@kcin: Oh buddy your off the mark, for one your over estimating the percentage of the construction industry/field that's in a union, it's far lower than what your probably thinking especially in more rural areas. And two I'm not saying overtime is cool or awesome, if you read my comment I say it sucks but until things advance enough to compensate then overtime is going to be a thing. I would love it if overtime didn't exist and everything got done on time. But I also know people that live off the overtime, and if it wasn't there they wouldn't make it, Im by no means saying that justifies it but it does genuinely help some people.
The idea of "Overtime" wouldn't exist if people didn't fight for the idea that you get paid more/get benefits if you work over 40 hours a week, depending on where you live and laws. In America, things like labor protections have been destroyed thanks to the influence of money in politics and the slow erosion of class consciousnesses. Also I will add that most game developers are on salary, meaning that they don't get paid extra for working more hours. So they can't "live off overtime" because it cuts into any time they would have for any side-projects or gigs that would actually pay them. I think in Poland they do have better labor laws for that sort of stuff, but definitely not the United States.
The Giant Bomb crew, and whatever video game website you go to, aren't going to be on the pulse of the labor conditions in any industry they don't cover. So of course they are talking about overtime and exploitation of workers in the industry that they cover.
You might feel that these people are "just discovering" this, but I think it shows an evolution in the discourse of the industry. Before, games coverage was more an advertisement, now games pundints feel more open to discuss other things in the industry other than the newest hottest game item and reviews.
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