Jeff Skalski

Creating games is very difficult. And building games is challenging. The process of build requires to compile the code and all the data required in the game in a specific sequence involving many dependencies. As such monitoring the outcome is essential, but not sufficent. What if we were able to predict the outcome of a build ? What if we were able to decrease the required computing resources while increasing our iteration capability ? #Ubisoft #Ubisoftlaforge #innovation

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Another week, another round of layoffs, another studio closure, and another blow to the Vancouver game dev scene. Game development in Vancouver has been on life support for the past few years, and what a shocking fall from grace in comparison to how things looked in the early to mid-2000s where you couldn't throw a BC roll (sushi reference) without hitting a triple-A studio! You can blame more favourable tax credits in other Canadian provinces (which doesn't help!) but that's not the real reason for the decay, is it? We're not really competing against other provinces within our country, we're competing with a global talent market and a shift to remote work that has driven game development to lower cost regions that can produce stuff that's just as good as anything we can make. It's a shock and a wake-up call, perhaps too late. Everyone is on survival mode right now and there are still rough waters ahead. Today doesn't seem to be the day for big-picture industry analysis, but when the dust settles and the pain of layoffs is not so fresh for people, it'll be time to sit down and ask ourselves some tough questions about how we got here. I'm getting tired of saying it, but my heart goes out to all those affected by the current round of layoffs and closures. 💔

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Just Cause developer Avalanche Studios Group acquired Monster Closet Games (founded by Ubisoft veterans) in October last year and integrated its developers to launch a new studio in Montreal. Yesterday, this studio was shut down 8 months after launch, along with Avalanche’s New York studio, cutting 50 jobs. In an “exceptionally difficult decision” taken by Avalanche, the shutdown was “necessary to ensure a stable and sustainable future for the company”. Avalanche even expressed regret for losing 9% of its workforce but gave no updates on how it plans to help them after this. For big studios, posting on social media is easier and a one-time thing. But what about the 50 devs who are left with tougher days to come? When AAA giant (Avalanche) entered their lives last year, they promised the devs big game projects. For eight months, they worked hard on a title with Xbox, getting excited about how they would thrill gamers from different corners of the planet. But instead of receiving due credit, they are informed that they are no longer needed on the project and that the company has to lay them off to sustain themselves. If this is sad to learn, consider the sudden mental toll on these developers and the possibility of many falling prey to self-doubt. I also tried finding the impacted folks to give them a shoutout, but I can’t see any #opentowork banners except one or two. If you know of anyone who was impacted, please mention them below, and we will do everything in our power to give them maximum visibility. If you were impacted and saw this, I am listing three resources and various other ways for you to get back into the games industry ASAP. First💎 Layoff Support Kit 2.0 - https://lnkd.in/gCCXW_Wp My team and I have dedicated countless hours to curating hundreds of online game development resources so you don't have to. This comprehensive collection includes top programming boot camps, renowned game dev educators, free game assets to help you build great games, insightful podcasts, and much more. Second💎 A 100% scholarship on our $11,000 Full Stack game dev program - https://lnkd.in/gZKqNBFh If you were impacted by the recent bloodshed of layoffs, here’s a chance to Re-skill and revise your game dev knowledge with our advanced C++, OOPs, Unity, and Data Structure modules. Additionally, you will receive exclusive one-on-one mentorship from top game programmers who will help you strengthen your already solid foundations. Third💎 Our Discord Community of over 10K game devs - https://lnkd.in/gH-wZe2G Here, we listen to everyone’s take on game development, support aspiring game developers in building stronger portfolios, and solve each other's doubts. Also requesting Kelly Bender, Alexander Rehm, Caitlin Cooke, Jordan Mazer, Ruty Rutenberg, Hailey Rojas, Kevin F., Kat Craig, Ali Farha, Matt Barney, and Ash C. to help this reach all the folks who can benefit from this. #layoffsupport

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Do you want to level up your game dev team? Do you want to learn some of the magic that makes some of the greatest games? Alex's course is a great place to start. And if you have designers on staff you think would benefit, I highly recommend this bootcamp. #bootcap #gamedesign

