Darren McKinsey - Amazon Games | LinkedIn (original) (raw)
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Currently working as Design Lead for Expedition content.
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- Patryk Suchy How I play video games with my non-gamer partner 🎮💑 (𝘚𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 2017) So, Vessel of Hatred just dropped. Since Diablo is our go-to game, I've got some hard-earned wisdom from years of roaming the Sanctuary together. 𝗗𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗿𝘂𝘀𝗵. I'm all about the endgame. I would just storm through the initial stage, but I let my gf take the lead. I don't need to optimize for every 0.5% of damage. I'm just enjoying slaying demons 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗸𝗲𝘆. She can ask, "Where do I heal?" and "Where do you click to get on the horse?" as many times as she needs. Not everyone is used to playing games. She might have forgotten how the controls work, so I'm just being helpful. 💡 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝘀𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲. I don't freak out when she's building a character as she likes. Just because I wouldn't play that way doesn't mean she isn't having fun. 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗿. If she says after 30 minutes that it's enough, then it's enough. Games can be overwhelming. I'm very used to playing Diablo and half the time I'm just looking at the health bar and CD on my skills because I have no clue wtf is going on the screen. Honestly, I'm writing this down more as a reminder to myself. While I'm casual, I do like to optimize every damn 0.05% of damage I can get! 😅 But at the end of the day, I'm just grateful to have a partner willing to enter the Burning Hells with me. That's the real mythic unique loot. (Terrible joke, I know, even I cringed.) Thanks for coming to my TED Talk. 🎤 Fellow gamers, how does it look at your households? What would you add to this list? 👀
- Andrew Alcott Hippity Happy Monday! Another week, ANOTHER JOB! Do you like Gameplay AI? Are you Crazy for Creatures? Mad for Mobs!? I don't have any more alliterations in me right now, but we're looking for someone to create believable creature behaviors for our game. If you've seen any of the nature docs and ever thought that it would be awesome to somehow make one within a brand new universe (specific dream, I know), then this might be for you! This is a mid-level (3-6 yrs) role, but if you have a couple years of professional dev in C++ and Unreal games, and have a genuine love and desire to learn gameplay AI we could chat too. What we can't train up is the very solid use of C++ and dev experience in Unreal. Sorry Unity-only folks, we really need someone w/ some prior experience here. Just like I said in my last post I will read every app and cover letter, but please only write a cover letter if you think it has something your resume couldn't tell. I do not prioritize folks that have one vs not. One thing I'd love to see in that section is any work you've done with creature AI behaviors if you got any. Anyway, gl;hf! Also sharing is caring, so please share w/ your network! Thanks!
- Sebastien Ageorges After over 10 years as a Technical Director in the video game industry, I’ve realized that real progress often comes from questioning old habits and exploring new frontiers. I’ve worked on everything from small indie gems to AAA blockbusters, taught budding devs, and guided teams through complex technical challenges. Now, I’m ready for a fresh adventure, maybe in a new feild, or maybe still in gaming, if it sparks my curiosity. The size of the company doesn’t matter; I’m driven by the thrill of tackling tough questions, working with curious minds, and never stopping my own growth. I’m also up for relocating anywhere, new horizons keep me inspired 🛩. If you’re looking for someone who blends hands-on tech expertise, leadership experience, and a thoughtful approach to innovation, let’s chat. I’d love to see how I can help your team tackle its next challenge 🙌 #NewHorizons #TechDirector #OpenForOpportunities #KeepGrowing #HeadHunter #VPTech #TechnicalProducer #OpenForWork
- Alexander Rehm It is awful. Truly awful. Around 15% of Intel Corporation's staff (meaning over 15,000 people) are facing layoffs this year. I want to provide as much support as I can about this happening. I know that Intel is not a games studio, but the amount of support they are giving games studios is not to be under-estimated. When I worked at other games studios in the past, we had wonderful working relationships with them, getting support through driver optimisations, supporting technical tests, even offering to feature our games on their network and providing exclusive access to gamers to our closed alpha or closed beta tests. This kind of relationship was special. Regardless of which areas of Intel are going to feel layoffs, with 15% of the workforce, that will be felt everywhere in the organisation. Those of you who worked even remotely in gaming, please make use of my resources below: 🥇First, reach out to us at People Can Fly Studio, we have many roles open right now in Canada, the UK, Ireland and Europe, please check them out here: https://lnkd.in/eWpV5PbA 🥈Next, Discipline Games Jobs Resources: Over the past months I have created 9 (at time of writing) Games Jobs Resources to find jobs in a wide range of disciplines, and I would urge you to check them out, if anything just to see what would be available to you: https://lnkd.in/eWvkdYjk You can find over 6,000 jobs there. 