Kriste Stull

What does game production actually mean??? If you've asked this question or if you're a Game Producer and have ✨ OPINIONS ✨ , highly recommend this read.

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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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Horrible news today about layoffs at Traega Entertainment, with 19 employees being laid off. Game Director Tony Mann shared their details here, if you are in the market for some amazing talent: https://lnkd.in/eJDgas_5 To those affected, please find a comprehensive list of resources, below: 🥇First, Discipline Games Jobs Resources: Over the past weeks I have created 8 (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/eu2bjadW ⚙ 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 🥈 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 #traega

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The great joy of my career is that I get the privilege of talking to Artists at various stages of their careers. While I enjoy speaking to mature and experienced talent, I love speaking with emerging Artists; those at the beginning of their journey. Of late, those conversations have been the equivalent of hand holding and trying to give some sense of comfort. It's no secret that the various creative industries that many are looking to join are in a period of re-evaluating their headcount expectations. TBH I cannot remember a time when creative industries were not in a period of re-evaluating their headcount expectations. Is this the most challenging I have seen? No, it's close, but there have been more challenging times. Here's the deal though - at some point in your career you will look back at these challenging times and think of them as "The good old days". The distance time provides will expose the lessons you are learning now. You may hate feeling the way you may be feeling, but you're building muscle. You're building resilience, and you'll be needing that later in your career. Your career path is not going to get any easier, but you are going to get a lot stronger.

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While the gaming industry continues to grow with new studios opening every day, we also see news of studios closing every day. In January, Microsoft laid off 1900 employees from Activision Blizzard and Xbox. Now we see a process that continues with the closure of Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks, Alpha Dog Studios, and Roundhouse Games studios within Xbox. 😞 It is likely that large corporations see their subsidiaries, which do not generate revenue in the same fiscal year, as a burden while cutting budgets. However, game studios should be seen as companies that have great long-term revenue potential and produce artistic and historical works rather than daily income. 💰 Last week I shared a post about big companies buying smaller studios. ( https://lnkd.in/eCyXhxbM ) While these acquisitions are changing the dynamics of the industry, unfortunately they seem to be killing creativity. While big companies look at the game world as "financial income", they are actually playing with the lives of tens of thousands of people with layoffs. What do you think is causing layoffs and studio closures in the gaming world? What else can happen in the short term? What do you think? #videogames #gamingindustry #layoffs #xbox

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Friends, In an effort to adapt and grow with our ever-changing community, I have realized that we can do better in supporting those struggling to find their place in games. Together with Hailey Rojas and Desirée Rincón, we have refined what is to become our brand new, 16th resource on AmirSatvat.com: Hailey Rojas' #opentonetwork, her amazing passion project. This is different from our community coaching. It is meant to be our lightest touch and easiest access peer-to-peer connection point within the community. There is no expectation of a coaching conversation, but simply that you want to connect with someone and get to know them better on whatever terms you want. As a student herself, Hailey has experienced firsthand how intimidating building connections can be when starting out. This has been a passion project for Hailey, and she has already enrolled hundreds of people. Therefore, if you are currently #OpenToNetwork, I encourage you to join the nearly 400 individuals who are actively looking to strengthen their networks. This will go on AmirSatvat.com under Category 6: Community Voice. https://lnkd.in/dynRXCV9 This is not community coaching. For those formalized programs, please enjoy the four resources under category 2 at amirsatvat.com: https://lnkd.in/dQVT4U4y These resources are not mutually exclusive and I encourage you to explore both #opentonetwork and our community coaching. If you want to sign up, you can do that here: https://lnkd.in/e4X92puw To view the list of people #opentonetwork, please go here: https://lnkd.in/e9AvBNJx In a world where the power of connections is more potent than ever, it is never too late to introduce yourself and share who you are, without fear of being judged. Once again, I would like to thank our community for their constant support as we continue to improve the quality of resources offered. Finally, I would like to offer a huge thanks again, and again, and again, and again to Desirée Rincón, Amir Satvat's Games Community's Head of Design and my dear friend, for another masterpiece - god I love this one and isn't she just crazy talented? Hire this amazing human being please - you can ping her directly on LinkedIn! All the best, Amir

