The GamesIndustry.biz Microcast

This week, we're presenting audio versions of the panel discussions from this year's Best Places To Work Awards UK. In today's session, a panel of professionals discuss the fight to address climate change and what more the games industry can do to aid these efforts. The panel featurs Playing for the Planet's Deborah Mensah-Bonsu, Ustwo Games' Jane Campbell, Games London's Michael French and Sports Interactive's Miles Jacobson. It is hosted by GamesIndustry.biz's Christopher Dring. You can find the full video at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we're presenting audio versions of the panel discussions from this year's Best Places To Work Awards UK. Today, Amiqus' Liz Prince hosts a discussion about the importance and influence of leadership on culture and diversity. Rather than focusing solely on why a diverse team is important for your business, this panel offers some actionable steps that leadership can take to accelerate their EDI journeys. You can find the full video at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The GamesIndustry.biz team gather around their mics to discuss some of the biggest stories from the past week. First up, we discuss reactions to Fortnite's March Through Time, a scenario designed to explore the impact of Martin Luther King and educate a new generation about his work and iconic speech. For all its good intentions, the mode quickly attracted criticism and even had to be modified to disable the use of emotes. We share our thoughts on how Epic has handled the implementation of this tribute, and the potential for educational experiences in games. Next, we follow up on our interview with Supercell about Everdale, the Clash of Clans studio's co-operative, "peaceful" multiplayer game -- and how difficult it is to create a free-to-play, engagement-driven multiplayer title that is dominated by a certain type of player. Finally, we use the retirement of Nintendo's Lance Barr, the man who redesigned the NES and SNES for the West, to weigh up our favourite and least favourite console designs of all time. Title music composed by Thomas Marchant. Episode produced by Alix Attenborough. As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The GamesIndustry.biz team gather around their mics to discuss the biggest news of the past week. First up, we explore the current backlash Twitch is facing over increased hate raids targeting marginalised streamers, which has prompted content creators to plan a day-long strike from using the platform. Twitch claims it is working to improve its tools, but the site's own transparency report and our exposé on the company culture aren't in its favour. Next, we discuss the scrutiny around Roblox and its divisive monetisation model, further thrown into light by a recent investigation suggesting the company is exploiting young game developers. Finally, we touch on the conversation around Boyfriend Dungeon, its triggering storylines, and the delicate balance between exploring sensitive subjects in games and impacting your audience in an unintended way. Title music composed by Thomas Marchant. Episode produced by Thomas Quilfeldt. As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The GamesIndustry.biz team gather around their mics to discuss the biggest news from the world behind video games. This week, Chris, Brendan and James take a deeper look at the trends seen across the most recent wave of financial reports, which represents the first quarter that can be directly compared to a period where the majority of the world was in lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While most major companies saw at least one key metric decline year-on-year, there's more to the numbers than other reports might have you believe. The discussion also explores Nintendo's strategy for the remainder of the Switch's lifecycle and what it might do beyond that, as well as how Sony can reinvigorate PlayStation Plus (if it even needs to do so). As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week's episode is a little different, as we delve deeper into an issue that continues to affect people across the games industry. Splash Damage's Cinzia Musio and Limit Break founder Anisa Sanusi join us to discuss how to deal with discrimination and harassment, not just from a company point of view, but from the position of everyone in the industry. We talk about how reporting processes can be improved, how leaders and managers can better support their staff, how low-level staff can speak up and stand against any misconduct they witness, and how victims can find the support they need - especially if they do not believe their employer will take their story seriously. Content warning: While we do not discuss any specific examples of harassment or abuse, the general context of the conversation is one that may bring such experiences to mind.  We'll also be publishing an article collating links to resources and support for those who are suffering from harassment and discrimination in the games industry. If you have any suggestions you would like to see added to it, email news@gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Throughout this month, we've been taking a deeper dive into the world of video games recruitment and the challenges facing both applicants wanting to enter the industry and companies wanting to secure the best talent. For our fourth and final 'jobscast,' we take a look at the role recruitment plays in diversifying the industry workforce and supporting staff equally - a rather fitting topic given that we recorded on the day of the Activision Blizzard lawsuit. Our panel this week includes Creative Assembly's Emma Smith, Iron Galaxy's Rejess Marshall, Phoenix Labs' Jeanne-Marie Owens and Schell Games' Lauren Reed. We discuss how games companies can expand where they search for new recruits, improve their job listings and interview processes to appeal to a broader range of applicants, and the importance of fair compensation. Please note: We had a few connectivity issues during the panel, so there are some brief glitches in the audio, for which we apologise. This series is part of our Get A Job In Games Month. Title music composed by Thomas Marchant. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The GamesIndustry.biz editorial team gathers around their mics to discuss the biggest stories of the week. This week, the conversation returns to reports of discrimination and harassment at AAA games firms - most notably Activision Blizzard, which is facing a lawsuit from the DFEH, but also Ubisoft following the latest report of toxic elements within one of its studios. We discuss the need for more consequences for both those directly responsible for discrimination, harassment, abuse and more, but also the companies they work for, who continue to fail to protect the rest of their staff. During the discussion, we recommend several resources for those in the industry who need a safe space or support, as well as information for companies and recruiters that may help resolve these issues in the long term. All of these can be found below: https://www.rainn.org/articles/sexual-harassment https://gameshotline.org/ https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/ https://www.takethis.org/mental-health-resources/ https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-03-08-creating-a-diverse-workforce-ukie-raisethegame-report https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-09-14-level-up-on-diversity-three-changes-to-get-more-women-into-games https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-02-04-how-to-identify-and-avoid-unconscious-bias https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-07-02-how-to-patch-out-implicit-bias-from-your-hiring-process https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-03-08-gamesindustry-biz-academy-resources-to-champion-women-in-games   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Throughout this month, we'll be taking a deeper dive into the world of video games recruitment and the challenges facing both applicants wanting to enter the industry and companies wanting to secure the best talent. For our third 'jobscast,' we take a look at the onboarding process and how studios can better prepare recruits for their new role. We discuss the challenges involved -- both before and during the pandemic -- as well as how the process differs depending on which stage of a project you're bringing in new team members. Our panel this week includes Jagex's Jody Zarkos, Timbre Studios' Zoë Curnoe and Geoff Coates, and Rogue Games' Chris Archer. This series is part of our Get A Job In Games Month. Title music composed by Thomas Marchant. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The GamesIndustry.biz team gathers behind their mics to discuss the biggest story of the week: the Steam Deck. With Valve's long-rumoured Switch-like handheld gaming PC finally unveiled, we discuss our reactions to the reveal and who the audience for this device might be. We also explore the possibilities for indie developers -- or indeed any developers -- and the potential for Steam Deck to introduce a new route into the PC games market in a way that has not been seen in years. In the last segment of this week's show, Brendan offers a breakdown of this year's report on the use of conflict minerals in the games industry. You can find the full report here.  Title music by Thomas Marchant. Episode mastered by Thomas Quillfeldt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices