Ex-Bungie Audio Director who is most famous for his work on the Halo series, Marty O’Donnell, has been in the news quite a bit lately. O’Donnell, who also contributed to Bungie’s upcoming title, Destiny, was “fired without cause” by the developer and ended up winning a $95,000 lawsuit for unpaid work. Speaking to Games Industry, he discussed challenges of the ‘work-for-hire’ model in the industry, stating that creatives should benefit more from their work.
I’ve always been work-for-hire. And there are some things that can happen aesthetically that are maybe not as pleasing to your creative soul because you’re work-for-hire, because you’re trying to please somebody else. So you always have to fight just pleasing somebody else and also staying true to your own artistic sensibilities.
In the same interview, O’Donnell said that those who work on a contractual basis get paid by the hour but its the companies that benefit long-term. To put this statement into perspective, consider his work on Halo, which he is most known for. When O’Donnell’s job was done, it was over for him. His infamous compositions for the series live on, but he doesn’t benefit as much from it as Bungie does.
Do you agree with O’Donnell’s opinion?
[Source: Games Industry]
