Errol S.

The Sumo Group closures really have broken me a bit, and I need to rant about the state of things. I'm sorry if it seems I'm glossing over all the closures before this one, but so many ex-students went there, so many ex-colleagues passed through there, and so my timeline is just filled with people looking for work. We keep talking and talking about the economic factors involved, Brexit and Covid and this and that ... the thing I can't stop thinking of is that in my life I've watched the world slowly pitch into a place of despondent capitalism. Art has become more about making stars and fame than helping people escape and reflect. A drive for "truth" and objectivity has resulted, paradoxically, in people putting more stock in spreadsheets and numbers than people. I can't help but feel that if you're bleating about finance and trade deals and business decisions, you're ignoring the fact that general support for artistic and creative endeavours has declined sharply and is still declining, even in the so-called "art world". Games are ultimately always going to be the first to fall in a culture war against creativity, because games are ultimately and profoundly pointless things. That's the whole majesty of the medium: they make us feel profound feelings, they help us explore our existence by being separate from reality, but to do so they MUST bring us nothing tangible in return. The truth is that our industry will probably bounce back to some degree, but it's not any financial structures or cost systems that will save game development as a medium and an art form - it's a cultural shift to recognise the importance of expressive and explorative subjective art in the world today, and the need to support creative endeavours without the pressure of financial recompense.

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Back from seeing a lot of great people at Develop Brighton, which was busy enough to distract me from doing the usual daily recaps. Let's continue, shall we? Today on GamesIndustry.biz... (Thursday, July 11th 2024) 1. Your must read is Chris' opinion piece on yesterday's Xbox Game Pass price hike announcement, exploring how the move reflects the need for profitability, the strength of Xbox's first-party line-up, and how determined Microsoft is to make Game Pass work https://lnkd.in/e5-rqs5R 2. In the news, Shift Up - the South Korean developer behind Stellar Blade - raised $320m with its IPO, which was the largest for a games company from that nation since 2021 https://lnkd.in/eUQzGTNf 3. Splash Damage is the latest studio to face layoffs, with the studio telling us a "small number of roles" will potentially be made redundant following a review of the business. These are said to be mostly operational roles, with development largely unaffected https://lnkd.in/ejA-f6Ri 4. GAME has reportedly dropped yet another part of its offering. After ditching pre-owned, its loyalty scheme, and Xbox All Access, the retailer will now apparently stop taking in-store pre-orders from August 1. The reason? According to staff, it's because the tills have to cope with too much so parent company Frasers Group is making it so GAME stores (or rather concessions) can only sell and refund products https://lnkd.in/ehMY4sg3 5. Tencent is shutting down free-to-play shooter Synced after just one year of it being available to play https://lnkd.in/e4r3C-kP 6. And Embracer has secured a new €600m ($652m) revolving credit facility with a two-year tenor, replacing the existing €420m ($456m) one, due in May 2025 https://lnkd.in/eGNwZC3g There's more news over at www.gamesindustry.biz and make sure you're signed up to the GI Daily to get it all delivered to your inbox: https://lnkd.in/eAkx_zen

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I don’t normally post my music video work on here, quite niche and not sure how many of you are into extreme heavy metal! 😂 However, I’m quite proud of this latest video I made before I start my new job at Dovetail Games next week. Entirely CG. Mountains and terrains were made in Houdini using heightfields and shaders. Oceans made with niagara fluids. Blizzard and pyro with niagara particles. Additional pyro and wind gusts in Houdini Flipbooks. Additional assets with Megascans. Brought together and colour graded in Unreal Engine. Transitions and additional VFX in DaVinci Resolve

