Joseph Traverso

With this week's launch of Tales of Kenzera: ZAU, learn more about the origins of the game in the short film "My Shoes, Your Feet" by Abubakar Salim in coordination with RSA Films and Surgent Studios:

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Come learn about Xsolla's strategies to improve your mobile games revenue.

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The experts' guide to mobile games monetisation: Part two

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SAG-AFTRA has announced a new agreement to protect performers involved in video game localization. The Independent Interactive Localization Agreement will cover projects that are originally scripted and released in a foreign language and then dubbed into English. This agreement will provide performers with stronger AI protections and expanded work opportunities compared to the previous localization agreement. Key benefits of the new agreement include: ⭐ AI Protections: Safeguards against the misuse of AI in the localization process. ⭐ Expanded Session and Voiceprint Options: Increased flexibility for performers. ⭐ Aligned with the Independent Interactive Media Agreement: Offers similar terms and conditions, including the recently added fourth tier for studios with budgets between $15 million and $30 million. SAG-AFTRA's leadership expressed their satisfaction with the agreement, highlighting its potential to create more opportunities for performers and ensure fair treatment in the industry: "Many brilliant, beloved games come to market in the U.S. from other countries, projects which need highly skilled localizing performers, and those performers absolutely deserve robust, enforceable A.I. protections," said Interactive Media Agreement's negotiating chair Sarah Elmaleh. "We hope that the updated terms in the Independent Interactive Localization Agreement will create even more opportunities for them to collaborate with U.S. union talent." (source: https://lnkd.in/e4ZS2gyY)

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Epic Games ZZT to UEFN: The UGC DNA Epic Games has always been at the forefront of innovation, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the gaming world. From the early days of ZZT to the modern marvel that is Unreal Engine for Fortnite (UEFN), Epic’s journey is a testament to the power and potential of usergenerated content (UGC).  A Legacy of Creativity Back in 1991, Epic released ZZT, a simple game with a robust editor that empowered players to create their own adventures. This move sparked a wave of creativity, allowing users to shape their gaming experiences and share their creations with the world. ZZT was more than a game; it was a platform for expression and innovation.  Chronology of Epic Games' UGC Evolution 1. 1991: ZZT     Game: ZZT     Features: Textbased adventure, builtin editor     Impact: Sparked UGC revolution, thousands of usercreated worlds 2. 1998: Unreal     Game: Unreal     Features: Advanced 3D graphics, Unreal Engine 1     Impact: Modding community began to thrive, significant in FPS genre 3. 2006: Unreal Engine 3     Game: Unreal Tournament 3     Features: Unreal Engine 3, more accessible modding tools     Impact: Broader adoption of UGC, expanded community engagement 4. 2017: Fortnite     Game: Fortnite Battle Royale     Features: Unreal Engine 4, Creative Mode     Impact: Over 350 million players, extensive UGC ecosystem, millions of custom maps 5. 2020: Unreal Engine 5 Announcement     Engine: Unreal Engine 5     Features: Nanite virtualized geometry, Lumen global illumination     Impact: Raised bar for graphical fidelity, enhanced creative possibilities 6. 2022: Unreal Engine for Fortnite (UEFN)     Tool: UEFN     Features: Integration with Fortnite, advanced creation tools     Impact: Millions of new usercreated content pieces, deeper player engagement  The Impact of UGC The transition from ZZT to UEFN highlights a significant shift in the gaming industry’s landscape. UGC has transformed passive players into active creators, fostering a communitydriven ecosystem where imagination is the only limit. This democratization of game development has led to a surge in diverse, innovative content, enriching the gaming experience for millions.  Statistics:    ZZT: Thousands of usercreated levels    Unreal Series: Over 10,000 mods created    Fortnite: Over 350 million registered players, millions of custom maps in Creative Mode Fortnite Creative Stats: Over 100 million players have engaged with Fortnite Creative Mode. 50% of playtime in Fortnite is spent on UGC content. Millions of custom islands have been created by players. Why It Matters Epic’s embrace of UGC underscores the importance of player agency and creativity. By providing powerful tools and platforms, Epic has not only nurtured a generation of game developers but also created a vibrant, inclusive community. This approach aligns perfectly with the trends we see today, where personalization and community engagement are paramount.  

