Senior Gameplay Engineer, PlayStation
$157-235.4k
Gaming and digital entertainment provider
Open for applications
Gaming and digital entertainment provider
1001+ employees
Open for applications
$157-235.4k
1001+ employees
Company mission
To create a gaming experience without barriers that fits the needs of players of all abilities.
Role
Who you are
- The ideal candidate will have a combination of solid gameplay experience, exceptional technical and leadership skills, and collaborative mindset, paired with a passion for games
- This role requires a deep passion for games, strong problem-solving skills, and desire to collaborate across disciplines
- Minimum 4+ years of demonstrable game development experience, with at least 2 years in gameplay related disciplines working alongside a team of designers and engineers
- You have a strong interest, instinct and passion for gameplay feel and enjoy working with creative disciplines to deliver exceptional experiences for players
- Experience working in Unreal Engine (UE4 and/or UE5) for 4+ years. AAA experience is a plus
- Strong proficiency in C++, and familiarity with common scripting languages
- Experienced in designing and implementing some of the key gameplay features such as weapons, abilities, player movement, networking, and AI
- Excellent debugging and problem-solving skills, with a focus on delivering stable and polished features
- You are experienced in breaking down complex problems into smaller, incrementally achievable goals
- Effective communication skills and the ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary, distributed team
What the job involves
- We are seeking a Senior Gameplay Engineer based on location in our LA studio, who will report directly to the Director of Engineering
- As a Senior Gameplay Engineer, you will play a critical role in implementing the core mechanics and systems that define overall gameplay experience
- In this role, you will work closely with designers, artists, and your engineering peers, to help bring gameplay ideas to life, ensuring they are polished, engaging, and performant
- Design, develop, and maintain some of the key systems that make up the overall gameplay technology stack, including weapons, abilities, player movement, networking, and AI
- Write clear and efficient code that adheres to the highest degree of industry and studio standards
- Identify and help optimize gameplay code to ensure exceptional gameplay feel for our players – while keeping scalability and maintainability in mind
- Collaborate with designers to prototype and refine gameplay features that align with the project's creative vision
- Provide guidance to the team, helping identify tradeoffs between various technical/architectural choices, with the goal of translating creative ideas into practical solutions
- Actively take part in playtesting to help identify and convert playtest feedback into actionable steps for engineering team
- Collaborate with QA to test gameplay systems efficiently, debug and resolve issues in a timely manner
- Assist Senior Leadership and Production team in planning upcoming features, identifying risks and mitigations
- Actively participate in architectural discussions, contribute to technical documentation, and code review process
- Help develop iteration and workflow tools to streamline the process of authoring and rapid iteration of gameplay systems
Our take
Since the release of the PS1 in 1994, PlayStation has been a consistent leader in the video gaming market. Its consoles are iconic in the gaming community - Playstation has produced both the top-selling and fastest-selling console of all time - and the company is still pushing boundaries. Its current flagship - the PS5 - promises to revolutionize gaming, featuring new technology that will create improvements across the board.
As well as its consoles, PlayStation has also developed online services, connecting its users and giving them access to diversified media. A PlayStation can be used for a huge range of activities - from Netflix to guided workouts - which has led to the expansion of the company's audience over time and across generations.
PlayStation faces competition in its field from the likes of Microsoft, with its Xbox range, and PC gaming, which has been becoming more popular in recent years. Regardless, PlayStation shows no signs of slowing down. The upcoming implementation of in-game ads in free games looks to significantly increase revenue, and the wider PlayStation gaming experience also appears to be evolving from plans to launch live service games in upcoming years.
Steph
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
8% employee growth in 12 months
Company
Company benefits
- Private medical insurance
- Private dental insurance
- Flexible working policy (remote working, flexible hours)
- Free fruit every day in our offices
- On-site free gym (London & Liverpool)
- On-site subsidised cafés
- On-site bar (Thursdays & Fridays, London & Liverpool)
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Eye care assistance
- x2 volunteering days each year
- Group pension plan
- Discretionary bonus scheme
- Season ticket loans
- Life assurance
- Income protection
- 25 days holiday, plus Bank Holidays
- Discretionary days off over Christmas and summer
- Free giveaways of select first party products and services
- Discounts on PlayStation products
- Discounts on Sony products
- Access to other corporate discounts
Company HQ
East San Mateo, San Mateo, CA
Leadership
Jim Ryan
(CEO, not founder)Ryan joined Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe (SIEE) in 1994. Taking over as SIEE president in 2011, he later moved on to head of global sales and marketing at SIE in April 2016. Ryan has served as deputy president of SIE since January 2018, before being appointed CEO in February 2019.
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