Most of the problems with crunch are a result of the crunch culture that runs rampant and is widely accepted throughout the industry. It stems from an emphasis that getting work done well and done quickly is more important than work-life balance or personal well being. īecause crunch time tends to come from a combination of corporate practices as well as peer influence, the term 'crunch culture' is often used to discuss video game development settings where crunch time may be seen as the norm rather than the exception. In some cases, the drive for crunch may come from the developers themselves as individual developers may want to work extra hours without a mandate to assure their product meets delivery milestones and is of high quality, which can influence other developers to also commit to extra hours or avoid taking time off as to appear slacking.

The use of crunch time is also seen to be exploitative of the younger male-dominated workforce in video games, who have not had the time to establish a family and who were eager to advance within the industry by working long hours. The complexity of work flow, reliance on third-party deliverables, and the intangibles of artistic and aesthetic demands in video-game creation create difficulty in predicting milestones. 'Crunch time' is the point at which the team is thought to be failing to achieve milestones needed to launch a game on schedule. A lack of unionization on the part of game developers has often been suggested as the reason crunch exists, and organizations such as Game Workers Unite aim to fight against crunch by forcing studios to honour developers' labor rights.ĭescription Crunch time vs. Critics of crunch note how it has become normalized within the game-development industry, to deleterious effects for all involved. However, it leads to negative health impacts for game developers and a decrease in the quality of their work, as well as driving people out of the industry temporarily or permanently. It is often used as a way to cut the costs of game development, a labour-intensive endeavour. Crunch is common in the industry and can lead to work weeks of 65–80 hours for extended periods of time, often uncompensated beyond the normal working hours. Send us feedback about these examples.In the video game industry, crunch is compulsory overtime during the development of a game. These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the crunch.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. 2023 And the survey data is mounting that the crunch hath arrived. 2023 Brown credited Mayor Michelle Wu’s housing affordability campaign with helping to ease the crunch. 2021 At the top of the crunch, reach your arms in between your knees for a pulse further, then slowly lower back down and arms go back overhead. 2022 Adding to the crunch, the first oil shock, in 1973–74, was accompanied by a 30 percent rise in wheat prices, after the Soviet Union experienced poor harvests and bought up U.S. 2023 At others, there is discord, danger, chaos- the crunch of crustaceans in combat, the crash of cresting waves, a flurry of fuzz, and deep, urgent toms.

2023 The quiet delicacy of flavors resonate with the way winter throws details into relief: ice crystals on frozen leaves, the crunch of frost under our heels, the muted colors of a winter landscape. Christina Goldbaum, New York Times, 17 Apr. Laura (fisher) Matta, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 June 2023 But this year, skyrocketing prices and the crunch on donor’s incomes have left the charities with less to distribute. Recent Examples on the Web Keep the crunch going for longer with this large, 4.5-quart container that is specifically made for cereal and other bulk foods.

To be in a time crunch meaning