Jamie Keen

Interesting report from VG Insights giving some hard numbers on the extra opportunity for building and growing game IPs through other types of media, be they TV, movies, books and more. Too often, game companies are only looking at the direct business opportunities of transmedia projects to determine whether they want to engage into it or not, but the real opportunity is indirect, it is through the engagement of new and existing players, and extra sales of existing games, even with very little is done on older titles. We've seen this on The Witcher, on The Last of Us, now on Fallout, and many more.

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🚨15 MINUTES🚨 on the main stage! Talking about the state of toxicity in games and how to combat it! come, come! Reboot Develop

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Game Industry Ecosystem ♻️ Yesterday, during dinner with three remarkable individuals from the Swedish game industry in Stockholm, we sparked a discussion about the current challenges in game industry education. We talked about how there are currently too many educational programs, and that many game industry teachers end up getting jobs themselves instead of helping students secure employment, leaving their teaching roles. Additionally, we highlighted the significant gap in the ecosystem—soon, we'll have an influx of newly graduated students who lack the necessary experience to be fully prepared and responsible candidates for companies. This is where organizations like Spelkollektivet and initiatives similar to game jams, summer game camps play a crucial role. They function like boot camps, where students can acquire practical skills necessary to become game developers, regardless of the category. I believe we will soon need more places like Spelkollektivet, where students can learn teamwork, hone their skills, and work on several actual projects. These experiences will help them build real portfolios and sharpen their raw talents. Moreover, such environments enable students to form valuable relationships, potentially leading to the creation of their own companies/startups/consult and freelance. Here are some suggested solutions to help solve this issue: 1. Enhanced internships and apprenticeships 2. Project-based learning 3. Industry-driven curriculum 4. Boot camps and workshops 5. Portfolio development 6. Networking opportunities 7. Career services 8. Soft skills training 9. Continuous learning 10. Entrepreneurial support #gameindustrysweden #gameindustry #gamedev #gameindustryeducation #gameindustrycommunity #futuregames

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For me, the policy summit at the Nordic Game Conference was a call to action. It is time for games to be fully recognised as a cultural medium in their own right with high innovation and economic potential. The European game industry needs better public support structures and funding instruments to unlock sustainable digital growth. Sweden, a country with one of the biggest and most quickly growing game industries in Europe, is a perfect location to discuss policies to support the European game industry. One of the Swedish game industry's best-kept secrets is its exceptional local cluster organisations and game incubators, which are among the best in Europe. Their success is evident in the fact that Sweden, with its 900 game developer studios — more than four times the number of studios in Finland, for instance — has the largest studio base in the EU. The success of Swedish clusters and incubators is supported by world-class professional game education infrastructure. Sweden does not only have studios. It also has successful studios that run a significant turnover and employ a wast amount of industry experts. Overall, the Swedish game industry employs almost 8 500 industry talents and runs a combined local turnover of more than EUR 3 billion. With its 5 000 industry experts, Stockholm is one of the key game industry hubs in Europe. Furthermore, with over 2 500 industry experts, Copenhagen and Malmö form a rare cross-border talent hub. Local cluster organisations are crucial in supporting local game studios with knowledge and networks. Unfortunately, the Swedish industry lacks national cultural production support and R&D innovation funding instruments to boost the industry to the next level, creating a significant challenge for the long-term sustainability of the industry's growth. Most likely, Finns will once again have a head start in exploring the possibilities of the next technological disruption with their highly successful R&D instruments. With their cultural support instruments, Danes will likely be among the forerunners pushing the boundaries of games as an artistic medium. Sweden is likely to maintain its leading position in the global race if it is able to ensure both the continuation of support for local cluster organisations and the introduction of dedicated national public support instruments for its local game industry. Thank you Erik Robertson for making this happen.