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I am sorry to report that Flaming Fowl Studios (Gloomhaven) laid off over 20 staff yesterday, as reported by GamesIndustry.Biz. I appreciate everybody's reposts to get the word out and so employees there can know of and use our resources. Hopefully we can also get Games Org Support Posts going for them, which have proven to be highly effective in getting affected gamers into new jobs. To those gamers affected at Flaming Fowl Studios, we have a wealth of always-free community homes and resources to help you: 🔗 Please visit AMIRSATVAT.COM, our community's games jobs resources hub with 15 resources that will help you find work. These resources are free and updated regularly. 🔗 Please consider joining our Discord Server, with nearly 1,000 members in just 48 hours of existence, a live extension of our community resources: https://lnkd.in/e2tyvpWv 🔗 Resource 10 is our games org support posts. There you will find a template. If someone on your team can own populating that with information from individuals on your team, with their consent, I will get the finished product edited and out to the community, hitting 100,000 eyeballs. I have done 95 of these, working directly with games teams, and they are highly effective in increasing visibility. To our community: please do your part in making a difference. Some options include: -Spreading the word. Every reshare of this post is appreciated to raise visibility as to these situations. - Offer Support: While you certainly can do it through our community's resources (at amirsatvat.com we present 13 ways you can help), any advice lent, listening ear provided, or other support given is appreciated for those navigating these changes. You can also offer help on our new Discord server. - Join Our Movement: Become part of our network of volunteers at AMIRSATVAT.COM, providing support to our colleagues in the games industry. Together, our collective of over 85,000 people has enabled 1,800+ jobs and 31,000 community coaching conversations, and we're just getting started. More importantly, this network and its content seeks to provide a daily source of encouragement in this tough time.

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100 Games 🎮 With new games coming to Netflix, our members have 100 games…100 experiences…to step into. From shows to games 🔥and we mean that literally with a line up of games based off some of your favorite series! Experiencing our games only takes a Netflix membership. Once you’re in, you get to play to have fun. No pay walls, no microtransactions, no ads. Just a good time on iOS and Android. “But I don’t play mobile games” Give it a try though. Our games are highly curated. We work with amazing developers and have the most talented internal studios bringing games to the world. Check out our list of games and this list of games that are coming! Y’all. We’re getting Tales of the Shire! 😍 What games are you playing? What games have you tried? And what are you looking forward to? Spread the words and lets keep hyping up Netflix Games! LETS GO! https://lnkd.in/gY5-Exrk

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The post-apocalyptic world of Fallout is attracting a new wave of explorers thanks to the recent television adaptation! According to SteamDB data, individual player counts for Fallout: New Vegas, Fallout 4, and Fallout 76 all saw a dramatic rise in the days leading up to the show's premiere on April 11th, with the trend continuing throughout the weekend. 👑 Fallout 4 Leads the Charge: Fallout 4 emerged as the most popular title, reaching a peak of nearly 83,500 concurrent players on April 14th. Fallout 76 followed closely behind with 39,455 players, and New Vegas brought up the rear with a respectable 19,300. Even today, Fallout 4 maintains a healthy player base of around 68,000. 🏆 Fallout 76 Sets a New Record: The surge in Fallout 76 players is particularly noteworthy. Its peak of 39,455 on April 14th marks the highest player count ever recorded for the game on Steam, exceeding its launch numbers in April 2020. 🎮 Classic Fallouts See Renewed Interest: While Fallout 4 and New Vegas haven't quite reached their all-time highs (nearly 473,000 and 51,000 players respectively), they've witnessed a significant uptick in activity. Even the original Fallout and Fallout 2, titles released in the early 1990s, experienced a bump, with player counts exceeding 2,300 and 1,000 respectively. 💊 Fallout Fever Spreads Beyond PC: While concrete numbers are harder to come by for console platforms, particularly Xbox Game Pass, it's safe to assume that the Fallout resurgence extends beyond PC. The television show has clearly reignited interest in this beloved franchise across all platforms. The Fallout franchise is experiencing a renaissance, fuelled by the exciting new television series. Whether you're a seasoned Vault Dweller or a curious newcomer, there's never been a better time to explore the vast and captivating wasteland! (source: https://lnkd.in/eh-HttPS)