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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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Updated 12/2/24: 667 New Games Jobs at 200+ Companies Category #3, Resource #8 at amirsatvat.com https://lnkd.in/d6x5NHMZ Looking for new opportunities in games? Please check out Resource #8 - the most robust new games roles resource out there! Combining it with Resource #7 (Games Jobs Workbook - our long-form flagship resource updated every 1-2 months) offers the most comprehensive view of the games job market worldwide. It's not just about the total aggregate numbers - our data is the cleanest! I run a 9-step process to keep everything clean, accurate, and automated: When the role was posted How it categorizes across our 20 standard community functional groups Dedupe for the same roles in multiple locations Clean out miscategorized roles Tell you where the role is Tell you if it's remote or not - for real Tell you if it is a reposted role or not with conditional formatting - for real Give you a direct link to apply Explore more and dive into your next big opportunity! Always free and without ulterior motives, for gamers!

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🚀 We did it Mino Games! After three years of hard work, passion, and countless late nights, Dimensionals is finally launched. 🎉 Working with the Mino Games team on this project has been one of the most incredible experiences of my career. From the very beginning, we set out to create something truly special—a game that brings players into a multiverse filled with strategy, adventure, and unforgettable heroes. Seeing it come to life has been nothing short of surreal. Launching a game like this has been one of the craziest (and most rewarding) challenges I’ve ever faced. There’s something magical about taking an idea, refining it over time, and finally putting it out into the world. It’s a rollercoaster ride, but moments like this make it all worth it. To the incredible Mino Games team: congratulations! Your talent, creativity, and resilience have made this dream a reality. I’m so proud of what we’ve accomplished together. To everyone reading this: we’d love your support! Please check out Dimensionals and let us know what you think. Every download, review, and share means the world to us. 🌟 Here’s to the journey, the team, and all the players who will now get to experience what we’ve been building. Let’s go! 🙌 https://lnkd.in/eK_GJiTU #GameDev #Dimensionals #RoguelikeRPG #MinoGames #ProudMoment #gaming #steam #IndieGame #GameLaunch #Teamwork

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🚀 Tired of empty talk and people who don't care? Join Amir Satvat's Games Community — where gamers truly matter every single day! 🚀 We’re constantly evolving to offer the best resources, support, and opportunities in the games industry. Recognized by Bloomberg, NPR, GamesBeat, Geoff Keighley, LA Times, GamesIndustry.Biz, PC Gamer, Polygon, and more — we do it all, not for recognition or profit, but to make you feel valued and supported. ❓ Not sure where to start? Head to amirsatvat.com and discord.gg/amirsatvat! 📈 Growing Reach: Across our community's three homes, over 100,000 are engaged daily, 215,000 monthly, 3 million+ annually. Enjoy my 120+ LinkedIn posts each month, ensuring your voice reaches those who can help! 🤝 Community Support: With 6,000 members on Discord and 2,272 coaches, we offer mentorship, LinkedIn/CV reviews, mock interviews, and portfolio critiques — just reach out! Over 10,000 gamers gave back to the community last year! 🎮 Games Jobs Listings: The most comprehensive listing of games roles in the world! We also feature additional job resources from Eva Tucker, Alexander Rehm, and Jordan Mazer. I also recently created a New Games Roles resource that sources the latest individual roles as frequently as possible. 🎟️ Regular Event Ticket Giveaways: We’re hosting three drawings for tickets to major games events! Two for XP Gaming Inc. (MIGS + Biz Connect & Beta Lounge) have closed (winners will be announced soon), and one for GamesBeat Next is still open. Plus, we’re targeting 500 tickets for GDC next year! 📝 Job Seeker Resources: Join our three Category 1 job seeker lists—these resources have helped many of you get hired. 🆘 Layoff Support: Has your organization experienced layoffs? Let me know, and we'll feature a Games Community support post—we’ve done 107 so far, including Lost Boys Interactive and, soon, Activision Blizzard Blizzard Entertainment with the help of Jasmine Coppin. 🎓 LinkedIn Premium Trials: We’ve given away over 500 LinkedIn Premium trials to date. If you haven’t used one before, sign up now! 🌟 Career and Early Career Resources: Don’t miss these two resource compilations or our Thursday Community Spotlights where you can share your job search journey and connect with others! 🌐 Networking and Resources: Dive into Hailey Rojas’ #OpenToNetwork channel to meet other gamers in a relaxed setting. 📚 New Resources Coming Soon: Seth Sivak is creating a three-part guide on starting a games company. Ali Farha and Aïda Figuerola 🔜 PGC Helsinki are upgrading early career resources, with Ali also adding his own new resource. Plus, another surprise resource from an industry veteran where you can ask any burning games questions! You are not alone. Our community doubles your chances of finding a role in games (6% -> 12% for all applicants). We're approaching 50,000 coaching conversations and have helped over 2,600 people secure games roles! Welcome to Amir Satvat's Games Community, your games ally!

