Michal Szustak

#gamedev #gamingindustry #gamingjob Hi everyone! Some of you may remember my recent posts about me looking for a job - I still am, but that's not the focus of today. A lot of my colleagues, extremely skilled ones, are looking for new jobs as well. I am unable to cover everyone in a similar situation among the people I've worked with for the last year or so. I hope nobody feels like it's unfair of me that I didn't include them - these are just some names from the top of my head. Let's go! Mikołaj Żelazny - an extremely skilled QA specialist; he joined the team I've been working with mid-work and caught up with the project in a blink, bringing the QA department to the next level. Łukasz Kwiatkowski - a great game designer and person who owned the combat design like an absolute champ; he is a unique mix of experience and diligence. Oskar Trochimowicz - an brilliant 3D artist, no matter what you ask of him, he will probably deliver something that exceeds your expectations. Piotr Wójtowicz - a talented VFX artist ready to bring your game to the next level; he is able to adapt quickly and take on any challenges and is a great person to collaborate with. I hope some of you might think back to this post if, by chance, you're ever in need of people with their skillsets. There is a possibility that, if any of my close colleagues are in need of that, I'll post another list or two, but I hope I won't have to and that everyone in need of a job right now will eventually find their place. ❤️ If you could leave a reaction for the visibility of the people I've mentioned, I'd be eternally thankful! (adorable image in the post: eggsdoodz @ Instagram)

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Another International Talk Completed ✅ Digital Dragons, thank you so much for having me! With everything happening in our industry, it's easy to spiral, but that's when you need community the most. That's why travelling to Poland, representing Sumo Digital Ltd and PixelAnt Games, felt extra special! There's something amazing about getting together on-site, with people from all over, to #RethinkRecruitment (even if that means I need to budget extra energy for public speaking 😅), and I'm super grateful for the opportunity. --- This got me thinking... ...you might have noticed I haven't posted much recently, and this is why: 🗺️ Bird's Eye View has been working with two amazing partners to put together a bid for the BFI grant. 🔍 I'm busy at work reviewing a couple of hiring processes. 🤖 The LinkedIn Algorithm™️ is incredibly demotivating when it comes to pushing helpful content to people that need it the most. 🚫 I wasn't sure if I was making any difference since the industry barely has any roles open. However, so many people reached out during #DigitalDragons to say my content really helped their job hunt; I can't help but think I should give it another try! 👉🏼 So bear with me, I probably won't post every day (I'm aiming for 1-2 a week), but I'm planning on writing articles with all the content from previous posts, as well as new bits of advice, especially when it comes to a slower industry. 💬 If you have topics you would like me to write about, feel free to drop them below! --- 📣 Follow #RethinkRecruitment and ring the 🔔 to read about: 📙 #GameDev Recruitment Best Practices 🔎 #JobHunting, #CareerAdvice & #RecruiterTips 👁️ Bird's Eye View & the #ELSH ⏩ https://entrylevel.games/ 🌟 Opinions are very much my own™️

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How we scaled from 12 to 85 developers in 3 months. Client Project: Merge3 game. KPIs: We did better than expected. They wanted 160 days of content ASAP. We grew from 12 ➜ 45 ➜ 85 developers. Without losing quality, we delivered. Many thanks to Olga Zagorskaia, our partner's Head of Project Management. She has taught us a great deal and helped streamline processes during our scaling phase. Here are 5 key lessons I learned: 1) Process and structure are key for fast growrth - Grew to 45 developers through internal reallocation, and an additional 40 people were added to the structure by our partners. Built a synergy of individuals from different companies to function as one cohesive mechanism. - Only possible with structured communication. 2) Clear roles make decisions easaier. - Gave team members specific features to own. - Made a hierarchy with leads and sub-leads. 3) Effective tools and regular reviews maintain quality. - Completely redesigned our business processes to make them simpler but structured, transparent and introduced new review checkpoints. - Implemented new collaborative tools to streamline communication (Figma, Miro, Coda). 4) Adapt Reviews as you grow. - Held project team and lead calls twice a week. - Held art review calls three times a week. 5) Review and Improve often. - Held big retros after each milestone. - Used team feedback to get better. Continuous improvement is key to success. This project was a huge moment for us. It showed us what was possible. Moving internal developers? Working with partner studios? Where there is a will there is a way. P.S. If you’re looking to scale your Unity Project fast, reach out. We’ve been there and know what it takes.

