Tim Bohg’s Post

👾👾👾 Combatting Layoffs in Games? Here is one thing YOU can think about right NOW to combat the layoff that's today, tomorrow, or next year. This clip from my amazing conversation with the one and only Harry Phokou carries themes (and exact reference to) recent Live conversations with Amir Satvat, Jordan Mazer, and more, all focused on helping you to prepare, recover, and thrive even in moments of true challenge. So here's your tip of the day: Curiosity Kep the Cat Employed: Connect with intriguing people, and let yourself be intrigued by people. From current peers to future leaders to those reinventing your industry, explore and connect by leveraging informational interviews. There are thousands of ideas and tips on here and elsewhere that may help, so this is just a drop in a very large bucket, but it's absolutely one of the top 10 career tips I've ever counted as part of my journey. The informational interview. LOTS more content on this coming soon. #gaming #gamingjobs #gamingcommunity

Some great insight here from my fellow Electronic Arts (EA) alumn, Mike Williams. The video game business is hit driven and inherently risky. Not every bet will pay off, and recognizing that up front is key. As CFO (or other financial leader), there is a balancing act between supporting and challenging business partners. That does require difficult conversations at times, but it is a business after all and only sustainable when the game & market ultimately align. 

My prediction, based on the recent games-industry layoffs: In the future, more game companies will offer more single-project contracts instead of permanent positions. The teams I've been on in years past were made up of 80-90% permanent employees. I can see, in the coming years, that similar teams will have only 30-50% permanents instead. When I started long ago, there were many people from the more-mature film industry who were attracted by the stability of games jobs. In light of recent layoffs--even at successful studios--I foresee that stability to be reduced, which is a shame.

In light of the recent layoffs in our industry and those who were affected by the layoffs, don’t lose hope or your will. You’ve been part of an amazing journey, creating worlds that people love and get immersed in. You will continue to do great things in the future too. I suggest connecting with leaders around you to keep talking, sharing, and supporting each other. Personally, I would suggest reaching out to Amir Satvat and go through all the initiatives he has put in place to support everyone in the best way possible. I am also gearing up to start a new game development studio, First Ray Games. I am working towards building a studio that not only creates amazing games but also fosters a strong, supportive culture, that is focused on not just protecting but also setting a new way of working together so that the right motivation is set and people at no point feel that they can be discarded. I'd love to jump on a call with experienced industry leaders and those affected by the layoffs to understand how I can do things differently and ensure our future culture protects and supports our team. Let’s connect and discuss how we can create a positive impact together. #gaming #gamingindustry #layoffs #culture #gaming

So with the amount of layoffs in games, its created a large bed of variables to look at.. yeah I'm not a scientist but trying my best to sound smart. Recent lunch with some friends out of work in games, had an interesting convo. All 3 of them are artist and they all applied to the same position at a company. They had found out after they applied they all were in competition and luckily they were in friendly spirits about it. Anyways, two of them got interviews. In the initial talks with the recruiter/hiring manager they were given a salary range. Only two of them got that far in conversation. Of those two, the range was different even though they had similar experience. They compared the responses they got and it was really odd how they were different, same person but different attitude in the way they were replying to them. Also in the interviews, the duties and role was slightly different, like the one with the lower pay range was basically being given a heavier responsibility description. Same interviewer too so a bit odd perhaps how the convo changed per person. The 3rd person, they were being notified once a week or so about progress and to don't worry, we'll get in touch soon with more info. Well.. at the end, none of them got the job, or feedback of why. The 3rd person just got ghosted without an update or reply asking for an update. I feel for them, hence giving them a lunch to vent, its stressful as all heck to interview, not wanting to put all your hope into a job that could or could not happen. And then to see that there are differences and inconsistency on the whole process. Some might actually say the 3rd person had it the best since they never got their hopes set too high but at the same time the ego can take a hit on not being asked to talk. Thoughts, anyone currently interviewing/looking for a job have some experiences to share?

