Category Archives: Games Artist and Animator

Train2Game News: Games Industry Jobs – 07.05.13

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It is Wednesday so it is time for a job blog in the hopes we can help you get in to the industry we all love!

DEVELOPER

Job Title Gameplay Programmer
Job Category Programming
Skills Required Gameplay, Mobile / iOS / Android, Core Technology, UI / Front End, Flash / Actionscript / HTML5, Mac / OSX
Location warwick, Midlands
Job Description Founded in 1996, Full Fat is an independent company that is proud, passionate and tirelessly dedicated in making innovative, world-class games that surprise, entertain and delight players.

Over the past 15 years, we’ve helped create and build some of the biggest game franchises in games; Harry Potter, The Sims, Spore, Sid Meier’s Pirates, Littlest Pet Shop, Dave Mirra and Sim City.
We’ve developed over 75 games (more than 100 across all formats), and we continue to be an accomplished partner to publishers wishing to build new IP for handheld, mobile and emerging digital markets.

In the last 3 years, we’ve developed and self-published 11 games on the App Store, all brand-new intellectual properties, achieving worldwide Apple features and fantastic chart successes, Metacritic and player ratings. To date, our games have been downloaded by over 25 million people, with repeated success in reaching #1 ‘All Apps’ in multiple territories.

Full Fat is looking for an iphone programmer. Joining the programming team, the candidate must be a team player, with awareness of all aspects of Game related Programming. The candidate will get the opportunity to work in all code disciplines within the Game development environment. The Candidate will be joining our experienced teams and will have the chance to progress and learn within FullFat.

-Objective-C, XCode
-MAC-OS
-C++
-C#

Experience with any of the following iPhone technologies is beneficial:

+Maps and GPS integration
+Push notifications
+Calendar and Contacts integration
+Data Visualisation

If you’re interested in the above position, then please forward your CV’s to Job Enquiries

 

ART

Job Title Game Marketing Artist
Job Category Art / Animation
Skills Required Environment Artist, 2D / Concept / Texture Artist
Location Oxford
Job Description Rebellion Oxford is currently seeking a Marketing Artist who is passionate about creating world-class promotional graphic artwork. The successful applicant will be talented, highly motivated and enthusiastic with a genuine interest in playing games and being part of the games industry.

The marketing artist will work with both the game art team and our marketing team to create stunning artwork for press releases, print & web articles, box art, logos, icons and other supporting artwork. The role will require the creation of both original materials and an ability to work within the existing art style defined by the game. The successful candidate will have a strong creative vision, realized through their outstanding 2d and 3d skills.  This role is full-time based in-house at our Oxford headquarters. We can consider permanent or contract employment but not freelance or agencies. You must be able to legally work in the UK.

*Important* In order to be considered for this role, we require:
- A completed Rebellion application form
- A portfolio or samples of your work – please provide the address of your website/portfolio if applicable

Qualifications & Experience:
A degree-level education would be preferred. Video games industry experience is not essential but you must have experience in producing promotional 2D and 3D artwork in various styles suitable for games.

Responsibilities:
- Working with the Art Director and Marketing team to produce promotional artwork to support our games marketing strategies
- Working closely with the development team in the production of screenshots and promotional video work
- Creating logos and key art for Rebellions forthcoming game titles
- Creating printed materials including final box art

Skills:
- Excellent artistic ability, with an excellent eye for colour and composition
- Ability to take the initiative, be highly disciplined to produce impeccable artwork
- Highly experienced and knowledgeable in Photoshop
- Experience of using other 2d packages such as Illustrator and InDesign
- Experience creating a large variety of online media, including flash banners, HTML email templates and website assets
- Highly experienced in using and rendering from 3d software such as 3dMax/Maya
- A familiarity with animation either independently or working alongside an animation team
- A knowledge of graphic/visual/stylistic trends through art, film, games…
- Additional knowledge of other software – Zbrush, After Effects, video editing, etc – may further support your application, as would any additional knowledge of photography, traditional arts, sculpting, etc.

To Apply:
Our application form is available at our jobs pages www.rebellion.co.uk/jobs/ along with details of other opportunities at our UK offices.