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This all comes down to WHO will do more for the area for me, and Ben has consistently delivered. As a citizen of Teesside I benefit greatly from every initiative he's encouraged, but most of all the the airport! It'll be good to find a way to increase traffic. Some thoughts on what a marketing strike team could focus on: 1. Marketing and Promotion: Obviously tarrgeted marketing campaigns to raise awareness of the airport and its offerings would be extremely beneficial, like highlighting convenient flight schedules, competitive prices, and any special deals or promotions. 2. Partnerships with airlines to expand flight options and improve connectivity would go a long way. They could also collaborate with tourism agencies, hotels, and local businesses to create travel packages that include flights from the airport. This could also include Specialized Services for different clientele: Offering specialized services or niche markets that cater to specific demographics or industries will better target users. This could include charter flights, air taxi services, or packages tailored to business travelers or adventure seekers. What if there was a backpacking agency inside the airport offering work abroad, or multi week treks? 🤔 Maybe something like Trailfinders 3. Regional Integration: Their needs to be a conscious effort to improve transportation links to and from the airport, such as road and rail connections,along with better roads and signage. Enhancing accessibility can only make the airport more appealing to travelers from the area.

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Calling all budding Trainee VFX Junior Compositors. Get your reels ready! Two roles up for grabs; https://lnkd.in/ekyYkSzM. Top tips below; Hiring teams at Aardman are busy and compassionate people who love to match individuals with amazing career opportunities. We receive many, many applications, and frequently see basic mistakes that prevent candidates moving to the next stage. Here are some top tips that we hope will help you stand out from the crowd! 1/ Give yourself plenty of time to put together your application. 2/ Read, read, and read again the job description. What is the studio looking for and how well do your skills match the role? 3/ Make sure you tailor your application to the specific studio you are contacting and include any required key skills/level of experience/software knowledge and personal specifications. 4/ Keep all your contact details/reel information and passwords together in one place – your CV! 5/ Always include a covering letter. This gives you the opportunity to support your application and make it personal to you. Include one or two brief paragraphs about yourself and include what you do to support your creativity and passion for animation. 6/ Do your research about the company, people, projects, and policies. Dig deep and find something unique to mention in your covering letter. This shows interest and attention to detail. 7/Many roles require you to have a portfolio and/or reel. Make sure it is well-put together to highlight only your very best work that captures the viewer in the first 10 seconds, and demonstrates your skills, level of experience and personal style. 8/ For CG/VFX specific roles, make sure you include shot breakdowns. Detail your artistry and credit studio production names, “baking” text into a horizontal banner in each shot/sequence. For students who have collaborated on a group graduation film make sure you include your specific shots to showcase your individual skill. 9/ Test your reel link – make sure it works! If it is password protected remember to share the details and include it in all correspondence. 10/Don’t submit your application at the last minute or too near to the closing date as recruiting teams may interview as they go. Good Luck!

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🤯 So this happened? I WAS NOT ready to see my name along those brilliant people! I've been shortlisted for Diversity Star at the Develop:Brighton Star Awards! And I don't even know where to start??? ➡️ The industry has broken my heart more times than I can count in the past 6 months (year really), and I would be lying if I said this hasn't affected my mental health. Recruiters & Talent Acquisition are in the front line when it comes to layoffs and hiring. We hear people's stories, we connect, and then we have to inform them of decisions we have no power over. It hasn't been a fun job lately. ⚓ What has been giving me strength is all the little things I do to make this industry a tiny bit less gatekept to groups that have been HISTORICALLY under recognised. I live by Desmond Tutu quotes, (especially considering the state of the world atm) and this is the one that underlines all of my work: ✨Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.✨ ✍️This is why I write content even if no one sees it 👥 This is why I worked my heart out during the kickstart scheme 📝This is why I put together a report reviewing hiring practices in game dev 🛠️This is why I created the Entry Level Skills Hub 🌍This is why I founded Bird's Eye View ➡️ I don't do it for the awards, but this one got me crying today. So if I may ask you for just one more thing, please check out the nominees and cast your vote! You have until the 31st of May. THANK YOU! Ps.: You must be registered to attend Develop Brighton this year, or have attended in the past 3 years to vote. Find a link on your inbox. For more information: https://lnkd.in/eyuqQjGM --- 📣 Follow #RethinkRecruitment and ring the 🔔 to read about: 📙 #GameDev Recruitment Best Practices 🔎 #JobHunting, #CareerAdvice & #RecruiterTips 👁️ Bird's Eye View & the #ELSH ⏩ https://entrylevel.games/ 🌟 Opinions are very much my own™️

