KingsIsle Entertainment Employee Reviews about "crunch"
Updated Aug 21, 2020
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Found 5 of over 78 reviews
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Top Review Highlights by Sentiment
- "Decent benefit package as the company is growing so there are changes for the better each year." (in 4 reviews)
- "Over a year ago... Teams have been without knowledgeable management and hands to help with the workload for over a year." (in 7 reviews)
- "Also in the past, upper management was not always open to change or new ideas or supporting the various departments as some would have liked, but I feel with the new people they are bringing in and the move to Steam they are proving they want the company to succeed." (in 5 reviews)
- "There was little transparency from Sr. Management, and they provided little feedback down to the department heads." (in 4 reviews)
- "Middle management has serious decision paralysis and are ill equipped to lead teams." (in 3 reviews)
Reviews about "crunch"
Return to all Reviews- Current Employee★★★★★
Great co-workers and local management. Terrible leadership from corporate.
Oct 2, 2009 - in Austin, TXRecommendCEO ApprovalBusiness OutlookPros
There are a few great reasons to work at Kingsisle, although most of these are available at any game company in Austin. Being able to work on fun and engaging games is something that doesn't often feel like work at all. You are able to have a creative outlet which, while frustrating at times, is rewarded through the success of our flagship product, Wizard101. Being located in Austin is another attractive incentive, as the town is young, affordable, and active. Local management is very approachable and easy to talk to. They are willing to listen to ideas, comments and concerns from all employees. While most of them have little to no power to enact the ideas presented, I believe they take the issues seriously and present them to corporate when possible.
Cons
As with any company, there are certainly problems working at Kingsisle. And as with any review, this is the primary reason for writing one. All game companies have crunch times and long hours. It's a sacrifice that you need to be willing to make when working in the industry. However, most companies provide incentives or perks to offset the work/life balance. Kingsisle fails miserably in this department. Surprisingly enough, this wasn't always the case. Over the last 2 years, corporate has slowly removed the perks associated with working for a game company. As Wizard101 becomes more successful, they give the employees less and less. There has never been 401k matching. We were told as the company began to make a profit, that would be one of the first things evaluated. Nothing but silence on this issue, even when approached by local management. Our current registration is over 5 million and growing. They have taken away free snacks and sodas, in exchange for overpriced (0.75 for 12oz) vending machines. They do not provide meals during mandatory crunch times, which could mean 12+ hour days. Corporate HQ is located in Dallas, and for many of the Austin employees is a 'Man behind the Curtain.' There is no effort put forth to make an employee feel like their talent is appreciated or respected by corporate. They have made comments regarding the slow hiring market, and implied there is a 'take-it or leave-it' mentality. There is no corporate culture within Kingsisle. When brought up at a staff meeting, this was dismissed as 'frills' and unimportant. Kingsisle does not see people, they only see dollar signs. Any successful company will have a balance of the two.
Continue reading - Former Employee, more than 1 year★★★★★
Great People, not so great Management
May 27, 2014 - Environment Artist in Austin, TXRecommendCEO ApprovalBusiness OutlookPros
The work is great. The company rarely has crunch time and is very family friendly. The work itself is very fun and it's awesome to see kids that love it.
Cons
Management is very vague about business handling, i.e. how the company is doing, how much is being made. I feel they do this to keep every cent of profit to the company itself rather than rewarding hard working employees for their work. Working contract is like chasing a carrot at the end of a rope, with promises of opportunity, but rather than hire on someone they already invested and knows the tools, they'd rather let them go and hire someone else on contract to save a buck.
Continue reading - Former Employee★★★★★
Pros
Very easy work in environment that really had no necessary crunch. Low bar for what each department needs to contribute.
Cons
With their shift to only making mobile games, it is hard to see how this 200+ company can stay afloat for much longer. They also treat the departments like factory workers with very little way of moving up in the company.
Continue reading - Current Employee★★★★★
Pros
Insurance benefits are great. The people are amazing and it's easy to develop strong friendships. The occasional team building fun days are great. The games have a wonderful community base and awesome fans.
Cons
Job performance is not based on work product but rather spending 8 hours sitting at a desk. Crunch time is not rewarded with any form of comp time or real year end bonus. Employees are not trusted and are often treated like children.
Continue reading - Current Employee, more than 1 year★★★★★
Great place to start a career
Feb 3, 2014 - Associate Designer in Austin, TXRecommendCEO ApprovalBusiness OutlookPros
- If you are driven enough, there are a lot of opportunities to get where you want to go in this company. - Much of upper management is easy to talk to and get advice from. - People are friendly - Fun environment
Cons
- Unnecessary crunch time that is the product of poor time management on all levels, and the peons suffer for it. - Suggestions are listened to but rarely taken advantage of, even when the issue could have a large impact. - Lack of transparency on upper level
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