Amir Satvat’s Post

I couldn’t be more thrilled for my TiMi Studio Group colleagues - Age of Empires Mobile has launched globally on the App Store and Google Play, charting on both platforms (#1 when I checked). And if that wasn’t exciting enough, Delta Force is the top demo during Steam Next Fest. One of the most exciting aspects of working at Tencent Games is that there’s always something new, fun, and interesting happening somewhere across the company. Steam Next Fest is also a wonderful event, and I’ve enjoyed playing numerous demos with many of my colleagues. I found at least five demos I loved and ten that I thought were great. To come in #1 among these is incredible. Furthermore, Age of Empires is a franchise that means more to me than I can express. The first time I ever heard Farsi in a game was in Age of Empires II - a joy I still remember like it was yesterday. The greatness only continued with Age of Empires IV a few years ago, especially its excellence in writing and narrative. Seeing TiMi present their take on this beloved franchise is really neat. Keep up the great work, TiMi and Level Infinite teams. I see you, I celebrate you, and I am behind you every step of the way!

Amir Satvat's Games Community Impact Update – October 18, 2024 1. Stat of the week Thanks to everyone for helping us reach 100,000 followers! Here's to our continued impact and growth for gamers! Want to help celebrate? I would greatly appreciate it if you considered joining our 2,278 community coaches in Mentoring, CV + LinkedIn reviews, Mock Interviews, or Art Portfolio Reviews. There's a reason we’ve had 98%+ retention for this program over two years - people on both sides tell me it’s one of the most rewarding experiences they’ve ever been a part of. If you want to join and contribute to the 52,000 free community coaching conversations we’ve provided, you can sign up here. Just click "Volunteer" on any resource: https://lnkd.in/dQVT4U4y 2. Our 2 new community coaching volunteers this week CV + LinkedIn Reviewers (1) Elvis Fernandes, Production Director (m56 Studios) Mock Interviewers (1) Giorgia La Rocca, Head of Marketing (Ubisoft) 3. Need games job support? Follow me: linkedin.com/in/amirsatvat Visit our site: amirsatvat.com Join our server: discord.gg/amirsatvat

I'm tired. I'm tired of people I love losing their jobs. Hear me out: I want to offer a piece of feedback to anyone talking to others in the games industry, especially if you’re speaking with someone who’s been terminated. I’m one of the most upbeat people you’ll meet, but I’m also a realist. Businesses do go through cycles, and things do often improve… eventually. But don’t tell people that these things just happen, that this isn’t unusual, or that this is explainable through some perspective. If you want to have a more optimistic view of what’s ahead, that’s okay, but everyone knows this isn’t normal. The eye test says it’s unprecedented. The data says it’s unprecedented. If 32,000+ gamer terminations oink, they are probably a pig. From synthesizing thousands of conversations, of course what people really care about is just getting their jobs, purpose, and income back. But one of the worst things you can do is talk to them in a patronizing way, like this is just another business rotation that just happens that we must endure from time to time. These cuts are deep, unsparing, and brutal. Core North American game development and support, for example, where the majority of reductions have occurred, has experienced (by my estimates) a 10-15%+ increase in net unemployment. For comparison, America has experienced such an unemployment increase just twice in its 248-year history: during COVID-19 and during The Great Depression. It will take a long time to recover, if at all. The least we can do is be honest about it, not dismiss it as just another day in business cycles. I literally have to gird myself up for another friend or community member I really care about losing livelihood nearly every week. Don’t tell it to me either. Please. If you wonder where I’m coming from, it’s very specific: I have seen the narrative shifting a bit to a "rotations happen, let’s just move forward" script, and I both don't like it and anticipated it. I have said for two years that one of my biggest fears is the layoffs would indeed slow down, and those cut would kind of be forgotten, left behind. "Let's move on. These things happen." This might seem subtle, but it is not subtle to me, and it’s not subtle to thousands of people, because they tell me they feel this every week. They want to know they aren’t forgotten, they are seen, and the boat didn’t just dump its tea overboard and move on to the next port.

