In the latest panel of the USC Career Center’s Industry Insights series, five professionals from the gaming and esports industry came together to discuss their experiences and provide advice for aspiring students. The panel was led by Employer Engagement intern Adeline Pham, who sought answers from the panelists on how to stand out in the job and internship hunt, the behind-the-scenes process of producing popular releases, and tips on breaking into the industry.
Panelists
- Sami Tahari is a Senior Manager on the Strategic Partnerships team at Twitch, responsible for managing around 100 of the platform’s top streamers, including Kai Cenat and HasanAbi. He oversees daily streams, large events, and in-person conventions.
- James Hughes is a Senior Activity Designer at Bungie, working on the award-winning Destiny 2. James develops missions and other story content for the game and was recently in charge of designing the introduction for its latest episode, Heresy.
- iAsia Brown is a Senior Producer at Xbox Game Studios Publishing, as well as a Strategic Advisor at Kiro’o Games and two other gaming studios in Africa. In her roles, iAsia helps developers bring their games to life with a creative vision. While still confidential, she plans to announce her latest release in August 2025.
- James Almazan is a Senior Marketing Manager at Team Liquid, where he manages relationships with the organization’s largest partners and sponsors, ensuring their goals are met through streams, events, and promotions. In previous roles, James worked at 72andSunny and Davis Elen Advertising.
- David Villatoro is an Engineering Manager for front-end web development at Activision. He leads a team of web developers who create all game, corporate, and studio websites for the company. David collaborates with multiple teams at Activision to fulfill website requests and occasionally works on in-game development.
Key Insights from the Gaming Panel
Q: How should students stay up to date on consumer trends, interests, and influences to be successful in internship and job hunting?
Sami Tahari: “The best way to start is by outworking everyone else. The effort you put in and your willingness to go the extra mile are the most important factors in job hunting. To stay informed about the industry, follow where industry leaders share information—Twitch, YouTube, TikTok, and even LinkedIn. That’s how you’ll stay connected with the most passionate gamers and industry professionals. When you’re in interviews, being able to discuss what’s happening in real time will showcase your passion.”
Q: How does designing innovative gameplay and features in a game with episodic updates differ from standalone games? How does constant user feedback impact this process?
James Hughes: “We have very tight deadlines and quick turnarounds. Standalone games take five to six years to develop, but we work within much shorter timeframes—often under a year. You’re trying to tell a story and convey a fantasy to the players, but you don’t have six years of iteration, so you rely on lessons you’ve learned from past projects. Players are very sensitive to patterns, so it’s a juggling act. The constant feedback is great—it’s like live theater. Because we operate on such a fast cadence, we can quickly determine what’s working and when to pivot.”
Q: What are the major differences in developing and publishing a title at a major studio versus a smaller one? What similarities carry over between the two?
iAsia Brown: “A Triple-A publisher has more restrictions compared to indie development, where you have more creative freedom. At major studios, there’s a structured framework—you can’t color outside the lines too much. In indie games, we get to experiment more and have fun with different ideas. Larger studios involve bigger budgets, strict timelines, and complexities like music licensing, which is its own beast. But at the end of the day, game development follows the same process—concept to launch always reaches a point where you have to lock the code and push forward. My dream would be to have a Triple-A budget with indie freedom.”
Q: What advice would you give to students looking to pursue marketing in the esports industry? Should they enter esports immediately after school, or gain experience in traditional industries first?
James Almazan: “A small agency has to move quickly and break more rules than a larger one. At a big agency, you work with larger clients, timelines, and budgets, but they expect frequent check-ins. Esports is a mix of both worlds. I bring structure to my team, but if the social team has a fun idea, we can run with it. It’s a balancing act—partners appreciate creative risks but also value structured updates. My advice? If possible, gain entry-level experience in a traditional industry to learn the fundamentals. But if you jump straight into esports, ensure you bring your own structure and know what you’re doing.”
Q: How can students stand out in the application process for developer roles at Activision and within the industry?
David Villatoro: “I always recommend building personal projects and a portfolio showcasing what you’ve learned. Anything is better than nothing. Use what you’ve gained from classes and books to create tangible work—that’s what we really want to see. We usually don’t focus much on where you went to school; what matters most is what you’ve done and whether your projects align with our team’s goals. I also emphasize continuously learning new programming languages, frameworks, and working on indie projects. That hands-on experience makes the biggest impact.”
Find the recording for the panel on the USC Career Center YouTube channel and stay tuned for more updates on the Industry Insights series.
