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Voices from the laid off... and, why the label has not made an announcement?


Dinlink

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While looking for official information on the status of the studio (Intercept Games), the published (Private Division) or the  holding company (Take-Two Interactive) I stumbled onto a month and a half old article from IGN : https://www.ign.com/articles/take-two-ceo-on-intercept-roll7-we-didnt-shutter-those-studios

In the article its asserted that the Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick told to the article writer that they didn't shutter the studios (Roll7 and Intercept Games). And when asked if WARN Act notice and other reports were a sign that Private Division could be in trouble, Zelnick responded "I don't think so.... We just tend to leave those announcements to the label...".

But "the label" (I guess, the publisher, Private Division), has not made any official announcements that I am aware off. So I tried to search for insights on the situation and stumbled into the LinkedIn of Intercept Games, finding for myself the overwhelming quantity of open positions from the former employees.

The job descriptions/about/articles offered me some perspective on the situation of KSP2, and I wanted to share that with you:

Quote

Writer |  2022 -

  • Wrote descriptions for 300 parts blending humor, game intent, and real-world rocketry knowledge.
  • Collaborated with mission designers to plan narratives and write briefings and debriefings for secondary missions.
  • Created over 1000 short descriptions for experiment results, researching planetary phenomena to ensure authenticity.
  • Coordinated with an outsource localization team to explain terms and references and fix bugs.
  • Supported community team by supplying text, in-game materials, and acting as a judge for contests, including the Ukrainian Rocketry Competition.

 

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Senior Design Manager |  Jan. 2024 -

In my few months currently at Intercept I have:

  • Worked to understand the game, its design, and the team making it.
  • Mentored, started to identify challenges, and began to develop career plans for designers on Kerbal Space Program 2
  • Looked to identify communication paths, challenges to information flow, director/IC relationships.
  • Met with cross-discipline teams to understand design's role at Intercept Games and how relationships in cross-functional teams could be improved.

 

Quote

Software Engineer | May 2023 -

  • Software Engineer and Technical Lead on Kerbal Space Program 2.
  • Designed and implemented key game systems including:
  • Multiplayer infrastructure
  • Integration of multiplayer simulation
  • Multiplayer launchpad scheduling and player deconfliction systems
  • Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) and flight camera functionalities
  • Contributed to mission design and implementation.
  • Conducted bug fixes and performance optimizations.
  • Mentored new team members, enhancing team capabilities and cohesion.
  • Operated within an Agile/Scrum framework, providing guidance on Agile methodologies and workflows to team members.
  • Advocated for engineering excellence, promoting best practices and quality standards.
  • Delivered a company*wide presentation on programming best practices and design patterns for building robust multiplayer systems.

 

Quote

Physicist | Oct. 2022 -
[About]
I am now open to new roles where I can apply my background in physics, mathematics, and software/game development.

For the past two years I have worked as the physics game engineer at Intercept Games where I developed the physics-based simulations behind Kerbal Space Program 2. Before that, I was a physics PhD student at NYU, where I did research on dark matter, particle physics, and cosmology. My research involved complex simulations and data analysis to look for new particles, resulting in multiple peer reviewed publications

I'm also the creator of a podcast called 'Why This Universe?' which brings research-level physics down to a popular level and garners over 20k weekly downloads. I have taught physics as a visiting instructor at the Pratt Institute and at Columbia University's Pre-College Program. I have a deep passion for physics and for the ways it integrates into media and technology.


And some warm  words from the producer:

Quote

Producer | Jun. 2023 -
[Article]
Today, as the hours dwindle down on what seems to be another innocuous day, week, and month; a team of some of the most passionate, amazing, clever, fun, and overall astounding people are saying their goodbyes to the studio and IP that was home for anywhere from a few months to a decade.

I am proud and overwhelmed as both a person and professional to see that, as the sun continues to set and the day continues as any other, all the individuals of Intercept Games have had nothing but love, kindness, fondness, and gratitude to each other and the experiences we shared working together. That the last messages we send are that of camaraderie, commitment to culture fostered, overall friendship, and something even more meaningful that is beyond excel sheets, story points, design docs, and bottom lines. Something that we will carry with us for the rest of careers, bittersweet with a hint of star stuff.

Thank you to hashtag#InterceptGames, hashtag#KerbalSpaceProgram, and hashtag#TeamBill. My passion for games has never been stronger. Not for the franchise titles, accolades, or paycheck (though that was pretty sweet), but getting to work alongside some of my heroes who have kept the spirit of game development alive and well through their careers, from playing the games as a kid that they made to working on them side by side in my adulthood.

In space, the sun never sets, and while a shadow is being cast, long and dark, across IG, I know those who made up our madhouse are shooting off into the stars taking everything they had ready to make more, do more, and continue to keep the spirit that we nurtured and shared wherever they may land next.

Here's to the Kerbal in all of us that looks to stars and says, "What will I make this time?"

 

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I guess linkedin is now the official place to get your status updates. 

Someone should fire this bunch of amat....      

oh.

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