Before #AsianPacificIslanderHeritageMonth comes to an end, we’d like to take a moment to highlight some of our APAC studio members by sharing their stories of their culture, career journey, and what keeps them inspired. Now introducing Jackie Cao: Senior Systems Designer at Sledgehammer Games. "Born and raised in West Hartford, Connecticut, I had a typical suburban New England upbringing while maintaining my Asian heritage. My parents wanted us to be involved in 'American' culture, enrolling us in various sports and musical activities. Summers were spent camping in the woods or at the beach, and winters snowboarding in the mountains, I played lacrosse and tennis at school. I still had a culturally rich upbringing due to having immigrant parents and the majority of my extended family living in the same town. We spoke Cantonese at home and celebrated Chinese and Vietnamese holidays and traditions.My mother, who used to work as a school teacher in China, now runs my uncle’s restaurant, while my father works at a printing press. When I first told them I wanted to study game development, they were skeptical and worried about career prospects since they didn’t know much about the field. However, they were surprisingly supportive and encouraged me to chase the American dream they immigrated here for which was to pursue my own passions. I went to school for my Master’s Degree in Game Development at the University of Utah with a focus on Game Production. During my elective classes in Design, I found that I enjoyed that aspect of game development more. I got an internship at an indie studio, then moved on to Bioware as a Level Designer. During my time there, I discovered a passion for encounter design for boss fights and my next role was AI/Encounter design at Gearbox. Now, I’m at Sledgehammer Games as a systems designer focusing on AI combat.My personal interests and experiences contribute to my work as well. Traveling internationally and living in Europe amongst many international students for a time has enriched my perspective. With how much globetrotting takes place the Call of Duty, those worldwide experiences have helped me design games that are inclusive but also grounded in reality. Additionally, my main hobby as a competitive shooter and firearms instructor provides valuable insights into the realistic use of weaponry in Call of Duty and gives me a lot of knowledge and interest in the setting of the game." We’re proud to celebrate Jackie’s contributions to our team and the experience he brings with him. #AAPIMonth #GameDevelopment #GameDev Activision #GamesIndustry #EmployeeSpotlight
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🎓 Excited to share a significant milestone in my journey: completing my Master of Arts (MA) degree in Indie Game Development at Falmouth University! 🎮 The past two years has been an incredible experience of creativity, collaboration, and personal growth. From concept to execution, I've delved deep into the world of game design- honing my skills in game mechanics, visual design, coding and more, and embracing the challenges along the way. For my final Major Project of my degree, I delved into research of how video games can enhance our mental health and emotional well-being. This led me to create an emotional adventure game (developed in Unity game engine) focused on mindfulness. This was my biggest project yet, designed to immerse players in a world that evokes positive emotions and fosters a sense of well-being. I aimed to demonstrate the profound impact that games can have on our lives. This project was not just an academic pursuit; it was a labor of love—an opportunity to contribute to a growing body of knowledge while also wishing to inspire others to explore the therapeutic potential of gaming. Through countless late nights of coding, testing, and iterating, I've learned that game development is not just about crafting immersive experiences—it's about storytelling, empathy, and pushing the boundaries of what's possible. I'm so very grateful for the guidance of my professors at Falmouth University, the support of my peers, and the opportunity to be part of such a vibrant community. They've been like ‘POWER-UPS’ scattered throughout my academic journey, providing ‘BOOSTS’ of motivation and knowledge. I've conquered the challenges and earned my Masters degree… Now, armed with my degree and a healthy dose of caffeine addiction, I'm ready to tackle the next ‘LEVEL’ - because in this game called life, there’s always another ‘BOSS’ waiting to be defeated! Here's to the endless possibilities that lie ahead, and to the countless worlds waiting to be explored. And finally, here’s to the next level of my life and career - and to never running out of Extra Lives! (Pun intended)🌟🎮 #IndieGameDevelopment #FalmouthUniversity #MastersJourney #GameChanger #GameDevelopment #GameDesign #Unity #UnityDeveloper #GameDeveloper
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From pursuing science in high school for his crush to building award-winning games. Here’s the journey of a professional Counter-Strike player who’s now shipping games for the world from India. Ft Chirag Chopra #HumansOfGaming The year is 2009, Indian youth was jamming to the ‘Delhi-6’ music album, ‘3 Idiots’ was about to get released, and the gamers were ready to grab their first copies of Resident Evil 5 and Uncharted 2. College hostels were hosting counter-strike tournaments like never before. Parallelly, A Delhi boy named Chirag had just entered his college life to pursue a degree in Multimedia and Film-making, with no clear idea of what he wanted to become. He had an immense love for games and would soon go on to become a professional gamer. Chirag started playing Counter-Strike during his college time like any other kid but he soon realized that he was better in it than any other kid. He soon became a professional gamer in a squad and was getting a salary to play Counter-Strike and FIFA in competitions. This is when he realized for the first time that playing games can be a potential career option. A counter-thought popped up in his mind, “If playing games is this interesting, won’t building games be interesting as well?” His curiosity took him to Google where he found about Rubika Sup Info’s Game Design course. A master's degree in Game Design that cost a fortune. — The process of entering this college was difficult but guess what was more difficult than this? Convincing his parents to spend 15L on a degree in the Gaming Industry! Chirag’s parents were more understanding than he had imagined, they took the leap of faith and enabled him to join the college of his dreams. This one decision would change his whole life. Today, a game entrepreneur who’s building award-winning games at Lucid Labs was back then just a kid who loved playing games. Chirag’s journey after DSK Sup Info has been a roller-coaster ride that only went up ⬆️ He loved his time at DSK where he met folks like Avichal, Mayur, and more who were not only game enthusiasts but would go on to shape the future of the Indian gaming industry. Having spent 2 years at the campus, Chirag was then ready to get real industry exposure. He started pursuing his internship at Games2Win as a game design intern. This is where he would experience a game studio’s culture for the first time. ”This is where I actually understood what working in a 200-250 employee game studio feels like. I learned how to ship new games, ship updates, how new ideas are generated, and how a company handles so many games in its portfolio." After his internship at Games2Win, Chirag came back to Delhi because he was offered a full-time role as a game designer at Cratiosoft. A company where he interned before Games2Win. This is the place where he learned the business side of games as well. Continue reading how Chirag built Lucid Labs: https://lnkd.in/dYuMdxRG #games #gamedev #careeringames #jobs
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🚀 Reflecting on my game development journey, I've gathered invaluable lessons that I wish I had known from the start. These are some of the things I've learned in the past 7 years: 1️⃣ ✨ Stick to one engine: Learn it inside out. Jumping around between engines might sound fun, but getting really good at one will pay off BIG time. (I started with Unity and it was the best decision for me, now I'm diving deeper into UE5) 2️⃣ ✨ Game jams are gold: Seriously, they’re intense but so worth it. They push you creatively and help you meet awesome people in the industry. I use https://itch.io/jams to find the latest events 3️⃣ ✨ Your first game will suck: Accept it. Embrace it. The first game is a stepping stone, not a masterpiece. Each project teaches you something new, and is bringing you closer to your goals. 4️⃣ ✨ Seek community: Surround yourself with fellow developers, designers and artists. The game dev community is incredibly supportive and rich with knowledge. I'm part of Women in Games and it's been incredible for me. To be honest, the game development journey is NOT linear. Expect detours and setbacks. The path to creating great games is filled with unexpected challenges and learning opportunities, but that's the beauty behind it. If you were to start again, what’s something you wish you knew, or what advice would you give to new designers and devs? 🚀👾 #GameDev #GameDesign #GamingIndustry #WomeninGames #GameDevelopment
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Hello, everyone! 👋 I'm thrilled to announce that I'm embarking on an exciting journey into the captivating world of game development. As a passionate newcomer to this creative and tech-driven industry, I'm eager to immerse myself in the magic of crafting virtual worlds and interactive experiences. 🔧 My Toolkit: Learning Unity from the ground up Exploring 2D/3D art and animation Building gameplay mechanics and coding my way to fun Embracing storytelling techniques for engaging narratives Collaborating with fellow developers to bring ideas to life 🚀 My Adventure Begins: Every line of code, every pixel, and every game mechanic is a step closer to realizing the dreams that fuel my passion. I'm excited to learn, adapt, and grow in an industry that's constantly evolving. 🤝 Let's Connect: I'm eager to connect with seasoned professionals, fellow newcomers, and everyone in between who shares a passion for game development. Whether you have advice, insights, or simply want to geek out about games, I'm here to network, learn, and collaborate. Join me as I embark on this thrilling adventure of creativity, innovation, and endless possibilities. Let's shape the future of gaming together! 🚀🕹️ #GameDevelopment #NewbieInGaming #GamingJourney Let's connect and share our love for gaming! 🎮
