💀Blair Brown

Hello friends. Last month, I was looking for more work and finally secured some on Reddit from a guy who needed help with preproduction on his Tabletop RPG / Card Battler. After a meeting with him, he showed me what he had and it was quite impressive. He had a prototype of a card-battler using a tabletop RPG battle system, but he had little to no documentation or planning—he's been chiseling away at his game for a few months in his spare time after work. I suggested that before I dive into art, we flesh out the game design and the rest of the game up to around an 80% mark and let the last 20% be changes, additions, and that sort. As your game evolves, it'll come into it's own and you'll find things that need changed or added, this accounts for that. He agreed and I asked if I could work on all this since I did that with my game Alligori and lead the team from start to finish with our vertical slice, and I know tabletop RPGs very well. He agreed and we did the whole song and dance with paperwork, and he sent over a retainer and I began work the following Monday. Three weeks go by and we're working great together. I'm fleshing out his game, adding some meat to the backbone of his prototype with classes, abilities, etc. My goal was to write out as much as possible and then trim content to fit it into a 1-year development cycle. So I flesh a bulk of his game out, and then categorize it more into a game design document that clearly conveys concepts, ideas, and mechanics. Catching up, last week was the final week of my first month and payment was due. He just up and disappears like a fart in the wind, I have no idea if he's alive, incarcerated, on vacation, or what. He didn't remove me on Discord, so I don't entirely suspect malicious intent, but he gave no notice. That's the risk you run with working 1-on-1 with a client remotely, one day they can just up and disappear. I do have paperwork, so I may pursue legal action. If he doesn't log on by Friday, I'm going to publicly release all my documentation and the GDD I wrote on here.

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How to accelerate your career in game development? Think "one level higher." 🔹 If you're a junior or mid-level:  -- Consider how your task affects the team's work. 🔹 If you're a lead or senior:  -- Focus on how your team's work impacts the entire project. 🔹 If you're a producer, director, or PM:  -- Think about how your project fits into the company's strategy. 🔹 If you're a CEO or executive:  -- Ensure the company's results align with stakeholder interests. 🔹 If you're a stakeholder:  -- Align your assets with market interests. Always try to understand the bigger picture.

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Over the past few weeks, I’ve been working on a game design document for a new DLC chapter for Elder Scrolls Online called Conquest. I wasn’t asked to do this—honestly, I doubt anyone at ZeniMax Online Studios even knows I exist, haha. But I’m passionate about the game, having played since beta, and with my background in game development, albeit as a lead 3D artist, I felt inspired to create something that could enhance the player's experience in an impactful and meaningful way. ESO’s PvP system is incredible—some of the most engaging combat since Funcom's Age of Conan—but two major issues stand out: Lack of PvP zones and options: Outside of Cyrodiil, Imperial City, and Battlegrounds, there’s a shortage of varied PvP content. The potential for expanding the system feels huge but underutilized. Conquest introduces a new (optional) PvP zone (In Hammerfell) where players can flag themselves for world PvP (on and off switch while in town), inspired by Blizzard Entertainment's Diablo 2s' hostile mechanic. It’s an optional experience that brings new incentives for both solo players and guilds to participate in PvP. This isn't meant to be a quick fix, but rather a revitalization of the existing systems, giving guilds more reason to engage together, and providing meaningful rewards for PvP participation. One of the core focuses of the design of this DLC chapter is to incentivize group play—especially within guilds. Guilds often have limited in-game reasons to interact beyond chat and trading, and running a trial (raid). My design offers new systems and incentives for guilds to run content together, utilizing existing mechanics like the Housing system to create features such as Guild Halls that further encourage community-driven gameplay. I know ZeniMax’s team is full of incredible talent with no shortage of amazing ideas. Conquest is simply a labor of love, aimed at addressing some of the game’s current issues, and introducing new, exciting content. I now release the document with the hope that they see value in it. Please be kind, I haven't shared my work with anyone before. Thank you for your time! https://lnkd.in/e3gfr2g9

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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

