What are your working hours?

Harimau

As a studio, that is. I'm just curious, since you're no longer just a couple of guys doing this in their free time, and the twitters seem to stop on the weekend, which I actually only noticed recently. do you work 9 to 5 on weekdays? do you work weekends? etc.

steppin'razor

I've wondered about this as well. I noticed the no-weekends quite awhile ago

locallyunscene

<!--quoteo(post=1702261:date=Mar 8 2009, 08:27 AM:name=steppin'razor)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(steppin'razor @ Mar 8 2009, 08:27 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1702261"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I've wondered about this as well. I noticed the no-weekends quite awhile ago<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yeah, usually if someone is working on the weekend they specifically mention that fact. And I'm guessing it's more like 10-6, but it's hard to tell because you only see when they post twitters, not when they're actually working.

Squeal_Like_A_Pig

As a rule we are trying to avoid the ridiculous, soul sucking crunches that most game companies tend to engage in, since mandatory long hours, in our experience, tend to be counterproductive. Most of us have gone through the pain of the 60 - 80 hour work weeks, and as a company culture we are trying hard to get the game done in a way that doesn't leave us unhappy, jaded, lifeless and single.

By trying to find more efficient ways of working, by keeping the scope and scale more realistic, and focusing on where we can cut corners or just plain cut, it makes it easier to achieve this. Many companies that I've worked at tend have schedules that are completely unrealistic, basically with the assumption that all of the stuff will get done by just having people work twice as hard, since that is always the easiest solution.

We do work at the office 5 days a week, though some of us work from home 1 day a week. As far as 9-5, as with most game companies, it differs for each of us, though it tends more towards the 10 - 6 or 7 for the other guys. I'm an early person and try to get in before 9, with varying degrees of success. As far as the community basing our hours on twitter posts, I don't think that's the best judge of who's working when. I tend to work on stuff at home a lot, at night and on the weekends, partly to stay on schedule, but also for myself, since I like to be able to add an extra amount of polish to my work that isn't strictly necessary. I'm pretty sure the other guys work extra hours at home, as well, and Max just got a new laptop, largely for that purpose.

I think the main thing is, establishing a culture where we aren't forcing people to work extra hours, but rather we do it because we want to, and want the game to be the best it can be. And also, not having to sacrifice our weekends and personal lives slaving away in the office, to the point where we hate what we are doing and resent the game.

All of that being the case, we have a pretty aggressive schedule, with a lot left to do in a limited amount of time, and also a limited amount of money, which, by necessity will certainly require extra effort.

--Cory

Fraxinus

the "happy workers are productive workers" is a good mantra.

sherpa

God, I'd kill for flexible hours like that.

At the hospital I work at I have to be in by 8.54 and I'm entitled to a 51 minute lunch break. Yes, I start six minutes before nine and have fifty-one minutes for lunch. Bloody stupid times. Bloody stupid NHS.

Eddie

<!--quoteo(post=1702304:date=Mar 8 2009, 04:41 PM:name=sherpa)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(sherpa @ Mar 8 2009, 04:41 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1702304"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->God, I'd kill for flexible hours like that.

At the hospital I work at I have to be in by 8.54 and I'm entitled to a 51 minute lunch break. Yes, I start six minutes before nine and have fifty-one minutes for lunch. Bloody stupid times. Bloody stupid NHS.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

I hear you guys over in GB have an amazing health care system though... much better then the States' or Canada's.

invader Zim

I like the NHS, mainly because its free and effective, although it can be rather inefficient.

Id did have an environmental consultancy job with no set hours aslong as the work got done. But unfortuantly it was credit crunched.

killkrazy

The only thing you can do when you'd been credit-crunched is watch the news and see all the other people getting economically declined, and watch the bankers get richer.

I always wondered why at school instead of just calling someone a w@nker, they'd call them a 'banker'. Now we know.

On Topic:
I really do not know why, but the UWE team makes me think of a film I watched about Apple Computers; Pirates of Silicon Valley... I see Charlie as Steve Jobs. I don't know if something triggered this or it's just a weird synapse in my brain going nuts.

And I think that making the experience of work enjoyable will benefit the product greatly. As long as the employees are doing it because they enjoy it, they will be putting so much more effort/detail into it <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />

Rob

Yeah over the short few years that I've been actually in software development, I've put together some rules for success within a reasonable time frame:
<ul><li>Sleep is <b>vital</b></li><li>Never mix booze and code</li><li>If you're having too much trouble implementing a solution, there's probably a better one you haven't considered</li><li>Always over estimate the time it will take to interface with 3rd parties, <b>especially</b> hardware</li></ul>
There's probably more that I forgot and will trip over again soon.

Flayra

You summed it up more beautifully than I could've have Cory. Cory for prez!

Italianmagic

<!--quoteo(post=1702363:date=Mar 9 2009, 01:11 PM:name=Flayra)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Flayra @ Mar 9 2009, 01:11 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1702363"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->You summed it up more beautifully than I could've have Cory. Cory for prez!<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

BOOO!

Charlie!!! 4 more years!!!

Buzzou

<!--quoteo(post=1702293:date=Mar 8 2009, 07:50 PM:name=Squeal_Like_A_Pig)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Squeal_Like_A_Pig @ Mar 8 2009, 07:50 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1702293"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->with a lot left to do in a limited amount of time<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Ooh whats the deadline?

j/k <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />

riddik

this system is great.
in ouer office we have a similar system.
i tend to ballance my workinghouers within fix hours since i some problems with handling it else.
but my collegues still finish what they are on, wich is way more productive than stoping at a fix time.
So they don't start stuff 1 hour before leaving but they add some worktime in the evening if there's something to finish.

the only weakness about this is that they do a lot of overtimes without calculating it <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />