Fiona Cherbak

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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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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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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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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At the heart of EVERYWHERE is ARCADIA! ARCADIA is our building tools, self-publishing system, and library of assets and community-made content. Check the basics of building in ARCADIA out in the video below! #gamedev #UGC #gamedevjobs

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The future of #gaming will be defined by studios that can deliver on the powerful trifecta of seamless performance, persistent progression and deep personalization. https://lnkd.in/gkgEvkSJ

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Listen, I'm no prude or pearl clutcher but this is such an important topic. 1) You have team members that don't drink for a number of reasons and making booze your only form of team bonding or celebration leaves them out or forces them into uncomfortable positions. The opposite of the assumed goal. 2) Gaming as an industry in particular has rampant sexual harassment and abuse. Involvement of alcohol does not help. This isn't fear mongering - I know of, have seen, or experienced several incidents. 3) You don't have to go totally dry 100% of the time to be safe and inclusive, but you do need to factor in safety measures. It wouldn't hurt to stop making booze the primary activity as well. If you need a selfish reason, the liability alone isn't worth it.

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So sorry to hear about layoffs at Modern Wolf, with 6 staff members being affected. The news broke last night, with my former CA colleague George Willard posting the news, as well as providing information about those also laid off to support re-hiring as quickly as possible. You can find that here: https://lnkd.in/eEXWSgNQ 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 #modernwolf

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At Consensus in Austin this past week I was both excited and disappointed. Let me explain my experience 👇 In this space to build something truly special you have to believe in something. Something that you can explain to someone like they are 5 yrs old. I didn't see a ton of this but there were a few. I heard a lot of pitches that were uninspiring full of buzzwords but there were some that I knew were the real deal within the first 2 minutes. Many will throw out big numbers or talk a big game but when you go through due diligence they fall flat. Many are pushing the space forward but there's a lot of noise, the space is fragmented with seemingly a million chains, protocols, and dApps that nobody asked for. There is a massive explosion right now, the space is on the upswing and people are excited as they should be. Don't get it twisted though, there's only going to be so many winners in the end and there will be a big contraction. It happens with every tech cycle. So how do you do win? The tech has to be really good At least 2x to 3x better ideally Your story has to be better. Do something different! You need someone that can explain the narrative to get the attention you need consistently and that really understands your audience. Leveraging trusted KOL's in the space also helps. The team needs to be able to execute You can only sustain on hype for so long, If you don't ship others will and you'll lose your window. Remove friction so both mainstream users and crypto natives alike can participate ideally. There's only so many crypto natives to go around, we are still very early but removing friction is key to surviving in a bear and thriving in a bull. You need money and incentives to do it all. Having the right network of investors and having the right monetization strategies makes a big difference. Do what you love with people that you like We've been fortunate at Ex Populus and being a core contributor at Xai Games to work with people that we actually enjoy being around. Here's some rockstar people that I met recently that are worth checking out, some of which we're building with and others that are just doing great things in the space: Max Kaufman ⚡️Nick Greenawalt Franco De Cesare Matt L. Nick Frontera Michael Israel Atif Khan Sam Barberie Chase Allred Vincent Ferretti David S. Maxim S. Rimas Jonušauskas Rodri Fernández Touza Nicole Maffeo Danny Soifer dan burke + a few others If I missed you in Austin or are working on something I should know about feel free to drop me a line! Keep your eyes peeled for exciting partnerships announcements in the near future 😉

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I am, myself, devastated to learn today, as reported by IGN and many others, that Microsoft is closing Arkane Studios Austin, Alpha Dog Games | Bethesda, and タンゴゲームワークス（Tango Gameworks）. Roundhouse Games is joining ZeniMax Online Studios. I try to get as precise in all of these situations as possible so I encourage you to read the specific language, as reported by IGN, from Matt Booty below: https://lnkd.in/eYqQUrTw If you were in fact affected by these cuts, I am so sorry and, our community has three resource "homes" built to help you: HOME 1 - 🔗 AMIRSATVAT.COM: Our hub offering 15 resources to help you find work, including 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. HOME 2 - 🔗 Please visit discord.gg/amirsatvat to join our Discord, a live extension of our community resources. With over 2,500 members, we are in an open-join phase. HOME 3 - 🔗 LinkedIn: Our community here includes nearly 86,000 members, with 1-3 daily posts offering support and career assistance in the games industry. To our broader community, your involvement makes a difference. Here’s how you can help: - Spread the word: Reshares and comments on this post amplify the visibility of these resources. - Offer support: Utilize the 13 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 1,800 jobs and 31,000 coaching conversations to date and has been visited by over 100,000 gamers lifetime. We're committed to providing daily encouragement and support during these challenging times. We will never stop fighting for you!