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Last day of April and last day of Stress Awareness Month. 🗓️ LinkedIn's algorithm has been weird lately (I'm sure you've noticed) so here's an article I shared earlier this month that you might have missed. If you feel stressed you may find some useful advice. 🧡 https://lnkd.in/eJnD_Deb #stressawerenessmonth #stress #gamesindustry

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Another day, another job application, and another prewritten email saying they won’t be going forward with my application. It’s not nice out there in the audio world for games right now - lots of competition. That’s good though, it means I have to sharpen my pencil a bit more As I’ve said before, don’t take these emails as a knock, take them as feedback itself. Use these automated responses to look at your own work, your portfolio. Reflect and repair, learn and adapt. Don’t sulk and sink Ask friends, colleagues for help. Another set of eyes and ears can be helpful

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Happy Friday everyone! I hope everyone's had a good week, I didn't even jet off to L.A and Summer Game Fest was still quite busy, and June is only going to get crazier. My two Substack pieces for the month will be arriving in the next two weeks, so I hope you check those out when they're up. It's also officially Toronto Games Week! I'll be going to as many of the events as I can, so say hi and let me know if you'll be around too. For now, let's get into today's round-up. 1. So Summer Game Fest happened, as most of you probably heard. Check out all the big announcements and our coverage on it from PSU at this link here. My highlight of the show was Astro Bot, and being right about what articles to prep for the show. https://lnkd.in/gPtvVCEJ 2. One of the biggest games during SGF 2024 was Star Wars: Outlaws, which I got to check out ahead of the Ubisoft Forward. I didn't get to go hands-on, but I got an extended look at some gameplay, and came away cautiously optimistic. https://lnkd.in/g4_RJeSA 3. The cost for a 1 minute trailer at Summer Game Fest went public, and it made for a lot of discourse. This is actually the story I've kept thinking about the most - what are your thoughts? Is 250K for 1 min a reasonable ask?https://lnkd.in/g7TzkGTR 4. More layoffs unfortunately, as Sumo Digital cuts 15% of its workforce and shuts down Vancouver-based Timbre Games. https://lnkd.in/gTsxzZ_3 5. Finally, Elden Ring surpassed 25 million players just ahead of the coming DLC launch. https://lnkd.in/grzBK7we Speaking of the DLC, if you're looking to play it day one then you'll want to check out the guides I've written/will be writing when it launches. Here's one that goes in-depth on how to complete the necessary steps to accessing the DLC when it launches: https://lnkd.in/gnNZ2uJV And here's another, shorter guide going through the top 5 things to do to be prepared: https://lnkd.in/gxjxrPHN Hope you all have a restorative and relaxing weekend! Until next time!

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🌈🎮 It's disappointing to see hate and intolerance cropping up in spaces that celebrate diversity and inclusivity. I was made aware of some negative comments from posts about our Queer Indies Showcase - an event that celebrated LGBTQIA+ indie game developers and the amazing work they do. I have witnessed a spike of hateful comments saying things like "you have been exposed, prepare" and "Nobody wants to play games with gay people in it.” (First of all--WHO SAYS THESE KINDS OF THINGS?) We have so much further to go when it comes to embracing acceptance and diversity. These hate wave incidents aren't isolated; they're part of a bigger problem and often tied to extremist ideologies. Sure, Twitter/X is a trash fire. Yet, we all know these kinds of opinions and hateful statements don’t stop on Twitter. They linger in people’s minds and often sway opinions of those lacking strong media literacy and critical thinking skills. These words find their way into our culture be it at home, school, workplaces, etc. These thoughts are then validated and perpetuated in social media echo chambers and closed circles where a sense of belonging is derived from a shared hatred of “others.” Suddenly these thoughts become deeply held beliefs intensified through strong feelings and attachment to one’s identity. Once that identity is established--well, good luck changing minds then. In the midst of this rise in hate and negativity, we must remain committed to celebrating diversity while vocalizing expectations of our communities and establishing strong boundaries of what is acceptable behavior. Let me be clear about where I stand: inclusivity does not mean we have to put up with hate. Absolutely not. In fact, inclusivity relies on a culture of accountability and creating a space where everyone can thrive without fear of discrimination or harmful attacks. This inherently excludes hate. More specifically, the exclusion of intolerance and hate is about sending a clear message that certain behaviors are unacceptable and have consequences. I’m human. I have emotions and react to things like anyone else. When I confront hate and intolerance, I’ll be 100% transparent with you: I tend to default to a sassy/spicy/GTFO reaction. However, I’m a firm believer that kindness is key, and we must focus on what we wish to bring about in this world. So, let’s create spaces of love and kindness where hate doesn't stand a chance. 🤝💬 But let’s also firmly snuff the flame of hate as soon as we see it. How do we do that? Here’s a start: https://lnkd.in/gsU_qc6h #GamesIndustry #GameDev #Diversity #Equity #Inclusion #Belongingness

