Mira Günther

Hello everyone! 🙌 At our recruitment agency, we encounter a wide variety of candidate requests. Most of the time, they are "in the market," but sometimes they can be underestimated or overestimated. Sometimes candidates are hesitant to state their frankly modest expectations because they think it's a lot. On the other hand, candidates sometimes overestimate their salary expectations due to a successful experience (such as having 1+ million downloads of a hyper-casual game), which, unfortunately, does not impress employers, since these downloads generated only 1k in revenue. To help game development specialists better understand their "value" — for the 8th year now, we at VALUES VALUE: Recruitment for Game Development Industry, together with InGameJob.com, are conducting a large salary survey. And it works, because we receive corresponding feedback from candidates. We also know companies that use the obtained figures when reviewing their employees' salaries (my husband worked at one of these companies). Additionally, we gather a lot of other important and simply interesting information. So, we sincerely invite you to contribute to the development of the industry and help us collect as much quality data as possible. We appreciate every response! By the way, if you wish, you can anonymously share your pain, negative, or, on the contrary, positive experiences working in the industry. Sometimes we value such responses even more than information about salaries and bonuses. Because it's important. Because it often helps to understand that you are not alone. Thank you! https://lnkd.in/gEcF9SAE

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Hello there! Here are some useful tips for networking events. This article summarizes key points from a conversation I had with Ljubica Garic ➡️ Digital Dragons from 8Bit - Games Industry Recruitment some time ago. Hope it helps you out! (So don't forget to go to parties)

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🚨 Arctic Game Workshop in Umeå: How the Games Industry Really Works, by Henrik Jonsson Join us for a day of game dev insights, exciting updates, and networking with the local dev community. 🎮 How does the Games Industry really work - products, money, platforms, publishers - and investors? 🎮 How do you position yourself and pitch to fit into that world? 🎮 How do you work as a professional game studio + how does a board/owner/investor influence the company?

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I am glad I finally had the chance to have a proper digital meeting with Vic Bassey today and hear so many fascinating things about his work and background in the game industry. Surprisingly, we never met before, considering we are both originally African, live in Sweden/Swedish citizens and have attended the same recent game events. Based on our meeting results, I am thrilled to contribute to the North African game industry coverage, using the advantage of my multilingual skills and culture. Starting with interviews, reports, and following trends, and game events to boost the game industry recognition on our home continent. Founded in 2019, Game Industry Africa (GIA) is the primary source of news, reports, and profiles on the African games industry scene. GIA highlights developers across the continent, provides a platform for current and future generations of developers, and collates statistics and data on the African gaming space. It also serves as a proving ground for aspiring industry reporters. GIA is a passionate labour of love launched by Vic Bassey and supported by some of the brightest minds in the global gaming community. If you have news or want to contribute, or if you're an aspiring games industry reporter looking to develop a portfolio, reach out to https://lnkd.in/drA5_ysC #gameindustryafrica #gia #gameindustrynorthafrica #gamedev #gameindustry #gameindustryafricacommunity #gameindustrydiversity #gameindustrypr #gameindustryinclusion

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So here at LKHE we make games for gamers, and we support our devs fully. We are also about teaching and innovation, and will be opensourcing our games eventually, as well as the behind the scenes. This also means we don’t hide our code in a vault. It insures you guys get to bring your cool ideas to life, and it makes sure we’re always ready to take that extra step further into innovation. I noticed a lot of people are looking for this, and there isnt really a source out there that shows you how to do it. SOOOOoooo here it is (a Sin City Filter) for UE5. You can also use this for any post process, and bring an object, or character out and separate it from the post processing! Give us that Like and subscribe on the channel, and stay tuned. Out Pitch Demo is almost done for Project Kianna, and we'll be pumping out content via Discord, Facebook, LinkdIn, Twitter, Instagram, Tiktok and have our own fully operational Website! Once were up on social media, we will be releasing the official "Prototype: Kianna" which is the free (player built demo) where your input matters on how we proceed with our game! it will have 6 upgrades, based on player input, and will slowly uncover the origin story of Kianna. but for now, check it out my dudes https://lnkd.in/gPSUfjkh