🥉 Third, the Ultimate list of Video Games Career Resources: This should be your one-stop shop for all information. My dear friend Amir Satvat maintains these documents, he is a legend for doing this - please check them out: https://amirsatvat.com/ I urge you to check out the areas in particular about CV support and mentoring, as these will help you no matter what industry you are hailing from or are looking into going next. 🎖 Finally, do not give up. Ever. No matter how dark things may look right now, I KNOW you will get through this, you have got this! 👊 Remember you are not alone. If you need help, advice, or even an ear to listen, we're here for you. Always! ➡ A request to my community, please can I ask you to repost this post to your colleagues and friends, so that we can get as many into jobs as possible! And please comment if you or your studio are currently hiring - let's help each other! Much love ❤️ #intel #layoffs
- Emmanuel Rosier 🎮 A lot of new entries in Newzoo's Top PC and Console games in November! Thanks to Brett Hunt for putting this together! Engagement Highlights While there wasn’t a major shakeup in the ranks, Fortnite’s Chapter 2 Remix, as well as in-game concerts from Snoop Dogg and the posthumous Juice WRLD resulted in enough growth to fend off the impressive launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. The impact of both titles on the rest of the top 20 was profound as League of Legends was the only title to see player growth through the month of November, thanks to the release of the final season of Arcane on Netflix. While EA Sports FC 25 has found itself at #11 in engagement, EA FC 24 still finds itself at #14, displaying its continued longevity and perhaps pointing towards players slowing down their purchase of new titles in annual franchises. The titles are now both fending off competition from the Cristiano Ronaldo-partnered UFL, which launched on December 5. Revenues Movers & Breakthroughs Dragon Age: The Veilguard BioWare’s latest fantasy RPG has launched into the top 5 in revenues, leading the pack on PC and ranking #10 position on PlayStation. Set ten years after Dragon Age: Inquisition, the game follows the protagonist Rook as they attempt to stop the elven trickster god Fen'Harel from destroying the Veil that imprisons amoral elven gods. Farming Simulator 25 The latest entry in the Farming Simulator franchise finds itself at #6 in the rankings and has placed top 10 across each of PC, PlayStation, and Xbox. This version introduces new crops like rice and spinach, new animals such as goats and water buffalo, and features three new maps in North America, East Asia, and Central Europe S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl Despite its launch on Game Pass and the risk of cannibalization, it shows strength, breaking into the rankings at #7 overall. The game offers an immersive survival-horror shooter set in the post-apocalyptic Chornobyl Exclusion Zone. Microsoft Flight Simulator 24 While the game experienced launch day issues, Microsoft’s flagship simulation franchise remains a consistent buy for digital aviators at #11. The game offers unparalleled aircraft variety and realism, advanced flight planning and navigation tools, and has added new career and mission systems. Mario & Luigi: Brothership This turn-based role-playing game jumped in at rank #13 overall, and #2 on the Switch. The game follows Mario and Luigi as they explore the world of Concordia, aiming to reunite the land after. Other notable breakthroughs outside of the overall top 20 are Planet Coaster 2 (PC, #14), a theme park simulation game where players can build and manage their own coaster park, Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered (PC, #15), which features enhanced graphics and new content for the original action-adventure game, and Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake (Switch, #9), a full remake of the classic RPG with updated visuals and new story elements.
- Andrei Zubov DeamPlus Games Earned $12M+ IAP Revenue Amids “Hoa Hoa Hoa” Season 🍂 Game of Vampires: Twilight Sun, an empire-building RPG, is the ultimate vampire fantasy brought to life. 🌘 Gothic castles, luxurious dark interiors, a spooky atmosphere — and a ton of pop-culture references! From Twilight and The Vampire Diaries to Blade and The Addams Family — this game is packed with nostalgic nods that resonate with players through its ASO, ad creatives, and character design. 🧛♂️🏰 The right timing and a touch of luck drive this success even further: with the game’s global launch, the unexpected revival of the Twilight franchise came into play! Millennials are fueling it with nostalgia, while Gen Z is having fun with those cringy moments the old movies have. ✨🧛♀️ For a deep dive into this phenomenon and the insights game developers can draw from it, check out Diana Levintova's fantastic article for AppMagic. Halloween couldn’t be a better time to dive into the industry insights, spooky vibes, and, of course, “hoa hoa hoa” 🎃👻 Link in the comments! 👇
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