Alexander Rehm’s Post

I am going to add another post about the layoffs at Sony Interactive Entertainment, which is impacting studios around the world, as I feel the other studios were not properly represented in my previous post and deserve to be mentioned and never forgotten. This post is to those from Insomniac Games, Guerrilla and Naughty Dog, three truly amazing studios. To those affected by these layoffs, please find a comprehensive list of resources, below: 🥇First, Discipline Games Jobs Resources: Over the past weeks I have created 7 (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 in gaming and contains tips and interview practice. Link: https://lnkd.in/dwwVjZuc 📑 Game Production: This resource lists around 350 jobs worldwide. It also contains info about game production as a whole and GDC talks. Link: https://lnkd.in/ePQBjT-d 📢 Marketing & Community: This resource lists around 400 jobs worldwide. It also gives an intro into game marketing and community management. Link: https://lnkd.in/er35bXMA 🎶 Audio and Sound Design: This resource lists around 160 jobs worldwide. This post also links to the "Bible of getting a Job in Game Audio" by my good friend Florian Ardelean, so check it out. Link: https://lnkd.in/eSpakqxD 📠 Studio Support, HR, Recruitment and BizDev Job Boards: This resource lists around 250 jobs worldwide. Link: https://lnkd.in/ee97UZCc 🥈 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 #playstation #sie #guerrilla #naughtydog #insomiacgames

The news about more layoffs is just brutal. Did you hear? PlayStation shut down its London Studio, leaving loads of talented folks out in the cold. It's heartbreaking, isn't it? But hey, we're not just sitting around feeling sorry. At Recruit Year, we're here to lend a hand. Know someone who got hit with a layoff recently? Or maybe it's you feeling lost and wondering what's next? We get it. Losing a job sucks. But guess what? We're not just about finding you another gig. Need some coaching to get your career back on track? Want to polish up those interview skills? Or maybe you just need a pep talk. We've got your back. So, if you're ready to start kicking butt again, let's chat. Shoot us a message and let's turn this setback into your next big win. #layoffsupport #recruitment #recruiter #gamesrecruiter #games

- On Layoffs - Thinking of everyone impacted by the recent layoffs at "Firewalk Studios" and others. For those who worked there, it’s not just about the projects or the studio; it’s about the friendships and collaboration that grow from working together. These connections, built on mutual respect and support, and the dedication each person brought to the team truly matter. Behind every title is a team that has faced long hours, tight deadlines, and the sacrifices that come with crunch time. Many friends have poured their hearts into building something meaningful, often at the expense of their personal lives. While the reception of "Concord" may not have met expectations, it’s important to remember that this does not reflect your talent or commitment for many in the studio. Many challenges in game development come from systemic issues, not from individual efforts. We must talk about and acknowledge the gaming community's right to voice their opinions. As developers, we must listen. Even when commentary can be harsh or even toxic, we should engage with care, recognizing both the community’s passion and the hard work of developers. We are all gamers looking for meaningful experiences, and constructive feedback can lead to growth. Together, we’re all part of the same community; gamers and developers are not opponents. To those impacted, your talent and resilience speak louder than any title. It’s crucial for us to shift our mindset: studios and workplaces should be viewed as jobs, not as the core of our lives. We invest our time and energy into these companies, and it’s vital that we are treated with respect as professionals. This means establishing boundaries that allow us to maintain our personal lives while delivering quality work. Our contributions should be valued for what they are, our skills and dedication; without sacrificing our well-being. I will post links of some friends in another post later today. If anyone has opportunities for skilled developers, artists, and creators, please reach out. Let’s connect and help them find new paths. Here’s to supporting one another and building a better future for our industry. Together, we can create an environment where everyone can succeed and have fun playing games. #SupportGameDev #GamingCommunity #GameDev #GameArtists #GameArt #PlayStation #NewOpportunities #GameDevJobs #SupportGamers (Sorry took me a bit to post on this recent Layoff, I needed time to internalize what I wanted to say in a constructive way, I hope I did ok with the post. Internally I am tired and allow me again to say pissed of seeing friends suffer whom I know are great developers. While I understand why this needed to happen, I cannot help having feelings on this for friends, and the families of those friends.)

