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[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

Rockstar Games, a division of Take-Two Interactive Software Inc., will ask employees to return to the office five days a week beginning in April as the video-game maker enters the final stages of development on its next game, the hotly anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI.

In an email to staff on Wednesday reviewed by Bloomberg, Rockstar Head of Publishing Jenn Kolbe said the decision was made for productivity and security reasons. The company has faced several security breaches including a massive dump of early footage from the new Grand Theft Auto and an early trailer that leaked in December.

Kolbe wrote that the company also found "tangible benefits" from in-person work. "Making these changes now puts us in the best position to deliver the next Grand Theft Auto at the level of quality and polish we know it requires, along with a publishing roadmap that matches the scale and ambition of the game," she wrote.

Return-to-office mandates have been a hot topic across various industries since the pandemic forced myriad employees to work from home. More recently, many employers have asked staff to return to the office for two or three days a week. A study last month found that remote work did not have an impact on productivity.

 

[Salty Popsicle]

Game won't release in 2025 if half the staff is working from home IMO

 

[Kings Field]

 

[BennyBlanco]

Nature is healing

 

[Tsaki]

Makes sense. You want your employees to actually work on the game in their billable hours

 

[SkyHighTrees]

They asking the workers to work!

Haha

 

[Xtib81]

You won't stop me from thinking that full remote and productivity cannot belong in the same sentence.

 

[lh032]

very very smart fear tactic to announce this at this moment.

 

[Represent.]

Good

 

[Banjo64]

Some roles can definitely be done in a hybrid way or entirely from home. Game development doesn’t seem like one of those jobs IMO, as every person is effectively one link in a chain rather than a self contained role.

Also, unless your contract specifically says you will work from home you have no leg to stand on. You applied for an office job, work it or leave.

 

[xBlueStonex]

GOOD. Mad respect to Rockstar for taking a firm stance against the remote madness. Giant projects that require intense coopeartion between multiple teams at all levels simply don't work when developers are at home in their pajamas watching netflix. Not even exaggerating a little bit.

 

[StereoVsn]

You won't stop me from thinking that full remote and productivity cannot belong in the same sentence.

Eh, it can happen, but you have to have certain tools and discipline.

Personally I think hybrid is best mix since you can be in the office when collaborating but at the same time can concentrate at home on single person tasks.

Like I don’t need to be in the office when I need to produce some business development or architecture docs, but you better bet it’s vice versa when I got my team there doing deep dives in particular topics.

 

[theHFIC]

Dang, did Rockstar / Take 2 even think about how will these employees be able to make a quick run to Target or Home Depot in the middle of the day now? How will they be able to go to the gym and then get groceries after stopping for lunch on a weekday afternoon? What about those who just want to get some errands done but not do it on the weekend while still getting paid for a full 40 hour work week?

Show some consideration for those poor WFHomers, Rockstar!!

 

[Alebrije]

Work at Office or layoffs

 

[Puscifer]

You won't stop me from thinking that full remote and productivity cannot belong in the same sentence.

The worse part about the WFH thing in 2020-2022 was that people wouldn't shut the fuck up about how lazy they were and what they're getting away with. Look, I'm sure you can get the same amount of work done while taking a 2 hour break to bake bread or go work out, BUT SHUT UP ABOUT IT! When I was working from home we had people openly admitting to playing switch during work hours over Teams and all I could think about was how this was going to ruin it for the rest of us and it surely did.

 

[Little Chicken]

Game won't release in 2025 if half the staff is working from home IMO

A study last month found that remote work did not have an impact on productivity.

I haven't stepped foot into an office since March 2020.

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

GOOD. Mad respect to Rockstar for taking a firm stance against the remote madness. Giant projects that require intense coopeartion between multiple teams at all levels simply don't work when developers are at home in their pajamas watching netflix. Not even exaggerating a little bit.

This stereotype shit needs to fucking die

People working from home are still accountable to the same metrics they were before

People that are at home watching Netflix are the same employees at work jerking off all day in the stalls

There’s no reason why many of these roles can’t be done at home even during crunch, with some time in the office for times of true collaboration that can’t be done efficiently at home

 

[TheShocker]

They/them going to have to return to work. Good.

