Richard Burgess-Dawson

Another week, another round of layoffs, another studio closure, and another blow to the Vancouver game dev scene. Game development in Vancouver has been on life support for the past few years, and what a shocking fall from grace in comparison to how things looked in the early to mid-2000s where you couldn't throw a BC roll (sushi reference) without hitting a triple-A studio! You can blame more favourable tax credits in other Canadian provinces (which doesn't help!) but that's not the real reason for the decay, is it? We're not really competing against other provinces within our country, we're competing with a global talent market and a shift to remote work that has driven game development to lower cost regions that can produce stuff that's just as good as anything we can make. It's a shock and a wake-up call, perhaps too late. Everyone is on survival mode right now and there are still rough waters ahead. Today doesn't seem to be the day for big-picture industry analysis, but when the dust settles and the pain of layoffs is not so fresh for people, it'll be time to sit down and ask ourselves some tough questions about how we got here. I'm getting tired of saying it, but my heart goes out to all those affected by the current round of layoffs and closures. 💔

376

29 Comments

Not another shutdown, and then this close to Christmas.... Canadian game studio Hothead Games has closed its doors. Hothead president and CEO, Ian Wilkinson, announced the news on Linkedin and said the company "had a good run" but has now filed for bankruptcy. "What Really Matters: It wasn’t the company and surprisingly it wasn’t the games. It was the people. Hothead was chock full of incredibly, smart, talented, loyal, hardworking but mostly just really nice people. We grew up together, we laughed, we cried, we celebrated, we grieved, we found partners, we started families… I had the privilege of working with so many wonderful people at Hothead over the years. " wrote Wilkinson, looking back on that period. It's unclear how many people the studio employed at the time of its closure. To those impacted please check out the following resources: 🥇First, Discipline Games Jobs Resources: Over the past months I have created 11 (at time of writing) Games Jobs Resources to find jobs in a wide range of disciplines, and I would urge you to check them out, if anything just to see what would be available to you: https://lnkd.in/ebdNWaVi You can find over 5,700 jobs there. 🥈Next, 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/ I urge you to check out the areas in particular about CV support and mentoring, as these will help you no matter what industry you are hailing from or are looking into going next. 🥉 Third, reach out to us if you need anything - CV help, introductions, reviewing your portfolio or LinkedIn profile - just ask in the comments. 🎖 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 ❤️ #hotheadgames #shutdown

85

11 Comments

Friends, our weekly community impact update for June 7th! This week, I'm so proud that we added Hailey Rojas' #opentonetwork resource as our 16th community offering. I thank Desirée R. also for her help with that content and design leadership this week as well. Haven't signed up yet for our community badge rewards for being a member and participating in community coaching? Register here: https://lnkd.in/evQpQDfd Our Four Headline Stats First (as always), straight from amirsatvat.com: - Job Placements: We've successfully facilitated over 2,000 job placements. - Advisory Chats: Our community coaches have engaged in more than 37,000 free advisory chats - We added 808 members to our LinkedIn community (88,973 total). - We added 336 members to our Discord community (3,735 total). JOIN OUR DISCORD COMMUNITY HERE: discord.gg/amirsatvat Resource Updates: - Hiring Visibility: Our community now includes 7,501 job seekers, with 70 new candidates joining recently. - Coaching: The number of coaches has risen to 2,228, thanks to 19 new volunteers offering support across our four services. - Role Listings: There are now 13,783 job opportunities across 3,616 organizations. Providing a full update on this is my top priority. - Career Planning: Both our General Planning Resources and our Early Career Pack are now live. Please submit any additional contributions you may have! - Games Org Support Posts: We have highlighted 98 individuals affected by programmatic layoffs. - Free LinkedIn Premium Trials: This week, we provided 20 new 2-month LinkedIn Premium trials to gamers, bringing the total to 370. - Ticket To Ride: We have given out 370 free tickets to gamers across 5 events, thanks to 29 generous sponsors. - Weekly Community Spotlight Posts: We have posted 8 spotlights, allowing community members seeking work to highlight themselves. How You Can Help: We have a page (https://lnkd.in/dY9KQ5a3) detailing 14 ways to contribute, highlighting areas of elevated and highest needs marked in yellow and red. This Week’s 8 New Mentors, 6 New CV + LinkedIn Reviewers, 3 New Mock Interviewers, and 2 New Art Portfolio Reviewers are in the comments! Thanks for your support and let's continue changing gamers' lives together! Super Amiro

