In a move that could have ripple effects throughout the gaming industry, Microsoft has announced that it is converting some temporary testers who worked on Bethesda’s game Starfield into full-time employees represented by a union. This decision comes after Microsoft agreed earlier this year to recognize and bargain with ZeniMax Workers United, a union representing quality assurance workers at the company’s ZeniMax Media subsidiary.
As found by Bloomberg, this was a landmark moment, marking the first time that Microsoft had agreed to recognize a labor union. The conversion of some Starfield testers into full-time, unionized employees is a significant development. It shows that Microsoft is serious about its commitment to engaging with unions and working collaboratively with them to improve the working conditions for its employees.
This move is likely to be welcomed by many in the gaming industry, as it could pave the way for more workers to unionize and bargain for better wages, benefits, and working conditions. It could also help improve the industry’s public image, which isn’t the best, thanks to reports of poor working conditions and employee mistreatment.
There are few other industries that force their employees to crunch like the video game industry does. A notable industry that works their employees harder is anime, which has many reports of forcing employees to stay late and overwork.
Microsoft and ZeniMax Workers United haven’t revealed the terms of the deal, but it’s believed the testers will get significant raises and benefits as full-time employees. They will also be given copies of Bethesda‘s Starfield game, which is weird as a new perk. I know many video game testers for 2k, and they’re outsourced, but they receive copies of the games they help test, even if it’s for a short time.
If you work on a video game, you deserve a copy, but that’s just my opinion. How this move will affect the development of Starfield remains to be seen, but it is clearly a significant development for the gaming industry as a whole.
