Mark James

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Capcom has released a less-than-positive annual report. There's nothing critical in it; all the declines are tied to a pause in releases. Capcom certainly has a vast catalog of successful franchises for upcoming releases. Resident Evil (RE) stands out distinctly. While Capcom didn't start with RE, it played a crucial role in their history and has had a significant impact on the gaming industry as a whole. Today, RE comprises 32 releases across 33 platforms. These are incredible numbers and a testament to success. Moreover, judging by Metacritic scores, Capcom manages to maintain a high standard of quality. I gathered a timeline of all RE releases on one website (link in the comments). I thoroughly enjoyed watching videos, reading books, reminiscing about my own experiences playing the games, and playing with friends and colleagues. Here are a few interesting facts about RE and Capcom: - Resident Evil 4 was released on 14 platforms. - The first RE took 3 years to develop, instead of the usual 3-6 months for Capcom in 1996. Consultants hired from the U.S. advised shutting down the project when it was almost complete, predicting its failure. - Devil May Cry and Dino Crisis were born while searching for fresh gameplay for RE. - Capcom was one of the first companies to start paying revenue shares to developers, which is particularly noteworthy for Japanese companies. - Toy Story I and RE I were released around the same time. - For a while, music for RE was composed by a well-known Japanese composer who was said to be deaf. It later turned out that he wasn't actually deaf and didn't compose the music himself. PS. In 2026, the series will celebrate its 30th anniversary, and there will likely be a special release or edition. Or perhaps they'll simply release a version with full DualSense support.

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Sumo Digital announced a 15% cut in its workforce, roughly impacting 250 individuals. Among these 250 individuals was the team of Timbre Games, which also confirmed that the studio was being shut down. Timbre Games was founded in 2021 and made a part of Pipework Studios. Although Timbre had yet to launch any games, its website indicates that it was in the middle of two game projects. Unfortunately, game developers face more loss than the parent company when something like this happens. Who knows how Timbre's team might be coping after putting in millions of efforts to build the games and losing everything in a single blink? In their support, this is list 2 of some of the Timbreeos who were impacted by the closure. Every bit from the community counts, so requesting you all to help this reach recruiters and game studios currently hiring. Sophie Mallinson — In 2017, she was Arkane Studios' (Lyon) Narrative Designer who worked on Dishonored: Death of the Outsider and Wolfenstein: Youngblood. By 2019, she had become a Principal Narrative Designer for Arkane's Deathloop. It is quite interesting to note that after Arkane, she went on to work for EA on Star Wars and later for EA's own studio - Maxis Studios on The Sims Series. Nadia Lohan — With over a decade's worth of experience in Production, before Timbre, Nadia was a Producer at Blackbird Interactive and worked on Minecraft Legends. Notably, she has experience in the VFX industry and coordinated for blockbusters like Mulan, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Maleficent. Vivek Ramkumar — Here's a talented Game Designer who has worked on titles like Sleeping Dogs and Tryst, built his own first-person indie game, and has experience in LiveOps Design. Prior to Timbre, he was a senior Technical Designer for Relic Entertainment. Gerritt Turner — Before Timbre, Gerritt worked at Wizards of the Coast on a lot of Magic: The Gathering's writing, designing and overall creative. They even have an experience in Brand Writing for Hasbro. Yuliia Bocharova — Prior to Timbre, she was a Lead 3D Artist for Blackbird Interactive and worked there for 3+ years. You should check out her ArtStation portfolio: https://lnkd.in/gKEwykG5 Vincent-Gabriel Canadian — A talented VFX Artist who has worked for Studios like Frima, Behaviour Interactive, and Nesting Games. Vincent specializes in real-time VFX for video games! #layoffsupport

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We take a closer look at all the streams during the not-E3 period and slice it with feedback from over 1,300 gamers! Surely a first for the games industry! Head over to #gamesindustry to have a read https://lnkd.in/eTWq86dz? #fancensus #videogameinsights

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Amir Satvat's Games Community Support Content - Upcoming Schedule All Resources Cited Available @amirsatvat.com 11/8 - Helping Hands  (Resource #4) Spotlight on community members who have been searching for a job for over a year. 11/9 - New Games Jobs Update  (Resource #11) I've held off on loading new roles for a few days due to everything happening in the world, but expect hundreds of new roles to be available for application soon. 11/9 - Full Weekly Update (Resources #1, #2, #3, #5, #6, #7, #8, #16) Full refresh of all resources on the community website. 11/10 - Creator Partner Program Interest Check (Resource #18 - TBA) I will solicit participation interest in our new proposed Creator Partner Program for Amir Satvat's Games Community, highlighting those offering free games support to the community - based on your 94% / 6% in favor community vote. 11/11 - A BIG, BIG, BIG Surprise for Our Games Community Also Coming Soon   - A full study on job cuts by location (and more) from 2022 to 2024 YTD. - A concise one-page reference for all our key games job insights and stats. - Started a full update of the Games Jobs Directory (Resource #10)

