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The Lodgge Podcast

Welcome to The Lodgge Podcast. Each episode we will be welcoming a different uniquely talented guest to talk about a variety of topics. Our goal is to showcase the immense knowledge, diversity, and skill that Ontario video game and interactive entertainment studios have to offer. Join us for a behind-the-scenes look at the industry, its members, and the projects they create.

Recent Episodes

  • Episode 25 — Jason Loftus

    In this season finale, we chat with the CEO and Executive Producer at Lofty Sky Entertainment Jason Loftus! We discuss their upcoming title Sky of Tides, the team’s award-winning documentary Eternal Spring (長春), and lots more!

Previous Episodes

Listen now on Spotify

Careers

Looking to start a new adventure? The Lodgge Careers will be showcasing available positions from around Ontario. We will be adding careers throughout the week, so make sure to check in often. Each post includes a direct link to the official career posting, so you can apply in no time!

  • Senior Systems Designer – Combat & Progression – Riyo Games

    Responsibilities:

    • Create combat and progression systems that answer the needs of the Creative and Design Directors about the targeted experience for the player
    • Bring your designs through every phase of development from concept to finish, using feedback and testing to refine them
    • Hold and communicate the vision for your work to collaborators in other departments
    • Create new systems and features while balancing and tweaking existing ones
    • Work closely with the programming team to implement and iterate designs
    • Collaborate with art, code, audio, animation, and visual effects to deliver combat systems that epitomize the creative vision of the game
    • Design detailed progression systems and tune them for specific goals
    • Research retro and modern JRPG design conventions to ensure authenticity of the experience
    • Work within Unreal Engine 5 to implement and tune combat and progression systems
    • Establish and enforce design practices, constraints, and metrics
    • Standardize, document, and communicate game systems to the team. Regularly update documentation to offer useful reference for the whole team

    Requirements:

    • At least 5+ years’ experience in the games industry working as a combat/systems designer, shipping at least one title
    • A passion for JRPGs is a must
    • Proactive and able to own design areas from initial creation through to implementation
    • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
    • Familiarity and proficiency with scripting
    • Strong communication and interpersonal skills
    • Organized and able to write concise documentation
    • Self-motivated, with the ability to prioritize and deliver quality work within deadlines
    • Able to recognize great game feel and how to manifest player fantasy into gameplay mechanics

    Pluses:

    • Resident of Ontario or Quebec
  • Ubisoft Toronto

    Producer – Ubisoft Toronto

    • Production Management
      • Define, present and follow up on the development strategy for the game;
      • Help define the scope and deliverables of the project;
      • Manage the budgets for the project;
      • Build an inter-project network and optimally organize the work plan;
      • Manage risks and approve contingency plans;
      • Follow up on projects and communicate status to executives;
      • Meet with external collaborators.

      Market

      • Work with the Brand/Product Director to define the game’s market positioning;
      • Ensure alignment on all deliverables to ensure successful marketing plans to support the game throughout production and into launch.

      Content

      • Create an environment that fosters and encourages team members to bring the best ideas forward for the project;
      • Support the creative direction and ensure that it meets the quality standards for the game and target market;
      • In collaboration with technical teams, make technology choices that support the game vision and development (tools and engine);
      • Ensure that teams optimize technology and best practice sharing;
      • Ensure that the game meets quality standards.

      Team Management

      • Help structure and support the project team;
      • Help define talent needs for the project and recruit the best candidates;
      • In collaboration with the leads and managers on the project, ensure that the team is engaged and working efficiently;
      • Foster and take an active role in the career development of team members.

      Qualifications

      • Minimum 8 years of relevant experience in project management, ideally in progressive leadership roles;
      • Must have project management experience in a game development environment;
      • Must have demonstrated the ability to deliver large, complex projects (quality standards, budget constraints and effective team output);
      • Have shipped a minimum of one AAA game title in a management or project management role;
      • An inclusive, influential, and inspiring leadership style that allows you to rally people around a vision and engage distributed teams of varying sizes;
      • Experience advocating for the project with different stakeholders, including business, publishing, first-party and media;
      • The capacity to cast a clear long-term vision and put in place the key milestones to make it a reality.
  • Game Pill Logo

    Level Designer (Technical) – GAME PILL

    Qualifications

    • Strong skills in Level Design and Game Design
    • Ability to set dress and alter existing environments
    • Experience with making clear pathing and functional traversal
    • Experience in Game Development, specifically in console and mobile games
    • Proficiency in relevant software tools and technologies
    • Ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams
    • Excellent problem-solving and critical-thinking abilities
    • Attention to detail and strong organizational skills
    • Knowledge of game mechanics and player psychology
    • Strong communication and interpersonal skills
    • Experience in the gaming industry is required
  • Sinn Studio

    Community Manager – Sinn Studio

    Responsibilities

    • Develop and execute strategies to grow and engage the player community in line with our mission and vision.
    • Understand audience and brand tone, ensuring consistent messaging and creating compelling content/initiatives.
    • Build relationships with community members to enhance satisfaction and collaborate on updates and strategy.
    • Foster community spirit and cultivate a positive online atmosphere, responding promptly to feedback and discussions.
    • Optimize Discord server functionality, roles, integrations, and security while suggesting enhancements.
    • Provide actionable feedback to enhance player experience.
    • Monitor and analyze community growth, sentiment and engagement metrics, using insights to help shape future strategies and decisions.
    • Relay community feedback, help facilitate testing, and collaborate on community content creation.
    • Stay updated on emerging trends and competitive analysis in community building and online engagement; contributing innovative and novel ideas/activities.
    • Other related duties as required.

    Qualifications

    If the following sounds like you, and you’re interested in joining a growing start-up, we want to hear from you! Not sure that you meet all qualifications? Cast those doubts away – we strongly welcome you to apply. We love to hear from people who are ecstatic about working in the XR industry and where it will evolve to.

    • 2-4+ years in community management, specializing in building and nurturing online gaming communities.
    • Experience with VR / MR.
    • Deep knowledge and understanding of Discord and proficient in related software/platforms.
    • Developed and executed content strategies to drive community growth with a passion to cultivating a vibrant and engaged community.
    • Managed communities for games/franchises in the XR gaming industry, including experience with game or feature launches.
    • Experience managing servers with player communities of 5000+ individuals.
    • Strong written, interpersonal and verbal communication skills. Adept at connecting with a variety of individuals and expressing ideas clearly and engagingly.
    • Comfortable as a public-facing representative for the game and studio, following brand guidelines with a flair of fun and being personable.
    • Data-driven approach to community management, rapidly translating feedback and KPIs with diligence into actionable strategies.
    • Cross-functional collaboration with development, marketing, and QA teams. Mentored colleagues, ensuring adherence to brand guidelines.
    • Self-motivated, with a creative mindset for organizing online events, initiatives and activities.
    • Comfortable being in a virtual environment for varying times wearing a VR headset.

    Added Advantages

    • Experience with PC and console experience preferred over mobile.
    • Understanding of adjacent platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Reddit, X/Twitter, YouTube, and Twitch.
    • Post-secondary education in Marketing, Communications, other related fields or relevant experience.
    • An authentic understanding and passion about games / working in the industry.
* Looking to post a position? Contact our comms team and lets make it happen!

Upcoming Industry Events

We scour the web for industry events so that you don’t have to! Whether you are a growing indie studio, a student looking to network, or simply a fan of video games, we have an event for you. Filter by city, event type and much more in our fully customizable event calendar. New events will be added weekly so make sure to check back in regularly to keep up with the latest in the industry.

*Is your event missing? Contact our comms team and let’s change that.