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Terrible news last night with Behaviour Interactive announcing that it has laid of 95 employees, 70 of which in Montreal. To those impacted by these layoffs, please find a comprehensive list of resources, below: 🥇First, as you are on Montreal, please reach out to us at People Can Fly Studio, we have many roles open right now in Montreal and Canada, please check them out here: https://lnkd.in/eWpV5PbA 🥈Next, Discipline Games Jobs Resources: Over the past weeks I have created 9 (at time of writing) Games Jobs Resources to find jobs in a wide range of disciplines: 🎨 Art, Animation, VFX and UI: This resource contains around 1,200 jobs worldwide across all links. Link: https://lnkd.in/eXgEEUAA ⚙ Engineering and Programming This resource lists just over 1,900 jobs worldwide across all links. It also talks about interview tips and questions to practice. Link: https://lnkd.in/eAufG7q4 🕹 Quality Assurance: This resource lists over 450 QA jobs worldwide. This post also talks about the craft of QA and contains tips and interview practice. Link: https://lnkd.in/e6YwwJeS 📑 Game Production: This resource lists around 400 jobs worldwide. It also contains info about game production as a whole and GDC talks. Link: https://lnkd.in/eE8QgeDq 📢 Marketing & Community: This resource lists around 400 jobs worldwide. It also gives an intro into game marketing and community management. Link: https://lnkd.in/e5MuViug 🎶 Audio and Sound Design: This resource lists around 190 jobs worldwide. Link: https://lnkd.in/eSkPSsWf 📠 Studio Support, HR, Recruitment and BizDev: This resource lists around 290 jobs worldwide. Link: https://lnkd.in/ePG57_7v ⚙ IT, Helpdesk and DevOps: This resource lists around 140 jobs worldwide. Link: https://lnkd.in/e8ZsuiZh 🎮 Game Design: This resource lists around 480 jobs worldwide. https://lnkd.in/dCv_hQXv 🥉 Third, the Ultimate list of Video Games Career Resources: This should be your one-stop shop for all information. My dear friend Amir Satvat maintains these documents, he is a legend for doing this - please check them out: https://amirsatvat.com/ 🎖 Finally, do not give up. Ever. No matter how dark things may look right now, I KNOW you will get through this, you have got this! 👊 Remember you are not alone. If you need help, advice, or even an ear to listen, we're here for you. Always! ➡ A request to my community, please can I ask you to repost this post to your colleagues and friends, so that we can get as many into jobs as possible! And please comment if you or your studio are currently hiring - let's help each other! Much love ❤️ #layoffs #gamesindustry #jobsingames #behaviourinteractive

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Gameloft Toronto confirms reports of layoffs to GamesIndustry.Biz. GamesIndustry.Biz also reports estimates of 49 cuts. https://lnkd.in/eiiRhvJy If your role is affected by this news, please make use of the support available across our three platforms. Specifically, I recommend checking out the Games Org Support Posts in Home 1. These resources are highly effective, with ample data to back their success. I won't pretend there are easy solutions but our community's only goal is to make things a little easier for as many people as possible. We have a ton of data showing that, for all candidates, your chances of finding a games role double (from 5 to 10%) over 12 months if you regularly use all our resources versus not. Additionally, yesterday, I just presented a 100% update to our Games Jobs Workbook as of 6/25/2024, with 3,600 companies fully updated and more than 13,000 roles fully updated. Of our 18 resources, this is the most powerful tool we have to help you. https://lnkd.in/d6x5NHMZ (Resource #8) I'm so sorry to hear this report and I will, as always, do my best to do something about it rather than just talking. Home 1 - 🔗 AMIRSATVAT.COM: Our main hub provides 17 resources to assist you in finding work, featuring a fully updated design. - 🔗 Games Org Support Posts: Find a template at AMIRSATVAT.COM (Category 4, Resource 10). If you can provide information from your team (with their consent), I’ll help edit and disseminate the final product, reaching 100,000+ people. These posts are highly effective in increasing visibility, and we've done 99 of them. Home 2 - 🔗 Discord: Join us at discord.gg/amirsatvat, our live extension of community resources. With over 4,200 members, we are currently in an open-join phase. Home 3 - 🔗 LinkedIn: Our community here includes over 90,000 members, with 1-3 daily posts offering support and career assistance in the games industry. How the Broader Community Can Help: - Spread the Word: Reshares and comments on this post amplify the visibility of these resources. - Offer Support: Utilize the 15 ways listed on AMIRSATVAT.COM under "How You Can Help" to assist, or simply lend an ear or advice on our Discord server. - Join Our Movement: Volunteer with us at AMIRSATVAT.COM to support our colleagues in the games industry. Our network has facilitated over 2,100 jobs and 39,000 coaching conversations to date, the largest impact of any games organization on earth, and has been visited by millions of gamers lifetime.

