Jake Lucky

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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Happy Wednesday all, or at least it would be if not for yesterday's news. Let's get into the round-up, then. 1. Microsoft shutdown four studios, including BAFTA-award winning Tango Gameworks who recently released "Hi-Fi Rush" and Arkane Austin. The loss of these studios is huge, make no mistake. I've not written on it yet as it was my news partner-in-crime who grabbed it for PSU but I've plenty of thoughts brewing, and you might see something from me soon. https://lnkd.in/gGy7MzyG 2. I covered a couple of the events regarding the Helldivers 2 PSN account linking controversy, but then I thought it would be worth putting everything together in one, clear explainer piece of what happened and what's still going on - so I did! https://lnkd.in/gMdJcfT8 3. More news regarding poor decisions made by games industry executives, Activision reportedly rejected a pitch from Vicarious Visions prior to merging the team entirely into Blizzard for a Tony Hawks Pro Skater 3+4 Remake. Activision instead wanted VV to focus efforts on supporting Call Of Duty & Diablo, which I don't think I can find to be anything less than depressing. Not because I'm a huge THPS fan, but because I find it so short-sighted to go from publishing a diverse string of games to only publishing a few behemoths that have shown they have chips in their 'forever-game' armour. Perhaps I've got more to say on this as well. https://lnkd.in/gYGPFiWH 4. This one's for me, because I've put 1000+ hours into Apex Legends, and the now current season is once again changing the game forever. I've had peaks and valleys with Apex over my time with it, and I'm glad that Respawn is continually trying to keep things fresh with these last two seasons of large, sweeping changes and new modes. https://lnkd.in/g9w5xBhj 5. Lastly, Ubisoft's guitar-learning game turned subscription service Rocksmith+ will arrive on PS5 and Steam in June. I was a big Guitar Hero/Rock Band-head back in the day, and Rocksmith played a key role in my journey to start playing guitar. I'm not sure I'll jump in right away, but I'm glad to see it finally make a console debut, I think tools like Rocksmith+ are great and easy ways to get people into playing and making music. https://lnkd.in/geUTveUd That's all for now, though I do want to leave you with a question to DM me about or answer in the comments: who do you think won the rap beef between Kendrick Lamar and Drake? I see a clear winner, and I want to know if LinkedIn is on the ball when it comes to these big issues. Until next time!

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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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Here’s a clip from Episode 1 of our new series “Wolves Den”! Are you a #gamedev that wants the opportunity to pitch your game to some legends like Ice T and Cliff Blieszinski, and get funded? Round 2 submissions are due next week!! #gaming #unitydev #madewithunity #wolvesden #gaming

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BREAKING: Amazon boosts Microsoft player count with Game-to-TV synergy. Xbox Game Pass typically leads game trends, but Fallout TV is the star this week. The Fallout TV hit has boosted Fallout 4 Xbox players by over 200%. No wonder Fallout TV Series officially renewed for season 2 on Prime Video. 🔥 +𝟯𝟱% (Src: Newzoo, 35 games analyzed) The average Monthly Active Users (MAU) rises after games go TV/Movie. • 3 months pre-announcement: 1.05M MAU • Announcement month: 1.15M MAU (+10%) • Release month: 1.42M MAU (+35%) PROVEN: Games-to-TV drives franchise-wide engagement. I've played every game in the series—Fallout 3, New Vegas, and 4—and I’ve just finished the Fallout TV show. What can I say... Obviously, I’m biased. The best part? Those peppy 1950s soundtracks set the tone for the action. What’s your fav TV adaptation of a game ❓ Choose your reaction or share your own stories. My top pick? The Last of Us. 👏

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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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Local game development communities – Each of us are in the best place to help people impacted with layoffs and studio closures. We are not psuedo journalists, armchair analysts, or disconnected, dispassionate spectators. We are the boots-on-the-ground, fellow professionals who have worked side by side & built relationships with these people over years & across studios. Right now we have an opportunity to step up, reach out, and care for people. We can ask, "Are you OK?", and "For real, though?" We can buy them a drink, listen to them, be a meat proxy to be yelled at. We can make introductions, connections, investements. Please please please – Reach out to one person in your life who could be hurting, or knows someone who is. We can each make a difference in a single life. (And then we can do it again and again and again.)