A Subtle Tip About Polls and LinkedIn I want to start by saying that I don't worry about what I'm about to share - I post what I enjoy, and I often create polls simply because I find them fun. However, there’s something you might not know: some people (I know this for sure) use polls to inflate their impression numbers. In the current algorithm landscape, polls are an easy way to boost those figures. Now, personally, I don’t mind this, but if you care about rankings on external sites (I don't), most use some combination of these factors: - Follower size - Follower growth - Engagements - Engagement growth - Engagements per post - Post volume What you don’t see listed above is impressions. It’s now common practice, everywhere I have seen, instead to focus more on engagement and its efficiency. Polls are generally poor for this. While comments do count as engagements, and a highly engaging poll can drive participation, strong standard posts usually outperform polls in engagement metrics. Why? Votes in polls do not count as engagements. If you review most rankings and compare the top 50 in any cross-cut, the real differentiators are usually community size and growth, and total engagements and their efficiency. Thus, from all the data I’ve seen, one way to elevate your profile (if you care - I don’t) is to move away from using polls just to grab impressions (or at all) and instead focus on regular posts that drive genuine engagement. Or just don't care and do whatever, which is my policy. This has been an Amir "if you care" bulletin.

Finally in mid-October, a 2024 game surprise out of nowhere! I have a friend and mentor at Tencent whose knowledge of games and, really, everything is unmatched and whose opinion I deeply respect. We share a passion for old-school point-and-click adventure games, so imagine my excitement when he said, "Amir, you should check out The Precinct by Fallen Tree Games" (and published by Kwalee). For old-school gamers, The Precinct hits so many buttons. It might remind you of APB and Police Quest. For mid-school vibes, think L.A. Noire and classic procedurals. And for newer players, you might sense some influences from Mafia or Grand Theft Auto 2. What is it? It's a police action procedural game set in a top-down city. You’ll alternate between pursuing criminals and handling cases in an open-world city grid. You'll be putting evidence in lockers, mirandizing witnesses, and cruising the streets - sometimes chasing criminals, other times tackling various objectives. It’s a blend of action and detailed procedural gameplay. This demo is part of the Steam Next Fest, and it suggests a Q4 2024 release - a thrilling prospect. While I’ll keep an eye on its long-term engagement, I can genuinely say The Precinct activated so many of my gaming sensors. It feels accessible, fun, and perfect for those moments when you just want to unwind. I'd love to hear your thoughts. Try the demo, available until Monday, and let me know if it resonates with you as much as it did with me! For that matter, just play as many demos as you can this weekend - I have seen a bunch that are fantastic. This and Styrax Studios Inc.'s Button Man are my two favorite demos of 2024.

Project Helping Hands: Post #1 (Resource #4, amirsatvat.com) highlights exceptional gamers unemployed or underemployed 12+ months. Like 32k+ cut since 2022, this reflects the times, not their talent. Each M, W, F we feature 5 gamers. Sign up to be featured soon: https://lnkd.in/eEXJJYm6. Past posts here: https://lnkd.in/eRbAmm28. Support with a comment, like, or repost. Most importantly, interview and hire! You have my thanks. Rich Barham Seeking: Studio Leadership Location: UK Years XP: 21 Relocation: Yes Rich Barham has been in Games leadership 20+ years, first as part of the team building Blizzard Europe, then at ZeniMax Online, Riot Games, IO-Interactive, and AMG. His experience spans Creative, Studio Operations and publishing. At AntiMatter Games, he was CEO when closed. Rich rehomed 90% of the team. He’s been working as a consultant while searching. Prefers US, UK, Spain, or UAE but flexible. Stephanie Binot Seeking: 3D Art, Illustration Location: Nashville, TN Years XP: 3 Relocation: Yes Stephanie Binot is an experienced artist specializing in stylized art and 3D models. She holds a Master’s in Illustration, thesis focused on bridging gaps between 2D and 3D pipelines. She successfully led a small, remote team at a multinational company, optimizing work across time zones. She is committed to high-quality work, eager to contribute skills to new opportunities in game development. Portfolio: https://lnkd.in/eEXyFZ6F Jacky Yuen Seeking: QA Location: West Covina, CA Years XP: 10 Relocation: Yes Jacky Yuen is a results-driven Game QA Engineer. He’s worked on major titles like Clicker Hero and Poker Quest, improving team efficiency and reducing recurring defects by 50%. Jacky’s passion for bug prevention and delivering high-quality releases has made a lasting impact, ensuring smooth gameplay for millions across multiple platforms. Darius Fang Seeking: Engineering / Programming Location: Calgary, AB, Canada Years XP: 4 Relocation: Yes Darius enjoys many games, such as Minecraft and Pokémon, fascinated by the design and mechanics that make them unique. After his computer engineering degree in 2023, he pivoted into games with a focus on mechanics. Refining his skills through a boot camp and online Unity courses, Darius earned multiple certificates and recently won a Game Jam, now developing larger projects for release. William Carattini Seeking: Level Design Location: Palm Coast, Florida Years XP: 2 Relocation: No Will is a passionate level designer with industry experience in Unity and Unreal. He specializes in creating immersive environments and gameplay. He has collaborated on games like Wicked Arcana (100% positive on Steam), in addition to three other studio projects. Will has worked with team members from around the globe, familiar with meeting team deadlines and quality goals. He is eager to continue building innovative game worlds with talented teams.