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I'm so sorry to report that to hear that, as announced by their CEO and Studio Head tamura koji, that Challengers Games Corp. is closing. If your role is affected by this news, please make use of the support available across our three platforms. Specifically, I recommend checking out the Games Org Support Posts in Home 1. These resources are highly effective, with ample data to back their success. Home 1 - 🔗 AMIRSATVAT.COM: Our main hub provides 17 resources to assist you in finding work, featuring a fully updated design. - 🔗 Games Org Support Posts: Find a template at AMIRSATVAT.COM (Category 4, Resource 10). If you can provide information from your team (with their consent), I’ll help edit and disseminate the final product, reaching 100,000+ people. These posts are highly effective in increasing visibility, and we've done 99 of them. Home 2 - 🔗 Discord: Join us at discord.gg/amirsatvat, our live extension of community resources. With over 4,200 members, we are currently in an open-join phase. Home 3 - 🔗 LinkedIn: Our community here includes over 90,000 members, with 1-3 daily posts offering support and career assistance in the games industry. How the Broader Community Can Help: - Spread the Word: Reshares and comments on this post amplify the visibility of these resources. - Offer Support: Utilize the 15 ways listed on AMIRSATVAT.COM under "How You Can Help" to assist, or simply lend an ear or advice on our Discord server. - Join Our Movement: Volunteer with us at AMIRSATVAT.COM to support our colleagues in the games industry. Our network has facilitated over 2,100 jobs and 39,000 coaching conversations to date, the largest impact of any games organization on earth, and has been visited by millions of gamers lifetime.

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After more than twenty years of professional experience in different fields and roles, I can attest that: I am a seasoned educator which means I could advise on how to improve the learning process, both in formal environments and for self-growth. I am more than competent as a designer, even more, so if we are talking about games and learning experiences. This allows me to assess the strengths and the spaces to improve in any given project. Lastly, I am a subpar, if not, an awful businessman. This is the part of my experience more valuable while advising some: I do know well what not to do.

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👶 Game producers = great parents… ? 🎮 Problem-Solving: Working with different partners/audiences with varying comm methods. 💬 Empathy/Sympathy: Seeing the world through other viewpoints. Interpreting signals! 🧘‍♂️ Stress Management: Resilience in the face of constant pivots & uncertainty… Are you a creating clarity or chaos when having to clean 💩? 📅 Organization: Scheduling routines and adjusting when your plan goes south. Have a mitigation? That helps! Game production = solid parenting prep! 🌟👾🍼 #parenting #chaos💩 #empathy

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Ubisoft Toronto confirms reports of 33 layoffs If your role is affected by this news, please make use of the support available across our three platforms. Specifically, I recommend checking out the Games Org Support Posts in Home 1. These resources are highly effective, with ample data to back their success. I won't pretend there are easy solutions but our community's only goal is to make things a little easier for as many people as possible. We have a ton of data showing that, for all candidates, your chances of finding a games role double (from 5 to 10%) over 12 months if you regularly use all our resources versus not. Additionally, recently I presented a 100% update to our Games Jobs Workbook, with 3,600 companies fully updated and nearly 14,000 roles fully updated. Of our 18 resources, this is the most powerful tool we have to help you. https://lnkd.in/d6x5NHMZ (Resource #8) I'm so sorry to hear this report and I will, as always, do my best to do something about it rather than just talking. Home 1 - 🔗 AMIRSATVAT.COM: Our main hub provides 18 resources to assist you in finding work, featuring a fully updated design. - 🔗 Games Org Support Posts: Find a template at AMIRSATVAT.COM (Category 4, Resource 10). If you can provide information from your team (with their consent), I’ll help edit and disseminate the final product, reaching 100,000+ people. These posts are highly effective in increasing visibility, and we've done 99 of them. Home 2 - 🔗 Discord: Join us at discord.gg/amirsatvat, our live extension of community resources. With over 4,300 members, we are currently in an open-join phase. Home 3 - 🔗 LinkedIn: Our community here includes nearly 91,000 members, with 1-3 daily posts offering support and career assistance in the games industry. How the Broader Community Can Help: - Spread the Word: Reshares and comments on this post amplify the visibility of these resources. - Offer Support: Utilize the 16 ways listed on AMIRSATVAT.COM under "How You Can Help" to assist, or simply lend an ear or advice on our Discord server. - Join Our Movement: Volunteer with us at AMIRSATVAT.COM to support our colleagues in the games industry. Our network has facilitated over 2,100 jobs and 39,000 coaching conversations to date, the largest impact of any games organization on earth, and has been visited by millions of gamers lifetime.