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Engaging with your community in between conferences is just as crucial as the event itself! Maintaining that connection after the conference can sometimes be challenging, but it is essential for the lasting success of your events. So how do we ensure that the connection remains intact even during the non-conference period? We at NBX keep our community on their toes by continuously surprising them with tweaks and new ideas for upcoming events. The goal is to spark curiosity and anticipation for what will come next. Furthermore, we value networking and inclusivity immensely. We design our conferences and telegram channels in such a way that conversations and networking become inevitable. It's almost impossible not to engage, and this has been creating a unique bond within our community. We also have a dedicated community for NBX women, known as women in Web3. Our aim is to ensure that every single member of our community feels valued, heard, and involved. 🙌 Remember, when your next conference rolls around, your loyal community members are the ones who will be there first in line to support you. They are the reason for repetitive success. 💪 Building a community isn't easy, but it's worth the effort.

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Last time I talked about all the issues in the way of developing game narrative talent. Today, I want to talk about what we can do about it. The first hurdle is maybe the biggest one: getting studios to recognize the need. Over my career I have seen it again and again - narrative folks are expected to be finished products when they walk in the door, something that is rarely expected of devotees of other disciplines. This is an unfortunate outgrowth of the misconception that narrative is easy, and as such it is hard to root out. But every narrative professional in gaming owes it to themselves, their professional peers and the ones who will follow in our tracks to preach the gospel of professional development to our employers. It needs to be made clear that there are aspects to the job you simply don't pick up in school or writing novels or screenplays or student projects or whatever, and that each studio has its own narrative needs, tools and approaches. When I came into the industry from tabletop RPGs, I was kindly given a learning cushion by my boss, Brian Upton, that let me get up to speed, but that's rare. Hires tend to happen to put out fires these days, but that's short term thinking. So yes, let us go forth to tell our producers, our studio heads, and more that narrative workers need to have professional training, preferably from senior folks in the discipline who understand how the sausage gets made. There need to be clear milestones, timetables, goals, and avenues of support to help people improve at their tasks, and thus become (surprise!) better, more productive employees. Hand in hand with that is setting clear career paths for people following the narrative track. Giving people something to aspire to and a clearly marked path to reach that goal is HR 101 for motivating people. Offering multiple paths to suit their desires and expertise - some folks are better at technical aspects, some at managing, some at hammering out words - is even better. But too often there's no understanding of what the various levels of expertise in the field are, and so there are no clear signposts and no formal role assignments. People who can't see where they're going inevitably bail, looking for greener and clearer pastures. Now, senior narrative devs, don't think I have forgotten about you. We all bear a responsibility to the craft we work in. While many of us are largely self-taught, there has always been a spirit in the narrative community of reaching out and mentoring. People I considered my idols reached down and did it for me when I got started, and I've worked my entire career to turn around and do it for other folks as well. Don't hoard your knowledge. Reach out to juniors and students. Have those conversations at GDC that turn on lightbulbs for people finding their way. And if you can formally share your work - in a blog, in a book, in a conference lecture, whatever - do so. It'll make it better for all of us in the end.

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Horrible news to hear about KeokeN Interactive having laid off their entire team today. In a statement published on X, CEO Koen Deetman and managing director Paul Deetman said the Netherlands-based studio was forced into the decision after exhausting all possible options for completing planned projects or taking on other work. To those affected, please find a comprehensive list of resources, below: 🥇First, 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 1,000 jobs worldwide across all links. Link: https://lnkd.in/eKAHK7VF ⚙ Engineering and Programming This resource lists just over 1,800 jobs worldwide across all links. It also talks about interview tips and questions to practice. Link: https://lnkd.in/eYdxANFM 🕹 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/dwwVjZuc 📑 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/gxDvFM-Z 📢 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 440 jobs worldwide. https://lnkd.in/dCv_hQXv 🥈 Second, 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/ 🥉 Third, 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 #keokeninteractive (source: https://lnkd.in/eWK2PgvX)