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Day 2 of Develop:Brighton! 😁 Come say hello if you see me! Maybe I'll even let you have a go on the fan.....! 😬 #developbrighton #opportunity #gamingindustry #gamejobs #gaming #artist #haptic #recruitment #gamingcommunity #gamedevelopment #gamedev #brighton #events #venues #developbrighton2024

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You asked for it! 😂 Keeping up with my Job Hunt™️, a LinkedIn Original Series. Job Hunter's Journal Week 2 🧡 ➡️ Motto: What now? This week we had to get creative. 𝑨𝒔 𝒊𝒕 𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒔 𝒐𝒖𝒕, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒓𝒖𝒏 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒋𝒐𝒃𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒍𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓. Normally this tends to happen around week 3-5, however, the games industry is going through one of the most challenging times yet (IMO because we didn't plan our workforces carefully and conservatively the past 3 years, but no point crying over spilt milk). Being pragmatic about this, I can essentially do two things: 🟣Start fully applying for jobs outside of Games, which entails: •Figuring out which industries I feel connected to and/or would be good at. •Mapping them to understand who are the main players and main products. •Remake my job hunting documents to show my full skillset plus transferrable knowledge. •Connect with heads of people, heads of recruitment and influential people in those industries. •Apply like there's no tomorrow. 🟠Brainstorm how I can add value to people, and monetise my skillset while passively job hunting, which looks like: •Connecting with and having initial chats with different game recruitment agencies. •Writing down a few blurbs about myself (a short paragraph selling the candidate's USP) to assist those agencies. •Looking inward to assess my skill set, and past experiences, to try to come up with solutions within recruitment to common problems. •Conceptualising a product (by product, I mean something that adds value and has a monetary value, it can be a workshop, a strategic review, a consultation...) I feel confident and comfortable delivering/selling. •Making a beautiful deck for it using Canva. •Business Develop my way around town. I'm not ready to job hunt outside #GameDev just yet. So I've taken the second route. --- 🚨 While I was writing this post, I realised that many candidates aren't aware of the number of game-focused recruitment agencies out there. So, perhaps this post can serve as an introduction! ➡️ If you are a Games Recruitment Agency, raise your hand (🙋🏼) in the comment section and introduce yourself. ➡️ If you are a job hunter interested in working with agencies, comment 🆘 below (feel free to write your blurb and Sell Your Fish™️)! ➡️ If you are neither, feel free to tag, comment, repost, or do anything that helps with reach ❤️. --- 📣 Follow #RethinkRecruitment and ring the 🔔 to stay updated! ⏩ https://entrylevel.games/ 🌟 Opinions are very much my own™️ #Layoffs #Redundancies #JobHunting

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Topic headers for tomorrow's session include: - One weird trick to avoid ATS rejections & AI screening - Actually that's illegal - Fonts, graphics, arts and crafts, bribes, obsession - Why you're getting ghosted

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Following a busy day of "ask me anything about getting into VFX and post production", our founder Debra Coleman (PCC) shares her top-tips and useful resources in this post. #vfx #postproduction #careercoaching