52

1 Comment

Narrative games are in an interesting spot. I was in a mentoring group for Toronto indie devs in Hand Eye Society's Futures Forward program, which primarily supports games as a form of creative expression. There were eleven pitches, which were largely based around personal and cultural stories or perspectives. As a queer, visible minority, migrant woman in the game industry, I absolutely LOVE this, of course. I think there's opportunity, though, to help guide narrative projects to increased commercial viability across the industry. Much of what gamers expect out of games - narrative or otherwise - shifts season to season, but I'm still seeing pitched projects suffer from old-world brain. The standard walking sim, QTE one-shot, bare-bones puzzle adventure, and the illusion of choice to deliver strong narratives have been done to exhaustion. I think there will always be room for them, to be fair. However, more and more players are looking for varied first-run experiences, choices that actually matter, replayability, immersion, engaging art styles and music, and - well - gameplay. Why not stand out? Will this apply to every game? No. But too many narrative games pitched today still focus solely on the narrative and not enough on the game. Venba (venbagame.com) is a fantastic example of successfully employing some of these aspects in a clever and impactful package (read: I was destroyed by the end and recommend it to immigrant gamers any chance I get). In Stars and Time (instarsandtime.com) has some pretty clear gameplay and visual inspirations that act as an effective vehicle for its storytelling. Slay the Princess (slaytheprincess.com) just gets it. Then there's the risk factor for investors and publishers. Narrative games generally have much higher word counts to localize, cultural sensitivities or simply appeal to check against on a global scale, less game design-centered devs or development planning, how to market around spoilers, what to offer consumers post-launch, delivery of the final writing and storytelling production based off early concepts and sometimes pre-writer-on-staff, etc. There's not enough space to write out all my thoughts on this subject - and I haven't even touched on HOW to pitch a narrative game, even with modern design elements in mind. So I implore narrative game designers to really dig deep into the landscape - past, present, and future (seriously, pay attention to announcements, please!). What has worked well? What hasn't? What are lessons you can learn from both? Who is your game for and what games do they play and like? I really want to experience your story. I would love to see your game reach and have impact on the many lives who need it. And I'll see you at the next LudoNarraCon (ludonarracon.com). Edit: I must add that I don't run LudoNarraCon. :) That event is run by the good folks at Fellow Traveller, helmed by the lovely Christopher Wulf. (For those asking to be included.)

151

15 Comments

Do you want to level up your game dev team? Do you want to learn some of the magic that makes some of the greatest games? Alex's course is a great place to start. And if you have designers on staff you think would benefit, I highly recommend this bootcamp. #bootcap #gamedesign

16

GTA VI is launching in Fall 2025! (Fall 2025 = 2026? ... Sorry, I’m joking 😂) This franchise is vital to my gaming past. No game has risen like this one over years. I wish R* a smooth launch and success! Take-Two earnings call highlights: • GTA 6 confirmed for Fall 2025 release. • Rockstar confident in Fall 2025 release. • Take-Two confident in GTA 6's success. • GTA 5 has sold 200 million units total. • GTA series has sold 425 million copies. • Expect more GTA Online DLC & events. • GTA Online sales down, GTA+ revenue up. What is your all-time favorite GTA game? Choose your reaction or share your own. My top pick? GTA V. ❤️

145

105 Comments

EMC3D portfolio reviews are done with a re-occurring or new guest from the Game's Industry. We pick one project each to discuss, and then conclude our overall thoughts on the portfolio. Organic conversations about workflows naturally come up in these reviews, so they are a great way to knowledge share with all parties involved. 😁 https://lnkd.in/e2a_uww5

30

2 Comments

𝐀𝐰𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐣𝐨𝐛 𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐭 - shares appreciated (they REALLY DO help) - my door is open for casual chats or intros on this role. Recently re-titled so please check out the JD even if you've seen it already. 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐥 𝐕𝐅𝐗 𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭. (ignore the link title of Lead, it hasn't pulled through yet). 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨 Spliced Inc. - fully remote role but our 𝐚𝐰𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 studio is located in the heart of Altrincham. Be as hybrid, onsite or remote as you want. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐢𝐠 - You're either already a principal, want to be a principal or you're happy to sidestep from a lead into this role. Regardless, you'll be a part of a small team (+1) that sits in our Tech Art org and have access to some of the best talent the industry has to offer. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞 - you thought I was going to spill the beans? 🤣. AAA, stylized, UE5, Houdini/Embergen, Blueprints. That's your lot but, will tell more once you're in process, of course :). 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭? - Either apply or simply message me with your interest. We have 5 steps but don't let that put you off, we can crank through them in a week or so. You'll get a solid feel for our vibe and people and you'll get to meet our founder who will personally take you through the game at the end of the process. Click below for a glimpse of your [potential] future 💚. #vfx #splicedinc #neteasegames #welovejobs