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Troubling news from last night, with Fragbite having filed for bankruptcy for its internal development studio Fall Damage. The Swedish development team had been working on Alara Prime, a free-to-play four-vs-four shooter that was aiming to release this year. However, the studio struggled to sign a publisher for the game. To those impacted, please find a comprehensive list of resources, below: 🥇First, 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 1,300 jobs worldwide across all links. Link: https://lnkd.in/eXgEEUAA ⚙ Engineering and Programming This resource lists just over 2,100 jobs worldwide across all links. Link: https://lnkd.in/eAufG7q4 🕹 Quality Assurance This resource lists over 440 QA jobs worldwide. Link: https://lnkd.in/e6YwwJeS 📑 Game Production This resource lists around 360 jobs worldwide. Link: https://lnkd.in/eE8QgeDq 📢 Marketing & Community This resource lists around 380 jobs worldwide. Link: https://lnkd.in/dc-PVb3h 🎶 Audio and Sound Design This resource lists around 180 jobs worldwide. Link: https://lnkd.in/dU8t6Esq 📠 Studio Support, HR, Recruitment and BizDev This resource lists around 300 jobs worldwide. Link: https://lnkd.in/dMdWv4xN ⚙ IT This resource lists around 100 jobs worldwide. Link: https://lnkd.in/df7d-KkR 🎮 Game Design This resource lists around 600 jobs worldwide. Link: https://lnkd.in/d2kKaw95 🥈 Second, 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/ 🥉 Third, If you have worked in publishing, please message me. I am looking for quite a few roles right now! ⬅ 🎖 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 #falldamage

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So here at LKHE we make games for gamers, and we support our devs fully. We are also about teaching and innovation, and will be opensourcing our games eventually, as well as the behind the scenes. This also means we don’t hide our code in a vault. It insures you guys get to bring your cool ideas to life, and it makes sure we’re always ready to take that extra step further into innovation. I noticed a lot of people are looking for this, and there isnt really a source out there that shows you how to do it. SOOOOoooo here it is (a Sin City Filter) for UE5. You can also use this for any post process, and bring an object, or character out and separate it from the post processing! Give us that Like and subscribe on the channel, and stay tuned. Out Pitch Demo is almost done for Project Kianna, and we'll be pumping out content via Discord, Facebook, LinkdIn, Twitter, Instagram, Tiktok and have our own fully operational Website! Once were up on social media, we will be releasing the official "Prototype: Kianna" which is the free (player built demo) where your input matters on how we proceed with our game! it will have 6 upgrades, based on player input, and will slowly uncover the origin story of Kianna. but for now, check it out my dudes https://lnkd.in/gPSUfjkh

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What a year it's been for Gaimin Gladiators! We've made a gladiatorial return to the competitive Counter-Strike scene! With the addition of a Danish squad formerly known as ECSTATIC, our ranks are now bolstered with considerable firepower. After all, who doesn't appreciate Danish CS, right?!?! Having secured multiple titles across various platforms, we are solidifying our presence in the industry and setting a precedent for the Esports World Cup. After extensive negotiations involving lawyers and agencies, I'm delighted to announce that we've successfully acquired the top 17 world ranking team according to HLTV. The recent signings, who previously competed under the ECSTATIC banner, made their mark at the PGL Major Copenhagen 2024, securing positions between 12th and 14th. Despite their youth, they've demonstrated their capability to contend at the highest level of CS play. With the likes and experience of coach Peter "casle" Toftbo Ardenskjold" guiding these young talents, their journey promises exciting development. Counter-Strike is a pivotal title in the esports landscape. Yes, it's fiercely competitive, and yes, there are inherent risks. However, as an organization, we believe the timing is opportune. Investing in CS allows us to maximize our resources in one of the premier titles in esports. AND We are ecstatic to be here :) I'd also like to extend my appreciation to our partners who have been with us since day one, supporting us throughout this journey as Gladiators! Gaimin Winline BNB Chain Innovation CoinMarketCap 开云体育Kaiyun Sports

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Today I had the pleasure of joining Arctic Game for Henrik Jonsson's workshop on How the Games Industry Really Work 😊 I'm finding nowadays it's always a great idea to take some breaks from production and be around good voices from the gaming industry, and Henrik is certainly one of those ✨️ Here are some takeaways: - "It's cool" is never a good enough incentive alone for motivating new ideas, instead speak in terms of how additions will "enhance the game" 🪄 - "Sitting together leads to clarity". Although it's tempting to feel that isolation can lead to better focus, spending time together in feature teams means no major misunderstandings can happen💃🕺 - "Release a lot" as "repetition makes us good". A solid reminder that any additional feature could always wait for a future game. A proven track record is safer than giving into the feature creep demon 😈 - When giving feedback, no matter the issue, remember to "express with kindness". Negative emotions should never be escalated and have no place in a team 😇 - Learning "how to prototype fast" can be the biggest key to success, as "proving is better than promising" 🏃‍♂️💨 - "You should be prepared to still release games without a publisher." An especially relevant point in the current climate and a key reminder that you should always be steering your game towards the finish line 🏁 Thanks again to Andreas Waleij 🔜 Gamescom Latam & Arctic Game for hosting the talk and everyone else who attended for the fantastic conversations 🙌 #gamesindustry #arcticgame #entrepreneurship

