Publisher Rogue Games, which has launched Switch games such as Fisti-Fluffs and Super Mega Zero, has announced that it will be moving to a four-day work week, with employees set to have every Friday off with no additional hours added to prior work days.
The news comes via Game Developer, who interviewed Rogue Games' CEO Matt Casamassina (previously co-founder of IGN) on the huge change which comes in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Casamassina states that in the years following his time at IGN, he has tried to work "smarter, not necessarily harder", and this mentality is part of what drove the decision to change the work week at Rogue Games.
Casamassina also goes on to state that employees at the company are not necessarily looking to climb the ladder or become "the next millionaire". Rather, he says that workers are much more interested in seeking "balance", whereby they can enjoy the work that they do, but their lives are not completely dominated by it. In turn, he believes that Rogue Games' employees will come back into work every Monday feeling more refreshed, and that if his plans work out, productivity at the company will increase.
The move is a far cry from the crunch culture that has dominated the industry for decades, with Casamassina professing that a lot of veterans have the mentality of "I worked like hell when I was getting started and so should you". However, he states that just because he worked long hours in his earlier years, that doesn't necessarily mean that others should be expected to do that same.
Time will tell whether the move proves to be a smart one for Rogue Games, but we certainly wish them the best of luck in the months and years ahead!
What do you make Rogue Games' new four-day work week? Do you think it will work out for the team? Let us know!
[source gamedeveloper.com]
Comments 14
I’m trying to get off of a seven day work week. Too much to do. So good for the devs.
I agree with the change in their work schedule. People are too overworked, overwhelmed and overstressed. And G*d forbid you work less than 40 hours a week here in the U.S. because most view you as lazy with a terrible work ethic.
I did the math. I work 8-5 Monday - Friday. I get up at 5:00am, have a cup of coffee and play games for a half hour or so then I gotta take care of the animals, make lunch, shower and get ready for work, I leave my house by 7 and with commute, I am not home until about 5:30. Gotta make dinner, clean up and by then it’s about 7-7:30. Im in bed by 9-10p, so that gives me about 2-3 hours a day to chill and relax.
Weekends always seem busier than workdays with getting stuff done around the house, errands, various parties and get togethers etc. it really doesn't ever feel like I have time to myself. Then if im stuck working overtime then those 2-3 hours are out the window.
A 4-day regular work week would help tremendously with my stress and mental health.
Rant over, thanks for reading.
I knew someone who worked a 4 day week with Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays off until someone complained that they didn't get any benefit from the Good Friday bank holiday so they went to a 5 day week so they got a benefit from Good Friday. There is always one person who spoils it for others. Hopefully no one at this company has the same idea.
@Enigk
reading and contemplating this comment made me so mad lol.
@nymbosox
the part about weekends being tied up in "catching up" in housework, social obligations, etc really speaks to me. i feel like my entire life revolves are preparing for work, working, and then recovering from work. no chance to even think of what my needs are or if i want to grt anything else done for myself or my family.
i dont even know what i would do with 52 extra days in a year, but i know id be fitter, happier, and more productive.
Big thumbs up for this trend.
@Enigk yup, it always seems to be 1 person that ruins it for everyone
If they were working a reasonable number of hours before, then this seems counterproductive. If they were crunching like so many other studios, though, then hopefully this will provide some relief.
May this trend spread! Much better for people with families.
@Dr_Corndog Obviously the boss doesn't think his employees were working a reasonable number of hours, and he said that he hopes an extra day every week will increase productivity.
It is so ingrained in our society that anyone working a minute less than 40 hours a week must be lazy and/or unproductive, but how many people do you really know that spends every minute of their time doing their job nonstop?
We all take coffee breaks, many of us take bathroom breaks where we just go sit on the stool to catch a breather, we sit around and shoot the breeze, we pull out our phones and play games, you name it. Most of us don't spend every single second grinding away because that would drive us all crazy, from the lowliest employee all the way up to the CEO. How much of that time would be better spent away from work, and then how much more motivated and refreshed would we be when we came back?
@burninmylight "Obviously" is the word. It's so obvious, in fact, that I'm genuinely shocked I didn't see it before you pointed it out.
@nymbosox Why censor a certain omnipotent diety worshipped by three religions?
@burninmylight My company has software that tracks how much activity you engage in on your computer. If there is no input from the keyboard or mouse in a given 10 second period, that counts as inactivity. You are required to maintain an 85% activity rate. It burns you out, but I can definitely say that I spend most of my work hours making sure there is input on the computer.
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