Great video games are a manifestation of the collaboration between technical development and creative genius. The global video game industry generated $91.8 billion in 2015, and is predicted to continue growing at a steady 6-8% per year. Success depends on how immersive an experience is, for the gamer, and the ability of the creators to transport them into a convincing and exciting new reality. But what would it be like to work at a games development company?
In a recent conversation with Kevin Moore, the Global HR Director at Crytek, we discussed just how much planning and effort goes into the creation of great games. “Crytek was founded in 1999 and is one of the largest independent games companies in Europe” states Kevin. “We create fantastic game experiences for our users” linking this to the fact that they not only create games but also craft their own tools. He was of course referring to the Cryengine, a game engine known for empowering developers with the ability to design very immersively realistic environments and stunning characters. Ryse: Son of Rome, one of Crytek’s video games released in 2014, was globally applauded for its amazing graphics and I have added a screenshot below so you can understand why. There was even a film made, from the gameplay itself!
When I asked Kevin what he believed was the key reason behind the company’s success his answer was very clear. “It’s an intrinsic part of our DNA to innovate. We like to give people a lot of room to push the envelope and this has lead to people coming up with great ideas at virtually all levels of the company!”. Kevin himself came from a more structured environment, before joining Crytek, but soon became accustomed to the more flat structure of Crytek.
He also linked the creation of great games to having a high level of diversity stating “It is a necessity to be diverse! People solve problems differently and you optimise solutions by bringing together different mindsets”. Crytek has 390 employees, from 42 different nationalities, in their Frankfurt office alone.
If you want to work on fantastic projects, you come to Crytek. We offer the possibility of working on inspiring and innovative projects and this is something that people value in an employer.
But getting people to come to Germany from abroad is no simple task. You need to communicate on different channels; use social media, visit trade shows and of course rely on referrals. Kevin places a lot of importance on the onboarding, which new employees go through. “Employer branding starts within the company” explains Kevin elaborating on the fact that strong onboarding and strong integration is essential to ensuring that employees, and more importantly their families, are happy enough to stay in their new home. Crytek organises a lot of social activities, which include the families of employees, to ensure this happens. To further integration efforts Crytek also offers employees German language courses to ensure that they can have a rich social life, outside of work, as well.
Kevin stated that the main reason he chose to join Crytek was because there were a lot of projects which he would be involved in. “If you want to work on fantastic projects, you come to Crytek. We offer the possibility of working on inspiring and innovative projects and this is something that people value in an employer.”
Kevin concluded offering further elaboration by referring to new projects like The Climb and the soon to be released Robinson: The Journey, both recent releases which make use of the latest Virtual Reality technology to offer gamers a complete immersion into unique experiences. When I asked Kevin for details on new projects however he smiled and simply told me “Just wait to see what’s coming!”.
If you’re interested in how your company could benefit from greater diversity in your IT team, or you feel like sharing your story on how diversity plays an important role in your company, feel free to contact us at sayhello@zartis.com
