Yup... there's a very good analogy to being a programmer in the games industry vs. the rest of the software industry.
In short, the games industry treats people like crap because there's a large supply of talented programmers, artists, and testers who want to work on games.
In other words, because they can.
Maybe this has changed in 15 years, but my first job was at EA, and I was part of the infamous (at the time) "EA Spouse" class action lawsuit. It was pretty bad back then.
Luckily I didn't care as much about games as some of my coworkers, so I moved onto friendlier parts of the industry. More people should vote with their feet. (And I think that has happened, especially with the ability to self-publish, which really did not exist 15 years ago.)
I realize that some people may have been "swindled" by romantic ideas about academia from decades ago, and it's hard to get off that path. But yes I would agree this issue is well known by now, and most people should stop.
It's good that more people are writing about it though, just like it was good that EA Spouse wrote about the games industry.
Self publishing is certainly a way out, working in other fields another
No dream, especially those where you're working mostly for other people, is worth your health or sanity.
I might have worked in more boring areas, and there might have been some crunch time, but nothing like I couldn't leave under threat of firing or taking me to the limit.
In short, the games industry treats people like crap because there's a large supply of talented programmers, artists, and testers who want to work on games.
In other words, because they can.
Maybe this has changed in 15 years, but my first job was at EA, and I was part of the infamous (at the time) "EA Spouse" class action lawsuit. It was pretty bad back then.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erin_Hoffman#%22EA_Spouse%22_b...
Luckily I didn't care as much about games as some of my coworkers, so I moved onto friendlier parts of the industry. More people should vote with their feet. (And I think that has happened, especially with the ability to self-publish, which really did not exist 15 years ago.)
I realize that some people may have been "swindled" by romantic ideas about academia from decades ago, and it's hard to get off that path. But yes I would agree this issue is well known by now, and most people should stop.
It's good that more people are writing about it though, just like it was good that EA Spouse wrote about the games industry.