Sure, gaming might seem like fun and, um, games, but it’s not always that way for the folks slaving away in the industry’s digital sweatshops.

It’s In The Game, a new no-budget documentary by noob director Dylan Griffin—which premiers with a screening at Toronto’s Revue Cinema at 7pm on Aug 21—takes a peak behind the pixel curtain to expose the multi-billion dollar non-unionized industry’s working standards, which include 80 hour work weeks, unpaid overtime, unfair firings and other labour issues like concerns that improving quality of life will only send North American jobs overseas.

“Well-intentioned people wanting to have their human right [respected] may find that their right to be unemployed will be fully exercised,” warns wry game vet Eugene Jarvis. “The sad result is it may create an environment that is hostile to game development in this country.”

Self-described “guerilla filmmaker” Griffin was inspired by a buddy who worked for Grand Theft Auto publisher Rockstar Games and warned him against getting into the industry (and who later burned out at the age of 40 and quit game development).

Griffith looks at industry-wide abuses, with a specific focus on the allegations (and now-settled class-action lawsuits) against Electronic Arts, which came to light in 2004 after then-anonymous EA_Spouse (since revealed as Erin Hoffman, and interviewed in this doc) posted a blog entry titled “EA: The Human Story” extensively detailing the quality of life concerns affecting game workers.

Game also details the industry’s development from the basement-bred boom and bust of the Atari era through the Nintendo-led mid-80s resurgence up to the current now-gen console era. Schlepping to conventions in LA, San Jose and San Francisco, Griffin interviews major players like EA founder Trip Hawkins, Doom creator John Romero and infamous Atari employee Howard Scott Warshaw (who spent three whole weeks designing the ET game which is credited with single-handedly crashing the American videogame industry in 1983).

Admittedly, the film feels a little like old news to gamers who keep close tabs on the industry—interviewees discuss lawsuits EA has long since settled and in a May 2008 interview with Gamasutra, Hoffman says EA has "tremendously reformed", which isn't addressed here—though hardcore heads will def dig the game veteran interviews and the broad topic overview.

But It's In The Game is a particularly eye-opening expose and fascinating history lesson for casual gamers and curious civilians.