UPDATE 4 September 10:45 UK: Striking Distance CEO apologized for yesterday’s tweet, saying it was “wrong” and insisted the studio “values passion and creativity, not long hours.”
Anyone who knows me knows how passionate I am about the people I work with. I tweeted earlier that I was proud of the hard work and hours the team put in. This was a mistake. We value passion and creativity, not long hours. I apologize to the team for this encounter.
— Glen A. Schofield (@GlenSchofield) September 3, 2022
“Anyone who knows me knows how passionate I am about the people I work with,” Schofield said in a new tweet. “I tweeted earlier how proud I was of the effort and hours the team put in. That was wrong. We value passion and creativity, not long hours. I apologize to the team for coming across like this.”
The original story follows.
ORIGINAL STORY September 3 UK: Striking Distance Studios founder Glen Schofield has deleted a tweet that was seen by some as promoting a “crunch” culture in game development.
In a tweet earlier today, Schofield — whose team is currently working on the upcoming sci-fi horror The Callisto Protocol — talked about working 12 to 15 hours a day, six to seven days a week, working on lunch and dinner. Justifying by saying, “You’re doing it because you love it.”
“I only talk about the game during an event,” Schofield said in a since-deleted tweet. “We [are] We work six to seven days a week, no one forces us.
“Tired, tired, covid, but we’re working,” he continues. “Fixing bugs, glitches, glitches. Last audio pass. 12-15 hours a day. It’s a game. Hard work. Work lunch, dinner. You love it.”
Journalist Jason Schrierer took a screenshot of the tweet before it was deleted, adding:
It’s a weird coincidence that the guy who brags about his team works 12-15 hour days 6-7 days a week because they love it, and also happens to be the guy who controls all of their salaries, titles, and current job status.
— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) September 3, 2022
“It’s defined by a studio boss, crisis culture. Of course, no one is “forced” to work crazy hours. But if you don’t, imagine reduced bonuses and no promotion opportunities? “You do it because you love it”. Armed passion. That’s why people burn out of the game.
“It’s a very strange coincidence that he brags about his team working 12-15 hours a day, 6-7 days a week because they love it, and he’s the one who controls all their salaries, titles and current job status. he later added in his tweet.
In related news, David Cage recently responded for Allegations of unhealthy studio culture and inappropriate behavior at Quantic Dreamhe previously described it as a “black campaign”.
“I don’t think we had an aggressive relationship. “When you’re out there being accused of things that go against everything you believe in, everything you’ve done in your life, it hurts. It’s attacked the studio culture.”
