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Gameloft accused of overworking employees
A former head programmer for mobile and iOS developer Gameloft has made some pretty damning accusations against the company in a complaint. Glenn Watson says that he was made to work over 100 hours a week sometimes, and that "it was after I worked four consecutive weeks of fourteen-hour days - including weekends - that I realised I needed to resign." The issues didn't stop there, either -- after Watson resigned, he claims, he was asked to apologize for leaving others behind to do the work that he passed up. He says the best apology would be to make sure his fellow employees "never get put through the same rubbish conditions again." Other employees have backed up Watson's claims, apparently, and even the company itself says there are some long hours being worked, though they're all in line with regulations and employee contracts. It's also true, however, that Gameloft's been releasing mobile and iOS titles at a quick rate, and the company's CFO has admitted that it's "an ugly scene" in mobile game development right now. And this definitely isn't the first accusation of employee abuse in the gaming industry -- a posting by an anonymous "EA Spouse" a few years ago laid bare the hours and problems game companies often have when they are pushing to get a game out by a certain time. We'll have to see what comes of this complaint, both in terms of actions against Gameloft, and any changes the company makes in the future.