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I never thought I would be writing this but... like everyone else at Sumo, I might be at risk of being #LaidOff. We don't know much yet, and there's a chance I won't be affected, but what kind of doomsday prepper would I be if I didn't prepare. Especially when the industry has considerably slowed down. Not that the timing could ever be great for something like this, but it's particularly tricky as there are VERY FEW recruitment jobs in #GameDev. The only silver lining is that I have quite the generalist background and skillset, so please allow me to Sell My Fish™️⬇️ 🔎 Recruitment (In-House, Agency, and Embedded): •Extensive experience sourcing for all core disciplines and operational roles within game development. •Successful recruitment across the UK, Canada, France, Sweden, and the United States. •Proven success in hiring talent from graduates to studio leadership positions. •Represented companies at WASD, Develop Brighton, Unwrap Festival, Digital Dragons, EGX, and numerous university career fairs and student showcases over the past 5 years. •Delivered presentations on "Rethinking Recruitment" at major game dev conferences. 🗃️ Project Management: •Led the development of the entry-levels skills hub detailing 12 junior roles based on the UK Apprenticeship Standard, including designing surveys, analyzing data, and presenting findings. •Managed the UKIE & Into Games Kickstart Scheme, responsible for all aspects of the project, successfully hiring over 130 young people on Universal Credit. •Managed the creation of the largest-ever Recruitment Report in Games, overseeing all aspects except graphic design. 📑 Data Analysis and Reporting: •Wrote internal reports on DEIB insights and best practices, enhancing recruitment processes. •Analysed data from over 600 respondents, contributing 190 hours of input, to create a comprehensive recruitment report. •Designed and analysed two surveys targeting junior employees and senior hiring managers, grouping findings to create the hub. 📢 Marketing & Public Speaking: •Developed and executed the marketing strategy for the Entry-Level Skills Surveys and Hub, and the Hitmarker Recruitment Report •Represented companies at WASD, Develop Brighton, Unwrap Festival, Digital Dragons, EGX, and numerous university career fairs and student showcases over the past 5 years. •Content creation on LinkedIn, staying up-to-date with algorithm updates and best practices. --- So if you are looking for a Sara of all trades, master of inclusive hiring, do reach out, I'm happy to chat about future roles as well! ➡️For links and my CV go to: https://lnkd.in/e2SdSnR4 ➡️ Community, now it's my turn to need help, can I count on you liking, commenting and reposting this? --- 📣 Follow #RethinkRecruitment and ring the 🔔 to read about: ⏩ https://entrylevel.games/ 🌟 Opinions are very much my own™️ #layoffs

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Horrible news this evening with Dawon Entertainment announcing they are closing their studio and Lightforge Games needing to reduce their staff to only a skeleton crew. This must stop, this is so, so painful 😔 To those affected by the closure or layoffs, please find a comprehensive list of resources, below: 🥇First, Discipline Games Jobs Resources: Over the past weeks I have created nine 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/eu2bjadW ⚙ Engineering and Programming This resource lists just over 1,700 jobs worldwide across all links. Link: https://lnkd.in/etPj22BE 🕹 Quality Assurance This resource lists over 440 QA jobs worldwide. Link: https://lnkd.in/dkiEy8da 📑 Game Production This resource lists around 400 jobs worldwide. Link: https://lnkd.in/d9qfQ5tg 📢 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 #dawon #lightforge

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Match3 is not the best game economy. I know some who would say it’s not even economy! Also, digital board games are just video games with terrible UX. Listen to the episode for more on these hot takes from me and the fellas.

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I'm just gonna step out of the way...and let this trailer for Riot Games' & Netflix's Season 2 of Arcane do the talking. Just kidding...I have thoughts: "Final Chapter?!" - Why though? This series is deserving of much more (100% on Rotten Tomatoes, 9/10 on IGN Entertainment)...so hopefully the "chapter" they refer to is this specific arc (maybe the rivalry of Vi and Jinx?). Vi: "My sister is gone." Vi: "JINX!!!" Jinx: "...finally got the name right." They're not slow playing this one, are they? The November timing gives us all plenty of time to rewatch Season One. I could be imagining this, but the art style seems a little less "PTOW!" and a bit more mature. Don't get me wrong, I loved everything about S1 - especially the art (unique amalgam of a variety of comic/manga/game aesthetics)...but as the story gets more intense...and intentional...it would make sense for the art to narrow in a bit as well. We'll see...I don't expect to fully grok that from 91 seconds on YouTube...but I really liked what I saw. My expectations are very high now...and I'm not going to lower them. Setting myself up for disappointment? Maybe...but Fortiche Production has proven themselves...many times. You know those super cool videos from Gorillaz? Yup...those are Fortiche. For those of you worried that you need to be a League of Legends gamer (or even a gamer at all) to understand the story...you don't. I promise. Arcane is top-tier television. I put it up there with Last of Us and Fallout, in the game adaptation category. Alright...NOW i'll get out of the way and let the trailer do the talking. Enjoy!

