This feels a bit link-baity, because it says nothing of how short, uncommonly used crunch modes help or hurt productivity - just how super-long work weeks are eventually more detrimental than helpful.
Edit: I would posit that short bursts of overtime - perhaps a single 60-80 hour week at the ramp up to a major release can actually be helpful if not exciting - if used quite sparingly. Research on that theory would be more interesting to me.
Anyway, I recall that you can actually raise short term productivity for up to four weeks or so, but expect lower output following weeks. The productivity falls if crunch runs longer then six weeks. Not sure about in between. That was just one study, so take it or leave it.
Last note: if you have 60-80 hour work weeks before every major release, then there is something wrong with your planning or process. In any case, it does not sounds like the release will be much tested before shipment.
Not only are our releases incredibly well tested (we have millions of players - there is no "untested") but we keep things pretty relaxed during normal development, and pre-release "crunches" result in improved team cohesion and morale. Releases feel like huge wins, and we always celebrate.
Please don't presume to know anything about anyone else without any evidence or first-hand knowledge of a situation. It's rather unbecoming.
If you think burnn-outs are cool, I can package you all of mine with their consequences in a small box and I can send them to you by mail. I'd be delighted, truly. Such a shame it is not possible.
And crunch are just burnin, the maniacal addictive phase before the depressive one. I am not sure living like unbalanced junkies should be considered a good idea. We are not politicians yet.