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After a long stretch of R&D work and making a lot of cool new things we’re back and on the game release trail once again adding new twists to genre’s, creating new worlds and adventures for players to go on. Making games isn’t easy, it’s a lot of fun but not always easy. As I always try to say, making a bad game is hard, making a good game, well that’s just really hard and a lot of the time and effort – sometimes it can just be a really hard lift. Sometimes you just have to spend some time making, breaking stuff and taking some risks to find out what works, what doesn’t quite work and what is so simple it just works really well. These days it’s not good enough to have snappy core gameplay loops or an original art style, you constantly have to think about the whole experience, beginning to end - and as I like to make it as friction less as possible. A lack of friction always wins out. You might love your game idea, it may play amazing but how is it testing, what insights is the feedback and data showing you? Is it pushing 65%+ retention on day 1, is it really finding its feet with a 45%+ retention on day 7? Is the iAP conversion at 10%? Does it have a good social hook? Can I play against my friends? Can I blast my way up the high score leaderboard? These and a dozen more questions must always be considered and consumed. Most are applicable to mobile but more and more commonly these factors are becoming crucial to help tune games on all platforms. But remember, data isn’t the be all and end all, there’s lots of great games that just felt right - but now you can use data to make it better, kill it or stick it on a shelf until you can work out a better way forward. Play something fun today.

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💡 ERROR LOG #13: Feedback is essential - part 1 out of 2. I focus here on the creative side of it and the next one will be focused around performance. I believe all of you can agree with this statement, right? It also sounds simple as hell. I’m sure you’ve read tons of articles about it and heard so many stories regarding it. Cool, so here is my take on it :D. Fun fact is that it sounded obvious to me 20 years ago and today I believe it’s exactly opposite. Giving or getting feedback is complex and it is an art. It’s very tough and it requires a lot of courage to be able to deal with it sometimes. Long story short 20 years ago I thought I knew and I was wrong. I failed so many times by not being mature enough to get feedback that you have no idea. Of course there is a second side of this coin, sometimes I was getting feedback in a very unprofessional way. What is really important is to have a common understanding in a team that feedback is essential, it’s a crucial part of the process, not an extra tool, it’s a foundation in healthy teams. The more trust you have in your team the better it is to take it, but it’s worth remembering that feedback is one of the tools to build trust, so it requires an open mind to take it and skill to provide it. The most common mistake is that people give feedback in a very judgemental way which sounds pretty negative and believe me, in the current world it’s really easy to have an opinion on every subject. If you criticise what you see and on top of that you can’t build up your statement properly your feedback most probably won’t work. It can by it won’t be taken fully with a proper understanding and engagement and you don’t want that, trust me. If you give feedback starting from your need and feeling it is a completely different story from the get go. What do I mean by that? We deliver experiences in games, movies but also softwares. We build expectations with almost every action. It means that anything you do in collaborative work has a common denominator, always. Let’s use an example from the game industry. You have a team that builds a feature, all disciplines are involved you can imagine. There is always a context (at least should be) behind each feature. Ask yourself these questions: ❓ What is the fantasy behind it? ❓ What do you want a Player to feel? ❓ How do you want to motivate a Player to use it? These questions are not only referring to the core of it, these questions are common for all disciplines and everyone can ask them, starting from peers and ending on director level. This is a natural way for aligning people between all disciplines and ranks and as you see, these are questions and not judgemental statements. This difference is a key. 📘 "Radical Candor" by Kim Scott is a really great book I recommend regarding the art of giving/getting feedback. Don't hesitate to comment and share your thoughts please. Stay tuned for more ⚔ 🐻

