Vodeo Games is trying to set a positive example for their industry, even though they are not a household name yet. The studio, founded by Threes designer Asher Vollmer, has been unionized by the Communication Workers of America.
The all-remote team of 13 is unusual for a number of reasons. Half of the bargaining unit is made up of independent contractors, the exact sort of workers left out of a union.
Vodeo's does not appear to stem from a need to course-correct away from imminent disaster, as has been the case with much of the push to unionize digital workspaces in recent years. Their desire to unionize is related to maintaining an equitable workplace. Emma Kinema, campaign lead for CODE-CWA, said that they are not organizing because of a big scary boss. They organize because they care so much about the work they do, and they want more of a say over how it is done, in order to make games that they care about.
The games industry has gone through a period of upheaval. There are detailed harassment and discrimination within Rocksteady, Riot, Wildlife andQuantic Dream. In order to hit targeted release dates, studios demand herculean overtime hours from staff, which has increased the backlash against the practices. Some employees of the company walked off the job, demanding the resignation of their CEO. They have set up a strike fund and are in the middle of a union drive.
Myriame Lachapelle, a producer at Vodeo Games, wrote in a statement to press that all workers deserve a union and a say in how their workplace is run. We hope to set a new precedent for industry-wide standards that will better our shared working conditions and inspire others to do the same, because we have been inspired by the growing worker organizing within the gaming industry.
The first game from Vodeo, the Peggle-likeRPG Beast Breaker, received mostly positive reviews. It's available for computers.
