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[Mista]

Taking to Twitter, director Hideo Kojima recently spoke about the game, while also providing a brief development update.

Death Stranding is, in Kojima’s words, “still in crunch time of development”- which makes sense, since with three months left before the game’s release, the entire development team will probably be working extra hard to make sure the game is content-complete, and that said content is actually working as intended. On top of that, knowing Kojima and his nature as an obsessive perfectionist, we can probably expect it to continue being in “crunch time” for a while. We just hope this doesn’t mean the bad sort of crunch.

 

[JimmyRustler]

Don't know how this is newsworthy. I can't wrap my head around the idea that someone really goes into game development not expecting extended periods of crunch time. This has been well know ever since the dawn of the Industry. Just read Masters of Doom and what hours Romero and Carmack did. If you don't want that, do a normal job like all the other people.

Would be fine by me because that way only people that put their heart and soul into games would remain. They don't give a shit about hours and we'd only get games made with passion instead of they corporate money grabs.

Come at me.

 

[Aggelos]

They're probably working the same way Itagaki worked on Dead or Alive 4.
Nowadays' gaming standards and the evolving technologies require devs to work their butts off to meet expectations and to push the envelope forward by delivering something unique and pioneering.
Kojima Pro is now an indie studio which means that the pressure on them is simply sky-high.

In an interview with Famitsu Xbox, Tomonobu Itagaki remarked that he spent 99% of his time developing Dead or Alive 4, while only sleeping 40 minutes in four days.

Tomonobu Itagaki

Tomonobu Itagaki is a Japanese video game designer who created the Dead or Alive fighting games, and the Ninja Gaiden 3D titles. Joining Tecmo in 1992, Itagaki produced the two video game franchises, that turned out to be commercial successes and earned him several promotions. He became the head...

deadoralive.fandom.com

VG industry is same as VFX industry.

 

[Roni]

Would be fine by me because that way only people that put their heart and soul into games would remain. They don't give a shit about hours and we'd only get games made with passion instead of they corporate money grabs.

You're basically saying you're OK with the working conditions in the industry that provides you with entertainment being shit. Which, in turn, translates to people who actually work in making your games fun not really wanting to work for long in the industry.

Guess who stays though? The likes of Andrew Wilson, Bobby Kotick, Randy Pitchford...

 

[Mista]

Don't know how this is newsworthy. I can't wrap my head around the idea that someone really goes into game development not expecting extended periods of crunch time. This has been well know ever since the dawn of the Industry. Just read Masters of Doom and what hours Romero and Carmack did. If you don't want that, do a normal job like all the other people.

Would be fine by me because that way only people that put their heart and soul into games would remain. They don't give a shit about hours and we'd only get games made with passion instead of they corporate money grabs.

Come at me.

It’s newsworthy in every fucking way possible. Every “journalist” keeps on reporting all the crunch that happens in the industry and I’m waiting here to see them talk about Kojima’s crunch

Nobody is coming at you with that mentality

 

[The Cockatrice]

Oh no, how will ppl who would bend over for Kojima that hate crunch deal with this news? Will they implode? It's fine when their idol does it but when a western studio, it's a crime eh?

 

[Mista]

Oh no, how will ppl who would bend over for Kojima that hate crunch deal with this news? Will they implode? It's fine when their idol does it but when a western studio, it's a crime eh?

But he’s Japanese so it’s okay right?

 

[Tranquil]

As long as they get paid OT who cares, I would love to be working 20 hours days, and sleeping at work. Can you imagine your paycheck?

 

[The Cockatrice]

But he’s Japanese so it’s okay right?

Of course! Japanese people are used to working 24 hours a day.

 

[Stiflers Mom]

'Nihon no kurunchu wa kawaii desu!!!'

 

[JimmyRustler]

You're basically saying you're OK with the working conditions in the industry that provides you with entertainment being shit. Which, in turn, translates to people who actually work in making your games fun not really wanting to work for long in the industry.

Guess who stays though? The likes of Andrew Wilson, Bobby Kotick, Randy Pitchford...

I’m sorry mate, but the way I see it these folks are expressing themselves artistically and I am supporting them by buying their games.

And while I do not approve these working conditions (I do not condemn them either, I’m just indifferent honestly) I find it hard to feel bad for people who choose to do art for a living and then whine about working conditions.

 

[The Cockatrice]

I’m sorry mate, but the way I see it these folks are expressing themselves artistically and I am supporting them by buying their games.

And while I do not approve these working conditions (I do not condemn them either, I’m just indifferent honestly) I find it hard to feel bad for people who choose to do art for a living and then whine about working conditions.

I'll just assume by your indifference that you have not worked or forced to work more than your health allows you to. Let me put it bluntly, whether it is you're creating art or coding, staying in an office more than 8 hours a day for a longer period of time will have repercussions. These people working for Corporations are not going to end up the next Picasso regardless how much work they put in. A job is a job, not slavery, not something you want to do excessively.

 

[Handy Fake]

Just playing Devil's Advocate here, we don't know what this "crunch" entails. It's really more of a generalised term for increased workload.
The stories we've heard of "crunch" have certainly been newsworthy and terrible. But it does depend on whether in this case it is just in increase in workload to get the job finished, or the digusting conditions employees have had to face in other companies during "crunch".