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For me, the policy summit at the Nordic Game Conference was a call to action. It is time for games to be fully recognised as a cultural medium in their own right with high innovation and economic potential. The European game industry needs better public support structures and funding instruments to unlock sustainable digital growth. Sweden, a country with one of the biggest and most quickly growing game industries in Europe, is a perfect location to discuss policies to support the European game industry. One of the Swedish game industry's best-kept secrets is its exceptional local cluster organisations and game incubators, which are among the best in Europe. Their success is evident in the fact that Sweden, with its 900 game developer studios — more than four times the number of studios in Finland, for instance — has the largest studio base in the EU. The success of Swedish clusters and incubators is supported by world-class professional game education infrastructure. Sweden does not only have studios. It also has successful studios that run a significant turnover and employ a wast amount of industry experts. Overall, the Swedish game industry employs almost 8 500 industry talents and runs a combined local turnover of more than EUR 3 billion. With its 5 000 industry experts, Stockholm is one of the key game industry hubs in Europe. Furthermore, with over 2 500 industry experts, Copenhagen and Malmö form a rare cross-border talent hub. Local cluster organisations are crucial in supporting local game studios with knowledge and networks. Unfortunately, the Swedish industry lacks national cultural production support and R&D innovation funding instruments to boost the industry to the next level, creating a significant challenge for the long-term sustainability of the industry's growth. Most likely, Finns will once again have a head start in exploring the possibilities of the next technological disruption with their highly successful R&D instruments. With their cultural support instruments, Danes will likely be among the forerunners pushing the boundaries of games as an artistic medium. Sweden is likely to maintain its leading position in the global race if it is able to ensure both the continuation of support for local cluster organisations and the introduction of dedicated national public support instruments for its local game industry. Thank you Erik Robertson for making this happen.

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I had a delightful conversation today about non-intrusive ads in playful spaces. Interesting times ahead. #gamedev #lookingforwork #lookingforjobs #opentowork #openforwork #jobhunting #jobsearching #indiedev #indiegamedev #denmarkjobs #denmark

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Work-Life Integration VS Work-Life Balance I've been thinking a lot about a new concept for me: Work-Life Integration. Several years ago I thought that if I was working from my car while waiting to pick up my kids from school, I had made a wrong turn in life. But then, as my brain adapted to intense multitasking, I realized it wasn't a problem but a privilege. Living in Cyprus without a nanny or help from grandparents, I couldn't work a full day in the office. On one hand, I'm juggling a lot, but on the other hand, I enjoy the flexibility, choosing both (motherhood and my beloved work) instead of just one. For a long time, I called it work-life balance. Until I heard the term work-life integration. I immediately understood that I have integration, not balance, because I don't strictly separate myself as an employee, a mother, a friend, a wife, or a dog owner. I don't have rigid work hours, and I can attend to family matters in the middle of the day and read work emails after the kids go to bed. Key Principles of Work-Life Integration: 🌠 Flexibility: The ability to work at convenient times and places, allowing for more effective merging of professional duties with personal affairs. 🌠 Values and Priorities: Understanding one's life priorities and striving to meet them, whether it be family, health, hobbies, or career. 🌠 Harmony, Not Balance: Recognizing that priorities can shift during different periods of life and that work and personal life can blend organically. Examples of Work-Life Integration: 🌠 Working from home, allowing simultaneous childcare or handling household chores. 🌠 Using lunch breaks for personal tasks like exercising or meeting friends. 🌠 Adopting a flexible work schedule, allowing you to start and finish your workday at convenient times. 🌠 Incorporating personal tasks into your workday, like attending doctor appointments or participating in children's school events. The main idea of work-life integration is to create conditions where work and personal life do not conflict but rather complement and support each other. It's easy to burn out in this scenario, so breaks or quiet days are necessary (having someone else pick up the kids so you can tackle work tasks at a slower pace). Share your stories if your life if you recognize yourself :) My team at InGameJob.com is preparing material for our media, and we would love to include your story in an article. And if you're an employer, share your thoughts: are you ready to offer your employees such a schedule? If you already work this way, share your observations: how sustainable is this system in the long term? #worklifeintegration