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Dear Stretch Network Partners, Please allow me to inform you about additional changes that will take place in the global network on July 8. 🍀 All Heads-up tables will be removed 🍀 Badugi cash tables will be removed 🍀 Sonic cash tables will become 6-max 🍀 The minimum buy-in for Sonic Omaha cash tables will be 20 BB 🍀 Sonic Omaha 7 card cash tables will be added These changes apply only to cash tables and only to our Global Network. In your local networks, you decide your product strategy, but we would be happy to assist you in managing your local networks as well. If you need our help, please contact us. The above-mentioned changes are part of the new strategy for the Stretch Network Global Network, which prioritizes the comfort of novice players and casual traffic to maintain the proper balance of our ecosystem between amateurs and professionals. Caring for the ecosystem of the Global Network is our priority. The changes we are implementing now and will continue to implement will significantly improve the user experience for your players, extend their LTV, ARPU, and, of course, Revenue.

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Lots of people changing jobs or on the hunt at the minute. Some useful tips to be mindful of from Amanda here. Even though you'll understandably be focused on landing the new role as smoothly as possible, these aren't unreasonable expectations at all and much easier to tackle up front than to deal with after the fact.

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Sometimes it's the most subtle AI announcements that are the biggest deal... Being able to access GitHub repositories directly from Claude now makes Claude an even bigger winner for coding. So much of my coding time is spent copying and pasting examples from github to fix Claude's stale/incorrect recollection of APIs. ...Not to mention the ability to hook this up directly to a database.

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💡 ERROR LOG #27: If your core gameplay loop isn’t compelling, your game might not be either. What I mean by that is the core gameplay loop is the heartbeat of your game. It’s the cycle of actions players will perform repeatedly, and if it’s not engaging, the entire player experience can be doubtful. The loop doesn’t just entertain, it defines the game, driving the player’s emotional and strategic investment. For example, think of a classic side-scroller. The loop might involve running, jumping, and shooting while collecting treasures and defeating enemies (YES! You got it! Metal Slug :D). Simple, but highly engaging. Compare that to a more complex RPG loop, blending exploration, combat, and dialogue. These loops provide different experiences, but they all share one thing: they’re finely tuned to keep players coming back but first and foremost they have to enjoy it! 💡As some of you know I’m not a designer by profession, I simply love all the aspects of game development. Here’s where I went wrong early in my design journey as I was mostly driven by visuals and appeal: I’d focus so much on flashy features and world-building that I’d lose sight of how those elements tied into the core loop. It’s easy to overcomplicate or dilute the loop with feature creep. But here’s the hard truth: if the loop isn’t tight, even the best visuals or narrative can’t save your game. 📘A-HA Moment: Start simple, then refine. Think of the gameplay loop as the game’s skeleton. It needs to be strong before you add the muscles (mechanics) and skin (aesthetics). For me, studying great games and their loops - like the seamless exploration and combat of The Legend of Zelda or the addictive power fantasy of Kratos in God of War was a game-changer. If you’re crafting a core gameplay loop, ask yourself: ✅ What will the player do 80% of the time? ✅ How does it feel? Is it satisfying, challenging, and fun? ✅ Does every element of the game enhance the loop or distract from it? What’s your favourite example of a perfectly executed gameplay loop? Let me know in the comments! Stay tuned for more ⚔️🐻

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More bad news today with GAMURS Group (the owners of major publications including Dot Esports, Destructoid Video Game News, and Twinfinite LLC) has seemingly cut a number of jobs without warning, with an unknown number of staff affected. Gamurs Group previously made redundancies in July, with teams from the above publications also seemingly affected. To those impacted 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 ❤️ #gamursgroup #twinfinite #dotesports #destructoid #layoffs

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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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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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Worried your voice casting is slowing down production and falling flat? Do this: Work with vendors who deliver speed, quality, and a personal touch. Too many game producers rely on large agencies with overbooked studios and slow communication. The result? Frustration, delays, and missed opportunities. Instead, choose partners who: Plan proper setup time so sessions run smoothly. Offer direct, responsive communication—no layers of PMs. Provide scalable options, like a studio network for flexible booking. The right approach saves time, avoids headaches, and creates unforgettable performances. Struggling with voice casting? Let’s talk.