 

[Clear]

You're basically saying you're OK with the working conditions in the industry that provides you with entertainment being shit.

Some crunch is inevitable when deadlines are involved. There is no way around it because when you don't hit them, you don't get paid. And when the studio doesn't get paid, jobs get lost.

Its really that simple, but as per usual though its reduced into this absurd cartoon where every instance of crunch is chronic and game devs are the boy chimney-sweeps of the 21st century... Its laughable.

 

[DrJohnGalt]

Few things:

1) This whole crunch time "problem" is something a lot of us working-class folk have to deal with; it's not exclusive to the games industry. Freelancers, project managers, those who work on deadlines, business owners and self-employed people, CEOs, and more might often nights, weekends, 80 hour weeks, or whatever. My crunch time is seasonal (winter) and our industry is slammed from around Oct-March. It's not fun, but I'm not about to give up a well-paying job over it.

2) Those working in the games industry are free to find other work with a different company or in another industry. Those people saying employees are "forced" to work there are foolish. The ones saying it's "slavery" are idiots. Why do these employees stay at their jobs if they aren't happy? Could be the pay, could be the perks, or it could be the prestige of working on video games for a living. Might be something else entirely. But as long as there are more people looking to get into the industry than looking to get out, things can't be that bad.

3) It'll be interesting to see if the same people slamming "crunch time" say a bad word about Kojima. He's reached God-like status in the video game community, after all.

 

[JimmyRustler]

I'll just assume by your indifference that you have not worked or forced to work more than your health allows you to. Let me put it bluntly, whether it is you're creating art or coding, staying in an office more than 8 hours a day for a longer period of time will have repercussions. These people working for Corporations are not going to end up the next Picasso regardless how much work they put in. A job is a job, not slavery, not something you want to do excessively.

So why does one go into this industry? IIRC you can do a variety of jobs if you can code. Why choose to go into an industry that is and always has been notorious for long work hours?

 

[JordanN]

Few things:

1) This whole crunch time "problem" is something a lot of us working-class folk have to deal with; it's not exclusive to the games industry. Freelancers, project managers, those who work on deadlines, business owners and self-employed people, CEOs, and more might often nights, weekends, 80 hour weeks, or whatever. My crunch time is seasonal (winter) and our industry is slammed from around Oct-March. It's not fun, but I'm not about to give up a well-paying job over it.

This is a good point. It never made sense to me why "crunch" is always considered a game industry thing.

Any job based on Capitalism and with limited budgets will have crunch or forcing people to work for much longer than ordinary. That's just the nature of a hyper competitive market.

Go to any Retail Store during a big holiday special or sale, and you will see every worker running at max capacity.

 

[The Cockatrice]

So why does one go into this industry? IIRC you can do a variety of jobs if you can code. Why choose to go into an industry that is and always has been notorious for long work hours?

How would one know whether they are going to be put under crunch or not? Because it's common in the industry? People do a lot of things they want to do, doesn't mean they also have to suffer for it.

 

[Inspector 2211]

Anybody else get this weird feeling there's going to be a 40 gig patch the day after release?

 

[MayauMiao]

He may say "crunch time" but to the Japanese team, it is just Tuesday.

 

[JimmyRustler]

How would one know whether they are going to be put under crunch or not? Because it's common in the industry? People do a lot of things they want to do, doesn't mean they also have to suffer for it.

You serious? I have known about these conditions in the gaming industry for over a decade and I don't even want to work there. Everyone who chooses this line of work not aware of the risks of doing long hours must be a one of a kind idiot.

 

[The Cockatrice]

You serious? I have known about these conditions in the gaming industry for over a decade and I don't even want to work there. Everyone who chooses this line of work not aware of the risks of doing long hours must be a one of a kind idiot.

It was a rhetorical question which I answered with another question. Yes, obviously people know about it, but that does not mean they should avoid it or not complain about it or make some changes in it.

 

[Ozrimandias]

As long as they get paid OT who cares, I would love to be working 20 hours days, and sleeping at work. Can you imagine your paycheck?

When you're single, yeah it could be pretty awesome.....but when you're a family man, want to see your son after a long day of work not at all

 

[Roni]

So why does one go into this industry? IIRC you can do a variety of jobs if you can code. Why choose to go into an industry that is and always has been notorious for long work hours?

That's really your best argument? "If you can't handle it, don't do it"?

Game development is a project, projects can either be well managed or poorly managed. Well funded or poorly funded. That all counts.

As someone who works in game development, you're speaking out of very deep ignorance of how a game studio is born, how it runs and how games are made.

Game studios don't crunch just because they slacked off during the project. They mostly crunch because some C-level executive sold investors a game that would be comfortably made in 48 months to be made in 40 months.

So you either crunch those 8 months or you fall short of your vision.

 

[Enjay]

What paid more for threads, death stranding or dreams?

 

[Enjay]

This is a good point. It never made sense to me why "crunch" is always considered a game industry thing.