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🔥🔥🔥CONTRACTORS AVAILABLE 🔥🔥🔥 I'm hearing a lot of challenges from Gaming Studios about budget constraints and the consent challenge of finding the right talent quickly. Are you facing any of these issues: 😓No Headcount for Full-Time Positions... 😓Nordic Summer is Approaching, we can't onboard anyone right now... 😓We only want to build a team of Full Time Employees... Well, here are some of the reasons why contractors can help! 💥With tight budgets and strict headcount limits, hiring full-time staff can be challenging. Contractors offer a flexible solution, allowing you to bring in top talent without the long-term commitment or need for additional full-time positions. 💥With the core team enjoying their well-deserved break, keep projects on track with experienced contractors working on the backlog of work you haven't managed to get around to. 💥Address pressing needs now while taking the time to find the perfect long-term solution. Don't let these challenges slow you down. I specialize in sourcing the best contractors in the Tech & Animation space. I not only have talented contractors, but they are fantastic people as well! Drop me a message if you're interested in seeing any profiles! 👊

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In an article in GamesIndustry.Biz, Sophie McEvoy dig into why the games industry in Sweden is still growing. (despite the harsh climate we’ve experienced globally in recent years) “Swedish developers are feeling somewhat optimistic as the local development scene continues to experience rapid growth.” She writes after talking to Per Strömbäck, spokesperson at Dataspelsbranschen / Swedish Games Industry, Oskar Wolontis, COO at Hazelight Studios and Christian Lövstedt, general manager at Midjiwan AB - Polytopia Strömbäck notes that “while there are fewer vacancies at the moment due to the current global economic turmoil, there aren't as many layoffs as in some other places, and the industry here is still growing. The number of people working in the industry having grown from 2,500 to 8,500 people in the last decade” This success has not come without challenges however For Midjiwan, recruiting locally has been challenging because "the demand for talented game developers far exceeds supply" Christian states "As a smaller studio, we face extra difficulties in attracting the best local talent since people tend to gravitate towards the bigger studios, believing it's safer (which is incorrect in our case)." Oskar agrees, "The interest in investing in the Swedish game development industry in recent years has been higher than the local talent pool can reasonably support," he explains. The good news for Swedish game developers is that remote has opened up the possibility to utilize a much larger and global talent pool to support continued growth. From my experience working with providing Swedish studios with senior global talent for 3 years now, I can say that our Swedish work culture, success rate and innovation spirit has not gone unnoticed by developers globally. People want to work with Swedish studios. And now it’s easier than ever. The Swedish games industry is growing, and with our great reputation we have a unique opportunity to leverage the power of remote to continue getting more hit titles out. Remote work in games has so many benefits in my humble opinion The studios get a smoother production with fast access to the right people The developer get to work on games they are passionate about The talent is developed and kept within gaming Increased diversity benefits productivity While it may not be for all and for all situations, it sure has a lot of upsides for those who can make it work.

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What a year it's been for Gaimin Gladiators! We've made a gladiatorial return to the competitive Counter-Strike scene! With the addition of a Danish squad formerly known as ECSTATIC, our ranks are now bolstered with considerable firepower. After all, who doesn't appreciate Danish CS, right?!?! Having secured multiple titles across various platforms, we are solidifying our presence in the industry and setting a precedent for the Esports World Cup. After extensive negotiations involving lawyers and agencies, I'm delighted to announce that we've successfully acquired the top 17 world ranking team according to HLTV. The recent signings, who previously competed under the ECSTATIC banner, made their mark at the PGL Major Copenhagen 2024, securing positions between 12th and 14th. Despite their youth, they've demonstrated their capability to contend at the highest level of CS play. With the likes and experience of coach Peter "casle" Toftbo Ardenskjold" guiding these young talents, their journey promises exciting development. Counter-Strike is a pivotal title in the esports landscape. Yes, it's fiercely competitive, and yes, there are inherent risks. However, as an organization, we believe the timing is opportune. Investing in CS allows us to maximize our resources in one of the premier titles in esports. AND We are ecstatic to be here :) I'd also like to extend my appreciation to our partners who have been with us since day one, supporting us throughout this journey as Gladiators! Gaimin Winline BNB Chain Innovation CoinMarketCap 开云体育Kaiyun Sports

