Ambition requires talented people, according to Ames Kirshen, executive producer and creative director for Hasbro Inc.’s (Nasdaq: HAS) new video game studio, Atomic Arcade, in Research Triangle Park.
The studio, in the early stages of crafting a video game based on the G.I. Joe brand, has grown from six employees in March to more than 20 today. It moved into its new space off Davis Drive in September and is gearing up to move from the concept phase to preproduction, which requires filling more open positions.
“We’re making a very ambitions Triple A action game,” Kirshen said, requiring a lot of "amazing, talented people.”
But Atomic isn’t the only ambitious studio in the Triangle.
Virtually all of the region’s video game companies are hiring – from new upstart Methodical Games, a startup founded by veterans behind titles such as “Fortnite” and “Call of Duty,” to stalwarts such as Cary-based Epic Games and Red Storm Entertainment, a Cary studio owned by Ubisoft.
The proximity of the likeminded firms makes for a large talent pool – it also means major competition.
Randy Brown, vice president of Virtual Heroes, a division of Applied Research Associates that designs and develops high fidelity simulations using gaming technology, says filling jobs requires creativity. The division has 50 people, most of whom are based in Raleigh off of Six Forks Road. It traditionally prefers in-person workers, particularly for junior level positions so they can learn from their teams.
“What we’re starting to see … we need to offer a full-time remote position to be able to get some of our hires,” Brown said.
Kirshen said Atomic is hiring remotely for some of its positions in order to compete, as it’s trying to double its headcount. “It’s a super competitive market,” she said. “With remote working, we’re not just competing with the studios that are here. We’re competing with studios all over the place.”
There are premiums on experienced talent.
“I’d hire 18 more people by October if I could,” Brown said.
Brown sees the situation improving, pointing to layoffs at big tech firms such as Twitter (NYSE: TWTR), Facebook (Nasdaq: META), Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN) and Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT).
Both Kirshen and Brown say displaced tech workers could have a future in video games – with the right amount of effort.
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For traditional tech talent looking for a career in video games, they both suggest hands-on experience, even if it’s manufactured.
Kirshen’s advice to aspiring video game engineers is to download Epic Games free gaming engine, Unreal.
“Really dive into that on the technical side, on the engineering side, see how the engine is built and structured,” Kirshen said. “It’s about getting hands-on experience, getting yourself familiar with the engine, would be my advice.”
“Start dabbling,” Brown said. “Build a level. Try something.”
The right candidate could find multiple opportunities in the Triangle.
Methodical Games, for example, is hiring for several positions, and according to an open application, is “seeking passionate individuals from all walks of life to join us in building something great.”
Red Storm has open positions in Cary on its website, including programmer, engineer and artist positions. The website of the area’s biggest video game company, Epic Games, shows 135 open positions for Cary, across a slew of fields such as business development, engineering and data analytics.