To the 900 laid off at Sony and to the other thousands laid off in games already in 2024, I’m so sorry. Being laid off is never fun, and it’s worse when the studios doing the layoffs are some of the biggest AAA studios. That being said, I have some advice as someone who got let go in June last year. 1. Enjoy a week off. Or more if you’ve got the severance/savings. While being laid off sucks, it’s nice to regroup yourself before getting back into the workforce. 2. For devs specifically. If you’ve been working in a proprietary engine, I recommend getting some experience in Unreal or Unity. Because there are fewer and fewer studios using proprietary engines nowadays. And I know a lot of the companies doing the laying off are using proprietary engines. 3. Reach out to friends in the industry! Even just to say hi, because your network will be stronger than any resume. 4. Lastly, make sure your portfolio is up to date! I’ve interviewed dozens of people who don’t have portfolios. It’s a lot harder to gauge someone’s skills without a portfolio. I would much rather see past projects than give some generic test. I hope this helps at least one of you who are on the job hunt!

This old sarcastic video crystallizes the truth behind recent game industry layoffs of Sony, EA etc. Behind those honey-laced letters there is just the old story - gullible but dedicated coders, artists and other workers are exploited, making them believe that they are doing something important and they will be famous. In reality, they are just "rows on excel sheet", and their salaries decrease the profits and bonuses of business suits. So, in a board meeting those business suits will calculate that we will get more profits and more bonuses if we axe projects on row 2,5 and 12, and also delete workers on rows x to y. Kudos to everyone! High-fives! You should understand that those businessmen are not interested in artistic quality, narrative depth or other things that a deeply devoted developer usually cares about. Businessmen do not care about workers either, for them workers are just assets just like computers, not really alive. Businessmen are interested only about money, and especially quantity of money... more the better. Everything else is just a tool to increase profits, it is pure business mathematics. From businessmen perspective you can kick out as many developers as you want, because when the need rises, there are new developers available, eager to get that "career in game industry", some meaningless merit and lots of promises. When a game is ready they will be victims of next layoff, and cycle continues. #gameindustry #layoffs #layoffs2024 #videogames #videogameindustry #gamedevelopment #gamedeveloper #sony #electronicarts #ubisoft

This is so sad in so many levels. Saddest thing is that many of these developers are enthusiastic at their work, they are eager to do overtime, just to make their results better. But what is their reward for that dedication? Layoffs and meaningless "merit badge". My advice to young developers is that don't specialize too much. If you have skills in several field you have more alternatives. If you are skilled programmer, it is quite easy jump from general IT industry to games industry and vice versa. #gamesindustry #layoffs #itindustry #programming #programmingskills

Usually this happens in game studios where business becomes the most important factor. It happens gradually, when founders become detached of basic development, and are involved only management decisions, budgets etc, and suddenly everything seems to be just business math, excel sheets, powerpoints, meetings, scheduling, more meetings, investor relations and other activities that direct you away from artistic quality mentality to business success mentality. #gameindustry #qualityoverquantity #business #layoffs

Sad truth, indeed! That is why we have tried to keep our company suitably small but effective, with multi-skilled developers who take part in decision-making, and minimal amount of managers or other non-developer personnel. In our company developers get bonuses if a game succeeds, while C-level take pay-cuts if game fails. #gameindustry #layoffs #layoffsupport #layoffs2024 #gamedevelopment #jobalert #gamedevelopers #layoffsandjobreductions #hiringdevelopers #workculture #videogameindustry #videogames

