ByteAction - Issue 151

ByteAction is a newsletter for game developers and fans

Hello, and welcome to 151st edition of ByteAction newsletter!

Hope you all enjoyed your time at Gamescom! This year’s conference was the biggest yet, drawing over 335,000 visitors to, and surpassing last year's 320,000 attendees. Here’s a list of everything that was announced.

In other news, Virtuos acquired a UK gaming studio Third Kind Games. Third Kind Games' co-founders will continue leading the studio with a team of over 60 staff. 

Lastly, Ustwo Games announced that their upcoming game Monument Valley 3 is launching on December 10th and it’s going to be Netflix exclusive.

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The Byte

1. Circana's July 2024 report shows a 10% increase in US video game spending, with growth across all categories.

The Action

2. Tencent is increasing its support for early-stage developers through its Venture Lab initiative.

Retro Byte

3. Atari and Plaion have unveiled their latest collaboration: the Atari 7800+, a modernized version of the classic 1986 7800 console.

Studio Byte

4. Scorewarrior is a game studio known for developing strategy-based online multiplayer games, most notably Vikings: War of Clans. Established in 2016, the studio focuses on creating immersive experiences that blend tactical combat, resource management, and social interaction. It operates under the Plarium umbrella.

Legal Stuff

5. The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is ending its investigation into Apple's in-app payment system, citing "administrative priority" as the reason for closure.

6. Video game actors are demanding greater transparency regarding "disgusting" motion capture work that isn't properly disclosed during booking.

Acquisitions/Investments

7. Xsolla has signed an MoU with Saudi Arabia's Savvy Games Group to support Vision 2030 and boost economic opportunities for game developers globally.

8. VC funding invested in the gaming industry worldwide from 1st quarter 2019 to 2nd quarter 2024.

New Game Corner

9. Slitterhead - November 8th, 2024

   Created by Keiichiro Toyama, the mind behind Silent Hill and Gravity Rush, Slitterhead is a third-person action horror game. Set in a city reminiscent of Hong Kong from the 1980s and '90s, the game challenges players to fight against creatures capable of mimicking humans.

Resource Byte

10. Kraftful

    Turn user feedback into product insights.

Who’s Hiring?

Technical Director - Bespoke Pixel - Barcelona, Spain

Senior Devops Engineer - Funcom - Bucharest, Romania

CMO - Nordcurrent - Vilnius, Lithuania

Art Director - Geometric Interactive - Copenhagen, Denmark

Senior UX Designer - ASOBO Studio - Bordeaux, France

HR Manager - Deca Games - Berlin, Germany

Lead Animator - Splash Damage - Bromley, UK

Talent Acquisition Specialist - Greentube - Vienna, Austria

Recruiting Team Lead - Scorewarrior - Limassol, Cyprus

Lead Artist - Virtuos - Dublin, Ireland

Head of Game Design - Exient - Malta, Valetta

Marketing Director - Arrowhead Studios - Stockholm, Sweden

Senior Unity Developer - Enver - Remote, Europe

Senior Data Analyst - Original Games - Remote, Europe

Principal Level Designer - Firesprite - Liverpool, UK

Lead Animator - Mountaintop Studios - Remote, USA

Senior UI/UX Designer - Klang Games - Madrid, Spain

Senior UI Artist - Yager - Remote, Europe

Chief of Staff - Voodoo - Paris, France

Lead Engine Programmer - Ramen VR - San Francisco, CA

Lighting Artist - Gunzilla Games - Remote, Europe

Design Director - Socialpoint - Barcelona Spain

UI Designer - Mojang Studios - Stockholm, Sweden

Lead Level Designer - CD Projekt Red - Boston, MA

Senior Producer - Haven Studios - Montréal, Canada

Senior Game Designer - Wargaming - Vilnius, Lithuania

Lead VFX Artist - Sega Europe Ltd - Sofia, Bulgaria

Unity Developer - Odderslab - Remote

Principal Animator - Maverick Games - Warwick, UK

Interested in sharing your job posts here? Just click on the button below for more info and reach out to tomas@byteaction.co

Dev Talks

11. Ian Proulx Interview

    “Our game is still very much gun and mechanics-based rather than ability-based. I would call it more Valorant than Overwatch. While the game is high-intensity and strategic, the abilities won’t be overwhelming. Our goal was to enhance the first Splitgate, not redefine it.”

    Ian Proulx

Events

12. Gamesindustry.biz HR Summit - 18th September, 2024

    The GI HR Summit returns for its second year, bringing together HR professionals from the video game industry to address key challenges. Hosted at the Royal Institution in London, the 2024 event will feature keynote talks, roundtables, and the Best Places To Work Awards. Topics will include AI, health and wellbeing, leadership, diversity, generational work expectations, hybrid working, and morale during these challenging times