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Gamescom is upon us 🍻 glad to be back and moderate this key roundtable about "Game Discovery" together with a terrific panel of experts. Join us and participate - we're going to dive into lots of practical knowledge on how to do things, discuss, debate and share our daring opinions about what's missing, which trends to follow and what is the future of game discovery. From finding your key discovery hooks early, to developing strategies for marketing and community while utilizing a planning framework, all through researching & trying new tools, harnessing data, thinking outside the box, and developing a growth mindset. Come and ask these seasoned experts and myself everything you wanted to know. Erik Peterson - Biz Dev @ Steam Benoit Clerc - Head of Publishing @ Nacon (Robocop, Terminator, Greedfall 2) Charlotte Cook - Global Commercial @ Team 17 (Hell Let Loose, Overcooked! 2, Golf with Friends) Jeremy Fielding - Head of Community @ Stunlock Studios (V Rising) Gregory Queste - CEO @ Trailsparker and veteran brand marketing Tuesday 20.8 - 3pm - at Stage 13 More details: https://lnkd.in/dsgwJQZH

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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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The experts' guide to mobile games monetisation: Part one

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While there's no definitive formula for creating a successful game, user feedback is increasingly recognized as a crucial factor. The CEO of Nexon Games, Yong-Hyun Park, recently emphasized the importance of listening to player feedback during game development. He noted that traditional methods of focusing solely on profit targets may no longer be sufficient in today's competitive gaming landscape. He said: "Working backwards based on the profit you want to achieve with your game used to work fine in the past, when production costs were low. But with development costs gradually increasing, errors in the numbers can accumulate, and you can find your game falling apart at release. If you think about it that way, focusing on user feedback is the most reliable method at the moment." source: https://lnkd.in/eiQihrJY

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Last month, Sumo Digital Ltd announced a 15% staff reduction in light of tackling the ongoing misfortune of the gaming industry. The layoffs affected almost all of the Sumo studios across Canada, the UK, Poland, the Czech Republic and India just a day after Sumo unveiled big projects at the Summer Games Fest. Almost 250 individuals were told that they would be sacked in the coming weeks because Sumo Digital cannot afford them anymore and wants to navigate upcoming challenges. Those challenges are mainly maintaining its development partnerships with giants like Sony, Microsoft, and SEGA since Sumo mostly provides work-for-hire and co-developmental services. As usual, the workforce had to take a hit in the name of cutting costs. To be real, can the bosses and higher-ups of studios like Sumo (and many others that have laid off people in mass) really show their books wide open to the ones impacted and prove that even their salaries are being cut? Can they prove that they are cutting these jobs for the studio to survive in the future and that they have not taken a single profit for themselves? This is just messed up, and this industry needs a revolution for the better altogether. In the hope of helping some of the folks who were impacted by the Sumo layoffs, this post is a shoutout to bring visibility to them from recruiters and game studios. Sara Machado — We all know about Sara’s immense contributions to this community and how she looks after the people of this industry day in and day out. But apart from helping the community, Sara has 5+ years of experience building game development teams. Incredibly, she has hired teams for titles like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Still Wakes the Deep. Peter Barnard — The studio art director who has worked for many renowned studios like Electronic Arts, Rebellion, and Exient. Moreover, Peter has worked on the quirky title Angry Birds Transformers at Exient. Steven Hird — With 24 years of experience in the gaming industry, Steven was a veteran artist for Sumo Digital, the studio’s principal concept artist who was with the studio for over 12 years. He has also worked for studios like EA, Sony, and THQ. Check out his blog here: https://lnkd.in/gWc-U779 Pier Francesco Tortorelli — Another hardcore industry veteran with immense production experience across studios like Ubisoft and Ubisoft Reflections. Pier is a bomb talent whose games speak for him; games like Burnout Revenge, Battlefield: Modern Combat, Splinter Cell: Double Agent, Assassin’s Creed, and many more AAA titles. Aaron Drinkwater — An associate programmer for Sumo Group’s subsidiary Auroch Digital who was with the studio for more than 3 years. Take a look at Aaron’s potential on his itch portfolio: https://lnkd.in/gE2Wkf_F *** If you were impacted by the layoffs and are looking to upskill, we are offering you a 100% scholarship on our $11,000 flagship game programming BootCamp: https://lnkd.in/gg_4HcT5 *** #layoffsupport