Devastating news this past week with many layoffs at various studios, Antstream Arcade has made an unknown number of layoffs. The studio stated that they made a shift in their focus internally and had to conduct these layoffs within the team. "This decision was not made lightly, and we will be working to support those affected throughout the process." Source: https://lnkd.in/ecjMk5Zu My thoughts are with you all. If comfortable, send a message with your connection request. I offer mentorship and am happy to assist with advice or resources. 📰 Extensive Resources: https://lnkd.in/efqg_aHp 📜 Game Job Posts 10/6/24: Animation & VFX ●https://lnkd.in/eZbcyqkT (+Art) ●https://lnkd.in/ecrAqrbj ●https://lnkd.in/esrCswgu Art ●https://lnkd.in/etR4WBjH ●https://lnkd.in/e3zJR4eZ Engineering & Programming ●https://lnkd.in/ezvB2DRy ●https://lnkd.in/eua6K4-F Entry Positions & Internships ●https://lnkd.in/e8KuAnpt (+Junior) ●https://lnkd.in/ehUtSXJr (+Junior) ●https://lnkd.in/eCyMZYzi (+Junior) ●https://lnkd.in/e7eef5vY ●https://lnkd.in/eMX8-RVN ●https://lnkd.in/eqXKM_cK ●https://lnkd.in/e_Rqhtn3 Game Design ●https://lnkd.in/eKRim88V ●https://lnkd.in/eWxqPHjJ ●https://lnkd.in/eP22GTBf Junior/Mid ●https://lnkd.in/ekuenRFJ ●https://lnkd.in/eGzPfenG Marketing/Community Management ●https://lnkd.in/e42Md5ca ●https://lnkd.in/ecHE39Wk ●https://lnkd.in/epsMTZvG ●https://lnkd.in/ek2mSvvN ●https://lnkd.in/ehuK-Pm5 ●https://lnkd.in/e5xtgcuz ●https://lnkd.in/e5ZiNm2F ●https://lnkd.in/eqSVtNkt ●https://lnkd.in/eq-ZmJfm ●https://lnkd.in/e9a_MM-a ●https://lnkd.in/e9nGNRnw ●https://lnkd.in/ecdZED2M Narrative Design & Game Writing ●https://lnkd.in/eargQZG5 ●https://lnkd.in/eTwqC7EA ●https://lnkd.in/ec4_XWBQ ●https://lnkd.in/e7wqpRbj Production ●https://lnkd.in/eNHt3BW6 ●https://lnkd.in/edCAAd5z (Europe Roles) ●https://lnkd.in/e4wfaEw7 (Discord w/resources) QA ●https://lnkd.in/eDZ2ftir ●https://lnkd.in/eSAUAK6T UI & UX ●https://lnkd.in/e9P389n8 ●https://lnkd.in/edae8Q_t ●https://lnkd.in/eYiMhsPi ⭐ Wonderful Individuals & Resourceful Orgs to Follow: Amir Satvat Andi Schuler aka Andi Creates Alex Gombos Alexander Rehm (Hiring!) Arin Goldsmith Caitlin Cooke Chris Mayne Cristina Amaya Eva Tucker Firestarters Hailey Rojas Hitmarker | Gaming Jobs Indie Game Academy International Game Developers Association (IGDA®) IGDA Foundation Jan David Hassel Jordan Carver Jordan Mazer Kat Craig Kelly Bender Kevin Ferreira Kristian Kolvek Matt Barney (Hiring!) Matt Hearnden Mayank Grover Mirko Minenza (Hiring!) Sara Machado Susi Bauer *All links have been posted/updated this past week. Categories are together due to individuals combining postings. I am not a recruiter for these.

With so much change happening in the gaming industry, I spoke with the Observer about some of the layoff news of this week. This interview happened right after the Sony gaming layoff news and before the EA layoff news that were announced yesterday. Gaming as an industry is going through a lot of changes, all the while media giants like Netflix dive deeper into gaming. Some layoffs are particular to the gaming industry, some are related to how shareholders are reacting to layoffs. I sadly think we will continue to see layoffs in this space, but on the flip side corproate america is finally starting to give gaming (as an industry) the recognition it deserves. What is your perspective on why gaming is going through such change? #tech #business #gaming #sony #EA #Epic #nvidia #netflix