Earlier this week, Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter made public his views on the ongoing crunch debate in the latest of his regular video Q&A sessions for Gametrailers. Pachter's typically outspoken comments have been met with strong criticism from within and without the industry: in an opinion piece yesterday, Ubisoft developer Charles Randall descibed the view that crunch was inevitable as "bullshit".
However, much of that ire is based on the gaming press reporting on the video, rather than the video itself. Speaking to us yesterday, Pachter told us he believed his remarks had been taken out of context. "I was surprised by the reaction," he says, "but it seems that most who had a serious problem with my comments took them from articles, not from the video.
"The response on the GameTrailers website was overwhelmingly positive, suggesting that those who saw my comments in context understood the point, and those who saw them out of context were outraged.
"While I don't like to see workers treated unfairly, I have to acknowledge professionally that their recourse is to unionise or quit. I don't think unions work in the game industry, so I suggested that they quit."
The reason Pachter is one of the industry's most controversial figures is his willingness to give strong opinions on a wide range of issues, which is entirely in keeping with his professional duty to give informed industry advice to investors.
He is famous within the industry for the speed of his responses, and with our exchange of emails with him yesterday beginning at 3.30am LA time, we couldn't help but ask just how he fits fielding press enquiries around his day job and personal life and whether he, too, works a lot of overtime.
Pachter insists we make it clear that he feels well compensated for his time, and is in no way "comparing my lot with the exploited workers at Team Bondi." During the week, he is sat at his desk by 4.15am every day. "On 'easy' days, I leave at 4.30pm," he says. "On 'normal' days I work until 6, make phone calls to clients on the drive home, and have dinner with my family. On 'hard' days - when there is breaking news, or companies report earnings - I work til 8 or so." He works a further eight hours on weekends.
"I travel 60 nights away from home per year, with 48 constituting client visits," he continues. "On those days, I work generally from 7am til 10pm. I travel exclusively on my own time, so when I go to New York in a few weeks, I'm on the 4pm flight, landing at midnight in Manhattan.
"I work around 70 hours a week half the time, around 78-80 hours a quarter of the time, and around 90 hours a quarter of the time.
"No complaints, I'm extremely well-compensated."
Does the above explain Pachter's views on crunch? No, but regardless, it's at once a fascinating insight into how one of the most vocal members of the industry works, and a much-needed reminder that unpaid overtime is hardly exclusive to the business of making games: in fact it is the rule, not the exception, and we'll be looking at this in more detail in the coming days.
Comments
11Making arrogant, short-sighted and irresponsible statements about the "inevitability of crunch" is NOT "in keeping with his professional duty to give informed industry advice to investors."
Furthermore, what the hell do his own working hours have to do with his earlier statements? It's just put there to make the man seem more sympathetic. For whom was the reminder that "unpaid overtime is hardly exclusive to the business of making games" much-needed, exactly? And what does it prove?
And subsequently calling your own observation a "fascinating insight" truly reveals this article to be the work of an utter hack, Nathan Brown-nose.
Seconded. Is this an interview, or an opinion piece on an individual?
The editorial stance of Edge seems to be increasingly reverential towards industry figures, taking their often controversial and questionable opinions as gospel. Have you become too close to the industry to give fair and balanced appraisal of the facts?
I can't say I have ever agreed with the guy about anything but seeing that he works 70+ hours a week and is happy about it honestly just makes me pity him. There's no amount of money worth that.
I never watched Patcher shows before this video, but I gave this episode a chance since I'm very interested in the subject of working condition in the game industry. Well, it was a collection of utter populist garbage, given with a candid admission that he didn't even read the articles on the matter, no wonder nobody from the industry take this guy seriously.
I feel his video is actually worse than the selected comments. He makes it sound as if it's commonplace for devs to get huge bonuses or payouts, and he excuses most practices because of that.
I stand by everything I said in my opinion piece and I don't feel that the video changes any part of it.
Though I would have liked to add a laugh at the idea that the devs of MW2 are going to be looking at $800k bonuses.
Every time this dude opens his mouth he puts his foot in it. I'd feel bad for him if he wasn't such a clown.
In my opinion when I listen to Pachter he seems to have an obvious understanding as to general business practices within the gaming industry (specifically the commercially driven decision making process) and applies simple common sense logic using the benefit of hindsight and draws an objective conclusion. I don't think I've heard him say anything overly outlandish during his videos.
It's obviously ok for people to have their own opinions on his methods and accuracy but when he misses the mark after applying common sense methodology it goes to show that it's hard to predict the future in general, especially our industry. I for one definitely welcome frank and honest debate even if controversial as opposed to the usual biased spin we're subjected to by developers and hardware manufactures.
Yeah, but the problem with *these* particular comments is that he's putting biased spin on the whole "crunch" situation. Also, one man's common sense is another man's moon logic, so that's not really a good argument without some specific examples.
I assume that his knowledge of what happens in the industry is greater than mine so on that basis it's more about validating his assumptions. If you believe that his assumptions are made with the benefit of insider knowledge then it all seems quite logical. I understand that some developers have called him on his crunch time views but from everything I've ever read on the subject it doesn't seem that rare.
Without specific examples it falls on whether or not you believe the conclusion process to be robust, if so (and of course you’re entitled the think otherwise) then it all falls down to who has the most accurate source information in order to build their assumptions against and on that basis given his job it doesn’t seem like the ravings of a madman to me.
Fair enough. Our opinions just differ on whether or not Pachter could make an informed and unbiased statement about work conditions within the games industry. Seeing as his professional network consists mostly of executives and money men, I consider his sources regarding said conditions highly suspect. And remember, it's not about whether crunch is "rare" or not (everyone agrees that it's pretty widespread), but about whether or not it's necessary, and if it is, to what degree.
Agreed, it should not be necessary as that puts it down to bad planning or management in general although I imagine changes in direction from stakeholders contribute to problems more than often.