L.A Noire developer Team Bondi made the news in Australia, not for being the developer of one of the most realistic detective games, but for their apparent unfair labour practices. It has been claimed by staff members that they were forced to work over-time without any pay and refused days off.
But not publisher Rockstar Games has thrown their hat into the ring, saying that they won’t work with Team Bondi ever again. “I’ve heard a lot about Rockstar’s disdain for Team Bondi, and it has been made quite clear that they will not publish Team Bondi’s next game,” an anonymous Team Bondi worker told Gamesindustry.biz
The source also confirmed that Team Bondi is on the look-out for another publisher. “Team Bondi are trying to find another publisher for their next title, but the relationship with Rockstar has been badly damaged”.
Although the game was a huge success, the source also claimed that if it wasn’t for Rockstar, Team Bondi would have failed in their task. “They continued to sink money into L.A. Noire, and their marketing was fantastic. Without their continued support, Team Bondi would have gone under several years ago.”
Charlie Fripp – Consumer Tech Editor