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Last time I talked about all the issues in the way of developing game narrative talent. Today, I want to talk about what we can do about it. The first hurdle is maybe the biggest one: getting studios to recognize the need. Over my career I have seen it again and again - narrative folks are expected to be finished products when they walk in the door, something that is rarely expected of devotees of other disciplines. This is an unfortunate outgrowth of the misconception that narrative is easy, and as such it is hard to root out. But every narrative professional in gaming owes it to themselves, their professional peers and the ones who will follow in our tracks to preach the gospel of professional development to our employers. It needs to be made clear that there are aspects to the job you simply don't pick up in school or writing novels or screenplays or student projects or whatever, and that each studio has its own narrative needs, tools and approaches. When I came into the industry from tabletop RPGs, I was kindly given a learning cushion by my boss, Brian Upton, that let me get up to speed, but that's rare. Hires tend to happen to put out fires these days, but that's short term thinking. So yes, let us go forth to tell our producers, our studio heads, and more that narrative workers need to have professional training, preferably from senior folks in the discipline who understand how the sausage gets made. There need to be clear milestones, timetables, goals, and avenues of support to help people improve at their tasks, and thus become (surprise!) better, more productive employees. Hand in hand with that is setting clear career paths for people following the narrative track. Giving people something to aspire to and a clearly marked path to reach that goal is HR 101 for motivating people. Offering multiple paths to suit their desires and expertise - some folks are better at technical aspects, some at managing, some at hammering out words - is even better. But too often there's no understanding of what the various levels of expertise in the field are, and so there are no clear signposts and no formal role assignments. People who can't see where they're going inevitably bail, looking for greener and clearer pastures. Now, senior narrative devs, don't think I have forgotten about you. We all bear a responsibility to the craft we work in. While many of us are largely self-taught, there has always been a spirit in the narrative community of reaching out and mentoring. People I considered my idols reached down and did it for me when I got started, and I've worked my entire career to turn around and do it for other folks as well. Don't hoard your knowledge. Reach out to juniors and students. Have those conversations at GDC that turn on lightbulbs for people finding their way. And if you can formally share your work - in a blog, in a book, in a conference lecture, whatever - do so. It'll make it better for all of us in the end.

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Reading fuels my professional growth.   However, it's not a one-size-fits-all solution.   How I adapt to team needs: -Understand individual learning preferences -Encourage knowledge sharing in diverse formats -Implement learning during work hours Respecting personal time is key. What works for me may not suit everyone. I cherish my reading habit, it's my gateway to new knowledge. But, as a team leader, I've learned the importance of recognizing and adapting to the varied learning styles of my team members. Here's how we make it work: -Regular check-ins to discover preferred learning methods -Flexible resources that cater to different styles -Scheduled learning sessions during work, not after This approach ensures everyone stays on the same page without encroaching on personal time. Because after all, what one does off the clock is their choice, and that's something I deeply respect.

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How I find the most relevant candidate for a role (100% of our customers work with us because of the quality of our profiles) Do your research: don't let fancy titles trick you. 1. Gather as many possible candidates you can (we have 1000+ in our DB) 2. Pass all through a predefined, custom-specific filter 3. Call with the most relevant candidates 4. Reference calls (optional) 5. Never take short-cuts Stop settling for good-enough, start going for perfect-fit. Because no one cares about your challenges, they care about winning. Earn your respect, deliver first.

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Some news about Crevoid and its why. Read the Article here https://lnkd.in/dVnDT2dY

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Sorry for the automatic "work anniversary" post, people! I was meant to update that, but forgot about it in the midst of job applications, interviews, and private life. I was also planning to give more frequent updates here, however, the abysmal desert of the current job market in Stockholm didn´t really motivate me to do so. But, while I wait to close two more interview processes before the Swedish holidays begin, here are some considerations: 1- Competition is fierce. If you don´t tick all the boxes 100% you don´t get a callback, while before an 85/90% match would often succeed. Most times, not even a 100% match seems to be enough. 2- Some companies found my profile "impressive" for interesting or even lead positions, while industries where I´ve already worked and/or with the same exact job title (I´m looking at you *gaming industry* 👀 🙄 ) don´t even call me for the first screening 😅 This is very depressing for us candidates, and it´s sometimes unclear what one should be doing to proceed further in processes. 3- Tests and interview questions are becoming very demanding, so much so that I´m not sure some things I´ve been asked to produce would have been possible while having an actual job. 4- I´ve been asked more (and before not needed) technical skills than in the past. Although I´m all in favor of being hands-on and well-rounded, I see this more as a way to cover more than one role at once within the company, instead of looking for the right resources in candidates. What´s your opinion of the current job market? As always, I´m open to advice, a kind word, and also a job interview if you have a role at your company or workplace that could suit my skills 🙏 😉 #womenintech #stockholm #jobmarket #marketing