Any job based on Capitalism and with limited budgets will have crunch or forcing people to work for much longer than ordinary. That's just the nature of a hyper competitive market.

Go to any Retail Store during a big holiday special or sale, and you will see every worker running at max capacity.

Usually every other industry has workers brave enough to tell their boss no. Game development though....

 

[zeorhymer]

*gasp* He said "Crunch!" Where's the articles on what a POS he is for forcing crunch and continuing crunch culture! I'm waiting to see if he gets a pass......

 

[Verdanth]

Watch those diabetes Kojima-san!

 

[SLoWMoTIoN]

'Nihon no kurunchu wa kawaii desu!!!'

 

[Angry_Megalodon]

Every project to be finished within a time frame has crunch days / weeks. I have worked in fields like logistics, transport or global IT systems and never ever things got done in time with people working 8 hours a day. That's science fiction.

It annoys me when people talk about this as if it were something unique to the gaming industry. Let alone jobs with peak seasons like Christmas or positions like Finance controllers when they have to get ready for the tax year closure. Sometimes it's just impossible to finish things within normal business hours.

At least developers do the job they are passionate about and earn good money for it. Not an excuse for exploitation, if that occurs, but let's not get outraged whenever someone claims to work overtime.

 

[MiyazakiHatesKojima]

Man up, Kojima.

In all seriousness, Kojima-san is in his late 50's. He cannot be crunching at this period in his life just so GAF can shit on his hardwork. Sony should hire 3 personal assistance at this point or else we will lose him.

 

[Aggelos]

In all seriousness, Kojima-san is in his late 50's. He cannot be crunching at this period in his life just so GAF can shit on his hardwork. Sony should hire 3 personal assistance at this point or else we will lose him.

You think it's not a good idea to do what he does in that age of his?

 

[JimmyRustler]

That's really your best argument? "If you can't handle it, don't do it"?

Game development is a project, projects can either be well managed or poorly managed. Well funded or poorly funded. That all counts.

As someone who works in game development, you're speaking out of very deep ignorance of how a game studio is born, how it runs and how games are made.

Game studios don't crunch just because they slacked off during the project. They mostly crunch because some C-level executive sold investors a game that would be comfortably made in 48 months to be made in 40 months.

So you either crunch those 8 months or you fall short of your vision.

That's a fair argument. But you can't tell me the devs don't know the deadline/milestones from the get go. Isn't this more often than not a case like with the Wachowskis on Matrix? You know, where they blew almost the entire initial budget on the first sequence in hope that Universal would like it so much that they're going to finance the rest of the movie (which they did obviously... still, it was a cocky thing to do)?

I do not think it's a clear cut as you make it out to be. Like always when it's about art.

 

[bitbydeath]

Crunch is great, they get paid crazy amounts of money and when it’s over they go on massive holidays.

You guys focus too much on the negatives.

 

[mortal]

As expected, not too long till it drops.
I hope we get a deeper preview of the gameplay before then though. Hopefully at Gamescom.

 

[Swipeyowifelike]

Why do people act as if crunch time is inherently bad? I dont hear anyone saying they haven't got paid overtime, we have no idea of how staff is rotated, benefits or fuck all about how the studio operates. This just seems like people getting worked up for something that is an obvious inevitability.

 

[zeorhymer]

But but but Kotaku, Dailydot, Polygon, Gamesindustry.biz and all the lemmings that point out crunch!

Rockstar Crunch
Fortnite Crunch
Naughty Dog Crunch

And much more!

(If you didn't realize, I'm waiting to see if these rage baiters are going to write articles on Kojima on crunch or let him slide to get on his good graces so they can get "review" copies or whatnot.)

 

[Mochilador]

 

[Grand Theft Scratchy]

If a project isn't managed well (and I'm not saying this was the case for Kojima Productions and Death Stranding) then it will translate to crunch time being really bad. Let's not always assume the worst for things we read about on the internet.

 

[DragoonKain]

If they're in crunch time, just make sure to keep Russell Westbrook away and they should be able to successfully finish this product efficiently and on time.

 

[MiyazakiHatesKojima]

Okay, i'm just starting to realize that people ITT are somehow making this news into a bad thing for Kojima. You do know that Sony is forcing his studio to release it in November 8th, right? You think Kojima likes or wants crunch? Ridiculous hate towards sensei smh.

 

[sonomamashine]

Kojima-san

sensei

Ka...... KAMI.!?

 

[Kagero]

I'm still convinced this thing is going to be delayed.

 

[MiyazakiHatesKojima]

I'm still convinced this thing is going to be delayed.

I hope so too.....Look at Sensei dude.....



I've never seen him look this old and tired....

 

[Kagero]

I hope so too.....Look at Sensei dude.....



I've never seen him look this old and tired....

He looks 18 years old dude haha

 

[MiyazakiHatesKojima]

He looks 18 years old dude haha

Look at his neck! White haired beard, tired facial expression, SENSEI DON'T DIE ON US!

 

[Aggelos]

He looks 18 years old dude haha

Then what about during the Policenauts era/period?
He looked like 8 years old?

 

[MiyazakiHatesKojima]

Then what about during the Policenauts era/period?
He looked like 8 years old?

So Based <3