Amber Newsletter | March 2024

Amber's GDC 2024 Experience: Shaping the Future of Gaming

We had been eagerly anticipating Game Developers Conference 2024, and it certainly didn't disappoint! With the Amber team fully immersed in the bustling atmosphere of San Francisco from March 18-22, we embarked on five days filled with insightful discussions shaping the future landscape of gaming.

This experience provided us with an exceptional platform to connect with fellow developers, showcasing our expertise and exchanging valuable insights with industry leaders.

Among the members of the Amber team present were Mihai Pohon?u (Executive Chairman), Andreea Enache (Chief Revenue Officer), Scott Humphries (Chief Product Officer), Catalin Butnariu (Chief Strategy Officer), Mihai Smaranda (Head of DSS), Chris Rowley (Program Director - DSS), David Cohen ?? GamesBeat NEXT (BD Director - PC/Console), Thomas Wong (BD Director - Mobile), and Ruslan R. (BD Manager - QA/Localization).

We're proud to have been part of such a gathering, where we not only contributed our expertise but also forged valuable connections within the industry.

Amber Shines in Gaming Marathon's Women in Games Edition Livestreams

Exciting news from the recent Gaming Marathon event! Roxana Patrascu , our Lead UI Artist, and Alecsandra Botosaneanu , our Talent & Learning Manager, took center stage in two insightful livestreams.

Roxana was featured on Bobospider's Twitch channel, while Alecsandra joined Antonia Nuckles' YouTube livestream, engaging in discussions about their experiences and addressing a variety of questions.

The two shared their journeys at Amber and discussed topics ranging from their earliest encounters with video games to navigating the gaming industry as women. They delved into their roles at Amber, the skills essential for success in the industry, and the stereotypes and challenges faced by women aspiring to work in gaming studios. Additionally, they explored the unique contributions that women can bring to the gaming industry and shared their excitement for upcoming game releases.

We're incredibly proud of Roxana and Alecsandra for representing Amber with poise and expertise, and we're grateful to Gaming Marathon for providing a platform to amplify diverse voices within the gaming community.

Gabriel Stancu's “Career Talks” Spotlight

A special shoutout is in order today to Gabriel Stancu , our Head of Studio, for his outstanding presentation titled "The Basics of Game Production" at the annual Career Talks event.

We are grateful to all who contributed to the success of this event - the enthusiastic students, dedicated faculty members, and the hardworking organizers, Liga Studen?ilor din Facultatea de Automatic? ?i Calculatoare Bucure?ti (LSAC Bucure?ti). Their active engagement and enthusiasm were instrumental in making this event a valuable learning experience for all involved.

Stay tuned for more opportunities to learn, connect, and innovate as we strive to make a lasting impact in the gaming industry.

Exploring Amber's Leadership and Culture with Alecsandra Botosaneanu

Alecsandra Botosaneanu , our Talent & Learning Manager, has been actively participating in the District Talks series of events held across major cities in Romania.

Throughout these gatherings, Alecsandra has shared invaluable insights into Amber's culture, effective leadership, personal growth, and team performance strategies.

We want to express our appreciation to Alecsandra for her dedication to fostering meaningful discussions about growth and collaboration within our community.

Keep an eye out for more updates as we continue to strive for excellence and drive positive change together.

Introducing Amber Boto?ani's Game Night Series

The Boto?ani office was buzzing with energy during our inaugural Game Night! Laughter echoed throughout the space as colleagues engaged in spirited rounds of Catan, marking the start of what promises to be an exciting series of events.

As we look ahead, this is just the beginning of our Game Night series. We're excited to continue this tradition, providing a weekly opportunity for fun and relaxation after a hard day's work.

Stay tuned for upcoming game nights and be sure to share your suggestions for future games.

Charity Basketball Event at La Mole Convention

On March 18th, our company had the honor of participating as a sponsor in a special basketball event held at La Mole Convention, Mexico's most prominent entertainment gathering, known for its focus on comics, science fiction, video games, and other elements of pop culture.

