Not really - I'm a 3D Character Artist in the game industry and crunch is certainly part of the job but not something that's constant or long term outside of those studios you hear horror stories about. Most studios offer great pay, good benefits, and care about work-life balance and I say that as someone who's been a part of this industry for 8 years and has no vested interest in keeping people fine with the status quo. There are definitely things that I'd like changed overall - it's a very difficult industry to get into and being able to settle down and live out the rest of your days in a suburb isn't something you should expect when you'll be forced into management or to relocate to a different studio once you've done your 10-15 years. I'd love to be able to settle down and I'd love for the industry to be more stable for its employees, for sure.

Blizzard does offer good pay and compensation, despite what you may be lead to believe. You don't achieve the quality they do with high turnover rates and low pay. That goes for any studio.