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GTA VI is launching in Fall 2025! (Fall 2025 = 2026? ... Sorry, I’m joking 😂) This franchise is vital to my gaming past. No game has risen like this one over years. I wish R* a smooth launch and success! Take-Two earnings call highlights: • GTA 6 confirmed for Fall 2025 release. • Rockstar confident in Fall 2025 release. • Take-Two confident in GTA 6's success. • GTA 5 has sold 200 million units total. • GTA series has sold 425 million copies. • Expect more GTA Online DLC & events. • GTA Online sales down, GTA+ revenue up. What is your all-time favorite GTA game? Choose your reaction or share your own. My top pick? GTA V. ❤️

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In the Gaming world, Democracy prevails 🎆 Sony's swift response to community feedback on Arrowhead Game Studios's Helldivers 2 is a testament to player power. Cheers to all Helldivers 2 players! When Players' Voices are heard, it's a Victory for All 😄 Here's to a brighter future for Gaming 🎮 For those unfamiliar with the issue, here's an article to keep you updated https://lnkd.in/gqNVQVeh #JBlaze #Helldivers2 #Sony #Democracy #Gaming #ArrowheadGameStudio #PlayerVoices #Gamers #GamingForAll #Crossplay

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12 things that destroy a game voice recording session: 1. Not allocating enough time to casting 2. Not working with a casting director 3. Not sending clear instructions (call sheets) well in advance 4. Not sending scripts & character bios well in advance 5. Not having an experienced voice director 6. Trying to record too many lines in a session 7. Not taking notes / having a note taker during the session 8. Not testing a remote talent's home studio in advance 9. Having too many people on the call / in the session 10. Giving the actor a "read" 11. Having a negative attitude (cast or crew) 12. Not working collaboratively / as a team Avoid these at all costs. Genuinely would love to hear what you would add to this list.

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Hey folks, I'm looking for some interesting game development trivia. Stories that are weird, funny and a bit unknown. Like the coconut.jpg in the Team Fortress 2 game files, which prevents the game from starting if you delete it. Does anyone know similar stories? Let me know, things like these will likely make it into my next book :)

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For Nintendo For making me love games from the moment I first had memories and could write, For saving the video game industry in North America, shining bright, For being my companion through all of life’s strife, Especially when I felt I didn’t fit in and felt lonely in the night. For exceeding the highest imaginable quality, time and again, For over 40 years, setting standards that sustain, For providing game experiences, every person’s delight, That families can enjoy together, a precious sight. For employee treatment that sets the bar high, A standard for all industries, reaching the sky, For caution that protects what we all hold dear, While fostering innovation, breathtaking and clear. For trusting your team over generative AI, Believing in human touch, never passing by, Allow me to present this Nintendo 1P recital, Of everything I've ever played, timelessly vital. Oh, one last thing, Enjoy the recital! https://lnkd.in/e6kC_wvZ PROGRAM (IN ORDER) - 50 MINUTES TOTAL Super Mario Brothers 1 Super Mario World Super Mario 64 Super Mario Bros. Wonder Super Mario Medley The Legend of Zelda Zelda II: The Adventure of Link A Link to the Past The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild The Legend of Zelda Medley Animal Crossing Metroid Medley

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TONIGHT AT 6:30 PM join us for an improvised version of PVP Circuit and help us rebuild our local community brick by brick. I still can't believe I get to work in the video game industry. My 6-year-old would laugh, and then cry once she realized what it means to work in the creative technology sector. That's why IMO everyone could use some levity during these unprecedented times. Join us for a fun evening to raise funds for the Trevor Project. Event link >>> https://lnkd.in/g7tBuP6d Frequently Asked Questions: What if I can't attend the event? - If you can't make it, please consider purchasing a ticket to help us raise money for charity or get one on behalf of someone impacted by layoffs. What if I want to join but can't justify the cost? - If you want to join but find the cost prohibitive, DM me and we'll make it happen (see point above). Do I have to pitch at the event? - No, you don't have to pitch if you prefer to observe. It’s a great way to see how it's done. Will there be another event like this? - We plan to host our community again, but I can't specify if this event will be the focus. #gamesindustry #event #comedy <3

