Josh Andersen

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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Such a sad situation for Arkane Studios Austin. No team deserves to be shutdown like this. I played a lot of Redfall and enjoyed it. This isn't all corporate greed and stock prices; we as fans have a role in this as well. I'm not saying that we shouldn't critique or call out unkept promises during development. Far too often when we criticize, we lose the human element behind these large projects. Those at Arkane, Bethesda Game Studios, タンゴゲームワークス（Tango Gameworks）, this is not your fault. This situation does not define you or your talents. Move forward when you are ready, and let's help you find your new home. We are stronger together! https://lnkd.in/gjyF6F6t - Unknown Worlds https://sds.com/careers - Striking Distance https://lnkd.in/gmjKux5M - KRAFTON and PUBG #myplesha #gamedevjobs #KRAFTON #gamesindustry #hiring

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Dave the Diver is getting a Godzilla DLC, and it is free!! This new DLC will see Dave come face-to-face with the might Godzilla himself, though in keeping with the true spirit of Godzilla you won’t be fighting the big lizard so much as helping it overcome one of its adversaries, Ebirah, Horror of the Deep, from the 1966 live-action movie of the same name. Players will need to pilot the G-Force submarine to take Ebirah on, and work alongside Godzilla to protect the planet from the mighty crustacean’s threat. You can claim this DLC right now from the below digital console and PC storefronts, and you’ll need to do so before November 23rd, 2024, because it’s only available until then. After that point it will seemingly either become a paid DLC or completely unavailable, so make sure you scoop it up: 💾 PlayStation Store: https://lnkd.in/eHPjPi4C 💾 Steam: https://lnkd.in/eFGy6_Y5 💾 Nintendo Switch eShop: https://lnkd.in/ehr7r3zH

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Another stack of resources and layoff support compiled by the incredible Mayank Grover! If you need support or have some to offer, connect and boost that vis so every ship can benefit from the tide. 🙌🌊🙌 #gamedev #games #layoff #support #job #resources #mentors

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Amazing list of practical game design principles from Warren Spector, one of our industry's great. Appreciate how he frames some of the magic we feel playing his games. Can't wait to play his next one! Wonderful peek into Warren's design mind. His Deus Ex is stuff of legends. While I'll argue that there are operable definitions of fun (humbly suggest The 4 Keys to Fun ;) I agree wholeheartedly that a team needs more than a single word "make it Fun" to guide the design. In fact that's kind of the whole point. In our extensive player research players favorite games support multiples of their favorite play styles. From a Psychology perspective it's vital for an exceptional game to offer players new playstyles. The exploration of novelty, cause and effect relationships, and especially new kinds of strategy to get to a goal are vital to what human beings (and all mammals) call play. Definitely worth a read! Here's a list of company values for Warren's company Other Side also worth a look https://lnkd.in/gpq-qusR

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👶 Game producers = great parents… ? 🎮 Problem-Solving: Working with different partners/audiences with varying comm methods. 💬 Empathy/Sympathy: Seeing the world through other viewpoints. Interpreting signals! 🧘‍♂️ Stress Management: Resilience in the face of constant pivots & uncertainty… Are you a creating clarity or chaos when having to clean 💩? 📅 Organization: Scheduling routines and adjusting when your plan goes south. Have a mitigation? That helps! Game production = solid parenting prep! 🌟👾🍼 #parenting #chaos💩 #empathy

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Paradox Interactive announced today that Double Eleven, the developer behind Prison Architect 2, will be stepping away from the project after nine years with the Prison Architect franchise. Good news first, construction on Prison Architect 2 isn't being halted! Co-development studio Kokku, who's been working on the game since 2023 and previously collaborated with Double Eleven, will take the lead in bringing the sequel to completion. The news comes with a hint of complication. While Prison Architect 2 passed certification, negotiations between Paradox and Double Eleven for continued development reached an impasse. Technical hurdles, particularly with memory usage and minimum specifications, emerged during final testing. Paradox, likely wary of past performance issues (think Cities: Skylines 2), emphasizes their commitment to delivering a high-quality sequel that honors the Prison Architect legacy. Kokku, a Brazilian studio with a history of co-development and outsourcing on major titles like Horizon Forbidden West and Call of Duty: Black Ops: Cold War, is now at the helm to ensure Prison Architect 2's smooth launch. The Prison Architect series, which began in 2015 with the original simulation/management game, is still on track for a 2024 release with Prison Architect 2. While the development team has shifted, fans can rest assured that work on this highly anticipated sequel continues. (source: https://lnkd.in/dWtBvDhN)

