Richard Anderson

Horrible news to hear about KeokeN Interactive having laid off their entire team today. In a statement published on X, CEO Koen Deetman and managing director Paul Deetman said the Netherlands-based studio was forced into the decision after exhausting all possible options for completing planned projects or taking on other work. To those affected, 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 1,000 jobs worldwide across all links. Link: https://lnkd.in/eKAHK7VF ⚙ 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 🎮 Game Design: This resource lists around 440 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, 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 #keokeninteractive (source: https://lnkd.in/eWK2PgvX)

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Amazing news from Germany: after 25 years at Piranha Bytes, the creative force behind Gothic, Risen, and Elex, Björn Pankratz and Jennifer Pankratz have announced the formation of Pithead Studio. This decision comes after lengthy discussions and a desire to pursue a fresh start. The news follows a period of turbulence for Piranha Bytes. The studio, a German development powerhouse since 1997, was acquired by THQ Nordic in 2019. Recent financial struggles within the parent company, Embracer, led to studio closures and project cancellations. Despite a government grant in May 2023, Piranha Bytes' future remains unclear. Undeterred, the Pankratz duo is forging their own path. Pithead Studio, named after the exit shaft of a coal mine, symbolizes a return to their roots (the Ruhrpott region) and a fresh start. Pithead Studio plans to focus on creating "unique and immersive indie games." Fans can expect dark action adventures rich with story, horror, and RPG elements. Initially, the studio will collaborate with external partners, with publisher discussions still ongoing. With the official announcement and social media channels launching today, Pithead Studio is ready to take center stage. This is exciting news for RPG fans, as the Pankratz's experience promises a thrilling new journey into immersive worlds. Wishing Björn and Jennifer all the best for their new studio! (source: https://lnkd.in/e3dDSf8r and https://lnkd.in/ewHJjeBX)

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Some of the procedural assets made in Houdini for Headuardo. https://lnkd.in/e4d3vAJS

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There are good shading tips for handpaint, check it out!

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Oh wow, you do not hear that often.... The entire staff of Annapurna Interactive, the video-game publishing division of Annapurna studio, resigned this month following a dispute with its owner. Annapurna Interactive President Nathan Gary and his team had been negotiating with Megan Ellison to spin off the video-game division as an independent entity. When Ellison pulled out of the negotiations, Gary and other executives resigned and were followed by around two dozen other staffers. “All 25 members of the Annapurna Interactive team collectively resigned,’’ Gary and the group said in a joint statement. “This was one of the hardest decisions we have ever had to make and we did not take this action lightly.” (source: https://lnkd.in/ehvi33Wg) To those who have resigned, if you are looking for new opportunities, please check them out here: 🥇First, reach out to us at People Can Fly Studio, we have many roles open right now in Canada, the UK, Ireland and Europe, please check them out here: https://lnkd.in/eWpV5PbA 🥈Next, Discipline Games Jobs Resources: Over the past months I have created 9 (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/ePywd2kq You can find over 6,000 jobs there. 🥉 Third, 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. 🎖 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 ❤️ #annapurnainteractive #resignations

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Little quick blueprints doodling of the day 😀 https://lnkd.in/eqUBtKCr A simple proof of concept about how we could use Scriptable BP tools to have custom 3D handles, instead of the regular xform gizmos, to drive various systems ( here, a simple PCG graph ). That would allow the users to have dynamic handles ( using geometry script ), to have direct feedback on manipulations. I'm thinking about having an easy-to-use BP framework to build handles like this easily, if you're interested by that, keep an eye on https://lnkd.in/e5MBnMmB ! 👀 #unrealengine #blueprints #tools

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In preparation for a talk I'm going to give, in which I condense 15 years of career into around 30 mins, I have had the joy to look back at some of the work I have done over the years, animation or not! It has been great to look over some of my old blog posts, and remembering the joy I had in making some of these pieces! Always looking to turn this one into an animated series, so if you're a commissioner or work in development, give me a shout! 😉 https://lnkd.in/eFeRMhg #Animation #CharacterDesign #OldWork

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The latest instalment of my newsletter is out, you can read and sub here - https://lnkd.in/em_tFiWr

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I wrote a bit of an overview of how we animate our Citadel band ("The Wingnuts") using 'silent MIDI' tracks, as well as some of the reasoning behind having them in Badlands Crew. Read more, and see them in action here: https://lnkd.in/eSKcXspE

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In the indie gaming space, scalability often takes a backseat to creative ambition. At Ego Experiments Studios Ltd. we’re challenging that mindset by building with scalability in mind from day one. Every architectural choice we make isn’t just about our current project, it’s about future-proofing for sustainable growth and impact. We’re excited to refine this approach as we develop games that are not only innovative but also built to last. For those who have experience balancing creativity with scalable growth, especially in high-innovation fields, any advice on maintaining that balance in the early stages? #GameDev #Scalability #IndieGames #EgoExperimentsStudios #LongTermVision

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Compilation of some of the shaders I've made for ITR2: https://lnkd.in/dSXuV7Ur

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Some early location sketching with my non dominant hand. https://lnkd.in/gCYXfyGH

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More terrible news today with Payload Studios announcing that they had to make reductions in staff due to the economic climate. You can find the full detail, as well as references for those affected, here: https://lnkd.in/eyKhTqEZ Those of you who are affected by this, please make use of my resources below: 🥇First, reach out to us at People Can Fly Studio, we have many roles open right now in Canada, the UK, Ireland and Europe, please check them out here: https://lnkd.in/eWpV5PbA 🥈Next, Discipline Games Jobs Resources: Over the past months I have created 9 (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/e2qSeKk6 You can find over 5,600 jobs there. 🥉 Third, 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. 🎖 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 ❤️ #payloadstudios #layoffs

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So, somehow industry big-heads thought it'd be a good idea to let go and piss off half of their ultra-talented working contingent, who are now following newly emerging leaders into highly ambitious indie studios - free of charge and into high-risk, back-against-the-wall, pressure-cooker environments where they are basically forced to succeed in order to put food on the table. At least the smart ones are, those who've given up on the whole outdated (and extremely biased) concept of the "generosities of industry recruitment". I wonder what could possibly come out of this whole ordeal. It's as if the morally corrupt and greedy have inadvertently architected the means of their own downfall, in a poetic sense. The message is: "you don't matter as much as you thought you did." The lesson, of course, is that you do - and, eventually, once everyone else has caught up to the truth of the matter, they'll have to learn that the hard way. It's not big companies or corporations that decide whether it's a "good time" or a "bad time" in the industry - it's the people who create and the service users that make the purchases. Once these two find new and simpler ways to link up and connect without a 3rd party involved - sayonara. It's not an 'indie revival', it's the slow and not-so-gentle beginning of indie domination.

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Part of the little welcome video I've made for one of the upcoming modules starting soon #blender #3d #cgi #conceptart

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🔸INKING JOHN BUSCEMA was super-fun! But I also show you HOW TO MAKE BLUELINES + HOW TO SCAN YOUR WORK for prime time! https://lnkd.in/en3c-7YJ Click. Share. Subscribe. #johnbuscema #howtoink #inking #comics

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