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[HK-47]

Too bad this sort of thing came out in the run up to E3 with all the DRM console stuff hogging the attention.

 

[Azull]

Awesome article Jason, really well done. These are the kind of articles Kotaku should be made up of.

 

[jschreier]

You should collect them and write a book.

That'd be one depressing book.

 

[Heart Attack]

Great article. Sadly this happens in almost all industries to free lancers. Both men and women.

 

[Captain Tuttle]

Stories like this seem far too common in the gaming industry. Glad we could bring this one to light.

Do your best to bring more to light please.

Indeed. Sunshine is the best disinfectant.

good job kotaku

 

[Perkel]

the fuck is this shit...

How can any professionals behave like that...

 

[Karak]

That is wrong on so many levels...there are no levels remaining to be wrong on.

 

[bigbaldwolf86]

This is incredible. How the hell have they been getting away with this for so long? It makes you think about what other developers have to go through with their bosses imposing deadlines and long working hours.

We know there are some that do work long hours nearer deadline but some don't mind because they are passionate about finishing the game. This though.....it's just wrong

 

[hydrophilic attack]

Good article.

Holy fuck at sexy underage robot.

 

[Wynnebeck]

under 18 robot years

 

[jschreier]

Do your best to bring more to light please.

Yes, I have and will continue to pursue stories like this whenever I hear of them. And of course, if anyone reading this knows of something that should be brought to our attention, send me an e-mail: jason@kotaku.com.

 

[Kimawolf]

Good lord at this part:

Especially that last line. 0_0

Wow, sexy robot android under 18 robot years.. WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON in this industry? I PRAY this isn't a usual conversation in game studios. Good lord!

Edit: And WTF is a Robot year anyhow! this really makes me sick to read something like that. I honestly didn't think that kind of thing REALLY went on like that... wow.

 

[Mr_Antimatter]

No DD2 for me then. Not going to reward a company that treats their employees like this.

 

[Burt]

*uninstalls Dungeon Defenders*

Done with that game and their shitty company. I can't support anyone that would treat people like this.

Did you type that on a phone or computer? If so, you support multiple companies that treat people like this.

 

[JerryThePredator]

It's nice you guys are focusing on actual people in the game industry who can affect another people's lives in negative ways, and have clearly warped value systems.

Instead of fictional characters.

 

[Ala Alba]

Wow, sexy robot android under 18 robot years.. WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON in this industry? I PRAY this isn't a usual conversation in game studios. Good lord!

Edit: And WTF is a Robot year anyhow! this really makes me sick to read something like that. I honestly didn't think that kind of thing REALLY went on like that... wow.

To be honest, to me it reads a little tongue-in-cheek. I don't think anyone would seriously demand something be "under 18 robot years", not even this guy.

 

[fargofallout]

Good god, that's shitty. I wish I could do more than just not purchase their products. Hopefully something comes of this article being published.

 

[xbhaskarx]

Mmm sexy underage robots

 

[Bulzeeb]

Good lord at this part:

Especially that last line. 0_0

meh I watch anime, I've seen worst...

example of a tame design for female robots with 18 or less robot years

 

[VeryGooster]

Great philosophy: Provide fun, original entertainment and exercise our talents' creative capabilities COPY LEAGUE OF LEGENDS!

 

[OutToLunch]

How have no lawsuits come their way?

Right to work state. Employees have few rights other than what is mandated through federal law.

 

[Mechanized]

Are robot years like human years or are they like cats and such?

 

[JavyOO7]

I love Dungeon Defenders very much... but I can't buy the next sequel if they actually treat their employees like that. That's horrible.

 

[erpg]

It's more than a little depressing to know that I'm not shocked at all. I feel like this is the norm, and the shady-ass, slimy hateful executives such as Jeremy are the ones dragging the whole industry down.

This is worth making a fuss about, because I'm certain some jackasses my feel twice about doing something similar in the future, if it damages their potential audience and hurts their bottom line.

 

[ncsuDuncan]

Edit: And WTF is a Robot year anyhow! this really makes me sick to read something like that. I honestly didn't think that kind of thing REALLY went on like that... wow.

Robot years are actually a measure of distance, not time.

I believe Johnny-5 rolled approximately 0.37 robot years away from the Nova Laboratories campus before realizing how weird it was that Fisher Stevens was cast as an Indian scientist.

 

[Syril]

That'd be one depressing book.

Maybe it's necessary.

 

[brian!]

burn them

 

[AdventureMike]

This sounds like a horrific studio to work for. Unfortunately, I think stories of this kind of behavior in video game studios is all too common. Long hours, crunch indefinitely, terrible wages for similar positions in other companies, unreasonable expectations, laughable job security and (in some cases) horrific sexism/racism/bigotry. These are the things that I have come to identify with the realities of working for a video game studio.

