Theres seems to be a lot of misinformation running in this thread. Im not sure where people got the idea that game developers are under paid with bad benefits or that game developers generally have a problem with crunch time.
As someone who worked in the industry for the better part of a decade, in multiple studios, it has been my personal experience that most developers have absolutely no problem with Crunch. The "dread" of crunch is more of a running joke to scare newbies. The main reasons for this being okay with crunch include, but are not limited to,
They don't want to work in a different industry.
They get very large amounts of vacation time. Some go so far as two save it for two years and then takes months off.
On top of their regular paid vacation, most studios close for two weeks at the end of the year, with pay.
They have very relaxed work schedules in non-crunch development cycles. Some people choose to work nights, some choose afternoons and some work regular hours.
They want their project to be finished and of the highest possible quality.
They get paid well, even if they could make more elsewhere.
Non-salaried employees get paid time and a half and double time.
They get a lot of free stuff.
They get to go to conventions like PAX for free, even if they are not working. Most developers are in fact big fans of video games.
And many more reasons.
I can honestly say, in all my years in the industry, I've never met a single person who wanted to Unionize. Unions would break the industry in ways people do not understand. Regular labor laws already get in the way of how many people want to run their work day. Some examples,
Many states require mandatory breaks, one hour for lunch and two fifteen minutes breaks. Unfortunately, stopping what you are doing to take a break you don't want takes you out of your zone. When you are feverishly working on something, having to stop makes it very hard to pick up where you left off.
This is very unnecessary in an industry where nobody is putting your nose to the ground stone. Most people I worked with would stop a random times in the day and just chat with their friends for extended periods of time. They put in their time, but they do it casually.
For studios that don't strictly enforce mandatory breaks, people just lie on their time cards so the company doesn't get in trouble. It is an obnoxious waste of time.
Adding unions would only add more BS like this to the industry, but the worst consequences would be felt by people trying to get in the door.
When I started in the industry, I only had a high school diploma and some college. I joined QA in a trial by fire where 50 people were hired and only the most successful were invited back. This allowed me a foot in the door where I then learned game design from some of the top designers in the industry. I learned 3D modeling and world building from seasoned professionals and I was given access to a series of tools that taught me Javascript, C#, Java, SQL, and the ability to write Software Automation. Thanks to the openness of this industry, I was able to parlay a high school diploma and a love of video games into a six figure career. Many of my friends went on to become designers, writers and artists.
If the video game industry unionized, that door closes for everyone else. The entire practice would be outrite banned. No one would get in without a college degree.
The ability of Developers to jump to new studios would be locked out just as quickly. Everyone could be stuck with a multi year/ multi game contracts.
Game Development is not for everyone, but it is not an abusive practice. The people who can handle the job excel and the people who cannot quit or don't get asked to stay. Obviously not every studio runs the same way. All of the studies I worked for were dramatically different, but one thing was always true. If you don't like your studios, there are ten more trying to poach you every day.
Sorry if that came off a little strong, but I very much disapprove of people who do not do the work trying to make changes that no one is asking for. Changes I, and most of my friends, personally believe would only negatively impact the employees of this great industry.