This is the second part of the interview with Stephan Carmignani. To read the first part, click here.
Marc: What advice would you give to students who want to enter the industry?
Stephan: I get a lot of resumes from students or people interested in working in the gaming industry, and I would say: it depends on the type of studio they want to apply in, AAA studio (big studio by budget and teams) or independent studio.
AAA productions (the most expensive and technically impressive games) have become massive, and in general these studios are looking for candidates who are already specialized in their approach or shows potential in terms of specialization (tech art, tech design, character artist etc.).
Indie studios (independent developers) may be more likely to want less specialized profiles, with more “autonomous” candidates who have less need to be micro-managed and who will do a little of everything, while being in charge of part of the development.
It is important to understand and accept these 2 dynamics and to see in which we find ourselves the most! But one thing is certain: now that Unity and Unreal (2 applications to create video games) are free (as well as other platforms/gears), and tutorials are available for free online, companies expect to have candidates who know the tools, and have used them. There is a clear demand for candidates with more technical profiles.
Personally I always try to understand the motivation of the candidate I interview:
- Does the candidate ask questions?
- Do they manage to identify their strengths and highlight them?
- Do they have a career plan, or at least an idea of where they see themselves in 5 years?
- Do they have personal experience with Unreal, Unity, or any game engine? (and if possible, a portfolio of personal creations)
- But more than anything, what is their understanding of the industry and its trends?
Marc: What advice would you give to parents who want their children to play in moderation?
Stephan: Try to understand what your kids like and are looking for in video games. This will help you understand their motivation. Now it is always good to have a routine: you can play every day, on the other hand it will always be at the same time and for the same duration.
It also makes it possible to define “special” moments during which the child can play longer.
Personally I’m not a fan of the carrot technique which consists of saying “if you want to play you’re going to have to do this or that thing before to deserve your playing time”. I prefer to integrate playing time into a routine. It may happen that the child did not have a good day and his consolation will be to be able to play his favorite game.
Marc: Do you have any other tips for parents who don’t know a video game?
Stephan:
- Choose the games together. Make sure that as a parent, you understand exactly what game you are buying from your child.
- Try to understand the business model of the game you buy or download: is it a Free-to-play with a lot of things to buy afterwards? A complete game that requires no microtransactions? etc.
- Play with them as much as possible to get a better understanding of what your children are exposed to
But more than anything: is it an online game? If so, try to understand how other players interact with your child.
M: What are you playing at the moment? And do you recommend the titles in question?
Right now I’m playing Super Mario Odyssey on the Nintendo Switch, and I’m trying to finish Ghost of Tsushima on PS4.
I recommend Super Mario Odyssey for a young audience because its content is completely adapted to this demographic.
As for Ghost of Tsushima, I do not recommend it to a young audience. It is an adult game with a lot of violence, blood… but, it’s probably one of the best games on PS4.
M: Do you have any games to recommend for children? and for teenagers?
For the youngest:
- all Pokémon games
- all Super Mario games
- Alba: a wildlife adventure
- ” Play Together “
- Bibi World
For teens:
- Fall Guys
- Zelda Breath of the Wild
- Concrete Genie
- Horizon Zero Dawn
Stephan, on which social networks can we find you? Do you have any creations, sites to promote?
Mainly on LinkedIn.
Stephan, thank you very much for your time and advice.
Thank you!