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🚨 In 2024, the game industry has witnessed over 10,800 layoffs, surpassing previous years' numbers. Amir Satvat's data reveals the challenges in finding jobs, with the probability of landing a role at around 4%. New applicants face even lower odds. The industry sees intense competition with over 205,000 unique job seekers, an average of 508 applications per job. Despite these challenges, efforts are underway to support job seekers and foster resilience and adaptation in the industry. https://lnkd.in/eAnmbqya Read more in the article 👇

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Arrowhead Game Studios Helldivers II keeps getting better, and it's only the beginning. How they are doing it, and how you can too. The PvE co-op shooter continues to be a massive success with high and consistent player numbers with content such as: ➤ New major orders ➤ Weapons ➤ Stratagems ➤ Warbonds All working in conjunction to form a live service game with ongoing incentives to keep playing without ever being predatory, generating FOMO, with an excellent community to back it. How they did it: 🎮 Continuous Improvement: "Helldivers 2" constantly evolves with updates, enhancing every aspect of the game. 🎮 Narrative-driven Live Service: The game utilizes major orders to engage players in a dynamic narrative, shaping the game world collectively, something I would go so far as to say innovative. 🎮 Strong Gameplay Hooks: Major orders serve as global objectives, tying into the game's story and introducing new gameplay elements like mechs and weapons. 🎮 Inclusive Participation: Players are motivated to participate in major orders not out of fear of missing out, but because they want to contribute to the evolving story. 🎮 Balanced Gameplay and Community Dynamics: The game fosters cooperative play with diverse loadouts and roles, creating a vibrant and engaging experience for players. Happy players = a healthy and profitable game. Thank you Robert Wynne for the clip.

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The International Game Developers Association (IGDA) "called for action" from game development company leaders to stop layoffs. In light of the recent wave of layoffs affecting over 8,700 game developers, it is crucial for studio leaders in the game industry to implement sustainable measures within their organizations to avoid unnecessary layoffs. To address these concerns and prevent talent loss to other industries, IGDA suggested a plan that includes such Key Actions for Studios: Maintain Long and Short-Term Forecasts: Studio leaders should maintain comprehensive forecasts for their companies and the industry, recognizing that periods of growth are often followed by stagnation or decline. Minimize Headcount Reductions: Drastically reducing headcount for short-term financial gain can be detrimental to team morale and incur costs in retraining and rebuilding teams later on. Spread Risk Across Multiple Projects: Maintaining multiple projects in various stages of development reduces risk and headcount fluctuations, providing opportunities to utilize talent effectively. Transparent Communication and Support: Open communication with the team, addressing well-being and job security concerns, and supporting diversity initiatives are essential for talent retention. Departing Employee Support: Adequate support for departing employees is crucial for maintaining a positive work culture and retaining talent for future endeavors. By prioritizing sustainability and empathy, the game industry can overcome current obstacles and thrive in a more stable and supportive landscape. https://lnkd.in/e-RwPnHp

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Shocked to wake up to one of the largest layoff announcements this year. Take-Two Interactive announced it is cutting "5% of its workforce" and "several projects in development", which would mean around 550-600 employees would be affected. We don't know which studios of T2 are affected, so this could be detrimental to some of the studios... [Reposting this as I was asked to remove the logos of T2's studios] To those impacted by these layoffs, 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 1,200 jobs worldwide across all links. Link: https://lnkd.in/eu2bjadW ⚙ 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/etPj22BE 🕹 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 480 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, 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 #taketwo

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VFX Recruiters... How often is ATS software leaned on in your experience? Creatively, I'd like to to go with a resume/CV that has more visual impact. However, with the current volume of applicants cold posting I imagine ATS is acting as a primary sweep. There's only so much recruiters can get through. Your input is greatly appreciated.

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