 

[Neuromancer]

Good lord at this part:

Especially that last line. 0_0

WTF

This company needs to get shut down after a string of sexual harassment suits, it'd be for the employees' own good. I'm sorry I bought the first game, I definitely won't be buying the second if their people are being treated so poorly. Good luck to all the good people there.

 

[Annubis]

Damnit.. I liked Dungeon Defenders.
At least I bought it at 50% off... a little less money for that jerk.

Late last year, according to four different people, Stieglitz fired the lead designer on Dungeon Defenders II and shifted direction on the game, telling the development team to start taking ideas from the popular arena battle game League of Legends. The motto floating around the company, employees told me, is "if League does it, we do it."

"He threw out design work to copy League of Legends," said one person.

"Interesting, creative ideas [were] thrown by the wayside because 'we don't have time,' or 'Does League do it? No? Then it's a waste of time, we need to do what League does,' said another person.

And nothing of value was lost apparently. Calling Dungeon Defender 2 BOMBA.

 

[1-D_FTW]

Guess that explains how they were able to release a new (2GB) update every three days. Never could get into the game and had to uninstall to stop the updating madness.

 

[jschreier]

This sounds like a horrific studio to work for. Unfortunately, I think stories of this kind of behavior in video game studios is all too common. Long hours, crunch indefinitely, terrible wages for similar positions in other companies, unreasonable expectations, laughable job security and (in some cases) horrific sexism/racism/bigotry. These are the things that I have come to identify with the realities of working for a video game studio.

The more we expose it, the more we can fight against it.

 

[hawk2025]

Wow, fantastic article. Very nicely done.

I'm honestly shocked that this is going on.

 

[Concept17]

Sounds like the restaurant I recently worked at.

 

[QisTopTier]

He must be a fan of blazblue

 

[Clott]

Why in the world would he put that kind of humor in writing, keep that to yourself.

It's always refreshing to read stories like this, like the whole LA noir debacle. It's not all peaches and cream with these developers.

 

[Tendo]

I loved the original. Lost all interest in the sequel. Despicable if true.

The more we expose it, the more we can fight against it.

I like your attitude and been really digging your work on Kotaku. Keep it up. Great article.

 

[Amir0x]

what the FUCK @ "even better if the robots are aged under 18 robot years"

what in the fucking WORLD

I am so glad I never purchased one of their games

 

[Boerseun]

No DD2 for me then. Not going to reward a company that treats their employees like this.

What I was thinking.

I feel bad now for buying the first one and all DLC. :-(

 

[Odrion]

That'd be one depressing book.

Would it end with a woman breastfeeding a dying old man?

 

[Ken]

18? Pfft, best robot girl Labrys is 13.

 

[Fushichou187]

Got Dungeon Defenders free a while back via PS+ but hadn't gotten around to playing it yet. Deleting... now.

 

[DirtyManos]

Great article, keep up the good work Jason.

Unbelievable the kind of crap people go through. It always amazes me even more when it's seen in the high tech industry. All those talented people treated like shit.

 

[AcceptableGhost]

Sounds like the president of Trendy Entertainment is human garbage. This also explains the weird shift into the MOBA genre.

 

[Feep]

My studio (Iridium) is poaching one of Trendy's animators. This shit is basically all true.

 

[Mugaaz]

Got Dungeon Defenders free a while back via PS+ but hadn't gotten around to playing it yet. Deleting... now.

DD1 was a fun game that I really enjoyed. This guy being scumbag doesn't change that.

 

[TheSeks]

I'm in their area. I've heard of them due to This Magazine (front page and page 11) back in September. Ironically they work a few blocks north-north west from me at work. I can't substantiate the claims Jason/Kotaku is posting, but that article does mention that they do "stupid things" (as a joke, really) so I can say I'm not surprised if some of the newer employees or the employees that were there during Dungeon Defenders development was all "WTF" at that interview when it came out

Man, what is with Gainesville and development companies being sexist (oh, wait, it's the south. I shouldn't be surprised) and going under within 2-5 years. That one Inginition game development company off 34th street also shutdown but that was mostly due to Ignition's bad money management more than anything.

Got Dungeon Defenders free a while back via PS+ but hadn't gotten around to playing it yet.

Same, I got it off the rental store to simply support Gainesville developers, so much for that heh.

 

[jschreier]

That one Inginition game development company off 34th street also shutdown but that was mostly due to Ignition's bad money management more than anything.

You know who ran that company? Jeremy Stieglitz.

 

[Big-E]

One of the few real games in my Steam garbage category because of it being a bad game and the constant updates. Sucks that people are being abused but nothing surprises me with dev houses.

 

[Murder. She Wrote]

You know who ran that company? Jeremy Stieglitz.

Sounds like a class S douchnozzle. Hopefully this article screws him over.