30 SPOTLIGHT
under 30 2024
SEBASTIAN LONG Back in the before-time when it was a separate magazine, Develop had a 30 Under 30 all of its own. Sebastian Long was a part of the Develop 2013 cohort, and gave up some of his valuable time to tell Vince Pavey all about what he’s been up to since, and why he loves that there’s a platform for the games industry’s best and brightest
How has your life changed since you won the 30 Under 30 back in 2013? I earned a spot in the sixth 30 Under 30 in 2013, a couple of years into my career as a Researcher at Player Research. The industry-wide flurry of mobile game development in the twenty-teens meant I had already contributed to fifty-or-so games in that short time. I remained as a Researcher for another four years, and led another hundred-or-so games through playtesting, including Sniper Elite, FIFA, World of Tanks, Talking Tom, LEGO, and so many more. Player Research went from strength-to-strength, was acquired by Keywords in 2015, whereafter I took charge of the company growth to found a new facility and team in Montreal Canada. I’ve now been leading Player Research globally as Managing Director for six years — including through some very challenging pandemic times — proudly sustaining a passionate, diverse, and expert team of twenty three full-time staff, and growing.
What do you consider your biggest career accomplishment? My biggest career accomplishment has been bringing Player Research from its beginnings as a humble local outfit to its present status as an internationally-respected and influential force in
game development, contributing to the biggest games in the world. Not just improving the game that hits the shelves, but also the businesses that make them in the process; building a respect for player-centricity, player data and accessibility.
Having the courage and the patience to build a
reputation for reliable and actionable insights, which in turn has unlocked contributions by Player Research to Elden Ring, Control, No Man’s Sky, Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty… seminal games that the team and I couldn’t be prouder to be trusted with. And there’s so much more we can’t wait to share.
Why do you think awards for young people like the 30 Under 30 are important? There are so many challenges facing the games industry career-starters of today. 2024 has not been kind. I love that there’s a place for the industry to platform their best and brightest at an early career stage, whilst their experience still seems tangible and gettable to graduates and fellow early-career folks. Showing what it means to be successful and a role model before you’ve gotten many more than a handful of formative experiences and credits to your name — complementing the usual suspects with decades of inspirational experience. It sets a high-yet-achievable bar for career starters, and that’s so valuable.
30 under 30 2024
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