Jakub Drgon

Case: How to Assemble a Unity Development Team, or Networking Rules!  Part 2 🔥 The candidate selected for Lead Unity Developer role in the previous part successfully passed the probation period, and shortly after, the client once again returned to us for help with a new Unity developer, as it was time to expand the team. This time, we needed to find a strong middle developer with experience working in a team of developers (not just a solo player), who would be ready to quickly integrate into the work and pace of the startup. Let's not forget the key requirement for soft skills. Strategy: We decided to start specifically with publications on job sites, game dev channels, and Unity-specific channels in our favorite Telegram. The job description and project were very appealing (as any description our team works on 🤩 ). Needless to say, the number of responses exceeded a hundred within the first few days? In the end, there were many more, with quite a few responses coming in long after the vacancy was closed :) Fortunately, we are very experienced in high-speed filtering of a large stream of candidates (by the way, we have/will have a separate case on this). We interviewed 15 great candidates within a week, 9 of whom reached the founder's review, and 6 made it to the final interview with him. 🌐 Networking played a role again – the recruiter happened to get a lead on a candidate who wasn't actively looking but decided to try himself after reviewing the job description. The first pool of excellent candidates was gathered quickly, and he was the last in it. The founder was determined to close the vacancy quickly. And so it happened. Guess who got an offer an hour after the final interview? We managed to do it exactly in 2 weeks and 1 day – from receiving the request to the candidate accepting the offer. Impressive? Important! No favoritism was involved in this case! We just want to emphasize how great it is to have a large, active, and responsive network and how cool it can accelerate closures! Do you agree? Share your thoughts on this 😉

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I can count my interactions with cool Romanian people working in Game Dev on one hand. And I don't even need all the fingers. It was surprising how people from many other countries would be open to sit down with me and chat about their disciplines. And essentially teach me a thing or two about the gaming industry. It is humbling to talk to CEOs, VPs, Directors etc. etc. from these countries and see how much they're willing to help 🙏 Bear in mind, I didn't ask any of these folks for a job. My only asks come down to: "Hey. This is who I am. These are the specifics I wanna learn about. Could you help me understand things better?" While my experiences with strangers were stellar. My experience with most Romanian folks comes down to: - Being ghosted after they would post and ask people to reach out for more info - Being ghosted after someone would introduce me to them - Being ghosted after they mentioned they'd help out - Receiving cold, corporate answers meant to drive me away As everything happening in life is meant to guide us. I take this as my "Maybe don't search here" sign. There are a few exceptions to this rule - you know very well who you are, cool people. But except those, I'll be searching for advice from folks outside our country's borders from now onwards. They seem to be more down to earth 🙏

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What is the current landscape of the game industry and the opportunities it offers? Anna Kozlova🇺🇦, CEO of Room 8 Group, tackled that very question in her interview with Game Developer during GDC 2024 🌟 For a deeper dive into topics such as the influence of changing user preferences on game dev, the increase of non-gaming brands entering the space, and strategies for growth in 2024 and beyond, check out the full conversation here 👉 https://bit.ly/3Wj0YLx #Room8Group #GameDeveloper

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Remember the dating sim we wrote about on April 1st? 🙄 You’ve probably figured out that it was April Fools. That was, in fact, our follow-up on the full-scale gamedev industry meme. ☝ ❓ But in all honesty, let’s sink in that concept and think: how much knowledge about different cultural contexts would we need to perform this task, and perform it well? 🤔 Let us tell you: a really HUGE amount, for there are so many niche nuances and specific dating traditions in each culture. 👰 💒 Let alone the sheer amount of text we’d need to translate first and foremost. 🙂 Here’s the fun fact: we wouldn’t be joking about it if we were unable to pull it off. And we totally can. 💪 The brilliant localization teams from all over the world are each working within their own cultural context. They’re all native speakers and culture bearers, all of them talented people, capable of delivering living and breathing texts in any culture you might need. Just, you know… Call us. Any day or night Call us #gameloc #gamedev #wedding

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Today is the last day to apply for the Games Pitch Arena Liberec 24! If you have an interesting game project or know of developers or a game studio that has an emerging project, be sure to let them know right away and send a link to the application. Up for grabs are not only valuable prizes but mainly the assessment of the judges and their advice which is worth its weight in gold! https://lnkd.in/drRkiVAy It’s hard to think of a better program than to participate in a competitive clash and also enjoy the atmosphere of the legendary Anifilm International festival, within which the Games Pitch Arena 24 takes place! #CyberSailConsulting #GameDevelopment #GamePublishing #IndieGames #GamingIndustry #InvestInGaming #Anifilm #GamePitchArena #GamePitchArenaLiberec #GamingCommunity #InnovationInGaming #FutureOfGaming

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Why does an art outsourcing company need a development team? Besides the obvious reason - developing our own games, for example, #OceanKeeper 🌊 - they play a crucial role in various aspects of our operations. - Developers help improve and automate internal processes, significantly increasing the efficiency of the entire team. This saves time and resources that can be redirected to creative tasks. - Implementing some art assets into a game engine requires specialized technical knowledge. The team ensures integration, maintaining high quality and compliance with all technical requirements. - Often projects will have minor tasks that require dev skills. We can quickly respond to these requests, avoiding delays and ensuring swift project execution. Having them with us - it's a strategic decision that improves flexibility, productivity, and the quality of services provided.  And don't forget to play OK demo! https://lnkd.in/drK2SxkM #artoutsourcing #indie #gamedev