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Yesterday, I wrote about the access to talent. Now, it is time to focus on access to funding and support for IP creation. Let's start on building a digital-ready copyright framework. The regulatory fragmentation of the European digital single market area is one of the key market access barriers for European game developers. Consequently, we need a fully harmonised copyright framework. AI-ready copyright framework will be one of the critical debates of the next Commission term. The EU needs a legal framework that keeps human-created copyright-protected content competitive. On the one hand, we need a copyright framework that protects artistic authors. However, the EU must widen its focus to protecting trademark and design rights holders in a digital environment, as these rights are likely to become much more important in the AI-driven world. On the other hand, we need a copyright framework that ensures contractual freedom and freedom to conduct business. These two perspective must be carefully balanced against each other. Lastly, the commission needs to create a specific legal framework for unfair, non-negotiable standard contracts used by AI tool developers. When it comes to funding, the EU needs to increase Creative Europe Media funding for video game development. Furthermore, digital games are an under-exploited driver of innovation. Therefore, the Union should give them a clear cross-cutting role in the new framework programme for research and innovation and introduce a specific R&D funding instrument targeting the games industry. The Union must require member states to introduce specific measures to support new emerging industrial sectors, like the game industry, in their regional smart specialisation strategies. Unlike any other cultural industry, public support for the game industry must currently be notified in Brussels. The Union must make it easier for member states to introduce public support for their local game industry ecosystem. Thus, the Union should broaden the audiovisual state aid exemption under the General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER) to include video games. If you have not done so already, vote! Vote for someone who continues the European support for Ukraine. For more information on the EGDF EP election manifesto, please visit: https://lnkd.in/eXYzVDHv

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Hi to all. I want to share what I promised. Implementation of management on a mobile device. Made the controls in my mobile game. But I got what I wanted, which was to control turning and firing with the right stick. That is, the left control is only for movement - as you need to run away from enemies. And the correct control, if we control within the outer ring, turns the character, and if we run the drain behind the ring, there is a twist and turn. I love character management, what do you think I'd be interested to hear? Who wants to try, write to me, I can send the apc of my game. #Unity #GameDev #Android

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5 hacks for junior job hunters 👀 We have all been there: You are on the lookout for your first job and it seems like nobody is hiring! Junior position is looking for 2+ years of experience, internships are non-existent - what do you do?! Here’s a fact to lighten the load right away - everyone with a job has been in the same place you are right now - and survived! 🫠 So here is what you do: 1. Figure out what your passion is What I often see is people applying for anything that is open and spreading themselves too thin. What seems like a really good fit for you? Is it QA? Finance? HR? There are a bunch of tests online that can help you with figuring this out - however, steps 3 and 4 can also help you focus and find your true passion 2. Make it obvious! Focus on the information in your CV to point to what you really want to do. Put in projects, classes, and skills that are relevant and try to take out things that seem like fillers - if the blankness of the page scares you, take into account that CVs are usually screened in a small amount of time and you want to make sure that whoever is looking at it has a clear idea of what you did so far and how it matches to what they need. 3. Projects, projects, projects This step works in three ways: 👉 Helps you learn and put your toes into what you really want to do. 👉 On the way you get to figure out if your passion lies in that field 👉 It gives you great content for your CV and something to talk about in your interviews! 4. Network This one is very important! Reach out to people whose careers you admire and ask if they can spare some time to give you tips. Use this call to tell them what projects you are already working on and ask for feedback. 5. Grit! It won't happen overnight, so don't give up! Continue with steps 3 and 4 and once it happens, it will be a real well-deserved victory. You got this! :)

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