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Hi dear network friends! Just to let you all know that I'm open for new contract work in case that you might get interested. My specialties are: Unity game engine / 3D game assets modeling and texturing in general / quick game prototyping with C# / Assembling and Calibrating environments Lighting, Color and Style (lookdev) + Post Processing calibrations. Here is some samples of my works (Note: all brands, copyrights and property of their respective owners and only displayed for portfolio purpose) : : [Elemdiam] https://lnkd.in/ekKV6Qgi - Currently in development, you can access the demo in Steam : https://lnkd.in/eu_MgtVv - Most of my work so far has been assets modeling and texturing (Blender and Painter) as well as environments assembly and calibrations (Unity), so far I have specially enjoyed Thunder Island (Stormy weather) environmental VFX / and Real-time Skydome (Altos) setup + related calibrations (like fog, wind systems / stormy sea (Crest) and related water systems) - Also responsible for the Terrain Features sculpting (World Creator 3). It has been a really fun project so far and I have high hopes of helping evolve it into a way much better experience. [Starship] https://lnkd.in/eQwQpYjH - Crypto Currently based Game Experience => Assembled and calibrated the full prototype visuals in Unity including: Space Station / Ligthing / VFX / Drone and Ships Animations Scripting and Events Scripting / UI Setup and Cinemachine Setup / Sounds Setup and Triggering Events / Drone Retopology and Material Calibrations / Post Processing Calibrations [Unity Assets] https://lnkd.in/eJmWkU4s - I'm also an Assets Seller at the Unity Assets Store, I've been looking for some time to keep growing my available products but wow, there's always so much work that I have enjoyed helping with around that sadly my priorities have shifted in agreement, however I'm still at it and will definitely add more before the end of the year since it is an important part of the current year resolutions. I've kept working at it just that not at the pace I would like to! 😅 😁 [ Betsoft Gaming - Slot Casino Games ] https://lnkd.in/eWbBFy6M - Responsible for the full environment setup (Unity) including: Unity Terrain / Texturing / Foliage Setup and Modeling (Trees - Palms and Fire Trees) / Ocean Setup / Lighting and Post Processing Calibrations [ AON :: Drag Racing - Prototype ] https://lnkd.in/ejEYd_Mm - Sample of a mobile racing game that I was prototyping : Responsible for everything - I coded the gameplay and calibrated the cars physics + coded sensors for the cars that later tied up to the UI's Steering wheel information displays + Gears Changing mechanism. Also coded and designed the initial startup sequence including the artwork for the UI - I'm specially proud of that gauge's design since I added a customized Shift Light system to it that I also designed and coded myself (Unity's C#)

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Why Spliced Inc. should be on your radar if we aren't already. Especially if you're a Lead or Principal VFX Artist that's already working with or is excited about generative AI. What NOT to expect: Stage after stage after stage, without knowing why you're moving forward. We love giving feedback and we help set you up for success instead of throwing you into the dark. Being kept in the dark about salary or package right until the end. Ever had an interview process to land an offer at the end of it that misses the mark by a mile? That's not how we operate. Here at Spliced Inc. you'll know exactly what the role could look like before you go into finals and that means everything from our benefits, salary, the project itself, onboarding and importantly, how we're going to set you up for success. Limited flexibility that's labelled flexible working. I've heard several stories recently from people who are considering a move due to being sold flex and remote/hybrid options, to be hit with a very different reality. At Spliced Inc, you make the choice. Whether it be fully remote, fully studio based or somewhere in between, it's up to you. You don't even need to tell us. We're hiring for a number of roles at the moment but my main priorities if you got this far (!) are Lead/Principal VFX Artist and Lead Game Designer. I'll post later/tomorrow on that second role but if you're interested in learning more on either position, send me a message. As always - shares appreciated for reach! Liam Howard Jerlyn ChaiGabriele Sanfilippo

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