Junior Game Designer Jobs

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PlayStation isn’t just the Best Place to Play — it’s also the Best Place to Work. Today, we’re recognized as a global leader in entertainment producing The PlayStation family of products and services including PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, PlayStation®VR, PlayStation®Plus, acclaimed PlayStation software titles from PlayStation Studios, and more.
PlayStation also strives to create an inclusive environment that empowers employees and embraces diversity. We welcome and encourage everyone who has a passion and curiosity for innovation, technology, and play to explore our open positions and join our growing global team.
The PlayStation brand falls under Sony Interactive Entertainment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation.
The Junior Game Designer position is a player-centric developer that is always thinking about the player’s experience. They have a talent for creating fun and exciting game experiences and are fluent in various areas of design. They will sit within the gameplay team and will be responsible for contributing to the development of gameplay mechanics and systems. They will also collaborate with the rest of the design team to build highly re-playable experiences. They need to have excellent instincts for what makes fantastic and engaging gameplay as well as good judgement and decision-making skills. They should be strong collaborators and can communicate their needs to other team members to aid in the design of gameplay.
Principle Duties / Responsibilities:

• Design compelling game mechanics using modern mobile design principles.
• Evolve and adapt game designs based on play testing, feedback, and live metrics.
• Create, balance and tune game mechanics, game difficulty and UI flow.
• Work directly with artists, programmers, animators, and other game designers to contribute to the vision of the game.
• Perform maintenance on existing gameplay systems such as: combat, gameplay cameras, player navigation, scoring, etc.
• Collaborate across disciplines to get work done and clear dependencies.
• Work as part of the design team, taking responsibility for individual game parts, creating game design documents, diagrams, and flowcharts.
• Gameplay scripting using appropriate scripting tools
• Drive long term player engagement by understanding players’ needs and motivations.
• Additional responsibilities will be assigned as needed.

Required Knowledge / Skills:

• TECHNICAL: Understanding of the technical aspects of product and game development. Ability to identify other business units with necessary technical knowledge and cultivate relationships.
• PEOPLE: Proactive self-starter, but also a team player. Strong interpersonal, facilitation, oral and written communication, and project management skills a must. Ability to listen and understand various viewpoints and help guide diverse global workgroups to common solutions. Strong cultural sensitivity and sensibility a must.
• PROCESS: Process knowledge, attention to detail, timely follow-up and strong organizational skills.
• PLANNING / IMPLEMENTATION: Implementing projects in partnership with co-workers, global development teams, RHQ business units and global Sony divisions. Strong capability to multitask and prioritize. Ability to proactively handle shifting priorities and requirements.

Qualifications:

• Candidates must be proactive and willing to take direction.
• Must be able to prioritize and perform multiple tasks simultaneously in a fast-paced environment, with the ability to adapt to changing priorities efficiently and effectively.
• You must be a passionate gamer with a deep understanding of core game mechanics and the impact and influence of design decisions. strong opinions on overall quality of execution and a deep understanding for what it takes to execute at a AAA quality level is a must.
• Must have excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills in handling complex situations with the ability to negotiate and recommend solutions.
• Creativity and ‘out of the box’ thinking is strongly encouraged.
• Experience with Microsoft Outlook or equivalent E-mail client, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Internet Explorer or equivalent Web Browser required. Familiarity with Microsoft Project, Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Powerpoint or Microsoft Visio a plus.
• Bachelor's Degree (or equivalent direct work experience) and a minimum of 2 years of product development or related industry experience.
• Must have strong analytical and critical thinking skills. Ability to apply creative solutions within business constraints.
• Project management or product development experience in entertainment or videogame industry required.

Required Experience / Education:

• Moderate experience with C++, C#, Lisp / Racket, Lua, or other scripting language.
• Bachelor’s Degree (4-year college) or equivalent direct work experience
• 2+ years of game design and product development or equivalent / related industry experience
• Experience working with teams through all aspects of the product life cycle, including prototyping, pre-production, production, beta, and release.
• Experience in working with Unreal Engine 5

Preferred Experience / Education:

• Same as above

At SIE, we consider several factors when setting each role’s base pay range, including the competitive benchmarking data for the market and geographic location.
Please note that the base pay range may vary in line with our hybrid working policy and individual base pay will be determined based on job-related factors which may include knowledge, skills, experience, and location.
In addition, this role is eligible for SIE’s top-tier benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, matching 401(k), paid time off, wellness program and coveted employee discounts for Sony products. This role also may be eligible for a bonus package. Click here to learn more.
The estimated base pay range for this role is listed below.
$78,900 — $118,300 USD
Equal Opportunity Statement:
Sony is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All persons will receive consideration for employment without regard to gender (including gender identity, gender expression and gender reassignment), race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin), religion or belief, marital or civil partnership status, disability, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity, trade union membership or membership in any other legally protected category.
We strive to create an inclusive environment, empower employees and embrace diversity. We encourage everyone to respond.
PlayStation is a Fair Chance employer and qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records will be considered for employment.