It’s Not All Fun and Games

Video game developers are arguably the most tenacious creatives you will ever meet. We hear from the heads of these Singapore-based success stories on why that is.

- CHARMIAN LEONG

Video game development isn’t always the fun-filled, caffeine-fuelled, manic digital playground that we think it is. Brian Kwek, owner of boutique publishing label Ysbryd Games, says “It’s tough, unpredictable, and generally not glamorous.” In some circles, the game development industry has even gained a reputation for being inhospitable.

“You may have read articles about months or even years of crunch — extended periods of 120-hour workweeks — as well as problematic behaviour such as abuse and gaslighting. These are topped offwith pay levels that aren’t competitive.”

Kwek is quick to point out that this bleak picture isn’t the norm here, as there is a growing number of independent studios that are devoted to creating games that delight out of love for the medium, with a healthy work-life balance and professional respect between colleagues.

But the industry is still in its infancy. “People tend to come into it bushy tailed and eager to give their hearts to the cause. Five to 10 years down the line, they realise they have a wedding to pay for, children to raise, loans to pay, and parents who think they’re ‘just playing games’ at work,” Kwek shares. “And so they leave the industry in search of better opportunities, and we lose their valuable experience.” 

Andrew Teo, creator of Ghostlore, a new action role-playing game (ARPG) featuring South-east Asian folklore, admits to facing the same pressures. As well as spending all his free time working on the game after his day job as a designer in a mobile game studio, he feels he has sacrificed social acceptance by doing so.