a time when the earnings are unrealized and when the producers and financiers are trying to squeeze every penny’s worth. To this we must also add the amount of time it takes to make a game, a flagship AAA title generally takes over four years to make and thus for a time period that long, most members of the developing team are living off peanuts. When the game does release and if it is successful most members of the team aren’t there to benefit because their commitments often end with the project.

The internet is filled with experiences of former game designers and workers in the industry who have switched sectors and continue to fulfill similar responsibilities but are paid almost three times over. A clear indicator that the gaming industry isn’t the best at compensating its workforce.

Low pay in the sector is the norm in India as well as most jobs in the sector are positions related to testing and debugging, roles that demand a lot of physical effort and constant attention but are viewed as mentally less demanding. The need for a change in this regard can’t be overstated as the gaming industry needs workers with high levels of creativity, aesthetic discernment, visionary thinking, and immense technological knowhow; a skillset combination that is incredibly rare to find.

The current outlook for the gaming industry is the most optimistic it has ever been in terms of financial growth as the industry has thrived amidst the pandemic and the ensuing recession. As we gear up for numbers that are likely to dwarf compound annual growth rates from preceding years’ estimates and watch Sony try and fulfil preorders for the PS5 that are 10 times the numbers of the PS4 it is important for workers in the gaming industry to be fairly compensated. This is an important conversation to have globally and nationally lest we lose the most talented workers in order to save some pocket change.

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