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Change isn't always easy, especially when we're accustomed to certain ways of working. Being open to challenges and venturing into the unknown can be daunting. But in the face of these uncertainties, do we do enough to adapt ourselves to the digital age and aid the industry's advancement? I'd like to share this thought-provoking article about how the construction industry struggles to attract young talent despite the popularity of building games like Minecraft and Lego. Are we maximising our digital IQ at every level—individual, team, company, and industry? Isn't attracting young talent key to our future success? As we transition digitally, are we truly making the most of these opportunities? #Construction #DigitaConstruction #DigitalTwin #DigitalTransformation #Creativity #TalentAttraction #Innovation #Minecraft
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IEEE 2022 Winner | BCA (Cloud Computing) iNurture Student at Sage University bhopal | AWS | Docker | Game Developer | Unity Developer
🚀 My First Game Development: Showcase 🚀 While I said in my profile that I am a game developer, to this date, I never posted a single blog that would talk about the games I developed so far. Well, here is the first of my posts relating to one of the interesting projects that I've worked on! 🎮 Introducing "WarZone Unleashed" 🔫 In the second internship with Coding Jr. I also designed a 3D shooting game “WarZone Unleashed” using the Unity Engine. This project was an incredible learning experience, and I'm thrilled to share some details about it: Game Overview 🔹 Objective: Its concept is beautiful and rather challenging because one must hunt down and destroy all enemies. When all the enemies are eliminated, round can be only finished but also restarted. 🔹 Gameplay Mechanics: Animations: Indeed, the main characters, the player and enemies, are animated, which adds to the realism of the game. 3D Models: In the weapons, I developed complex 3D models to increase the beauty of the game. Sound Effects: There is also simulation of shooting, reloading and kicking in this game making it more real. Enemy AI: The enemies are set to respond according to the distance that is between the player and them. If the player is a fixed distance, the enemy will chase them and that actually makes the flow of the game very smooth and interesting. Technical Details 🔸 Engine: Unity Engine 🔸 Features: Real time animations for smooth and fluid movement. Casual and easy to walk around in for that realistic experience. Popular sounds for the bogey party and other activities that will help to create an interesting audio atmosphere. The enemies are smart such that they will give a hardcore feeling when playing Gears of War. Here I was able to practice and learn how to use Unity and game development, but more importantly, I understood how all the components, such as animation, models, or sound, should be combined to create a coherent game. I’ll be glad to go further to share with all of you more of my game development process. Wait for more daily updates and other projects! 🎮 >#GameDev #Unity3D #WarZoneUnleashed #3DShootingGame #AI #3DModeling #Animations #Sound #CodingJr #Internship #GamingIndustry #Firstpost #ItsMyTurn
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Recently, I had the privilege of engaging in an in-depth conversation with a senior game designer involved in the development of an upcoming open-world fantasy game. As an aspiring game design and development scholar, this discussion not only offered valuable insights into the daily tasks and responsibilities of a game designer but also prompted a thoughtful reflection on their journey of entering the field of game development. During our discussion, we delved into the recurring "paradox" often faced when entering professional fields across various industries. Much like other disciplines where gaining experience is a prerequisite for obtaining experience, game design requires the creation of a game to truly understand the craft. However, this requirement extends further when transitioning into a professional environment. While the foundational knowledge acquired through college courses is invaluable, it differs significantly from the practical experience gained while working on a team within the industry. The developer emphasized the importance of team collaboration, referring to it as an aspect they wished they had experienced during the earlier stages of their career. The value derived from working on team projects is immeasurable, as it sprouts not only practical and technical skills, but also communication and problem-solving abilities. Consequently, even developers with impressive resumes and portfolios may find themselves overlooked for positions if they lack effective collaboration and communication skills, despite demonstrating clear proficiency in game design concepts. In conclusion, while academic training provides a solid foundation, true mastery in game design often comes from hands-on experience through collaborative team environments. Therefore, aspiring game designers should seek opportunities to engage in team-based projects to further cultivate the diverse skill sets required for success in entering the industry. Regardless of whether your task involved developing an entire game or just several systems or parts of the project, any experience involving collaboration is worth being highlighted. #gamedesign #gamedev #gaming #gamecareers #videogames