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Epic Games is doubling down on being the destination for all developers. The addition of Fab to Unreal and UEFN increases the intensity of Unreal's desire to best Unity. Unity is the market share winner by a large degree, but the constellation of developer ecosystem resources that Epic has put together is showing the lens through which developers of the future—from massive AAAs to indies to brands to a rag-tag group of friends—will be making decisions. Here's how things shake out in Epic's growing developer solutions landscape: - Unreal Engine: the de facto toolkit for many AAA PC/console developers, Unreal is the choice for the DIY dev who needs to build from the ground up. - UEFN: Don't want to start from scratch? Build on top of Fortnite, make whatever you want, and tap into an existing audience of Fortnite players. UEFN works for a group of friends as much as it works for professional dev shops building lands for consumer brands. The caveat? You mostly live and die by Fortnite, and whatever rev share schema Epic wants to put in place. - FAB: Fab's aggregation of Unity tooling doesn't mean that Epic is suddenly going to scoop up Unity players (much of that happened with Unity's pricing change debacle), but it does mean that Epic increasingly becomes the destination for developer exploration and education. And then, hey, while you're there, maybe check out UEFN or Unreal? This is part of a growing trend that we're seeing as a large part of gaming continues to consolidate and the commoditization of tooling gives way to increased focus on new ways for developers to get to market more quickly and leverage new revenue streams (like a UEFN). Of course, Unity has answers to a lot of this as well and is generally more established in revenue solutions for developers, but what Unity doesn't have is a title like Fortnite (and its UEFN offshoot) to dogfood its own tech and also give developers the land on which to build more quickly and leverage existing audiences. Fab isn't going to shake up the engine landscape over night, and obviously showing off Unity tooling doesn't directly benefit anything in the Unreal world, but the ethos of bringing more and more developers under the Epic umbrella is fully on display with this move. https://lnkd.in/geNXjMp4

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80 GameDev Tools for Everyday Life. I wish I had the tools available today when I joined GameDev 12 years ago. Shoutout to Anton Slashcev for this one! Covering crucial 20 areas including: • QA • HR • IDEs • CI/CD • 3D Art • 2D Art • Sound • Planning • Analytics • Narrative • Animation • Playtesting • Networking • Localization • Whiteboard • Game Engine • Monetization • Documentation • Communication • Market Research What tools do you use every day? Let me know below ⬇️

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Sony's VP Sadahiko Hayakawa recently noted, "single-player titles remain a strength due to predictability in hits, while live-service games bring a higher upside but also increased release risk." This is where everyone's headed. We've all had the publisher conversations in which they're look to derisk their portfolios. There is more DLC coming out. Newer IP needs to be much further along in production (your risk) and market tested (their job). Having medium budgets is the right choice. It's not all doom and gloom though. Building IP will make future success let's "hits driven". Sequels make more money. Just look at Nintendo. So, with the next game you're making - ask yourself: "Will this be a franchise?" https://lnkd.in/dW6ENays

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