 

[xBlueStonex]

This stereotype shit needs to fucking die

People working from home are still accountable to the same metrics they were before

People that are at home watching Netflix are the same employees at work jerking off all day in the stalls

There’s no reason why many of these roles can’t be done at home even during crunch, with some time in the office for times of true collaboration that can’t be done efficiently at home

Rockstar says otherwise.

Edit - And I'm sure they have the metrics to back it up.

 

[lh032]

You won't stop me from thinking that full remote and productivity cannot belong in the same sentence.

lets be honest, these companies like Rockstar can do a hybrid work from home if they worry about "productivity" but they just being dicks here.

They just want to control and instill fear on their staff.

 

[Kacho]

This is a smart move. Hopefully more companies follow.

 

[Gaiff]

What’s with Gaf’s hate boner against remote work lol?

 

[cash_longfellow]

Oh no! God forbid people actually have to “go” to work.

 

[xBlueStonex]

What’s with Gaf’s hate boner against remote work lol?

Maybe it's not a hate boner at all - maybe it's just pointing out the obvious.

 

[Salty Popsicle]

I haven't stepped foot into an office since March 2020.

That's why you are still a little chicken as opposed to a big chicken right now.

 

[Jetpac]

GOOD. Mad respect to Rockstar for taking a firm stance against the remote madness. Giant projects that require intense coopeartion between multiple teams at all levels simply don't work when developers are at home in their pajamas watching netflix. Not even exaggerating a little bit.

Awesome, in your vast experience what games have you published?

Oh you’re just speaking on things you know nothing about in that industry. Oh ok that makes sense.

 

[cash_longfellow]

What’s with Gaf’s hate boner against remote work lol?

Because Covid gave people an excuse to be lazy. It was needed at the time, but 99% of people working from home, milk the clock (coming from someone who worked from home and had 550+ colleagues)…..and honestly, that’s why we are seeing a downturn of quality in the industry right now. Hopefully the shift back to offices will have a positive impact on the industry again.

 

[cash_longfellow]

Awesome, in your vast experience what games have you published?

Oh you’re just speaking on things you know nothing about in that industry. Oh ok that makes sense.

It isn’t just the games industry.

 

[Ass of Can Whooping]

Great

Next step is 8 day work weeks

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

Rockstar says otherwise.

Edit - And I'm sure they have the metrics to back it up.

“Metrics to back it up” lol.

No, they are doing this because it’s fear and intimidation tactics and everyone else is being laid off

There’s no reason for full office work 5 days a week.

Add in the commute and stress and they’ll likely be less productive

 

[Reizo Ryuu]

Wouldn't be a remote topic without gafs insane hate for remote workers

 

[Gaiff]

Maybe it's not a hate boner at all - maybe it's just pointing out the obvious.

What obvious?

Because Covid gave people an excuse to be lazy. It was needed at the time, but 99% of people working from home, milk the clock (coming from someone who worked from home and had 550+ colleagues)…..and honestly, that’s why we are seeing a downturn of quality in the industry right now. Hopefully the shift back to offices will have a positive impact on the industry again.

So projection? You were lazy so that means everyone else is? And downturn in quality? 2023 was one of the greatest years in gaming in a long time.

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

Because Covid gave people an excuse to be lazy. It was needed at the time, but 99% of people working from home, milk the clock (coming from someone who worked from home and had 550+ colleagues)…..and honestly, that’s why we are seeing a downturn of quality in the industry right now. Hopefully the shift back to offices will have a positive impact on the industry again.

There were better games released during full WFH lockdowns than there are now with most back to the office arrangements

 

[Salty Popsicle]

“Metrics to back it up” lol.

No, they are doing this because it’s fear and intimidation tactics and everyone else is being laid off

There’s no reason for full office work 5 days a week.

Add in the commute and stress and they’ll likely be less productive

People have had to commute for work for centuries before the COVID epidemic. In what industries has productivity or quality of goods increased since 2020 because of people working from home? If anything, the opposite is true, especially in the video game industry.

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

People have had to commute for work for centuries before the COVID epidemic. In what industries has productivity or quality of goods increased since 2020 because of people working from home? If anything, the opposite is true, especially in the video game industry.

People also used to starve to death and ride horses

Should we go back to that?