Please apply to vacancies@rebellion.co.uk quoting “Games Marketing Artist GI214CP” – remember to include your CV, completed application form and a link to your portfolio.

Rebellion can only consider applicants who can legally work in the UK. This is a permanent full-time role based in-house at our Oxford headquarters, not open to freelance or agencies.

Join the Rebellion… find out more about us at www.rebellion.co.uk

 

QA

Job Title QA Engineer
Job Category QA / Localisation
Skills Required QA Tester, Lead QA Tester
Location London
Job Description Hello, we’re Mindshapes.

Mindshapes is an award-winning creator of fun mobile learning applications for kids aged 2 to 8, used by more than 400,000 families every month!

Mindshapes creates enhanced storybook experiences for kids, which feature educational learn and play activities, and a reward system.

Mindshapes apps aim to delight, engage and educate kids, while allowing them to engage with their favorite characters from the worlds of illustrated books, TV and film.

The company was founded by veterans of the gaming, entertainment, publishing and mobile industries, and has offices in London, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Description

Mindshapes is a interactive education company, which means we make educational apps that kids actually want to play with. We’re putting the fun into learning, and we like to put the fun into working too! Our passionate, friendly team works out of an open-plan studio in Chelsea with state-of-the-art equipment and software, a well-stocked fridge and snack cupboards, and a delicious team lunch every Friday.We have the opportunity to make a real mark on educational technology – are you in?

Main responsibilities

  • Creation of functionality test plan and test cases.
  • Coordination and execution of thorough functionality testing.
  • Coordination with external test teams when required.
  • Evaluate test coverage with a view to assisting QA Manager in determining and updating test strategy and approach.
  • Clear, concise bug reporting and verification of bug fixes.
  • Validation of bugs entered.
  • Compiling database reports when required.
  • Ability to provide qualitative feedback regarding game content and features.

Skills and experience

  • Experience testing mobile applications on iOS and Android
  • A clear and confident communicator with the ability to perform under own initiative.
  • High IT proficiency with strong knowledge of PC and Mac hardware.
  • Previous experience in a Games QA role.
  • Experience using bug reporting databases (e.g. JIRA, TTP, Devtrack, etc).
  • Experience testing Flash applications and websites an advantage though not essential.
  • Ability to perform to a high standard, especially when under pressure.
  • Ability to adapt to a fast moving development environment.
  • A passion for games and games development.
  • Flexibility to work additional hours when required.

If you’d like to make exceptional kids’ apps, and work with a committed team in a fun, fast-paced environment, send your CV and a covering letter to careers@mindshapes.com

Train2Game News: 2013 Game Events Round up

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EurogamerOne of the best ways a Train2Game student can expand in their career is by going to Video Game events and with that in mind here is a round up of some of the big up coming events.

The Gaming Den
When: 4 May
Where: Visual Collective, 10 Vyner Street, London
What: The latest in a regular series of events organised by Average Gamer. As editor Debbie Timmins explains, “One day a month we take over an art gallery in Bethnal Green and fill it with games for the ultimate multiplayer experience. With three massive projectors covering the walls, gamers can race head-to-head in the first public, multiplayer demo of GRID 2. Serious racers will be able to test their skills in the Vesaro racing rig. Set the best time on the Red Bull Ring Power Lap to win GRID 2 swag and a copy of the game when it comes out. Over in the retro room The Gaming Den has your favourite living room classics. Grab a drink from the cash bar and challenge your friends at Mario Kart 64, Micro Machines v1, v2 and v3, Virtua Cop 2, Super Smash Bros Melee, Tekken and many more.”

Wild Rumpus: On a F*****g Boat
When: 11 May
Where: MS Stubniz, Wood Wharf, London
What: The Wild Rumpus nights are a glorious mash-up of music, play and alcohol, showcasing some of the most intriguing developments in social gaming. Try Tenya Wanya Teens, hear Chipzel and MUCH more (keep checking the website for updates).

GameCamp 6
When: 18 May
Where: Keyworth Centre, London South Bank University
What: Described as an “unconference” this is an annual gathering of artists, designers and coders, with the aim of talking about and making games. From the website: “There’s a theme this year: Show and Tell, or Run What You Brung. Bring along a game you’ve made, a prototype you’ve got in testing or a work you have in progress, and be ready to show it off and talk about it. Digital or physical, both are great. Have a session to crow about your success or explore why something failed, or asking where you go from here, or to pull people into your new project. Get people to playtest and give you feedback on the day. Unashamed bragging is absolutely encouraged.”

