Summer First Cohort📣 Job Ad

About SAJA Studios and the Internship Program

SAJA Studios is a game development studio established through a Saudi-Japanese founding partnership, with operations spanning Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and Osaka, Japan. The studio is currently developing a racing game set within a fully 3D recreation of Riyadh. This program represents SAJA's first intern cohort, designed to provide participants with practical experience in a real production environment rather than a training course.

The Internship Experience

Interns will work directly with both founders and within a cross-cultural development pipeline. This involves having work reviewed by Japanese engineers, participating in sync meetings that bridge Riyadh and Osaka time zones, and gaining exposure to a Japanese-led engineering culture's approach to code review, iteration, and quality standards. The program offers an opportunity to experience a Japanese development pipeline from the initial week.

Internship Focus Areas and Responsibilities

The internship program covers six distinct focus areas, from which applicants select one in their application:

• Gameplay and Systems Work:
  • Designing and documenting game mechanics.
  • Prototyping track layouts based on real Riyadh districts.
  • Balancing vehicle handling and difficulty.
  • Translating playtest feedback into concrete game changes.
  • Submitting prototypes for engineering review with the Osaka team to learn pipeline specifications.
• Visual Work:
  • Developing UI and HUD concepts.
  • Creating marketing and social media assets.
  • Designing environment and vehicle concepts.
  • Preparing assets for the development pipeline.
  • Learning Japanese quality standards as assets are integrated into actual builds.
• Coordination Work:
  • Maintaining the project backlog.
  • Writing technical specifications.
  • Tracking milestones against demo and vertical slice targets.
  • Conducting competitive research.
  • Facilitating communication and workflow between the Riyadh and Osaka teams.
• Web Development Work:
  • Rebuilding ************ from scratch using a modern front-end stack, deployed as a static site.
  • Implementing a careers page linked to the application pipeline.
  • Participating in professional code reviews with the engineering team.
• Analysis and Development Work:
  • Conducting market research on the Saudi and East Asian gaming markets.
  • Developing business cases for partnership opportunities identified at Tokyo Game Show.
  • Tracking competitor activities.
  • Performing financial modeling for the studio's roadmap.
• Mapping and Capture Work:
  • Assisting in planning capture missions.
  • Capturing street-level imagery of Riyadh districts.
  • Processing imagery into 3D geometry using photogrammetry tools like RealityCapture or Metashape.
  • Integrating reconstructions directly into the engine pipeline, learning the full path from physical city to playable environment.

Program Details and Benefits

This is an unpaid, remote internship with a duration of three months. Benefits for participants include a completion certificate, the opportunity to ship work for their professional portfolio, direct access to founders and founding engineers, experience within a Saudi-Japanese development pipeline, and consideration for full-time employment and equity for standout performers.

Eligibility and Application Process

The program is open to students and recent graduates based in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Candidates will be screened based on the following criteria, in order of priority:

• Demonstrated history of shipped or built work (portfolios are preferred over CVs).
• Motivation for building games from Riyadh and specific interest in SAJA Studios.
• Eligibility (Saudi-based) and commitment to the full three-month duration.
• Proficiency in the chosen focus area.

To apply, candidates must complete the application form available at the provided link. Submissions made through Easy Apply will not be reviewed.