 

[Ass of Can Whooping]

What’s with Gaf’s hate boner against remote work lol?

Game satisfacation is statistically 10% more enjoyable when we know the employees were crunching at an office 12 hours a day

 

[Jetpac]

It isn’t just the games industry.

Oh so you’re just a hater in general. I gotcha.

 

[Kacho]

Because Covid gave people an excuse to be lazy. It was needed at the time, but 99% of people working from home, milk the clock (coming from someone who worked from home and had 550+ colleagues)…..and honestly, that’s why we are seeing a downturn of quality in the industry right now. Hopefully the shift back to offices will have a positive impact on the industry again.

Nailed it

 

[Salty Popsicle]

People also used to starve to death and ride horses

Should we go back to that?

Cars made the commute to work faster. Productivity increased.

Give me an example where productivity increased in any industry because workers get to stay home.

 

[Reizo Ryuu]

People have had to commute for work for centuries before the COVID epidemic. In what industries has productivity or quality of goods increased since 2020 because of people working from home? If anything, the opposite is true, especially in the video game industry.

People did x for [time] is about the worst argument you could have in any discussion, it's not even an argument, it's just insane gatekeeping.

 

[phaedrus]

 

[cash_longfellow]

What obvious?

So projection? You were lazy so that means everyone else is? And downturn in quality? 2023 was one of the greatest years in gaming in a long time.

Bro…I left because of remote work. Don’t act you know shit about me . The productivity of my colleagues suffered and so too did the fate of the organization I worked for. Don’t try to redirect this thing as a me problem. In fact, I actually got promoted 8 months into remote work after Covid started, so fuck right off trying to act like you know shit about hard work in the remote aspect. Go ahead and keep trying to make it personal to me tho…

To add…my promotion was into an employee productivity position. So there’s that

 

[xBlueStonex]

There were better games released during full WFH lockdowns than there are now with most back to the office arrangements

It's crazy how untrue this is. The games released during lockdown were well into development before the pandemic. Games are a 4+ year cycle now.

Sidenote - the majority of great games in the last few years have all been from the east. Why? Because the Japenese have no problem working in office lol, it's only in the west that this is seen as "oppression". Imagine going to work to work - the horror!

 

[Myths]

Of course they aren't thrilled, as development enters an intense final stage they also wont be able to bullshit around anymore working from home.

 

[Draugoth]

I used to work in the office for 5 days a week 44 hours, i sympathize with them

 

[Salty Popsicle]

People did x for [time] is about the worst argument you could have in any discussion, it's not even an argument, it's just insane gatekeeping.

If businesses or industries really saw an increase in productivity and increased performance from their workers when they stayed home, why would they want them back in the office?

 

[bitbydeath]

Because Covid gave people an excuse to be lazy. It was needed at the time, but 99% of people working from home, milk the clock (coming from someone who worked from home and had 550+ colleagues)…..and honestly, that’s why we are seeing a downturn of quality in the industry right now. Hopefully the shift back to offices will have a positive impact on the industry again.

Not where I live, people tend to be more productive due to working longer hours at home, and the reason they work longer hours is because they have less distractions, and no transport to and from the office eating up their time.

 

[Reizo Ryuu]

why would they want them back in the office?

Because they paid for expensive properties that are now empty

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

Cars made the commute to work faster. Productivity increased.

Give me an example where productivity increased in any industry because workers get to stay home.

Remote work enables:

Remote meetings, screen sharing, less commute, less stress, more potential to exercise or rest (due to lack of commute), less bullshit water cooler talk that’s completely unproductive

 

[KloetenQuetsche]

No, home office doesn't affect effectivity. No!

I live in Germany. I'm an hearing aid seller. Homeoffice is not possible, cause people need the assistance to achieve the ability to handle their stuff.

Homeoffice is not an option. An that's the biggest benefit of my job.

Cause I can earn all the thing that are important in human life!

Having contact, in reality, with other people, talk to them, seeing their reaction, feeling their reaction, shaking hands.
Homeoffice is like a prison. And maaaaany people go to prison voluntarily.

At least this whole homeoffice shit, is good for me, cause I feel that people searching direct contact. And I am able to give it!
I belive in ten years half of the people can't read the emotion in the face of the human being in front of him!