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12 things that destroy a game voice recording session: 1. Not allocating enough time to casting 2. Not working with a casting director 3. Not sending clear instructions (call sheets) well in advance 4. Not sending scripts & character bios well in advance 5. Not having an experienced voice director 6. Trying to record too many lines in a session 7. Not taking notes / having a note taker during the session 8. Not testing a remote talent's home studio in advance 9. Having too many people on the call / in the session 10. Giving the actor a "read" 11. Having a negative attitude (cast or crew) 12. Not working collaboratively / as a team Avoid these at all costs. Genuinely would love to hear what you would add to this list.

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Welcome to Game Testing Services! Link : https://lnkd.in/gYTG8Fsq Before Placing an Order: Please reach out to me beforehand to prevent any misunderstandings or cancellations. Thank you. Services Offered: I provide game testing services for platforms including Steam, Epic Games, Itch.io, and PS4. What I'll Test: User Experience Performance Guidance/Plot Mechanics Interaction Environment Suggestions for Improvement: I offer insights and suggestions for improving: User Interface Mechanics Interaction Environment Let's Elevate Your Game Together! Testing Type: I specialize in: Beta Testing Bug Discovery Gameplay Loop Analysis Load Testing Usability Testing Narrative Feedback Audio & Sound Review Platform: I test games for both Playstation and PC. Specialization: I work with a range of games, including: Indie Games AAA Games Single Player Games Game Stage: I'm available for testing at all stages, including Beta, Alpha, and Early Access. Format: You'll receive a comprehensive written summary. #GameTesting #BetaTesting #QAEngineer #GameFeedback #GameAnalysis #BugHunter #IndieGameTester #AAAGameTester #PlaystationTester #PCTester #UserExperienceTesting #GamePerformance #GameMechanics #UsabilityTesting #NarrativeFeedback

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How we solve problems for clients as a voice production company. Game devs don't come to us because they need voices for their game. They come to us seeking solutions to problems. Usually problems they have faced on previous projects with other audio / voice production suppliers. 1. Lack of resources in house - The most common pain point we help solve for our clients is their lack of internal resources and time. They want to protect their team's focus and time so that they can work on the most meaningful and important tasks to them. — 2. Communication - Another common issue we hear from clients & prospects is that when they have worked with bigger agencies / studios / suppliers - it can often result in communication frustrations. It's not quick and easy for them to get a hold of the specific people they need. Often having to go through a few levels of Production Managers to get assets or answers. — 3. Diversity in talent casting - "We're hearing the same voices in a lot of games" "We want to make sure we're being more diverse with our casting this time" Two things I hear all the time from prospective clients. The problem: the traditional way of voice producing a game was to hire a studio in London or perhaps L.A and have that studio cast and record the actors. Trouble is - the studio is relaying on booking out that studio time to increase revenues which means they can only work with actors local to them. The solution: Focus on going to where the actors are. Multi Location Voice Production. — 4. Getting the best people - A real frustration for our prospects when working with bigger vendors / suppliers is the people they get assigned to their project. Our clients and prospects always want the A team. The vendor's best people. However, they often get the junior or temp Producer looking after them with the big suppliers. They want the best team with a personal touch. Alright that’s it. Hope it was useful :) #GameDialogue #VoiceCasting #VoiceProduction

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I interviewed our Casting Director and this was the clear takeaway... Voice Actors often ask me "how can I break into video games work." I thought this advise was brilliant 👇 - Actors who are also active gamers seem to get cast in games a lot! - However, Casting Directors aren't specifically looking for this - These actors tend to have a great understanding of the material - They instinctively know how a line or an effort should be performed - They have an enthusiasm & passion for the work - They are often easier to direct and are familiar with the language I am by no means suggesting an actor has to be a gamer to be a voice actor in games! But, if this is an area of the industry an actor wants to get into... Consider getting into the industry via this area... Do those last two lines make sense? I was trying to be clever! #VoiceActing #GameAudio #Develop2024

