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Sam Thomas
Talent Scout/Recruiter
Tōkyō, Tokio , JPN
Japan Game Recruiter

I am a game industry Recruiter and Business Manager/Owner based in Tokyo.  I work with foreign game companies setting up offices and also with a number of Japanese game companies.   Most of my business is placement recruiting but I have done a good number of searches for more senior or hard-to-find candidates.  

I would say that working with bi-lingual Japanese candidates is by far the largest group of candidates that I have placed but recently the potential to place non-Japanese speakers is increasing.  

 I recently started a new project developing a recruiting website here in Japan for game people to register and apply for jobs.  That site is www.ipporecruiting.com and it's still not completely done.  Still, I got a few companies registered already so I think there is a lot of potential for this business.  Right now, the site is only in Japanese, I'm working on the English version.  

 Aside from my job, I'm a passionate gamer currently obsessed with playing COD4  online and I used to be very into Everquest 2.  

 Feel free to contact me anytime.  I always enjoy talking to game industry people and if there is anything I can do for you, please let me know.

PHOTOS
Me on the Moon
PROFESSIONAL INFO
Official site:
Client list: Large Japanese and foriegn publishers in Japan. Mostly I work with clients in Tokyo but I have a few clients in Nagoya, Osaka/Kyoto.
PERSONAL INFO
Interests: Japanese, Gaming, Mixed Martial Arts, BJJ, Making Pizza 
Favorite Music: I've been really into dance/techno recently 
Favorite Books: The ladder of lights 
Favorite Movies: The Cutter 
Favorite Actors: Chuck Norris 
Favorite TV shows: Heroes, SouthPark, Family Guy, American Dad, Friends 
People I'd like to meet: My dead grandmother one more time.  
Hometown: Corry, PA 
Eye Color: Hazel
Hair Color: Dark Brown
Weight: 216 lbs.
Physique: Few extra pounds
Languages Spoken: Japanese, English
Ethnicity: White/Caucasian
Religion: Agnostic
Marital Status: Married
Sexual Orientation: Straight
Education: College graduate
Income: $75,000 - $100,000
Smoker: No
Drinker: Yes
Children: Proud parent
Astrological Sign: Virgo
COMMENTS
JoeActor      
CommentKonichiwa Thomas-san,

Thank you very much for the connection ;-)

I see you're a 360 fan - must be a minority in Japan. There are some big games coming out soon for the Japanese market, tho. Maybe you won't have to get a PS3...

I've been fortunate to voice a number of Japanese games (Namco-Bandai, Square Enix, etc), and some US ones too (Activision, Midway, ...) - all in English, tho.

I am just starting to learn Japanese - fascinating language and the associated culture needed to converse! My wife speaks fluently (she's been very patient so far). Funny how accents are a breeze for me, but a new language is an uphill battle.

Have a good weekend, and best of luck with all your ventures,
Joe J Thomas
www.JoeActor.com


Thu. May. 22, 2008, 9:05 PM
JoeActor
 
     
 
 
Sam Thomas      
CommentNow you've sparked my interest!

I know another small agency in the US that works with many Japanese clients. I bet you two compete with each other and I am sure you know who I am talking about. :) I've also heard that the competition is pretty strong in the US in game industry recruiting.

Well, I hope it is easier to get Marketing Managers to take an interest in new jobs in the US than it is in Japan. It's a nightmare shifting marketing candidates around from company to company here in Tokyo.


Sun. Apr. 27, 2008, 8:04 PM
Sam Thomas
 
     
 
 
*~Elizabeth Whitener~*      
CommentIronically, I am looking for a Marketing Manager for a Japanese company *smile*

Pleasure to be connected to you.


Wed. Apr. 23, 2008, 5:40 PM
*~Elizabeth Whitener~*
 
     
 
 
Sam Thomas      
CommentLet's get on the Take-Two Interactive asia train wreck!


Tue. Apr. 15, 2008, 8:32 PM
Sam Thomas
 
     
 
 
Sam Thomas      
CommentI'm a xbox 360 fan.. though I will end up with a PS3 here soon. The main problem for me playing people in the US is the lag is usually real bad.

As for audio production, I have met a few well-known game industry sound people who have come over here. All have extensive backgrounds and experience prior to coming over Japan working on big name titles.


Mon. Apr. 14, 2008, 10:36 PM
Sam Thomas
 
     
 
 
DEFCON      
CommentThanks for the connect Tom, what platform do you use to play CoD4? I'd love to play a match.

Does ippo-inc.com have a category for audio production?


Sun. Apr. 13, 2008, 3:10 AM
DEFCON
 
     
 
 
Sam Thomas      
CommentI have two main websites. www.ippo-inc.com (this is our search site) and I also have www.ipporecruiting.com

www.ippo-inc.com is in English and covers areas beyond gaming. www.ipporecruiting.com is our game industry portal site but it's only in Japanese.


Fri. Apr. 11, 2008, 7:36 PM
Sam Thomas
 
     
 
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