GameDev Midlands 2
When: 18 May
Where: Utopia Bar, Birmingham
What: From the nice people who bought you GameDevNorth comes this midlands version – essentially a networking event for all developers in the area, whether they’re running a major studio or writing Android games in the garden shed. It’s free and there is a bar.

Leamington Backspace
When: 18 May – 2 June
Where: Leamington Spa, various venues
What: Taking place as part of the Leamington Looks Back heritage festival, this fortnight-long collection of events will celebrate the town’s rich history in games development. From the website: “The event will also include programming workshops, a cross-town ‘games trail’ and a careers evening, and is designed to showcase the current and future of creative innovation in the region as well as tell the story of times past.” Also, IndieCity will be running a Rapsberry Pi Workshop for anyone who wants to learn how to use this ingenious home computer.

GaMe 2013
When: 20 May
Where: Imperial College, London
What: A day of lectures on games-related research by academics and industry insiders. Eidos and Games Workshop founder Ian Livingstone is one of the speakers.

MCM Expo
When: 24-26 May
Where: Excel, London
What: Once again the London comic convention features a video game component, this year organised by the chaps at XboxAchievements. Site founder Dan Webb says, “We’ll be showing off a host of upcoming games, giving out cool prizes, getting all kinds of studio talent up on the stage for Q&As, as well as some big name voice actors and even closing the show with a video game-themed musical arrangement by a pianist.”

London Game Jam
When: 1-2 June
Where: Modern Jago, Shoreditch
What: A two-day game jam with a five pound entry price that will be donated to SpecialEffect, Child’s Play and EFF. Organiser Roberta Saliani says, “Microsoft will give prizes such as a Windows 8 phone, a Kinect dev kit and a Windows 8 OS to the best Kinect/Windows 8/Windows mobile app or game. GiftHub will give out five free accounts and Insert Coin has already sent T-shirts!”

Rezzed
When: 22-23 June
Where: The NEC, Birmingham
What: Organised by RockPaperShotgun and Eurogamer, this showcase of PC gaming has grown considerably since its modest – yet unmissable – introduction in Brighton last year. We’re promised hands-on time with the biggest mainstream releases of the year, plus the chance to discover plenty of interesting indie titles. Introversion will be there showing off Prison Architect and there’s a live Total War: Rome II demo among many other sessions.

Eurogamer Expo
When: 26-29 September
Where: Earls Court London
What: The biggest UK video game event of the year returns with its usual mix of Triple A hands-on demos, tournaments, developer sessions and retro gaming. Expect to see most of the big Christmas releases on the showfloor, but don’t miss the packed programme of talks and discussions – a unique opportunity to see key game makers revealing the secrets of their craft.

Norfolk Game Expo
When: 11-12 October
Where: Epic Studios, Norwich
What: A new event featuring 50 developers from the region as well as national and international studios. From the website, “The Norwich Game Expo will showcase the latest videogames created by developers in the East of England and beyond, giving members of the public a chance to play games in development for consoles, PC, and mobile phones before they are released, and talking directly to the developers making those games.”

These events are brilliant for meeting other members of the games industry and getting some valuable contacts.

Train2Game News: Games Industry News – 19.04.13

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Connor AdamsIt is the end of the week so it is time for the Train2Game end of week round up!

The first bit of news this weeks come with the release of Injustice: Gods Among Us, the new DC Universe fighting game. Train2Game student Connor Adams did some of the concept art for the game at the company he works at Atomhawk in Newcastle. Congratulations Connor! You can view some of his art work, which I highly suggest, in the following link: http://crayonmechanic.deviantart.com/

The Pokémon Company International recently revealed a mysterious new Pokémon that looks strangely familiar to Legendary Pokémon Mewtwo. Nintendo have now confirmed that this new Pokémon is connect to Mewtwo! How this connection will play out when Pokémon X and Pokémon Y launch in October is still to be confirmed. You can enjoy a short clip, that makes the connection clear, here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tSVBVQzNMg&feature=player_embedded

Bethesda have recently uploaded a couple of six second long clips to the video sharing site, Vine. These little teaser clips had the internet buzzing about what could be coming. It has now been announced that it is the new game from Resident Evil creator, Shinji Mikami. Mikami’s studio Tango Gameworks will reveal ‘project Zwei’ via a debut trailer set for release at 5:00 a.m. Pacific / 8:00 a.m Eastern. Mikami has previously described Zwei as “a true survival horror” in which the player “confronts and overcomes fear”. Mikami has also said this will be his last game as director.

