history of the path to gamedev
We present to you the transcript of the new episode of the podcast “I want to go into gamedev”. In this episode, we met with Artur Mostovoy, the director of the Larian studio in the UK, known for such projects as Baldur's Gate 3 and a number of other cult games. Artur told us about his path from nuclear physics to heading the regional office of one of the coolest studios in the world. We discussed what it is like to work for a large international gaming company, what skills are in demand in the industry, and what challenges have to be overcome in the process of developing AAA games.
The Path to the World of Game Development
Arthur has come a long way in game development, and he started in a very distant field – nuclear physics. But this is not what his heart was in, not what he wanted to do all his life.
But making Games… He started with modding games to understand how the industry is structured from the inside, what skills are required. The first project was Mount & Blade: Warband, and after it came the realization “Yes, this is it, this is what I want to do all my life.” After all, game development is, so to speak, at the peak of technological progress, but at the same time leaves room for creativity and self-realization!
Soon, Artur joined companies like Pixonic, where he worked on War Robots, and Azur Games, where he not only developed games but also built the company’s infrastructure. Eventually, his path led him to Larian Studios, when 8 years ago he was offered a management position at the St. Petersburg studio. This offer was a real dream come true for Artur: he got the opportunity to work on large PC projects with a team that was close to him in spirit and values.
Key Skills for Working in an International Studio
Working in an international company requires not only professional knowledge, but also developed communication skills. For technical specialists such as programmers and artists, fundamental hard skills are most important, but for management positions such as game directors and producers, soft skills and knowledge of English necessary for conducting negotiations on an international level are critical.
Arthur notes that it can be difficult to evaluate your results during work, especially when the day consists of endless calls and discussions. He advises recording the results of meetings and making checklists of completed tasks. This helps to see specific achievements and improve motivation.
The most in-demand professions in AAA studios
Programmers remain the most sought-after profession in AAA studios, and this has not changed over the years. However, in addition to programmers, specialists at the intersection of professions, such as Tech-artist and VFX-artist, are increasingly in demand. By the way, we have a separate podcast episode about each of these professions, you can find them on our channelIn recent years, analysts have become especially valuable (There is also a podcast episode about them), capable of deeply understanding and predicting user behavior.
The situation with sound design deserves special attention. Many companies prefer to buy ready-made sound assets, which reduces the quality of the sound design of games. The choice of these assets often falls on the shoulders of game designers, which can negatively affect the final result, since a specialist without deep knowledge in the field of sound may not take into account all the nuances.
What is important in an interview?
When preparing for an interview at a game studio, it is important to familiarize yourself with the company's projects, understand its values and approaches. Artur emphasizes that it is important to soberly assess your capabilities and not overload recruiters with ambitions, especially if you are at the initial stage of your career. By showing your desire to learn and develop, you will make a much better impression. In general, you should not run to all the studios shouting “I want to make world hits, Witchers and Horizons.”
Does Larian Studios hire Junior specialists?
Larian Studios offers two opportunities for aspiring professionals: Work Experience And Internship. As part of Work Experience, newcomers undergo week-long internships in different departments of the company to better understand which area is closer to them. Internship, on the other hand, involves a full-fledged internship for six months or a year, which can lead to permanent employment in the company.
These programs are held every six months, and to learn more about them, just visit the “Career” section on the official website. Larian.
What are the structural features of a large international company?
Larian is present in seven countries. These are Canada, England, Ireland, Spain, Belgium. And recently they opened Poland and Malaysia. Each country has a talent attraction center.
A feature of such a large number of offices is the overlap of a large number of time zones. This can also cause difficulties when you need to get information from a specialist in another time zone. After the lockdown, it was not so easy to set up remote communication when more than 500 people are involved in the project.
Another thing we discussed a lot in the podcast is that Larian Studios prefers to minimize remote work. Although the pandemic forced the team to switch to a remote mode, the company realized that it negatively impacts the creative process. They believe that working in the office helps generate ideas and improves communication between employees. Working together in the studio makes it easier to share ideas, discuss projects, and find creative solutions. Therefore, most of the team works in the office to maximize the benefits of in-person interaction.
“We've found that working together in the office helps generate ideas and improve communication between employees. When people work side by side, creative solutions and new approaches come much more easily.” – Arthur Mostovoy.
What are employees and companies starting to pay attention to in the international market?
A company's reputation and its treatment of its employees are becoming increasingly important factors in the marketplace. Employees are increasingly paying attention to things like layoffs and turnover, which can influence their decision to work for a particular company. If a company recently laid off several thousand people and is now hiring them again, people will wonder if it will happen again next year.
The demands of investors on founders have also increased, because excessive expectations and overheating of the audience can lead to an increase in the cost of development. This has led to those who attract financing reducing their appetites and ambitions, and existing studios have learned to make more accurate analytics and forecasts, and have begun to include production risks.
Conclusion
We hope that this issue will be interesting and useful to you. You can watch it in full on our channel on Youtubeand also in VK and on other platforms. We will be glad to receive your subscriptions, likes and comments.
Thank you for your attention and see you in the next issues!
