It’s quite common for video game developers to work long hours, especially when close to a game’s release. This can take a toll on employees and has been a point of contention in the industry for years. However, Ghost Recon: Breakpoint Executive Producer Nouredine Abboud has commented on the importance of emphasizing a positive work and life balance, citing examples throughout the game’s development. Abboud also praised his team for being able to successfully maintain a positive work and life balance while developing Ghost Recon: Breakpoint and rolling out monthly updates for Ghost Recon: Wildlands simultaneously.
Abboud said:
Work and life balance is very important not just for me as a producer, but as a human being. I like surfing a lot, and I want to make sure that my work always makes sense with my passions. If I apply this to myself, I think it’s important that I apply it to the whole team.
This team was able to deliver nearly one update per month [for Wildlands] and work on Breakpoint at the same time. It says a lot about our capability as a team that we were able to do that while retaining work and life balance. This is not a promise for the future, this is the reality.
If you have people in eight countries with the management and motivation, and they know what they’re doing, this gives you flexibility. We have Bucharest working on the PvP, they’re motivated and know what they’re doing.
As long as it’s a goal, work and life balance, and you have the means, and the size… and I’m lucky because I’m working at Ubisoft, so I have access to studios, talent, and motivation, and not everyone is lucky enough.
Ubisoft is a unique example, because it has so many teams across the world. The company is home to eight worldwide studios with over 1,000 staff members. Because of this, the developer can develop two games at the same time, focus on healthy work and life balance, and still deliver a great product.
Smaller teams don’t have this same luxury, sadly. Although, it is heartening to see such a massive studio like Ubisoft comment on the importance of keeping a healthy staff. As more developers speak out against crunch, the discussion around it has turned more positive. The crunch problem won’t be solved any time soon, but Ubisoft’s stance on it is a step in the right direction.
Ghost Recon: Breakpoint will release for PS4 and other platforms on October 4, 2019. You can preorder it here.
[Source: US Gamer]
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