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Join Futuregames Warsaw this fall. Become game designer, artist or programmer in 2-2,5 year of intensive game creation process. Enter gamedev industry in 2 years getting the job of your dreams. In Futuregames: LEARNING = CREATING GAMES ATTENDING SCHOOL = NETWORKING DOING INTERNSHIP = GETTING THE JOB #gamedev #gamedesign #gameprogramming #gameart #videogames #gamedevindustry #gamedevschool #gameschool #gamedevcourses

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And this is the last model in which I´ve been working on these last few months. It is based on the lovely art of Yishu Ci "Use the Ki" wich is full of details and appeal, and I can asure it´s been a challenge, but also a pleasure to take it into 3D. See the link ( https://lnkd.in/dUzJCaBY )for full images! #3DArt #CharacterArt #Stylized #Blender #Zbrush

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For anyone that is currently working on polishing their portfolios, here are some main takeaways to keep in mind! Make sure your portfolio is a good display of your specialization. - This is crucial. You should be aiming to apply for a job only with portfolio pieces that fit your desired role. More doesn't mean better. - Your portfolio is only as strong as your weakest piece. Keep your best work on there, or ideally ask for help in choosing which ones to keep. Document your process and workflows. -At first glance this might seem like it's boring, but it's actually really effective. If you're documenting your thoughts, especially how you approached problem solving and reasons why you opted into a specific solution, you are also communicating directly to the very people who are hiring you. ArtStation blogs are a great space where you can write about the specifics of your project. If you're lucky, you might even land an 80 Level article. Tailor your portfolio to reflect Game Studios' Art Styles: - If you're aiming for a specific studio, make a few pieces that fit their art style! You're increasing your chances of being noticed this way, and you will also get to experience how firsthand how it is to work on a specific art style. Do you want more specific advice about your own portfolio or Environment Art for games in general? Feel free to book some time with me here! https://lnkd.in/gjPafrjD

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On #Vgmag, our online games magazine, you can find "V", our new monthly magazine about games and the games industry. Done by Idra Editing, and published by VIGAMUS Group, V tries to explore a new and modern take on the field, accepting the challenge of following an ever-changing landscape like the one we see in the global games industry. Our first cover story, an article that I've chosen to write, is about the industry crisis, with some interviews with industry veterans about it. The magazine is in Italian, but every article is uploaded on Vgmag as a common online piece, so it's not hard to translate it. Thanks a lot for your attention, and enjoy V. Every feedback is welcome! 💙 Read the magazine for free here: https://www.vgmag.it/ #vmensile #Gamepro #vigamus #vigamusfamily #gamejournalism #riviste #criticavideoludica #stampaspecializzata #idraediting

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If you agree that playing a tutorial is easy, but making a great tutorial is super hard, then we've got something just for you at the #GameDesignSummit 2024 in Cracow on 19-20th of May! 🎫 https://lnkd.in/d_hhv75i Throughout the workshop with a video game industry professional, Rafał Cywicki, you’ll learn: 🎮 Different requirements for a great tutorial 🎮 How to structure and deliver such a tutorial 🎮 Brainstorm a mechanic for a fictional game together See you there! #DigitalDragons #gamedev #videogames #gamedevpoland

