Games maker settles class action lawsuits over pay

Games developer Electronic Arts has paid $14.9m to settle a class action lawsuit from developers who alleged that the company cheated them out of overtime pay.

The dispute arose after the company incorrectly classified developers as senior staff, which disqualified them from getting paid for working overtime.

The games development sector is known as a high stress environment where employees are rushed from deadline to deadline, and where working six or seven days a week is common.

EA's labour policy, which was put in place in 2004, caused workers to file multiple lawsuits.

The company is one of the world's largest game developers, responsible for titles including The Sims, Fifa 06 and Battlefield 2.