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Tip for publishing consideration submission to Midwest Games... tldr - Send info through our portal (https://lnkd.in/gWtKgpuU), not through email (or LI). I get that it's a little counter-intuitive...you might think you want to put your info right in front of the sourcing decision influencers' faces. But it's actually a disadvantage - especially those of you who are agents throwing multiple titles at us at once. The submission portal goes right to our database, and that database is there for a reason: to keep an organized and consistent record of all submissions in one place. I look through there all the time. I'm reminded of titles I may have overlooked or need to go back to consider as circumstances change all the time. We rarely, if ever, make immediate decisions or even quick deep review/consideration. Our factors for consideration shift regularly. I do not review your particular email regularly, or at some point even remember you sent one. I go to the database. Connection via other channels is good. Discussion about your game over other channels is good. But having your core game info in those channels is not good. Please use the submission portal!

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After nearly 5 years of placing people in gamedev, here are 3 surprising things I've learned along the way: 1. It was always hard to be a junior Today there are 282 vs 1777 jobs on hitmarker in favor of Mids and Seniors. But even when money from investors was flowing in ungodly amounts, studios were more inclined to hire experienced people. My conspiracy theory is that junior people had it easier back then because regulars and seniors just weren't available for studios. Sometimes because salaries were inflated, sometimes they literally couldn't land the hire, because there were multiple offers on the table for candidates.  Instead of saying it's not a great time to be a junior, we should just admit it's not a great industry to be one. 2. Most people are playing less than I expected When I started I thought everyone here played games all. the. time. And I thought I was the odd one out with my heavily limited playtime. Turns out there are more people like me, who are just playing a couple of hours per week or sometimes not at all. There are of course the opposites who wish they played more (looking at you Michal Witkowski 😎) 3. You kinda need to be into games Even if your role has nothing to do specifically with production, having an interest in games or playing them in your own time it's ALWAYS a green flag. I knew it might be the case, but what was surprising is that it's true for literally every role in a studio. It's not like not playing them eliminates you from getting the accountant job. It doesn't (I hope). But the topic "What are you playing" somehow always finds its way and sneaks into the conversation. What are your surprise learnings?

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Truly sad news: as reported by many outlets this morning, Take-Two Interactive is closing Kerbal Space Program 2 developer Intercept Games as part of a plan announced earlier this month aimed at reducing the publisher's total workforce by 5%. Roll7, the developer of the OlliOlli games and Rollerdrome, is also being closed according to the report. To those affected by this closure, please find a comprehensive list of resources, below: 🥇First, Discipline Games Jobs Resources: Over the past weeks I have created nine 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/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 🎮 Game Design: This resource lists around 520 jobs worldwide: Link: https://lnkd.in/dtVmGR-t 🥈 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 #roll7 #interceptgames

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Know anyone that might know someone? Asking for a friend 👀 https://lnkd.in/g44DSCP8 #'s for the #'s #TheMattBarney #VideoGames #GameJobs #GameDevJobs #Unreal #UnrealEngine #GameEngineer #PrincipalEngineer #RemoteJobs #RemoteEngineeringJobs #RemoteEngineer

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What to do if your game has low retention? I teamed up with Mykola Veremiev to make a decision tree for your game. If your game is struggling, ask these questions:  1. Is the FTUE completion rate high?   2. Are players engaged with the core loop?   3. Are paywalls causing drop-offs?   4. Are there difficulty spikes?   5. Is the player funnel strong?   6. Is the game technically stable?   7. Do players have clear long-term goals?   8. Are players pursuing those goals?   9. Is feedback on gameplay positive?   10. Does your team still believe in the vision?  Depending on the answers, you have 3 paths:  • 🔁 Iterate: Minor fixes can boost retention.   • ↩ Pivot: Core gameplay has potential but lacks depth.   • ☠ Kill: Systemic issues with no clear solution.  Use data to guide your decisions. Iterate, pivot, or cut your losses. And if your studio needs help testing or scaling the next game idea, feel free to DM Mykola!