27

Ubisoft Toronto confirms reports of 33 layoffs If your role is 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. I won't pretend there are easy solutions but our community's only goal is to make things a little easier for as many people as possible. We have a ton of data showing that, for all candidates, your chances of finding a games role double (from 5 to 10%) over 12 months if you regularly use all our resources versus not. Additionally, recently I presented a 100% update to our Games Jobs Workbook, with 3,600 companies fully updated and nearly 14,000 roles fully updated. Of our 18 resources, this is the most powerful tool we have to help you. https://lnkd.in/d6x5NHMZ (Resource #8) I'm so sorry to hear this report and I will, as always, do my best to do something about it rather than just talking. Home 1 - 🔗 AMIRSATVAT.COM: Our main hub provides 18 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 99 of them. Home 2 - 🔗 Discord: Join us at discord.gg/amirsatvat, our live extension of community resources. With over 4,300 members, we are currently in an open-join phase. Home 3 - 🔗 LinkedIn: Our community here includes nearly 91,000 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 16 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 2,100 jobs and 39,000 coaching conversations to date, the largest impact of any games organization on earth, and has been visited by millions of gamers lifetime.

199

12 Comments

Bit late talking about this one but huge news coming from 343 Industries, both a re-brand to Halo Studios and confirmation that they are switching development to Unreal. 🗞️ This comes off the back of 343's struggles with development of Halo: Infinite. We've seen many other studios move away from their own engines to Unreal, notably CD Projekt Red! Are proprietary engines going out fashion? 🤔 For those who have worked on both proprietary engines and Unreal, what have you found to be the key advantages of working with Unreal? #gamedev #unreal #halo

11

Why Spliced Inc. should be on your radar if we aren't already. Especially if you're a Lead or Principal VFX Artist that's already working with or is excited about generative AI. What NOT to expect: Stage after stage after stage, without knowing why you're moving forward. We love giving feedback and we help set you up for success instead of throwing you into the dark. Being kept in the dark about salary or package right until the end. Ever had an interview process to land an offer at the end of it that misses the mark by a mile? That's not how we operate. Here at Spliced Inc. you'll know exactly what the role could look like before you go into finals and that means everything from our benefits, salary, the project itself, onboarding and importantly, how we're going to set you up for success. Limited flexibility that's labelled flexible working. I've heard several stories recently from people who are considering a move due to being sold flex and remote/hybrid options, to be hit with a very different reality. At Spliced Inc, you make the choice. Whether it be fully remote, fully studio based or somewhere in between, it's up to you. You don't even need to tell us. We're hiring for a number of roles at the moment but my main priorities if you got this far (!) are Lead/Principal VFX Artist and Lead Game Designer. I'll post later/tomorrow on that second role but if you're interested in learning more on either position, send me a message. As always - shares appreciated for reach! Liam Howard Jerlyn ChaiGabriele Sanfilippo

19

🎙️ New Series G podcast episode: Featuring Raphael van Lierop - CEO and Founder of Hinterland, the Vancouver-based studio behind the brilliant survival game "The Long Dark". ⭐ This discussion features topics including: - The early stages of building Hinterland as a company and studio - Managing Early Access expectations with the game community - Building a company culture that promotes studio longevity Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gabUNB-g YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gmbNJsxJ Here's a short clip from the episode where Raphael discusses how the team decided upon The Long Dark's Steam description:

23

3 Comments

🎮 A lot of new entries in Newzoo's Top PC and Console games in November! Thanks to Brett Hunt for putting this together! Engagement Highlights While there wasn’t a major shakeup in the ranks, Fortnite’s Chapter 2 Remix, as well as in-game concerts from Snoop Dogg and the posthumous Juice WRLD resulted in enough growth to fend off the impressive launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.     The impact of both titles on the rest of the top 20 was profound as League of Legends was the only title to see player growth through the month of November, thanks to the release of the final season of Arcane on Netflix.    While EA Sports FC 25 has found itself at #11 in engagement, EA FC 24 still finds itself at #14, displaying its continued longevity and perhaps pointing towards players slowing down their purchase of new titles in annual franchises. The titles are now both fending off competition from the Cristiano Ronaldo-partnered UFL, which launched on December 5.    Revenues Movers & Breakthroughs  Dragon Age: The Veilguard   BioWare’s latest fantasy RPG has launched into the top 5 in revenues, leading the pack on PC and ranking #10 position on PlayStation. Set ten years after Dragon Age: Inquisition, the game follows the protagonist Rook as they attempt to stop the elven trickster god Fen'Harel from destroying the Veil that imprisons amoral elven gods.    Farming Simulator 25   The latest entry in the Farming Simulator franchise finds itself at #6 in the rankings and has placed top 10 across each of PC, PlayStation, and Xbox. This version introduces new crops like rice and spinach, new animals such as goats and water buffalo, and features three new maps in North America, East Asia, and Central Europe    S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl    Despite its launch on Game Pass and the risk of cannibalization, it shows strength, breaking into the rankings at #7 overall. The game offers an immersive survival-horror shooter set in the post-apocalyptic Chornobyl Exclusion Zone.    Microsoft Flight Simulator 24   While the game experienced launch day issues, Microsoft’s flagship simulation franchise remains a consistent buy for digital aviators at #11. The game offers unparalleled aircraft variety and realism, advanced flight planning and navigation tools, and has added new career and mission systems.    Mario & Luigi: Brothership   This turn-based role-playing game jumped in at rank #13 overall, and #2 on the Switch. The game follows Mario and Luigi as they explore the world of Concordia, aiming to reunite the land after.    Other notable breakthroughs outside of the overall top 20 are Planet Coaster 2 (PC, #14), a theme park simulation game where players can build and manage their own coaster park, Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered (PC, #15), which features enhanced graphics and new content for the original action-adventure game, and Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake (Switch, #9), a full remake of the classic RPG with updated visuals and new story elements. 