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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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Turns out, when it comes to making video games, programmers would rather skip the coding 👀 Going back to our prototype phase, we wanted to really get what our users were about - what they liked, what they needed. So, we did some usability testing with 10 game devs - a mix of designers and programmers from our early adopter community. What we found was eye-opening: there's a clear cultural gap between designers and programmers. Programmers liked how fast our tool worked. But designers were skeptical. They're used to the mess of traditional game making, so they couldn't believe a simple tool could handle it. This is when we realized that Fiero could work for traditional game devs too ❤️ Make games without code. Make games without limits. Let’s break down those barriers. #gamedev #nocode #fiero

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Over the past year, we've explored various ways to share our expertise in gamedev recruitment and support job seekers in their quest for the perfect role. Now, it's time for a quick recap and a dive into the data! 📊 Have we crossed paths recently? Were you among the 102 participants in our free CV consultations? Or maybe you're one of the 600+ receiving our job alerts? Did you catch us at any industry events? 👀 Let us know in the comments - or suggest other ways we can connect in the coming year! 💡🎮 #videogames #recruitmenttips #gamedevjobs #gamesindustry

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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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🌟 We Are Hiring: Unity Developer (Remote - Poland) 🌟 Are you a passionate Unity Developer eager to work with a dynamic and rapidly growing mobile gaming company? We're on the lookout for talented individuals to join our team and help us create the next big hit in mobile gaming! 🚀 🔍 About Us: Founded in 2019 by industry veterans from top gaming and film companies, we're dedicated to delivering world-class, delightful games. Our first title has become a global sensation, and we're now expanding our team for our next mega hit product. If you love creating games that bring joy and excitement to players worldwide, this is the place for you! 🛠 Position: Unity Developer �� Location: Remote (Poland) What You'll Do: 🎮 Develop and maintain high-quality mobile applications using Unity and C#. ✨ Create and manage scripting, textures, animation, GUI styles, and user session management. 🗺 Participate in level design and planning, bringing imaginative worlds to life. 📱 Optimize applications for mobile platforms, ensuring smooth and engaging gameplay. 📈 Stay current with evolving standards and technologies, always learning and innovating. 💻 Write clean, readable, and maintainable code that others love to work with. 🛠 Implement automated testing platforms and unit tests, ensuring top-notch quality. 🔄 Use versioning tools like Git, SVN, and Mercurial effectively, keeping projects on track. What We're Looking For: 🏆 At least 3 years of experience with Unity and C#. 🎨 Proficient in scripting, textures, animation, GUI styles, and user session management. 🛠 Familiarity with level design and planning. 🚀 Experience in shipping and developing mobile applications, including optimization. 💡 Strong understanding of object-oriented programming. ✅ Experience with automated testing platforms and unit tests. 🔧 Proficient with code versioning tools such as Git, SVN, and Mercurial. 🌟 Ready to collaborate remotely and occasionally visit our offices if needed. Be a Plus: 🌟 Developed and shipped successful mobile titles. 🎮 Experience with casual games development. 🎨 Familiarity with Adobe suite or 3D modeling tools. 🎭 Cross-discipline experiences, such as art or design. 📊 Experience in data and analytics. ✨ Our Values: Quality is king: We create products we’re proud of, always striving to meet and exceed player expectations. Data-driven, gut-guided: We challenge our assumptions daily, driven by data and numbers. Strive for soul: We aim to create experiences that spark laughter, connection, and competition among our players. 🎯 How to Apply: Please send your CV to anna@similardev.com #hiring #UnityDeveloper #MobileGaming #GameDev #Unity #CSharp #RemoteWork #JoinUs #Similardev #SimilardevMagic

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Unlock Your GameDev Career! 🚀 New article alert on G5 Careers Medium! Our latest piece explores how to kickstart your career in the gamedev industry. 🔹Discover how gamedev stands out from other fields and get answers to the big question: Can you work in gamedev without being a hardcore gamer? (Spoiler: Yes, you can!) 🔹Learn about the unique corporate culture in game development, from informal atmospheres to innovation and teamwork.  🔹Plus, find out how professionals from various backgrounds, including engineers and doctors, successfully transitioned into gamedev. ➡️ Ready to start your journey? Read the full article now: https://lnkd.in/gz-wA_YM #g5games #gamedev

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How about this start menu, do you like it? Check out our new game interface! Share your thoughts and suggestions. #GameDev #UI #Ima #Imaginus

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New blog post We're revealing a step-by-step tutorial on how we built the shader effect for the Vercel ship site using WebGL. Interested? Here's the link: https://lnkd.in/dyn7CTgA

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Question: Who do you invite to an Event Storming session? Answer: It's not who you might think! In the second of our gravity9 Event Storming series, Michał Szkudlarek reveals who you really want involved to help accelerate the modelling of complex business models. https://lnkd.in/eCi9u3zP #EventStorm #EventStorming #RequirementGathering #DDD #DomainDriven

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Missed the talk at GDC? Here’s your chance to catch up! Join Christoffer's how upcoming webinar on QA bots for everyone. 🤖✨ Sign Up Now: https://hubs.la/Q02xJF8C0 More details coming soon! #gamedev #QA #automatedtesting #qatesting #webinar

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Something for our gamedev friends here! One of the main features of our own level editor is a script visualizer, which you can see in the picture here. Aaaaand we will be releasing this level editor along with the game! The dates and details are still TBA, so stay with us to hear the freshest info! #IndieGameDev

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