Working conditions in the games industry have been a hot topic for a while. One smaller developer has made a splash when talking about its payment plans and structures, which bucks convention in a big way. Motion Twin, a French studio behind the upcoming roguelike Dead Cells , prides itself on the fact that there are no bosses at the company. Instead, the workers all act as both owners and managers of the company.
Motion Twin, which houses eleven, describes itself as an “anarcho-syndical workers cooperative.” For the most part, this means that everyone there is an equal, including in terms of pay. In speaking to Kotaku, a representative of Motion Twin said that everyone, both artists and developers, is paid the same way. Even brand-new employees get the same base wages as long-term staff members. Bonuses, upon a project’s success, seem to be the more variable.
Beyond pay, this also extends to the Motion Twin’s decision-making. These require the full team to be in agreement, regarding any major changes to how things are run. Smaller decisions are made on the fly, but if something would impact everyone, then everyone participates in the relevant meeting and gets a say.
Motion Twin isn’t perfect, and doesn’t claim to be. The company worries more about burnout, since each individual carries an extra burden of responsibility due to the structure. The company says it continues to work on this, making sure crunch is avoided as much as possible, and it notes finding that balance is still a work in progress. For now, the company tracks time and sends people home early, if necessary. It also isn’t afraid to lose work hours, if it means not losing a person.
This is interesting stuff and is definitely a standout example of how the games industry is totally capable of succeeding without the traditional, harmful work practices many employees are forced to deal with.
Source: Kotaku