Inevitable or Exploitative? A Case Study of Consumers’ Divergent Attitudes towards Video Game Crunch
As with many media industries, poor labor practices such as crunch—excessive, often unpaid overtime—are common within video game production. Researchers have addressed how industry structures normalize crunch, but game consumers’ integration in this process is less understood. This case study of com...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Michigan Publishing
2023-07-01
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| Series: | Media Industries |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.publishing.umich.edu/mij/article/id/2357/ |
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| author | Amanda C Cote Brandon C Harris |
| author_facet | Amanda C Cote Brandon C Harris |
| author_sort | Amanda C Cote |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | As with many media industries, poor labor practices such as crunch—excessive, often unpaid overtime—are common within video game production. Researchers have addressed how industry structures normalize crunch, but game consumers’ integration in this process is less understood. This case study of comments (n = 1,080) on articles about crunch develops an overall perspective on consumer attitudes by coding whether comments support or critique crunch and then evaluating the comments’ main ideas. More comments supported crunch than critiqued it, often treating it as inevitable, justifying paid/short-term crunch, or comparing game development crunch to commenters’ experiences. Conversely, critical comments considered crunch’s negative consequences, blamed its persistence on executives, and advocated for better work practices across industries. While this piece focuses on games, the conclusions potentially speak across media industries by addressing the pervasive nature of “Do What You Love” ideologies and asking: Do consumers care about the conditions under which media is produced? |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-be5d1eb3e30f47dbaea03808da6a1915 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2373-9037 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | Michigan Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Media Industries |
| spelling | doaj-art-be5d1eb3e30f47dbaea03808da6a19152025-08-20T02:48:38ZengMichigan PublishingMedia Industries2373-90372023-07-0110110.3998/mij.2357Inevitable or Exploitative? A Case Study of Consumers’ Divergent Attitudes towards Video Game CrunchAmanda C Cote0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7553-6641Brandon C Harris1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6771-7776School of Journalism and Communication, University of OregonSchool of Journalism and Communication, University of OregonAs with many media industries, poor labor practices such as crunch—excessive, often unpaid overtime—are common within video game production. Researchers have addressed how industry structures normalize crunch, but game consumers’ integration in this process is less understood. This case study of comments (n = 1,080) on articles about crunch develops an overall perspective on consumer attitudes by coding whether comments support or critique crunch and then evaluating the comments’ main ideas. More comments supported crunch than critiqued it, often treating it as inevitable, justifying paid/short-term crunch, or comparing game development crunch to commenters’ experiences. Conversely, critical comments considered crunch’s negative consequences, blamed its persistence on executives, and advocated for better work practices across industries. While this piece focuses on games, the conclusions potentially speak across media industries by addressing the pervasive nature of “Do What You Love” ideologies and asking: Do consumers care about the conditions under which media is produced?https://journals.publishing.umich.edu/mij/article/id/2357/video game industrymedia industry studieslabor practicescrunchconsumer-producer relationshipinductive thematic analysis |
| spellingShingle | Amanda C Cote Brandon C Harris Inevitable or Exploitative? A Case Study of Consumers’ Divergent Attitudes towards Video Game Crunch Media Industries video game industry media industry studies labor practices crunch consumer-producer relationship inductive thematic analysis |
| title | Inevitable or Exploitative? A Case Study of Consumers’ Divergent Attitudes towards Video Game Crunch |
| title_full | Inevitable or Exploitative? A Case Study of Consumers’ Divergent Attitudes towards Video Game Crunch |
| title_fullStr | Inevitable or Exploitative? A Case Study of Consumers’ Divergent Attitudes towards Video Game Crunch |
| title_full_unstemmed | Inevitable or Exploitative? A Case Study of Consumers’ Divergent Attitudes towards Video Game Crunch |
| title_short | Inevitable or Exploitative? A Case Study of Consumers’ Divergent Attitudes towards Video Game Crunch |
| title_sort | inevitable or exploitative a case study of consumers divergent attitudes towards video game crunch |
| topic | video game industry media industry studies labor practices crunch consumer-producer relationship inductive thematic analysis |
| url | https://journals.publishing.umich.edu/mij/article/id/2357/ |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT amandaccote inevitableorexploitativeacasestudyofconsumersdivergentattitudestowardsvideogamecrunch AT brandoncharris inevitableorexploitativeacasestudyofconsumersdivergentattitudestowardsvideogamecrunch |