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Rishi Sunak’s plan to cut "Mickey Mouse" degrees has me thinking about how many of those degrees he deems worthless may be in fields crucial to video game development - like art, animation, and writing. One of the things that makes working in games such a rewarding career is the blend of creativity, innovation, and technical skills required to make the best games. Reducing support for these creative subjects could slow down the growth of the industry in the UK – even more so when considering the proposal to raise the salary threshold for a Skilled Worker visa to £38,700. The video game industry's success in the UK shows how tech and creativity work so well together. Let's keep that balance strong. #gamedevelopment #gamedev  #creativeindustries #videogamedevelopment

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Happy Monday everyone! Hope you all had a relaxing and restorative weekend. Here's your news round-up to kick off the week. 1. Unfortunately starting with more layoffs, the entire UK-based QA team for Apex Legends was reportedly laid off, with EA shutting the UK branch down unexpectedly. Managers were expecting to see contracts renewed in a few weeks time, and now there's another 40 people scrambling to find work in a crowded market. Hopefully all those impacted can land on their feet soon. https://lnkd.in/g9JvyVTF 2. Rockstar has quietly raised the prices on its GTA+ subscription service, a service that really only applies to you if you're a huge, and I mean HUGE GTA Online person. I'm curious, if you are that person, do you feel the service is worth it? Would you pay more for it than the price hike that's already happened? I suspect Rockstar will raise prices again, this time a little closer to a certain big release. https://lnkd.in/gTSGCXwb 3. The BAFTA's were last week, and you can check out all the winners here. Personally, I'm just ecstatic that Toronto-based dev Visai Games took home the award for Best Debut Game for "Venba," a very well deserved win. https://lnkd.in/g3zFPjTg 4. The IGDA is calling out studio leaders to "prioritize sustainable efforts to prevent layoffs," and studio leaders should listen. https://lnkd.in/g-hmNKVD 5. Lastly, a repost from Friday but just incase you missed it, Prytania Media shutdown another of its studios, closing Possibility Space and laying off the entire staff. It definitely wasn't a clean break, and it looks like Jeff and Annie Strain (husband and wife co-founders of Prytania) have a lot to answer for, while they try to put the blame on everything but themselves. https://lnkd.in/gHpYy-d8 That's all for now, I have quite a few articles brewing that I think you'll want to read, so keep your eyes peeled for those. In the meantime, hope everyone has a good Monday, and let me know what games industry happenings have you talking. Until next time!

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The games industry needs serious reform in terms of accessibility and leadership. People who previously moved for a job, that's now laid them off, are unlikely to move for another job that could just do the same thing again. Remote working carried us through the pandemic, extended the hiring pool for talent and opened a huge window for disabled devs to work from home. There's no reason that companies who can afford WFH should withhold it from being an option for staff. People don't want to work for companies lead by those who don't value their time, don't listen to feedback and don't have any passion for the games they're making. The companies that are going to excel and be successful are the ones who take teamwork seriously, take action on feedback and prioritise staffs growth and wellbeing. There's so many developers struggling to find a job because companies are insistent that their role has to be done from the office or from a hybrid schedule. There's so many horror stories from game companies because they have treated their staff like garbage and have in some cases caused devs to leave the industry for good. Change is needed for us to get back on our feet and it starts with calling out a flawed system.

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If you're worried you missed anything during today's Xbox showcase, here's a roundup of all the biggest news

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TUESDAY EVENING 2.4.1 UPDATE - A lot of progress made tonight after work, I had so many ideas in my head for areas that are now really coming to life and creating the flow I want to see. CAERNARVON CASTLE LEVEL WEEKEND BUILD 2.4 - Another good progress push in the weekend build department. Really made progress on the Kings gate area and the multilevel interior and surrounding area. I also started crafting a new Parkour system in Blueprints and code. Still a lot of work ahead but I enjoy seeing the progress of every step. #Leveldesign #Gamedesign #Levelblockout #UnrealEngine

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