Activision social media manager Dan Amrich has said he expects 2013′s entry in the Call of Duty series, which is most likely going to be Modern Warfare 4, to be revealed no later than E3 in early June. Amrich noted that the last two Call of Duty games were revealed in May 2011 and May 2012. It has been rumoured that Microsoft are revealing their next Xbox on May 21 so it is likely the new COD will be announced around the same time.

Finally, Microsoft reports that Xbox Live now has around 46 million members worldwide. This, is according to the firm’s Earnings Release for FY13 Q3. It represents an 18 per cent increase from the prior year period. Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices Division posted revenue of $2.53 billion, an increase of 56 per cent from the prior year period. Microsoft sold 1.3 million Xbox 360s during the quarter, which is down 9 percent from the same period but it is still impressive that so many consoles are still being sold, even at the end of this generations cycle.

Train2Game News: Rapid2D £10,000 competition winner announced!

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Rapid2DValca Entertainment announced as the winners of the Rapid 2D app design competition

Today lives changed for the team at development company Valca Entertainment as they were granted £10,000 as the winners of the Rapid 2D app development competition 2013. In this exciting competition entrants were tasked to develop Windows 8 apps but it was all about quality and quantity with developers entered into a draw with each game they produced. The winner was announced on www.rti.fm at 3.00pm adding kudos to this already life changing prize.

Myra Smallman, Director of Rapid 2D, said about the games engine “What we have tried to do with Rapid2D is to make it available to everyone and anyone who wants to make games. So, we have a free basic version on the Rapid2D website and very little coding knowledge is needed to be able to operate that. The novice that wants to be games designer can produce a game from the free version.”

On working in the mobile industry, Rik Alexander managing Director at AppCrowd, said “With a smaller company you can turn around apps a lot faster in the mobile market and it is a lot more enjoyable. You don’t need as many overheads and you don’t need as many people, you can be much more nimble as a team. A smaller team can communicate easier which means you make less mistakes.”

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Myra Smallman and Rik Alexander

For more information visit http://www.rapid2d.com

Train2Game News: Rapid2D winner to be announced tomorrow!

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Rapid2DRapid2D £10,000 app development competition winner to be announced on www.rti.fm tomorrow Friday 4th April at 3.00pm GM

The competition to find the cream of app developers finishes tomorrow, when international radio station RTI FM will announce the winner of the Rapid2D Windows 8 development competition. The winner of the competition is set to receive life changing prizes of £10,000 to spend as they wish and the kudos of boasting they have won this world recognised competition.

In this huge competition developers were not only challenged to design great apps but also to produce quality and quantity, with each entry to the competition boosting their chances of walking away the winner. The competition which has been running for around two months and open to any studio or individual developing Windows 8 apps. Rapid2D have received over 300 entries of top calibre apps, entrants will be nervously biting their nails with the winner announced tomorrow.

Tune in to listen at www.rti.fm

Train2Game News: TIGA seminar to help Studios grow

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TIGATIGA, in partnership with GrowthAccelerator, is hosting the first of a series of commercial skills seminars. This could be a great chance for some Train2Game Student Studios to get some valuable information.

‘Grow Your Games Studio to Twice Its Size’ is for CEOs, studio heads and business owners in the games industry who are ambitious and looking for the next steps required to grow their businesses including where and how you can access finance and other services to support this growth.