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Painfully long is right. 😲 It look 8 years to build Concord and about 2 weeks for Sony to axe it. This is a strong example of what's wrong with the games industry, especially in the AAA space. How can a game remain relevant and feel innovative to audiences when it takes that many years to develop? And exactly how high of a bar do you have to hit in terms of quality and scope to meet player expectations after that length of time?! Indie studios can continue to lead the way in demonstrating 'what good looks like' for an industry that desperately needs a re-write. I firmly believe we can deliver outstanding experiences for our audiences by combining sustainable development with scalable growth strategies. In summary, we need to be embracing shorter, iterative and more cost effective development times, and identify scalable strategies to maintain Live Services. #indiegames #gamedevelopment #gamedev #innovation Sony Simply Sweet Games #gameindustry #videogames

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We are launching the first Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Network (DePIN) for live services game infrastructure. Our goal is nothing short of a total disruption of the way live games are built, provisioned and scaled--all in a way that dramatically reduces costs, lowers risks and reduces dependencies. According to Griffin Gaming Partners, 95% of game studios are already operating or plan to launch a live services game. But while most (65%) would prefer to buy rather than build technology themselves, live services is a mission-critical service that can control the destiny of a studio. What if some of these dependencies and risks could be eliminated? That's the goal of the Beamable DePIN network. https://lnkd.in/gptqvXQG

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Xbox’s revenue spiked 43% in Q3, thanks to the Activision Blizzard deal—a great example of how acquisition-driven strategies can boost the top line. With Game Pass hitting record revenue, it's clear Xbox is banking on expanding content libraries to boost loyalty and engagement. Sure, I hear you, Call of Duty...monstrous franchise with ridiculous numbers. But this is Microsoft's playbook - they are the first mover. They've stuck to it for years (despite mounting criticism on exclusive titles). Forget games, MSFT is renowned for playing the long-game and it's a strategy which pays off time and time again. After all strategies should be 5 - 10 years right? Not the next shareholder meeting. The biggest publishers in core games today are struggling with their financial models. A longer strategy, driven by acquisition (and then support for those IPs) might be the answer. https://lnkd.in/d-Rtzi6s

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How does one of the best studios in the industry stay at the top of the game? This sitdown between Michail Katkoff and Javier Ferreira on Deconstructor of Fun digs into how Scopely has thrived during a period when gaming has been especially challenged. Great insights on #productdevelopment, #intellectualproperty and #strategicpartnerships on this pod. https://lnkd.in/g2uuBSCG

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Pitch: A premium AAA action RPG on PC and Console based on the Chinese myth of Journey to the West? It sounds bold, but that's exactly what Black Myth: Wukong delivers. 🚀 Black Myth: Wukong is taking the gaming world by storm, with 1,443,570 peak concurrent users and a 90% Steam rating—just one day after launch. This premium AAA title, rooted in the rich tapestry of Chinese mythology and specifically Journey to the West, is a powerful reminder of why thinking differently is so crucial in our industry. As the first gaming hire at Kabam, I’ve always believed in the transformative power of pairing the right IP with the right gameplay. This belief has guided successful projects like Kingdoms of Camelot, Fast & Furious, Marvel: Contest of Champions, and more. Black Myth: Wukong exemplifies this approach—melding legendary narrative with next-gen technology to redefine what a premium game can be. At Transcend., we’re inspired by this kind of forward-thinking creativity that challenges the status quo and pushes the boundaries of interactive entertainment. Now go get yourself a copy of this game. 🚀🎮

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It's Develop this week but do you know what never stops however busy the industry conference calendar is? Video Games Industry Memo, that's what. I'm putting together two newsletters this week. Regular VGIM will hit nearly 2000 subscriber inboxes on Thursday morning and will feature a deep dive of everything I've learned by the seaside one of the UK's biggest industry conferences. And the second Ask George newsletter will arrive for VGIM Insiders on Friday morning, giving them - and you too - the chance to ask me anything you fancy about video games. To help me get them done between a veritable wall of back-to-back meetings, there are two things I am looking for: 💼 Details of hot off the press job moves OR excellent open job roles within the video games business. ❓ A final question for the Ask George column for me to sink my teeth into. Able to help with either? Leave a comment below or message me via LinkedIn DM if you think you can help. In the meantime, here's an image of a Question Block from the Mario series to illustrate the point about asking questions. It's not the most imaginative content I've come up with but, y'know, it is Monday morning 🤷‍♂️

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