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🌟 Unlocking Leadership Wisdom from NVIDIA’s Jensen Huang: Curious about the secrets behind leading a tech giant? Dive into the transformative insights that can revolutionize your approach to leadership and innovation. 💼 Longevity: He has been the CEO of NVIDIA for 31 years, making him the longest-serving CEO in the tech industry. His leadership has been pivotal in NVIDIA's growth and innovation. 🌟 Career: From his early days waiting tables at Denny’s to founding NVIDIA in 1993, Jensen's path is marked by determination and a relentless pursuit of excellence. 📈 Growth: NVIDIA's market cap has skyrocketed over 200x since 2011, demonstrating the company’s significant impact on the tech industry. 💡 Insights: • Financial Payments as Code: İdea of viewing financial payments as a coding challenge rather than just a financial one. • Software-Defined Financial Services: Likened the concept to software-defined networking, emphasizing the future potential in this area. 🔍 Innovation: • AI and Machine Learning: Highlighted advancements in AI and machine learning, stressing their importance in driving future technologies. • Graphics and Gaming: Their role in revolutionizing the gaming industry with cutting-edge graphics technology. 🌐 Ecosystem: Recognized the incredible platform they have built and its contribution to the global economy. 🗣 Leadership: • Team: Cultivating a resilient and innovative team. Emphasized the importance of hiring individuals who are passionate and align with the company's vision. • Culture: Encouraging a culture of continuous innovation, and the importance of giving teams the freedom to experiment and take risks. • Strategy: Significance of making strategic decisions that align with long-term goals, even if they are challenging in the short term. • Change: Pointed out that adaptability is crucial in leadership. He shared how he navigated NVIDIA through various industry shifts and technological changes. • Growth: İmportance of mentorship, both giving and receiving, to foster personal and professional growth within the organization. • Well-being: Maintaining a healthy work-life balance for employees, ensuring they are motivated and productive. • Avoiding 1-on-1 Meetings: Believes information should be shared openly and transparently with the entire team to avoid any miscommunication. • Learning from Mistakes: are valuable learning opportunities. Jensen encourages his team to view failures as part of the innovation process and to learn from them. • Open Information Sharing: with everyone in the organization. He stressed that transparency and open communication are key to a cohesive and informed team. 🏆 Personal Reflections: • Family Ties: Jensen’s relation to the current CEO of AMD, Lisa Su, showcasing a unique family connection within the tech industry. • Inspirational Journey: Jensen's story from his humble beginnings to leading a tech giant serves as an inspiration to many aspiring leaders. Worth a watch!

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I like sharing the good news about the video game industry (because I know many people have been burned by working through it). Although, as a whole, the industry is expected to continue growing year after year. What do you think this means? The concept of diversity becomes the inevitable truth. Growth encompasses variety and innovation, bringing a richer palette of stories and experiences. This transformation is driven by a new wave of creators who are not just making games but also crafting cultural bridges. A fantastic example is the upcoming game 'Rooster', which celebrates Asian heritage in a deeply authentic way. The team behind Rooster has a shared vision of representing this culture through fun and accessible gameplay experiences, which aligns beautifully with broader industry trends toward inclusivity and representation. It seems like they love what they do to boot! If there was a clear path to surviving the video game market while also enriching the social impact of gaming, IMO, it would be to get behind and champion these vital initiatives. #diversity #equity #inclusivity #asianheritage #rooster

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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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As someone who was one of the first on the creator program rocket ship and loved Jellysmack like it was my own company, I think that Amanda Perelli and the rest of the team at Business Insider absolutely nailed the reporting here. While I think some of the quotes from the former employees at the company can be hard to hear, there is a lot of truth to what was being said. While I will always promote the work we did, it was hard to watch the company plow into lines of business that didn’t make sense for the core mission of finding ways to help unlock passive revenue with little to no work for the creators. For all founders in the Creator economy: spend less on billboards, parties, and bad hires and double down on tech, resources, and building long term trust with your creators. It will ultimately save your company and reputation. #jellysmack #creatoreconomy #creatorprogram #businessinsider

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With recent mass layoffs in the games and tech industry, there's been a lot of discussion around how corporations prioritize stockholders over employees. This article sheds light on how we got here and what can be done to rebalance corporate decision-making to consider all stakeholder needs, not just the stock market. #foodforthought

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Lots of people changing jobs or on the hunt at the minute. Some useful tips to be mindful of from Amanda here. Even though you'll understandably be focused on landing the new role as smoothly as possible, these aren't unreasonable expectations at all and much easier to tackle up front than to deal with after the fact.

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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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