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🎮Monthly External Game Dev Pulse🎮 May’s game dev pulse survey is now open! https://lnkd.in/g5u25bmM If you are an external development professional within video games, please take 5-10 minutes to complete this short survey.  This pulse closes on Friday, June 14, 2024 @ 5pm PST. I release these pulse’s on a monthly basis, and as a thank you I share the key data and insights with this community on Linkedin. This monthly pulse is used to gain regular snapshots in time of the industry-wide vision on External Development, with an aim to provide video games professionals the data needed to lean on external development to create increased development stability. There are a few differences in this pulse compared to last months: • A choice has been added to determine whether you are a buyer or seller of services. • The questions are now multiple choice - taking the top answers from last month's survey - with room to add other answers if required. • A bonus question has been added based on a response that gained the most intrigue from April’s survey: what can this community do to more successfully highlight diverse regions for services? I hope for a large pool of diverse participants - both on the buyer and seller sides - so if you see the value in this initiative please complete this survey, and share this post with your network. If you are interested in reading the report from April’s pulse survey, you can find a link to it in the Featured section of my LinkedIn profile. If you have any feedback for how we can make the most of this initiative, or improve the pulse for future releases, please let me know your perspectives through a LinkedIn message. Thank you.

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Navigating the complexities of porting to Apple Vision Pro? Unity's guide offers 6 essential tips to streamline the process, from leveraging Unity's AR Foundation to optimizing your app's performance on Vision Pro. Check out the full guide for expert insights and practical advice to ensure your app shines on Apple's latest platform - https://lnkd.in/dCcxYKem. #AR #VR #AppleVisionPro #Unity #realtime3D

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Curious how we used the 🐙 Octopus Paradigm in redesigning the Puzzling Places interaction for reduced complexity on the Apple Vision Pro and why? Check out my conversation with Gabriele Romagnoli 🥽 on the the XR AI Spotlight Podcast!

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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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Games industry DESPERATELY needs to unionize. Since December my LinkedIn feed has been a sea of people looking for work because they've been laid off, due to the "business strategy" of laying people off when you want to look more profitable in Q1 of the next year, or just "trimming the fat"/ "improving efficiency". I won't say my experience was exactly like this necessarily, but I was recently laid off in January, though I haven't marked myself as looking for work due to many reasons, partly being the lack of jobs, all the bots and spam on this website, and the crushing damage to my self-confidence. Either way, NO ONE should be made to feel this way. I've even heard of people getting laid off mid parental leave, or while they're on vacation with limited internet access, THIS IS DESPICABLE. What's worse is in this industry we all experience imposter syndrome, and anytime this happens you can't help but think we're terrible at our jobs, if only you'd worked harder, spent more of your own time improving your skills, you would be essential enough to the company to keep on, but they still could let you go, so it doesn't even matter. CEOs or in general the entire C-suite of people should be held accountable and publicly shamed. If your business strategy is to hire as much talent as possible, realize you can't keep on all that talent, and then lay them off, then you are incompetent, and should not be given a pat on the back for at least giving severance, when you're just following the lowest requirements of the law. The people who you've laid off are people who have built your company and kept the lights on. You can't just use the excuse, "that's just the way the industry is", that's a weak excuse. There are industries that experience frequent lay offs but have a union and support, such as some plants in the auto industry, and the workers have fought hard for years so that they would have those benefits and salary top-ups. Of course that's not always the case and things could be better, but we shouldn't just sigh and be like "it is what it is", and keep trying to work within the system when the system is broken. I'm just mad right now, for myself, but mostly for my friends, and people I don't even know that work in this industry, because I know these devs are hard working people that are constantly learning and trying to improve, and they are now doubting all their skills and feeling like they're not good enough. As for the people who make these mass lay off decisions a regular occurrence, I would like to say something that may even hurt my career and job opportunities, but deserves to be said, and which many devs would like to say or even scream, Fuck you.

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This is how I am mentoring my son his CompSci classes... I just keep repeating it over and over. I should hire my daughter to do the same thing as it's pretty common. READ THE REQUIREMENTS! That's all. That's every point he's missed on every project. Just read until you understand and ask questions if you still do not. His prof makes everything seem so simple, if you read and follow the requirements. But that seems to be the hardest part, the lesson the prof is trying to convey. He even lists the crash and burn rules. "If you support grammar that was not given then -100" etc. There is no room for misinterpretation. Therefore my help is just me reading the assignments back to him and making sure he has done what they say. Then again, maybe it's not a good lesson as requirements are rarely this in depth. Perhaps it's just 20 years of giving the same requirements that leads to this level of detail. I'll keep that to myself for now, he doesn't need to know that 🤫

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