When this year's Game Developers Conference (GDC) kicks off on Monday at San Francisco's Moscone Center, one thing is sure to be a talking point for attendees of the five-day event. It's about who's working, who's not working, and who's who. I might still lose it soon.
Rather than sweep under the rug the unpleasant subject of thousands of layoffs that have recently hit the video game industry, GDC's leadership has decided to address the issue head-on and provide assistance to unemployed participants. We have specially adjusted the program lineup for 2024. How to make the most of attending the 38th Annual Convention while unemployed.
“We're pretty committed to helping people find what they need to get their next job,” says Stephanie Hawkins, GDC event director. variety.
“We have a lot of sessions on career development, from the soft skills you need when looking for a job to the more technical skills you need when applying for a job,” Hawkins said. “On Fridays, we'll be hosting a Game Career Seminar with more content than ever before. We'll also be doing portfolio reviews of official art.”
Hawkins added that similar effort is being put into resources on the recruiter side, as there are video game publishers and developers who are actually looking for new talent.
“For exhibitors who are hiring, we have the option to add a recruiting tag within the mobile app so attendees know where to go once they get to the venue. , a “Now Hiring” ribbon will be available. GDC badge,” Hawkins said. “Our website has a game developer job board where you can post jobs. If you're looking to get hired, go there. We also have a print version of the job postings.” board. And it fills up quickly. People are writing different notes there, and it's great to see that about who they're hiring, who to contact for interviews, etc. In addition, Speed He also has networking and is a great way to organize an organized meeting with other participants for networking and expanding your network. ”
Some of the companies discussing open positions at the GDC Business Room include Amazon Web Services, Google, Meta, Nintendo, Roblox, Samsung, King, and Playtica.
Ashley Corrigan, GDC conference manager and head of content, said: “This is a really important point for us this year, bringing people together to have business meetings, collaborate with each other and find potential business partners. It really creates opportunities and pathways for “We've created several spaces on the site where people can schedule meetings to make it easier for people to come together, figure out the next move, and move the industry forward through what's happening right now. ”
Much of the GDC 2024 lineup, including more than 700 speaking sessions, was developed by the GDC Advisory Board of more than 100 veteran gaming and VR-AR experts drawn from GDC's 12th Annual State of the Gaming Industry Survey. It has been decided.
The 2024 report's findings, based on responses from more than 3,000 game developers, found that 35% of those surveyed were affected by layoffs throughout 2023, and found that 35% of those surveyed were affected by layoffs throughout 2023. There were layoffs of their own. Half of those surveyed expressed concern that their company will experience layoffs by 2024.
The majority of respondents said they believed the recent wave of cuts was due to “post-pandemic course correction, studio conglomeration, and economic uncertainty.” Some of those surveyed supported unionization “to better protect workers.”
“This past year has been a really challenging year for our industry,” said Beth Elderkin, GDC Content Marketing Manager. “And as we've seen, even after studies are conducted and published, challenges continue, including layoffs and ethical concerns about generative AI.”
Other issues kept in mind in the study include increasing game engine switching, disagreement over increasing mandatory return-to-office policies, and implementing more accessibility options into games. , this is the industry, with PlayStation, EA, and Epic cutting staff.
“We are seeing a community coming together,” Elderkin said. “We’re seeing a lot of positive activity, including the creation of employment networks on social media and growing support for trade unions in the industry. We’re also seeing the excitement and enthusiasm of people attending GDC.”