Do you know what it feels like to really not fit in? It doesn’t have just one definition. It doesn’t necessarily mean getting bullied, not being picked for teams, or being alone during recess. It can mean different things to each of us. I never felt like I fit in as a child except around other Persian family and friends and maybe a handful of others I could count on one hand. My life has been full of love and acceptance, but for much of it this only felt true in very specific pockets. I always felt a bit awkward, processing the world in a way that felt different from those around me. While I tried to be friendly and meet others where they were in their interests - and while I was very curious myself - socially, I only really wanted to connect with people over a few specific things: nerd culture, games, classical music, my love of North-Central Connecticut - you know, typical stuff. I always felt awkward around girls too and wondered if anyone would ever want to be with me forever. And then, do you know what happened? It felt like every decade one big thing unlocked that made everything better, with definite huge gaps to navigate before things improved again. In late middle school, I made three best friends whom I was inseparable from. That was really great, but still, all the other stuff remained unanswered. It wasn’t until I was 27 that I met Jess, and that solved that piece. It was the first time I felt truly cared for by someone with the exact same purity as my parents. But It wasn’t really until I was 38 that the nerd and games pieces fell into place. Not only did I finally get a job in games, but also, by coincidence, we met a few friends in DC who were as eccentric as me, and that meant everything to me. It showed me that it wasn’t just my three best friends from childhood - I could find others too. I was almost there. Jess, nerds to the right of me, nerds to the left of me. Our first child. Another three years passed, and at 41, I attended my first games event. It felt like reaching the peak of the mountain, as we had our three kids and had moved back to Connecticut, also successfully overcoming an attempt to revoke my remote work. In my experience, life's advancements don't occur consecutively or quickly. I endured decades-long gaps between major life improvements. Even when I had good friends, would I ever find work I loved as much as games? I thought not. Even when I met my partner, I still didn’t feel like I belonged outside my safe zones; my nerd longing sustained. And then, finally, it all unlocked and made sense... at age 41. I was convinced I would die before these things would improve until they did. But I kept going and made the best out of each situation even when I was totally disappointed. At any age, never assume things can’t change. I have many times and I was repeatedly proven wrong much later. In my experience, things in life happen, but can take too long. The test is how you endure between moments.

It is easy to support a studio like Simply Sweet Games when the product is fun, the developers are great people, and they are trying to do something different. As a father of three and son of two parent gamers in their 70s and 80s, I love #gamesforeverybody Keep going Tina Merry and Carina Kom!

Let's-a-go: speaking at 2 fine events in 3 days - hope to meet many of you GamesBeat Next in San Francisco - October 28-29, 2024 XP Gaming Inc.'s MIGS in Montreal - October 30-31 2024 The Steam Deck and Switch are definitely getting a workout that week! Thanks to both event teams for these opportunities, to Tencent Games for always supporting me, and to everybody's support of our community!

Recognizing that nearly everybody plays a mix of both, which best describes, in 2024, the mix of enjoyment you derive from playing games by AAA developers vs Indie developers, and feel free to give context.