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For this week's #PANEURAMA Meet the Team, we have invited Joan Da Silva, Education Strategist at Epic Games, for a short interview! Joan has been active in the entertainment industry for over two decades focusing mainly on the animation and games industry for over two decades, and we've been excited to sit down and hear some of Joan's insights. 💬 In his interview, Joan discusses the seismic shift in education, noting school consolidation and its impact on skill acquisition. He touches upon challenges from education giants and disruptive technologies like Generative AI, stressing adaptive strategies. Additionally, on the topic of advice and recommendations towards students and education, Joan emphasizes coding's importance in creative digital education and industry-academic partnerships for mentorship. He urges bridging academia-industry gaps for employability and fostering soft skills like curiosity and networking for career success. You can read the full interview on PANEURAMA's website: https://lnkd.in/dpaEAzsY #AnimationIndustry #GamesIndustry #Games #Animation #Education #erasmus #InnovationAlliance #DigitalInnovation #AI #GenAI #CreativeIndustry #EpicGames
Meet the PANEURAMA Team: Epic Games
https://www.paneurama.eu
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After more than 10 years of dreaming and watching others, I am FINALLY GOING TO DO IT NOW: create a 'real' game and release it on Steam! Since graduating (in 2010!), I have been shaping my career around creating serious games. This hasn't been easy, especially for my own company Studio Rightside. It all started with a minor in serious games by Niels Floor, followed by internships at IJsfontein and Shapers. To this day, I continue to create beautiful games at Shapers as learning experiences for clients like Veilig Verkeer Nederland, European Investment Bank (EIB), and Dedicon - Huis van Toegankelijkheid. For the past few years, I've also been getting serious applied game projects. For example, I created an impressive onboarding board game for Vandebron, and in collaboration with Sterk Huis and Kinderpostzegels, I am working on my biggest and most beautiful serious game to date, The Gate! My career as a serious game designer is heading in the right direction. I am incredibly happy and proud, especially with the positive impact these games bring. Creating serious games is and will remain my profession, my passion, my future, my way of making a positive impact. And yet... a feeling has been stirring in me for years to release a 'real' game again. Not for a target audience, client, or positive impact, but simply because I want to. And I can hear you thinking: why haven't you done that before? Well, that's why: ⚠️ It's risky business: only the top 5% of games earn a decent (or very good) income. 🕒 I have little time: I work at Shapers, have my own company, and also have a wife, 2 children, family, and friends. 💪 It's a lot of work! 🦥 Because I've been postponing it: watching other game developers or tutorials is much easier. 🔦 I'll have to put myself in the spotlight: there are soooo many games that thorough marketing is simply necessary. If you know me a little, you know that I'm not the type who likes to be in the limelight. This is my biggest challenge. But it's also the one from which I'll learn the most. And yet, I'm going to do it NOW: For several months now, every Friday, I've been working with Bob Huijbregts under our new studio name Upgraded Studio on our first Steam game Binary Barrier! Think of the classic Space Invaders but with dark science-fiction twist and tower defense gameplay (with some roguelite randomness). I'm very excited about this gamedev adventure with Bob Huijbregts. If you'd like to follow our process, sign up for our newsletter on our website (see comments) and follow our social media channels in advance. There's not much to see yet, but I'm going to take the plunge soon and 'put myself in the spotlight.' It's scary, but that's precisely why it's enormously educational for me. My future self will surely be grateful. #gamedev #indiegames #indiegamedev #gamestudio #steam #seriousgames
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Ready to advance your career? We have essential tips for aspiring game designers! 😁 Curious about other professions? Let us know in the comments which careers you want more tips on! Your feedback helps us bring the best content to you.😉 👉 Don't forget to tag your friends and follow us for more insights and opportunities in the gaming world! Swipe to learn how to start your journey and make your mark in the gaming industry. 😆 #GameDesign #GamingIndustry #CareerTips #GameDevelopment #MundoGamerJobs #LevelUp #StayInTheGame
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