MindsEye's Reality Check: Devs Say Execs Blew Up Their Own Game (and People)
AI Gaming News Author · Rock Paper Shotgun ·
Developers at Build A Rocket Boy have penned an open letter, backed by a union, accusing studio execs of disastrously mishandling post-*MindsEye* launch layoffs and enforcing 'unbearable' crunch, demanding an apology and significant operational changes.
Right, so you know that feeling when you're meticulously crafting a complex enchantment, convinced it's going to reshape reality, and then, with a grand 'fwoosh!', it just explodes in your face, taking half your lab with it? Yeah, apparently, that's what the launch of *MindsEye* felt like for the folks at Build A Rocket Boy (BARB), but with a much nastier, human cost.
We've been keeping an eye on the *MindsEye* situation – what with its somewhat... *inauspicious* debut – but things just got a whole lot more intense. A whopping 93 current and former staff members from Build A Rocket Boy have basically taken out their digital wands and pointed them squarely at the studio's senior leadership, including co-CEO Mark Gerhard and *MindsEye* director Leslie Benzies. They've signed an open letter, demanding an apology and accusing the execs of absolutely botching the post-launch redundancy process and, get this, enforcing 'unbearable levels of overtime' leading up to release. Bloody hell, mate, it sounds like a real digital dungeon crawl that no one signed up for.
This isn't just a bit of office grumbling, mind. This collective act of defiance was organised by the Independent Workers of Great Britain (IWGB) union, who aren't just sending letters – they're filing legal claims. That's a serious bit of spellcasting right there, proving these folks mean business.
So, what's the beef? Well, according to the letter, the studio's leadership has shown 'longstanding disrespect and mistreatment.' They reckon somewhere between 250 to 300 workers have been jettisoned so far. And here's the kicker, straight from the devs themselves: 'These layoffs happened because you repeatedly refused to listen to your workforce's years of experience, resulting in one of the worst video game launches this decade.' Ouch. That's not just a criticism; that's a full-blown accusation that the execs' ears were firmly stuffed with cotton wool while their talented teams were screaming warnings.
Now, let's talk specifics, because it gets grim. The letter lays out a catalogue of alleged mishandling during the redundancy process. We're talking employees getting misinformation – like being told their notice periods were wrong, or being assessed by the *wrong teams* for performance reviews. Imagine being dismissed, and then finding out the magical scrying mirror that judged your performance was looking at someone else entirely! It's utterly bewildering and, as the letter suggests, could have led to dozens of wrongful dismissals. It's like a wizard accidentally polymorphing half their apprentices into frogs because they misread the spell book.
And then there's the 'C' word: Crunch. The execs are accused of enforcing a mandatory *eight hours of overtime per week* for *every employee* for a solid four months leading up to *MindsEye*'s launch. Eight hours, every week, for sixteen weeks, on top of normal hours. That's not just extra effort; that's pushing people to breaking point. And did they get to recuperate afterwards? Not a chance. Staff allegedly struggled to claim their time off in lieu because, surprise surprise, 'high-priority' work kept piling up even after the game was out. It's a classic tale as old as time: drain the well, then complain it's empty.
The overall picture painted by these brave current and former staff members is bleak: 'Our experience at the company has been one of burnout, job insecurity, health issues, and the failure of a game that many of us have put years of our lives into.' That's the human story, isn't it? Not just lines of code or quarterly reports, but years of passion, creativity, and personal sacrifice poured into a project, only for it to flounder, and then to be discarded without what they feel is proper respect or process.
Build A Rocket Boy did issue a statement, mind you. They said parting ways 'is never easy,' that they were 'deeply saddened,' and 'didn't anticipate having to make redundancies after launch.' They claimed they 'approached the process with care and transparency,' and are 'listening closely to feedback.' Now, call me a gently skeptical wizard, but saying you 'didn't anticipate redundancies after launch' when your own workforce is calling it 'one of the worst video game launches this decade' sounds a bit like claiming you didn't anticipate getting wet after jumping into a swimming pool. It's a disconnect that's frankly baffling, or perhaps, a perfectly crafted corporate deflection spell.
The demands from the letter are clear and fair, if you ask me. They want a public apology, which seems like a basic bit of human decency. They're asking for staff on redundancy notice to have the option to work their notice or take payment in lieu – a small comfort, but a comfort nonetheless. They also want a commitment to use 'official external partners' for any future redundancies, presumably to avoid the alleged mishandling they've just endured. And crucially, they're pushing for 'a concerted, meaningful, and documented effort to improve conditions,' which includes recognising the IWGB as a trade union. That last bit is key for long-term change and giving workers a real voice at the table.
It's a stark reminder, isn't it? The gaming industry, for all its magic and wonder, often grapples with these very real, very human issues. We gamers love the finished product, but sometimes we forget the immense effort, and often suffering, that goes into crafting these digital worlds. When the creators of those worlds are pushed to breaking point, ignored, and then discarded, it's a huge problem for everyone, not just those directly affected. Because, ultimately, what good is blowing a hole through reality if you leave a pile of broken promises and burnt-out people in your wake? It’s time for some executive-level introspection, I reckon, and a serious commitment to actually listening to the digital wizards who make the magic happen.
Source: Rock Paper Shotgun (Original URL) by Mark Warren
Tags: Gaming Industry, Developer Rights, Crunch Culture, Game Development, Layoffs
Original article: Rock Paper Shotgun