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Game Devs have you ever wanted to join a Game Jam before but couldn't? Well now is your chance, join Jason Hall's Pirate Software's Game Jam upcoming January 17th 2025 which had over 15k participants last year alone Jason AKA Thor Hall has been blowing up lately all over Social Media through his generous tips and advice as an indie developer and the son of the famous World of Warcraft Southpark character and meme If you been following me for a while, you will notice I always preach for people to signup for Game Jams whether you are a Software Developer or QA Tester or Artist, anyone can join that want's to participate in a ground zero development of a video game It's incredibly helpful for those looking to break into the industry or for those who wish to keep up their resume gaps or just want to learn and improve overall, judge-free zone and there are tons of people willing to help guide you through the process, plus its FREE Here are more reasons why if still not sold: ✔️ Skill Growth: Practice coding, art, and design in a fast-paced, real-world setting while learning rapid prototyping and problem-solving ✔️ Portfolio Boost: Showcase completed games to demonstrate your initiative, creativity, and ability to finish projects ✔️ Networking: Collaborate with peers, connect with industry pros, and build a supportive community ✔️ Resume Value: Game jams highlight passion, teamwork, and hands-on experience to potential employers ✔️ Creative Freedom: Experiment with bold ideas and unique concepts without financial risks ✔️ Motivation: Deadlines drive productivity, while finishing projects builds confidence ✔️ Learning: Explore new tools, roles, and feedback to broaden your expertise ✔️ Career Opportunities: Get noticed by recruiters, land freelance gigs, or start indie collaborations Other popular game jams to explore: Ludum Dare, Global Game Jam and Games For Love (check'em out!) 🔗 in comments Never stop leveling up 💪 #GameDevs #Developers #SoftwareEngineers

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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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Creating games is very difficult. And building games is challenging. The process of build requires to compile the code and all the data required in the game in a specific sequence involving many dependencies. As such monitoring the outcome is essential, but not sufficent. What if we were able to predict the outcome of a build ? What if we were able to decrease the required computing resources while increasing our iteration capability ? #Ubisoft #Ubisoftlaforge #innovation

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In today's little bit of progress, we're working with a little bit of music and setting up some Enemy Animation Blueprints- just with patrolling and idling for the time being. These are called Agonized Hunters and probably for good reason. Lore is so fun to come up with, by the way. I suppose all the stories I started to write even as a kid should've been a grand sign towards my liking of storytelling, but I definitely know about it now. I thought it would be a nice touch for the light to turn red/add in some invincibility frames when the player comes in contact with them, as well as adding in a sliiiight distinction between the breakable platforms and the ones you can walk on regularly. On a semi-related note, something I only learned fairly recently: the Nav Mesh Bounds Volume in Unreal only registers traversable ground. That's why it's only the ground that turns green when you preview it and not the air that the volume may also be in contact with. If you're working with flying enemies you won't want to rely on those or the functions related to them (like GetRandomReachablePointInRadius and co.), since they will bring those flying guys right to the ground at best. You'll want to look into the Math function RandomPointInBoundingBox instead. ✨

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DeamPlus Games Earned $12M+ IAP Revenue Amids “Hoa Hoa Hoa” Season 🍂 Game of Vampires: Twilight Sun, an empire-building RPG, is the ultimate vampire fantasy brought to life. 🌘 Gothic castles, luxurious dark interiors, a spooky atmosphere — and a ton of pop-culture references! From Twilight and The Vampire Diaries to Blade and The Addams Family — this game is packed with nostalgic nods that resonate with players through its ASO, ad creatives, and character design. 🧛‍♂️🏰 The right timing and a touch of luck drive this success even further: with the game’s global launch, the unexpected revival of the Twilight franchise came into play! Millennials are fueling it with nostalgia, while Gen Z is having fun with those cringy moments the old movies have. ✨🧛‍♀️ For a deep dive into this phenomenon and the insights game developers can draw from it, check out Diana Levintova's fantastic article for AppMagic. Halloween couldn’t be a better time to dive into the industry insights, spooky vibes, and, of course, “hoa hoa hoa” 🎃👻 Link in the comments! 👇