The event is on April 30 in London and will cover:

  • Key aspects which play a role in creating high growth companies and explore how you can apply this to your own business
  • Raising the right source of finance, at the right stage of growth for your business – a range of methods will be covered from equity finance to banks and Kickstarter.
  • Learnings from game developers: Bossa Studios and Born Ready Games
  • Panel discussion and a chance to ask all experts questions
  • Networking
  • How GrowthAccelerator can support you in your high growth ambitions

GrowthAccelerator is designed to support a wide variety of businesses reach 20% growth year after year. It doesn’t matter what stage of growth you’re at. As long as you are determined to grow, registered in England, employ fewer than 240 members and earn less than £40m, they can help you.

Speakers at the event include; Roberta Lucca who is Co-Founder of Bossa Studios, James Brooksby the CEO of Born Ready Games, Janette Pallas the Regional Manager of GrowthAccelerator and many more.

This will be free for TIGA members and £30 for everyone else.

To find out more and register, visit: http://www.tiga.org/events/growthaccelerator-in-partnership-with-tiga-grow-your-business-to-twice-its-size

Train2Game News: BOOMBA! launches like a three pronged bazooka with the help of Train2Game

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Boomba LogoTrain2Game helps to achieve national and international coverage for student’s studio’s title with the support of Train2Game’s PR team.

Student Fee Stewart has been working with Train2Game internal PR team to deliver worldwide coverage for Radiation Burn’s latest title Boomba! Fee, who is an Artist and Project manager at the studio, took advantage of the additional support Train2Game offer and coordinated withTrain2Game’s PR team to draft and distribute a press release on behalf of the studio.

Coverage was achieved on sites in the US, Spain, France and of course the UK. Highlights include Nintendo Everything and Develop Online

Nintendo EverythingDevelopThis support is available to all students commercially releasing games, whether they be independent student studios or working at organisations outside of Train2Game. Train2Game love to support the successes of its students and the student body love to hear about them, so make sure to keep us informed of everything you are working on.

You can see some of the international articles in the links below, including sites from Spain, France and Brazil.

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Well done Fee!

Train2Game News: Train2Game student releasing Boomba!

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Boomba LogoTrain2Game Student, Fee Stewart, has been working with Radiation Burn LTD to create a new exciting game called, Boomba!

In the game you get to play as punks, rockers, emos, soldiers, cops and many more characters in an exciting and enjoyable turn based strategy game that is based described as Angry Birds meets Worms.

This turn based physics shooter is completely unique and plays like no other. There are over 50 different teams to choose from, with more to follow. Aimed at aged 7+ casual to medium game players, this title really is open to everyone. The accuracy of your shooting is combined with a range of exciting weaponry to be victorious; use chainsaw missiles, boxing glove bazookas and metal anvils to defeat your opponents.

Boomba

Boomba will be available on: Nintendo 3DS, iOS, Windows 8 and Windows Phone, Kindle, Blackberry, Andoid, PC and Mac next month.

RadiationBurn Ltd. strives to provide fun and original IP for your enjoyment. The studio, founded in Middlesbrough 2010, creates fun and original titles of all sizes. The company was founded through winning the Microsoft Dream.Build.Play Challenge, Old Spice competition. A worldwide competition in which RadiationBurn Ltd. were voted winners, by a panel of judges and the gaming public.

Fee joined the company in October 2011 after finishing a Train2Game student placement at the company.

When asked her opinion of the game she said “Boomba! is something I thought I would be doing only once. It soon became a daily habit to both create the game and play it!”

You can find out more about the game by going to www.boombagame.com

Train2Game News: Games Industry Jobs – 20.03.13

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It is time again for the Train2Game news to bring you some of the latest early entry level jobs.

 

ART

Job Title UI Artist
Job Category Art / Animation
Skills Required UI Artist
Location Farringdon, London, UK & Europe
Job Description Marmalade Studio are looking to hire a UI Artist to work as part of our award winning games studio. The ideal candidate will be experienced in designing UI for mobile games but those with a professional portfolio of interactive artwork will be considered. You should have a good eye for detail and a good sense for layout, usability, colour and typography. You should be comfortable working to deadlines and producing work of a high standard.

