"People are generally happy with their pay. However, the big complaint is about the long hours culture," said [Gerry] Morrissey, assistant secretary general at Bectu. "People are asking us to get involved and speak to employers' associations," he added.

Mr Morrissey said Bectu was trying to build up a membership within the industry in the UK.

"We are trying to build up membership so we can go to employers' associations and show we represent the industry, the critical mass. "We are a long way from that."

"The industry can take young, green people, put them through the mill and spit them out," said Gareth Wilson of UK developer Bizarre Creations, creator of the Project Gotham Racing franchise. According to BECTU's Morrissey, many other developers have similar observations and complaints, but do not voice them due to job security concerns. Still, according to a survey by UK organization Skillset, the average work day for game developers is 8.6 hours, shorter than that of other comparable entertainment industries. Average work day lengths for other regions were not cited.

Recent lawsuits and public outcries over specific cases of overworked employees has led some developers to reform certain practices. Erin Hoffman, who became known in late 2004 for her "ea_spouse" blog posts chronicling the demands put upon her developer husband, told BBC news that conditions at studios such as Electronic Arts LA have improved. "EA in Los Angeles has completely turned around its work practices," she said. "They have an agreement in place never to work on Sundays."