The main goal of this event was to collect toys for underprivileged children. Thanks to the collaboration and enthusiasm of our Art Director 2D, RENE CORDOVA , we were able to share moments of fun and joy that will undoubtedly leave a positive impact on many children.

Amber Mexico Supports eSports Talent by Hosting UDG's 3rd League, EBA Gaming

Amber Mexico is proud to support gaming talent by providing its offices to train the next generation of athletes in eSports, hosting the facilities for the 3rd league of UDG (University of Guadalajara), EBA Gaming.

This league, focused on League of Legends, took place on March 23rd. We look forward to witnessing these athletes compete in major leagues and being part of their journey!

Empowering Women in the Gaming Industry: Amber Mexico's Participation in a Panel Discussion

During March, we engaged in various activities aimed at recognizing the role of women in the video game industry and showcasing their talent.

As part of our Women's History Month initiatives, Amber Mexico had the opportunity to participate in a panel titled 'Building Paths: Female Voices Transforming Realities', which aimed to acknowledge the strength, courage, and determination of women in their journey toward empowerment within the industry.

In collaboration with our partners at the Arden Asociación Civil and the Her Own Game Latam initiative, we had the privilege of meeting and hearing from distinguished guests such as Diana Palacios, General Director and President of the Committee in the Government of Tlajomulco, Nadia Mireles, General Director of Plai (Open Platform for Innovation and Development of Jalisco), Maura Garcia, Creative Director at Akave Esports, Adriana Martínez , Director of Arden AC, Carina Ruiz, School Control at UETC, Cecilia Medina , Media Coordinator at Arden AC, and our colleague Karla de Jesús Becerra Huerta , Marketing Specialist at Amber Mexico.

During this participation, we discussed the challenges they have faced as part of the industry and how the new generations have new and better opportunities in the future.

INDUSTRY SNEAK PEEK - March 2024

Last month has been unusually busy with big game releases. From long-awaited sequels such as Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth to breakout multiplayer successes like Helldivers 2 and Palworld, and even down to surprise indie darlings like Balatro, there’s something for every kind of gamer to enjoy. Whether you’re looking for something new for your PS5, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch or PC, here are some titles you should be checking out.

Players looking for a gripping, replayable roguelike have Splatoon 3: Side Order and Balatro, players looking for something to play with their friends got Helldivers 2 and Palworld, and those looking for meaty single-player games should dive headfirst into Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and Persona 3. A few other big remakes like Mario vs. Donkey Kong and Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered are sure to offer nostalgic reprisals, as well. Read the full story.

Finnish game developer Supercell has been riding off the success waves for a decade now, and given the potential of their upcoming projects, that is not going to stop anytime soon.

Ilkka Paananen expresses optimism about the upcoming year for Supercell. He highlights the strength of their expanded teams, poised to deliver even more for players. Paananen is particularly excited about the new games in development, such as Clash Mini, Squad Busters, and mo.co, promising more to come.

Paananen stresses that the focus remains on delivering value to players and doesn’t see financial results as the “end goal” but just means to the end, with ongoing improvements to content and experiences in creating better games. Read the full story.

Roblox unveiled a pair of AI technologies aiming to streamline 3D modeling for the platform's boundless legion of content creators. The tools aim to automatically prepare 3D models for animation and provide AI-powered texture generation, offering either a way to offload some creative tedium, or to accelerate the expansion of the company's exploitable labor pool, depending on how charitably you want to look at it.

The first of the announced tools, Avatar Auto Setup, automatically handles the rigging of humanoid models, which prepares the model for animation—in this case, for use as a Roblox avatar. "With just a click, Auto Setup will automatically rig, cage, segment, and skin 3D models," Roblox said in a provided press release, claiming the tech cuts a process that can take days down to a handful of minutes. The second tool, Texture Generator, uses predictive image generation to create a texture for a 3D object based on a text prompt. Read the full story.

Check out our latest Career Opportunities!