The role will include but not be limited to:

  • Creating concept work for game pitches
  • Creating game assets for use on all mobile platforms on a number of devices
  • Creating wireframes and interactive mock ups of UI designs
  • Creating icons, logos and splash screens for all games
  • Working with the design and engineering team to ensure that the project is delivered on time to a AAA standard

About you

  • Expertise in Illustrator
  • Expertise in Photoshop
  • Experience in Flash
  • Experience of working with game engines
  • Experience in video editing is preferable but not essential
  • Experience in 3D is preferable but not essential
  • A history of traditional art is preferable but not essential
  • Capable of working to a brief without supervision and delivering game assets to release quality
  • Strong graphic design skills
  • Solid experience of UI either for web or mobile
  • Experience with typography and layout
  • An understanding of optimal asset creation for mobile devices across varying resolutions
  • Self-motivated with good judgment and the ability to get things done quickly

Personal Characteristics

  • A passion for games
  • Professionalism and integrity to demonstrate a positive image of the company
  • Goal oriented, solution focused, results driven, reliable and capable
  • A structured and organised approach to work with the ability to manage own workload and meet deadlines
  • Ability and willingness to learn
  • Strength to overcome challenges and ability to solve problems creatively
  • Team player, who encourages collaboration, welcomes challenges to achieve greater results
  • Shares knowledge and learning with team members
  • Flexibility

Next steps
Please send your CV and covering letter stating your reasons for interest and current remuneration. Due to the large response we will only be able to contact short-listed candidates.

You can apply for the job, here.

 

DEVELOPER

Job Title Physics Programmer
Job Category Programming
Skills Required Physics
Location North
Job Description Summary

  • You will be working with a highly collaborative, international team of developers, working on a variety of projects and technologies.

Job function:

  • Develop, improve and maintain physics features.
  • Read and analyse unfamiliar code to understand and extend functionality.
  • Debug and fix defects of a reasonable complexity.
  • Develop solutions that address actual needs and to actively verify those solutions.
  • Offer advice and suggestions for improving the development process.
  • Be proactive and help with problem solving.

Skills Required:

  • Advanced understanding of C/C++ and Object Oriented Programming.
  • Excellent 3D math skills.
  • Demonstrable physics programming background.
  • Good understanding of game technology principles.
  • Experience of designing, implementing and supporting code for use by others.
  • Team player who knows the importance of listening to others.
  • Self motivated with an ability to complete work to a high standard.
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills.

Desirable Skills:

  • Extensive knowledge of the main gaming platforms and the requirements needed to develop for them.
  • Shader and GPU experience.
  • Unreal Engine experience.

You can apply, here.

 

DESIGN

Job Title MMO Game Designer – Celtic Heroes – Groundbreaking MMORPG !
Job Category Game Design
Skills Required Games Designer, Level Designer, Graduate Game Designer
Location Glasgow
Job Description The team behind ‘Celtic Heroes’ are looking for a creative MMO Game Designer to join their team.

As MMO Game Designer you will have the responsibility of designing and evolving the very experiences our players engage in. You must have massive passion in the MMORPG genre and fully understand the successful game mechanics and quest design that equally challenges and rewards the player.

You must be a creative thinker with the ability to rationalise your ideas into practical game play experiences. You must be a strong communicator at ease working within a development team. A strong portfolio of game design examples in the same genre of ‘Celtic Heroes’ is a MUST!

If you have the skills, qualifications, experience and a passion for playing our kind of games, we would love to hear from you. To APPLY direct online simply follow this link http://bit.ly/joinourclan

Set in an exciting medieval Celtic world of combat, magic and mythology, ‘Celtic Heroes’ is a fully 3D MMORPG available for iPhone, iPod and iPad. Play as a customisable warrior, mage, rogue, ranger or druid. Gain powerful new weapons, armour and items as you explore the vast world of castles, dungeons and outdoor environments. Battle fearsome enemies and complete heroic quests!

NOTE: Must be able to demonstrate eligibility and VALID WORKING VISA to work in the United Kingdom and be willing to relocate / commute to the Glasgow area

PLEASE DO NOT APPLY if you do not currently hold a UK work Visa or are not eligible to gain one.

 

QA

Job Title QA Functional Tester
Job Category QA / Localisation
Skills Required QA Tester
Location London
Job Description Pole To Win Europe Ltd. – Functional QA Testers wanted for video game testing!

