Principal Systems Designer - Progression
12 days ago
Cliffhanger Games is a newly formed Seattle Studio focusing on blockbuster action-adventure games and pioneering next-generation emergent storytelling beginning with Marvel's Black Panther. Join us to pursue your passion to build unique groundbreaking, and inclusive games that empower players to create incredible stories of heroic adventure.
The Principal Systems Designer is pivotal in crafting engaging, motivating, and balanced game systems that define our players' journey. Reporting to the Design Manager, you will lead the development of progression systems, ensuring they contribute to a high-quality, accessible experience. Your work will embody our commitment to player engagement, a seamless and balanced game economy, and innovative design.
Responsibilities
Comprehensive Systems Design: Collaborate with Core Gameplay on the design of a holistic progression ecosystem, encompassing gear progression, player skills, meta-progression, and integration with the game's campaign, to ensure a dynamic and rewarding experience. This includes designing systems to enhance both short-term satisfaction and long-term engagement.
Economic and Engagement Strategy: Collaborate with the Product Manager to refine the game economy, prioritizing depth and richness of player engagement without reliance on grinding mechanics. Implement mechanics that reward strategic thought.
Advanced Data Analysis: Leverage data to forecast, model, and refine complex game systems, making informed decisions to enhance player engagement and satisfaction.
Integrated Systems Oversight: Maintain a thoughtful understanding of the game's interdependent layers, ensuring that progression systems enhance moment-to-moment gameplay, strategic decision-making, and overall narrative coherence.
Cross-functional Leadership: Guide and collaborate with a diverse team of designers, engineers, and narrative staff to ensure progression systems are well-integrated and contribute across all dimensions of the game.
Champion of Accessibility: Advocate for and implement design principles that ensure the game remains challenging, engaging, and accessible to all players, emphasizing the importance of thoughtful balance and inclusivity.
Required Qualifications
Industry Experience: 7+ years in game development with an emphasis on systems design, including contributions to action-adventure, RPG games.
Systems Design Mastery: Expertise in developing and implementing comprehensive game systems that engage and motivate players through meaningful progression.
Analytical Prowess: Capability in complex data analysis and tool proficiency, able to derive actionable insights from data to inform design choices.
Leadership and Collaboration: Experience fostering innovation and collaboration across multiple disciplines.
Communication Excellence: Capable of conveying intricate systems design concepts to diverse audiences.
Passion for Gaming: A profound passion for gaming, with an in-depth understanding of game design trends, player psychology, and what makes game experiences compelling and memorable.
Ceci ne s’applique pas au Québec.
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
The base salary ranges listed below are for the defined geographic market pay zones in these locations. If you reside outside of these locations, a recruiter will advise on the range and benefits for your specific location.
EA has listed the base salary ranges it in good faith expects to pay applicants for this role in the locations listed, as of the time of this posting. Pay offered will be determined based on numerous relevant business and candidate factors including, for example, education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, and business or organizational needs.
BASE SALARY RANGES
• California (depending on location e.g. Los Angeles vs. Sacramento):
º $170,500 - $259,300 USD Annually
• New York (depending on location e.g. Manhattan vs. Buffalo):
º $167,300 - $259,300 USD Annually
• Jersey City, NJ :
º $202,600 - $259,300 USD Annually
• Colorado (depending on location e.g. Denver vs. Colorado Springs):
º $180,100 - $237,200 USD Annually
• Washington (depending on location e.g. Seattle vs. Spokane):
º $167,300 - $238,500 USD Annually
• British Columbia (depending on location e.g. Vancouver vs. Victoria):
º $151,800 - $208,900 CAN Annually
Base salary is just one part of the overall compensation at EA. In the US, we offer a package of benefits including paid time off (3 weeks per year to start), 80 hours per year of sick time, 16 paid company holidays per year, 10 weeks paid time off to bond with baby, medical/dental/vision insurance, life insurance, disability insurance, and 401(k) to regular full-time employees. Certain roles may also be eligible for bonus and equity. For British Columbia, we offer a package of benefits including vacation (3 weeks per year to start), 10 days per year of sick time, paid top-up to EI/QPIP benefits up to 100% of base salary when you welcome a new child (12 weeks for maternity, and 4 weeks for parental/adoption leave), extended health/dental/vision coverage, life insurance, disability insurance, retirement plan to regular full-time employees. Certain roles may also be eligible for bonus and equity.
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