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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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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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I almost need to pinch myself… 🤩 Because Bird's Eye View, Into Games & Games Jobs Live won the big BFI and National Lottery’s Challenge Fund grant! 🎉 Over the next two years, we’ll be developing a free, accessible platform — the Games Insights Database, to equip small to mid-sized studios, solo developers, and advocacy groups across the UK games industry with the insights they need to grow and support the sector. And this is what you can expect from the #GIDB: 🟠 A searchable funding directory with all regional funding options relevant to UK games businesses. 🟡 An interactive map with regional insights, highlighting workforce size, companies, and local partners. 🟣 A public framework for career progression across games roles all the way through to principal. 🔵 Transparent salary ranges across roles to support fair hiring and career growth. 🟡 Advocacy-ready reports to empower trade bodies and government. If you’ve seen the Entry-Level Skills Hub, any of the amazing reports by Games Jobs Live, and the extensive work Into Games does, you know this is a collab to keep your eyes on. Especially because we can’t do this without you! ➡So please give Bird's Eye View a follow & help us spread the word! — ⚠️PSA: Keep scrolling if you don’t want to read my soppy reaction… But it just feels truly wonderful that bit by bit my work and anger fuelled motivation are moving things forward. My goal has always been to help to create a gaming industry where every voice has a seat at the table, and I think empowering solo, small and mid size businesses is the way to do it. I care profoundly about what I do, some would say I care too much, and it does bring a lot of grief sometimes. But it’s moments like this, after coming off a #layoff myself, that got and kept me in games. We have a long way to go, but we have everything we need. Proactive, creative and selfless people, like YOU. 𝗦𝗼 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝘀𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆! Or just follow Bird's Eye View page and get prepared to ✨serve✨ insights, because I can’t and won’t do this alone! --- 📣 Follow #RethinkRecruitment and ring the 🔔 to stay updated! 🎯 CEO of Bird's Eye View ⏩ Entry-Level Skills Hub: https://entrylevel.games/ 🔵 Bluesky: SCMachadoUK 🌟 Opinions are very much my own™️ #GameDev *The #GIDB is a collaborative project funded by the British Film Institute (BFI) & the The National Lottery Community Fund

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Top Mobile Casual Games Benchmark Metrics Dashboard comparing these games: https://lnkd.in/ev35XSDD 🔹 𝗥𝗼𝘆𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 (https://lnkd.in/eWaRH9x5)   - ARPDAU: $0.51   - D1 Retention: 44%   - Avg. Playtime: 85 min   - Sticky Factor: 43%   - Sessions per Day: 5   - Strong playtime, solid retention, and high engagement make this a standout. 🔹 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗽𝗼𝗹𝘆 𝗚𝗼 (https://lnkd.in/es3UMvZv)   - ARPDAU: $1.28   - D1 Retention: 39%   - Avg. Playtime: 66 min   - Sticky Factor: 10%   - With the highest ARPDAU, but lower stickiness compared to others. 🔹 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗲𝘀 (https://lnkd.in/e-Xdquju)   - ARPDAU: $0.24   - D1 Retention: 40%   - Avg. Playtime: 80 min   - Sticky Factor: 25%   - Impressive playtime, though the retention curve declines faster over time. 🔹 𝗖𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 (https://lnkd.in/eJcAYpAd)   - ARPDAU: $0.30   - D1 Retention: 40%   - Avg. Playtime: 40 min   - Sticky Factor: 46%   - High engagement with a solid sticky factor despite lower playtime. 🔹 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘆 𝗖𝗿𝘂𝘀𝗵 (https://lnkd.in/ea7CXEQZ)   - ARPDAU: $0.06   - D1 Retention: 48%   - Avg. Playtime: 60 min   - Sticky Factor: 31%   - One of the highest retention rates, with players coming back consistently. But most of them don't pay much. 🔹 𝗚𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗽 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗼𝗿 (https://lnkd.in/eK_ehuPz)   - ARPDAU: $0.97   - D1 Retention: 37%   - Avg. Playtime: 50 min   - Sticky Factor: 13%   - High monetization but lower retention and stickiness. Data Source: AppMagic -------------------------------------------------------------------------- DISCLAIMER: The data is an approximate average and may not be accurate. 
Game metrics can vary widely across platforms, regions, traffic sources, and audiences.

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