Yet another wave of announcements about layoffs in the games industry this week. 😢 It feels tough right now. The future is uncertain and it can be scary. But you don’t have to figure out the future, all you have to do is deal with what’s happening right now in this moment, and just take the next step. This might mean putting yourself out there and looking for a new job if you feel up to it. But the chances are you also need a bit of time to process what’s going on and allow yourself to settle. Tune in to what you need to do to look after yourself and listen. The more you can settle, the more likely you will see new opportunities, and have the energy to take action. Notice how you feel, and if you find yourself overwhelmed or anxious, please take a break. And when you’re ready, there are a few resources in the comments below that might help you with your next step. If you need a bit of guidance or support, please reach out. #gamesindustry #layoffs #womeningames #careercoaching

Highlighting significant issues in the gaming industry 🎮 , focusing on mass layoffs, corporate greed, and increasing political division. Layoffs destabilize the industry, harming creativity and game quality ✍️ , while inflation and profit-driven 🤑 decisions further degrade game standards. Overemphasis on profit leads to rushed 😓 , mediocre games filled with microtransactions, frustrating gamers. Inflation exacerbates these problems, straining budgets 👜 and pushing developers into unhealthy working conditions 😵 . The industry's focus on money, rather than innovation 👩💻 , has created a market flooded with subpar games, alienating gamers and eroding trust in major game studios. #layoffs #laidoff #gamingindustry #videogameindustry #corporategreed #jobs #hardships #videogames #innovation #jobnews #qualitynotquantity #thesocialTalks

The video game industry is experiencing a wave of layoffs, making a tough market even more competitive for aspiring talent. It's becoming increasingly challenging to compete with artists who have years of AAA experience under their belt. Ironically, people are now applying for jobs that require three years of AAA experience, and they actually have it! Reports suggest that only 1% of hires are cold applications, and even though I've been trying to connect with people, I either get no response or a cold one. It seems everyone is doing it. For those of us without experience, having a career in the video game industry may seem impossible now…

💔 𝗟𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗼𝗳𝗳? You're not alone. In the fast paced world of games industry, layoffs can feel like a game over screen. But it’s just a checkpoint. 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘂𝗽. We’ve built a community on Games Jobs Direct and our 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 is here for you. You’ll find opportunities, resources and people who genuinely want to help you bounce back. 💬 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 and I'm/We're here to connect you with the right roles, resources and support. 🔗 For the 3000 of the latest roles: https://lnkd.in/drxGAGqC 🎮 Join the Games Jobs Direct Discord Channel: https://lnkd.in/eXBhpizm 👥 Follow Kristian, Mayank Grover @ Outscal, Mirko Minenza, Alexander Rehm, Ali Farha, Matt Barney, Caitlin Cooke, Hannah Wright ⚡️🎮 for more insights. What has been your biggest challenge during layoffs? Drop a comment and let’s talk #gamesindsutry #layoffs #support #gamedev #gamesdevs #gamesjobs #hiring #jobs #opento #opentonetwork #discord #gamesjobsdirect

Pretty much every day I hear about more and more layoffs in the video game space. In my 20 year career I’ve never seen this bubble pop. And it’s interesting. I assumed that video games were an indestructible force. Boredom has never been in short supply and games fill that void quite well. And I’m making a few speculations about the future. Out of the tens of thousands of people that have been left jobless how many of them won’t give up? How many all these middle management folks who know how to manage a studio or a group of people will pick themselves up and start their own indie studio? Although burnout is a serious issue with the game industry, I know there’s so many people that are extremely passionate about it. It’s not like the talent just dissolves into thin air never to be seen again. Just like the dot com bubble of the late 90s and early 2000s it’s not like that was the complete end of the Internet. Some of the greatest innovations of our lifetime happened immediately after that. What do you think the future holds? Is AI going to take over all of our jobs? Is development just too expensive to take the risk on anymore? Is unionization the answer?