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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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🎮 Unity's Q1 Report: Restructuring completed, revenue dips 📉Unity's first-quarter report for 2024 paints a mixed picture. The company wrapped up its business restructuring, but overall revenue dipped 8% year-over-year to $460 million. 📈 There were some bright spots. Unity's Create Solutions, focused on subscriptions and partnerships with game developers, saw a 17% revenue increase to $133 million. This suggests continued growth in the core engine business. 📉 However, Unity's Grow Solutions, handling advertising, experienced a 4% revenue decline to $294 million. 📉Unity reported a net loss of $291 million, though a significant portion reflects restructuring costs. Excluding these, the net loss sits at $141 million, which is an improvement compared to the previous year. 👀 Looking ahead: Unity acknowledges recent controversies and restructuring as impacting revenue. As the company moves forward, it will be interesting to see how they navigate these challenges and capitalize on the growth potential in their core Create Solutions segment. (source: https://lnkd.in/eGnJt-S5)

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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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I read today, at gamesindustry.biz, IGN, and other outlets, that there was a 15% cut at Sumo Digital Ltd. Gamesindustry.biz, and others, report the numbers affected at "nearly 250." Multiple games outlets also report a shutdown of Timbre Games. https://lnkd.in/ea_YtBGQ https://lnkd.in/eU-Bjt3A. Our community stands ready to offer support in any way we can and my heart is with all of you. If your role was affected by this news, please make use of the support available across our three platforms. Specifically, I recommend checking out the Games Org Support Posts in Home 1. These resources are highly effective, with ample data to back their success. Home 1 - 🔗 AMIRSATVAT.COM: Our main hub provides 15 resources to assist you in finding work, featuring a fully updated design. - 🔗 Games Org Support Posts: Find a template at AMIRSATVAT.COM (Category 4, Resource 10). If you can provide information from your team (with their consent), I’ll help edit and disseminate the final product, reaching 100,000+ people. These posts are highly effective in increasing visibility, and we've done 98 of them. Home 2 - 🔗 Discord: Join us at discord.gg/amirsatvat, our live extension of community resources. With nearly 3,800 members, we are currently in an open-join phase. Home 3 - 🔗 LinkedIn: Our community here includes over 89,000 members, with 1-3 daily posts offering support and career assistance in the games industry. How the Broader Community Can Help: - Spread the Word: Reshares and comments on this post amplify the visibility of these resources. - Offer Support: Utilize the 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 2,000 jobs and 37,000 coaching conversations to date, the largest impact of any games organization on earth, and has been visited by millions of gamers lifetime.

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The social strategy for Azra Games 🔜 Consensus Austin is simple… Build excitement & community for their brand new action-RPG by consistently showcasing the games development via short form videos on YouTube Shorts. 📈6 month results📈 🎥 Video Views: 396,862 (+9.9K% vs previous 6 months) 🌟 Engagement: 12,581 (+5.1K% vs previous 6 months) 👍 Likes: 11,418 (+9.4K% vs previous 6 months) 💬 Comments: 519 (+674% vs previous 6 months) 📤 Shares: 644 (+1K% vs previous 6 months)