34

Swarm of insects in Niagara. HLSL If someone likes this, I'd be grateful for a repost, colleagues. I'm continuing to develop the asset, or rather, to make an enhanced version. I've expanded the functionality so now you can select any insect. You can set movement points, such as from one burrow to another. You can create areas where insects are allowed to move. You can choose any target for an attack — a player or, for instance, a rock. #NiagaraEffects #HLSLShaders #UnrealEngine #InsectSwarm #GameDev #TechArt #VisualEffects #RealTimeVFX #NiagaraSystem #UE5

2

Excited to join the gaming community where we help each other with career planning, job searches, and coaching! I'll be focusing on providing CV and LinkedIn reviews to help you put your best foot forward. A big shoutout to Amir Satvat for bringing us all together! 🙌 Let's make great things happen! 🎮 #GamingCommunity #CareerPlanning #JobSearch #CVReview #LinkedInReview #Coaching #Networking

17

1 Comment

After over 10 years as a Technical Director in the video game industry, I’ve realized that real progress often comes from questioning old habits and exploring new frontiers. I’ve worked on everything from small indie gems to AAA blockbusters, taught budding devs, and guided teams through complex technical challenges. Now, I’m ready for a fresh adventure, maybe in a new feild, or maybe still in gaming, if it sparks my curiosity. The size of the company doesn’t matter; I’m driven by the thrill of tackling tough questions, working with curious minds, and never stopping my own growth. I’m also up for relocating anywhere, new horizons keep me inspired 🛩. If you’re looking for someone who blends hands-on tech expertise, leadership experience, and a thoughtful approach to innovation, let’s chat. I’d love to see how I can help your team tackle its next challenge 🙌 #NewHorizons #TechDirector #OpenForOpportunities #KeepGrowing #HeadHunter #VPTech #TechnicalProducer #OpenForWork

34

Let me echo Chris T.'s post (ty, ty!) on this one as he was spot on on something that I face A LOT when interviewing for YAGER. One of the talking topics on the interview for TUTORIAL stage (you can check more about our process here: https://lnkd.in/eN5HHDdw) is motivation. A very common response to the question "What motivated you to be here on this interview?" is "I love games!". Well... Me too! Tell me more! What do you love about games? Be prepared to deep dive and explain what specificaly drives you when it comes to games. I promisse you, this will be a game changer.

14

7 Comments

I'm so sorry to report that to hear that, as announced by their CEO and Studio Head tamura koji, that Challengers Games Corp. is closing. If your role is 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 17 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 99 of them. Home 2 - 🔗 Discord: Join us at discord.gg/amirsatvat, our live extension of community resources. With over 4,200 members, we are currently in an open-join phase. Home 3 - 🔗 LinkedIn: Our community here includes over 90,000 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 15 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 2,100 jobs and 39,000 coaching conversations to date, the largest impact of any games organization on earth, and has been visited by millions of gamers lifetime.

62

2 Comments

Spawn Fireworks with Musical Notes!!! Sending MIDI Notes from Ableton Live to Unreal Engine (via OSC) and triggering a Niagara Firework particle on Each Note! Thank god for OSC 😁 possibilities are endless when you combine the power of different Audio-Visual Software and Game-Engines. #UnrealEngine #UE5 #UnrealEngine5  #VirtualProduciton  #InteractiveExperience #InteractiveArt #Metaverse #RealTime #Development #Blueprint #Blueprints #Programming #ToolDev #ToolDevelopment #TechnicalArtist #TechArt #CreatechArt #GameEngine #CreativeTechnology #CreativeTechnologies #CreativeTechnologist #TechInnovation #CreativeTech #Innovation #Technology #SoundDesign #SoundDesigner #MusicProduction #ElectronicMusic #Synthesizer #Synthesis #DAW #AudioProduction #MidiController #Controllerism #LivePerformance #MIDI #OSC #LiveStage #LiveVisuals #Ableton #AbletonLive #AudioVisual #MusicVisual #MusicVisuals #آنریل_انجین #انریل_انجین #یونیتی #Unity #Unity3D

8