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If you want to understand the European game industry, follow the money. If there is one document that sums up the mindset of the local gamedev community, it is the application form for local public funding. Today, I attended a gamedev start-up funding event, Get Funded!, organised by Neogames Finland ry. The Finnish game developer community is exceptionally innovative, business-oriented, and growth-oriented. It is not a coincidence that these are also the priorities of the Business Finland funding instruments, which are often the first support instruments new entrepreneurs apply to launch their businesses. And what kind of questions does Business Finland push young entrepreneurs to master?  - What is the company's growth/renewal vision? - What are your 2-5 concrete and at least partly measurable targets (e.g. R&D needs for a solution, a solution pilot, a business strategy for the solution)? - What concrete benefits will the company's business generate for customers and end users?  - Which customer need or problem does the company aim to solve through the business to be developed?  - Who are the potential customers, and what is the planned earnings model?  - What are the target market areas, and how big are they?  * Who are the competitors, and what is the company's competitive advantage based? - Does the company own all intellectual property rights related to the solution? How does the company intend to protect its solution and competitive advantages? - How should the company develop its management competencies (including sales management, customer relationship management, growth management, and R&D management)? Therefore, it is no surprise that the Finnish game dev ecosystem is constantly able to germinate highly growth-oriented start-ups like Bitmagic, Cosmic Lounge, Channel37 and Spectarium, just to name a few recent examples. However, there is always a risk that an innovative R&D project becomes the company's main product; just have a look at companies like HypeHype Inc., YAHAHA, Noice and Metaplay. While some other European countries provide a better public support framework for game productions, Finland is the place for game industry R&D and innovative growth-oriented gamedev start-ups.

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I am interested in everything around gaming but what about igaming? 🎰 I did not know much about it other than the polemic aspect of it. So, I wrote an entry about igaming. Sharing below ^^ #igaming #internetgaming #gambling

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🎮Proud Support for Our Team at Digital Dragons❗️🚀 Our colleagues Michael Kubiak and Magdalena Grzesiak are set to attend Digital Dragons 2024, and though I’m not there in person, I’m with them in spirit!🔥 Our work together at GamerSEO supports this kind of industry engagement. Join me in cheering them on as they represent us and explore how we’re transforming game marketing. More updates to follow from the event! #DigitalDragons2024 #GamerSEO #DigitalMarketing #GamingIndustry

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Time for a post about Narrative Design in the context of VO! (For some context: I've worked on both the 3rd party contractor side and the internal dev side, being the main audio person coordinating the vision of VO on projects.) Something I see time and again is how game devs underestimate non-verbals. And it's understandable! 10 "pain grunts" seems less exciting and interesting than 2-3 spoken word lines that are each a full sentence. Efforts and pains are often seen as begrudging "must haves" by a lot of game teams. It feels like a chore to some. But what if I told you that those pains and efforts are actually PERFECT opportunities to show game and narrative information contextually with minimal cost to the player (and actually kind of for you too)! The only real cost is foresight and awareness to make sure your VO system (which you will be making anyways) can take in parameters for things like health and character specifics relevant to your project. For example: You have a juggernaut strong character in your game. You want them to feel big and unstoppable as a character. They have a huge ax that they wield in massive arcs with visible ease. You *could* just have the same effort VO play each time they use that ability. OR... You could have a very small (borderline-too-small) effort when they swing that massive ax, while at full health. But as they get damaged, even without needing to change the animation or art, they will FEEL more damaged because they start panting and making audible efforts that are angry and belabored with each swing. Without any new UI, character art, or animations, you've subconsciously communicated to your player that the juggernaut is flagging! And you did it in a way that isn't a fully-worded line that will get annoying to hear on its 15th playthrough. It will still feel organic. You see this in your favorite action sequences in movies. And it's very tunable after-the-fact, since you got a range of pains/efforts, not just one line! To be fair, is this ideal for every genre ever? No. But that's a bit like saying "Salt doesn't belong on all food" when someone asks why there isn't any salt at the feast. Too often, the incredibly versatile and sneakily powerful tool of non-verbals in narrative design is neglected. And when I've been on teams that don't embrace it, the reason wasn't "It wasn't a good fit for our product/scope," it was "We didn't think about it." Think about it. :)

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Very interesting point of view about recreating a bicycle. Make-or-buy analisys should be always considered when starting the development of new cool finctionality. In some, cases it is not worth making tools on your own.

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