Pole To Win Europe Ltd. is looking for motivated and responsible people to join us as Functional QA Testers.

Ideal candidates will have a very strong knowledge of video games, ranging from consoles, handheld consoles and mobile devices. The video games industry is a fast paced industry; the candidate should have knowledge of video games history, having experience on previous generation of hardware as well as understanding the current status of the industry and its future development.

As a Functional QA Tester you will be responsible for finding bugs in the video game that you are testing. You will be making sure that all bugs that you find are written and tracked in a bug database, which the development team will receive and then fix the issues that are present. You will then have to verify that the fix has been successful in a new build, or sent the issue back to the developers in order to ensure the correct fix has been made.

The Pole To Win group is a leading company in providing quality services to the games industry with over 18 years of experience. Our West London Studio opened in April 2012 and has been expanding ever since! This is an excellent opportunity to join our passionate team and pursue a career in the videogames industry with opportunities to move up within the company.

The position is open to any person based in or around London. Contract will be based on the length of the projects.

Required Skills

  • Excellent knowledge of the video games industry
  • Experience in playing video games on a variety of consoles
  • High level of written and spoken English
  • Ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines
  • Good communication skills and able to work as part of a team

Preferred Skills

  • Excellent MS Office Skills
  • Previous experience with using Bug Databases
  • Understanding of games and game terminology
  • Understanding the roles of other areas of the industry
  • Previous experience of Functional Testing, although training will be given on site

Due to the number of applications we are only able to contact candidates who have successfully passed on to the interview stage, thank you for your understanding

You can apply, here.

Train2Game News: TIGA Shows Games Industry Growth

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TIGATIGA, the trade association representing the games industry, published research today which showed that employment in the UK games development sector grew by 4 per cent in 2012, ending a three year decline in employment. Annual investment by studios rose from £411 million to £427 million between 2011 and 2012. The research is based on an extensive survey of UK games businesses, analysis by Games Investor Consulting, and published by TIGA in the forthcoming report Making Games in the UK Today. A Census of the UK Developer and Digital Publishing Sector (March 2013).

TIGA’s research shows that between 2011 and 2012:

·         creative staff in studios grew from 8,888 to 9,224;
·         jobs indirectly supported by studios rose from 16,250 to 16,864;
·         studio numbers rose from 329 to 448;
·         direct/indirect tax revenues generated by the sector for the Treasury increased from £376 million to £400 million;
·         annual investment by studios rose from £411 million to £427 million; and
·         the sector’s contribution to UK Gross Domestic Product increased from £912 million to £947 million.

Dr Richard Wilson, TIGA CEO, said:

“The UK economy may be on the verge of a triple dip recession but the recovery in the UK games development sector has taken off. Employment, investment and start-ups are up. The games development industry is growing again.

“The sector’s return to growth has been driven by three factors. Firstly, the increasing prevalence of mobile and tablet devices have created a growing market for games: studios are setting up to meet this demand. Secondly, the closure of big console based studios has been followed by an explosion of small start-up companies. Thirdly, the advent of Games Tax Relief, which TIGA was instrumental in achieving, is already stimulating growth. Games Tax Relief effectively reduces the cost of games development and it has contributed to inward investment by major international games companies including Activision Blizzard (The Blast Furnace), Gree (Gree UK), Konami (PES Productions) and Microsoft (Lift) in British studios in 2012. Jobs and investment in the games industry are set grow further once Games Tax Relief comes into effect from April 2013.

“However, the UK games industry suffered badly during the last four years without Games Tax Relief: developer headcount and investment levels remain below the 2008 peak. Additionally, start-up studios are vulnerable. At least 21 per cent of start-ups in 2010 – 12 have already gone under.  Our challenge now – and TIGA’s top priority – is to help build sustainable independent games development and digital publishing businesses. TIGA will do this by delivering services that improve developers’ access to finance and which enhance their commercial skills.”

Jason Kingsley OBE, TIGA Chairman and CEO and Creative Director at Rebellion, said:
“The UK games development sector is back on track.  Mobile and internet based gaming provide opportunities for growth; we have access to a highly skilled and creative workforce; and TIGA’s Games Tax Relief will give a further boost to employment and investment from April 2013. The UK has everything to play for.”