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Today on GamesIndustry.biz... (Tuesday, May 14th 2024) 1. The big news today is new leadership at PlayStation. Herman Hulst and Hideaki Nishino will jointly take over from Jim Ryan, with Hulst heading up Studios and Nishino handling the platform side of things https://lnkd.in/gAE545Ks 1b. The news was announced alongside Sony's full-year results, which saw decent growth for PlayStation and another 20.8m PS5s ship, but the platform holder continued to warn of expected declines in the year ahead https://lnkd.in/gukujHsJ 2. We've two new studio interviews today. First, Brendan spoke to Jake Solomon about Midsummer Studios and why he and his fellow former XCom devs are making a modern life sim https://lnkd.in/euJf6XDK 2b. Meanwhile, Marie spoke Emma Delage about Studio Camelia, its Kickstarter campaign for debut title Alzara, and how the studio plans to bring back the golden age of JRPGs https://lnkd.in/evt4p25R 3. The GamesIndustry.biz Best Places To Work Awards UK 2024 are now... open! Find out how to enter, and how we've improved the judging process, here: https://lnkd.in/enmnY8C6 4. After telling investors yesterday it planned to streamline its US and European operations, Square Enix is reportedly laying off an unknown number of staff in those territories https://lnkd.in/efcmKGJu 5. Epic Games has been fined €1.1m by the Netherlands for breaking EU consumer law and utilising "unfair commercial practices" against kids playing Fortnire. Epic has made changes, but said it will appeal the decision https://lnkd.in/eesT36nK 5b. In other legal news, two lawsuits against Nintendo regarding Joy-con drift have been dismissed https://lnkd.in/eUQRcbaB 6. Xbox released its latest transparency report, saying that players issued 27.44m reports against abuse and toxic behaviour in the second half of 2023. 10.31m enforcements were issued https://lnkd.in/e-6B-cxF 7. GameStop shares have spiked against after meme stock poster 'Roaring Kitty' returned to social media https://lnkd.in/eiiQCsHN There's more at GamesIndustry.biz, and (just in case I've never mentioned it) you can sign up to the GI Daily here: https://lnkd.in/eAkx_zen

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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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Hi everybody, I'm very sorry to have heard that Traega Entertainment had to downsize most of its staff today, as reported in a post by its Game Director Tony Mann. https://lnkd.in/edhWamQ5 To those 19 gamers affected at Traega: 🔗 Please visit AMIRSATVAT.COM, our community's games jobs resources hub with 14 resources that will help you find work. These resources are free and updated regularly. 🔗 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 94 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. - 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 84,000 people has enabled 1,700+ jobs and 29,000 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. Thanks for stepping up for our friends at Traega, as outlined below: Character Art: Mike Waver Daniel Gallagher Concept: Dan Carpenter Environment Art: Andrew Baker Cutlar Nordyke Animation: Derek Zivolich Tech: William Harvey Brian Gordon Design: Ken Eland Alexander Loughran UI: Michael Scala Engineering: David Ollman Simon Barker Benjamin Miles Kirk Sexton Production: Karrah Yanta Business Operations: Mike Dixon QA: Chad Finley Troy Way

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The Red Dead IP turns 20 years old. Development for Red Dead Revolver began in 2000 as a collaboration between Capcom and Angel Studios, previously known for their Nintendo 64 port of Resident Evil 2. The game initially focused on a SWAT team concept, but the setting soon shifted to the Wild West, a largely untapped genre at the time. Rockstar Games would go on to acquire the rights and tasking Rockstar San Diego, the successor to Angel Studios after its acquisition by Take-Two Interactive, with completing it. Despite having only nine months to rework the game, Rockstar San Diego transformed it into a more traditional Western experience. Red Dead Revolver's success set the stage for the Red Dead series, leading to the development of the critically acclaimed Red Dead Redemption in 2010. The sales figures of the Red Dead IP: ➤ Red Dead Revolver Lifetime sales: 920,000 units ➤ Red Dead Redemption Lifetime sales: Over 15 million copies ➤ Red Dead Redemption 2 Lifetime sales: Over 61 million copies Red Dead Revolver holds a significant place in gaming history, serving as the foundation for one of the industry's most successful franchises.

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It's TONIGHT! 6:30 pm at the Northeastern University, we'll host our PVP Entertainment Guild Hilarious Improv Pitching Night! The video game industry is facing challenging times and the layoffs across the board are devastating, but our mission of sharing knowledge and empowering the community stands strong. That's why we decided to put a spin on it and host a fun evening to raise funds for the Trevor Project where anyone can pitch a game project generated on the spot. That's it, no preparation necessary, no NDAs, and no pressure! Only laughs! Get tickets at our event page: https://lnkd.in/g7tBuP6d Frequently Asked Questions: What if I've been recently laid off and/or can't buy tickets? - DM me! We've got Industry Support tickets for those who want to join, but cannot afford them. 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. Do I have to pitch at the event? - No! You can come to just watch and learn, but we bet you'll have a lot of fun if you decide to pitch! #gamesindustry #event #comedy

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