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I am glad I finally had the chance to have a proper digital meeting with Vic Bassey today and hear so many fascinating things about his work and background in the game industry. Surprisingly, we never met before, considering we are both originally African, live in Sweden/Swedish citizens and have attended the same recent game events. Based on our meeting results, I am thrilled to contribute to the North African game industry coverage, using the advantage of my multilingual skills and culture. Starting with interviews, reports, and following trends, and game events to boost the game industry recognition on our home continent. Founded in 2019, Game Industry Africa (GIA) is the primary source of news, reports, and profiles on the African games industry scene. GIA highlights developers across the continent, provides a platform for current and future generations of developers, and collates statistics and data on the African gaming space. It also serves as a proving ground for aspiring industry reporters. GIA is a passionate labour of love launched by Vic Bassey and supported by some of the brightest minds in the global gaming community. If you have news or want to contribute, or if you're an aspiring games industry reporter looking to develop a portfolio, reach out to https://lnkd.in/drA5_ysC #gameindustryafrica #gia #gameindustrynorthafrica #gamedev #gameindustry #gameindustryafricacommunity #gameindustrydiversity #gameindustrypr #gameindustryinclusion

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Insightful article from GamesIndustry.Biz, in a world where every medium, Video Games, Film, TV/Streaming, Social Media and more are vying for our attention, any advantage that can be leveraged should be explores. The ability to actively share experiences with friends by playing together is significant advantage that other mediums cannot replicate so easily, so pushing the ability to play together regardless of which platform you are on can only be a positive Also a very valid point from Kristian Segerstrale about looking at the wider picture when it comes to the growth of the industry, especially with the ever increasing news stories of layoffs https://lnkd.in/eHu97m6Y

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As we gear up for another election cycle, I’m reaching out to all of you who’ve been part of our journey. Remember when we got so many gamers registered in the past elections? Yeah that was awesome and guess what? It’s time to do it again, and I need your help. A lot has changed since 2020. Many of our younger community members, who were just 16 back then, are now eligible to vote. This is our chance to make a a massive impact. Let's show the power of our gaming community! 🎮 Why Your Org's Involvement Matters: Young Voters Need The How... It might be their first time! A significant number of new voters are joining the ranks. Imagine the impact we can have if we mobilize them! Engagement is crucial... and there's power in numbers and our partners collective voices. Many young voters don’t identify directly with a party. They’re looking for guidance and inspiration to participate in the voting process. About two-thirds of voters aged 18-24 are ready to make their voices heard. Even among older age groups, engagement remains vital. Every vote counts! Every voice matters. We’ve always stayed above the partisan fray, focusing on the bigger picture – getting everyone involved. This is a pivotal moment. Your experience, your voice, and your passion can make a real difference. 🔗 How You Can Help: Reach Out. Let’s chat about how you can contribute this cycle. Spread the Word!!! Use your platforms to share our mission and engage with younger voters. Get Involved with us please! Want to make a difference in your spare time? Volunteer with our partner organizations and help with our outreach efforts. Let’s make sure every gamer’s voice is heard. Together, we can turn out a massive voter turnout. Let’s make this election count! We are finalizing some of our next steps for select major dates of action so if we haven't spoken yet, let's connect. 🗳️💪 Reach out to myself, Steven Lipscomb or Vinayak Rao and lets get moving. Fall will be here before we can believe it... New folks, learn more here at our website: www.gamers.vote. 🙏 #GamersVote #GetOutTheVote #Election2024 #YouthVote #Nonpartisan

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🤔 Fascinating inquiry and a critical discussion point for our industry! 🤔 We seek statistical data on female founders in the video game industry, as this highlights a significant gap in our current understanding and tracking of diversity within our field. It's startling to dive deep and notice the disparities in funding and leadership roles as detailed in Tina Merry's post... And we keep running into a wall finding few answers to our questions! If you have insights or resources that could aid in better understanding this issue, please share them. It’s time to start tracking and making meaningful changes based on solid data. Taaa~ #diversity #equity #inclusivity #gamesindustry

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