Category Archives: education

Train2Game News: Games Industry Jobs – 06.02.13

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Train2Game news is bringing you more jobs to try and help you make that all important first step in to the gaming industry.

DEVELOPER

Job Title Programmer – Hello Games
Job Category Programming
Skills Required Gameplay, Graphics / Engine
Location Guildford, UK & Europe

 
Job Description Hello Games, the bright new star of the indie scene, is hiring. It’s pretty awesome. Here’s the “job description” – make fun games, drink tea, win awards and talk nonsense. You can have total creative freedom too, if you want.

Hello Games is a tiny team and it’s going to stay that way. It’d be nice to become the next big thing though, which is going to take at least a couple more friends. This is your chance to become a big part of a small team with big ideas.

We’re looking for anyone who likes making games, and is awesome. Specifically we’re really interested in new fresh talent to fill the role below.

Programmers
We’re looking for enthusiastic programmers interested in owning a project from start to finish. Here’s some things we think you should have:

  • Examples of some previous games and side projects.
  • Good academic record, especially Maths.
  • Experienced in C++ and 3D programming.
  • A love of playing and making games
  • An interest in bringing existing games to new platforms

About Hello Games
Hello Games wants to make games that will put a stoopid grin on your face. They have set forth on a brave journey of discovery and adventure to bring some new, funky coloured pixels to the world.

Joe Danger was their first title, a triple A game developed by the talented team of four for XBLA and PSN. Since then they have been joined by some more talented people from around the globe. Together they will all unleash the charm and creativity that has been stopping them from sleeping at night.

And it’s only just begun. Drop what you’re doing and come join them!

Application Instructions
Please send CVs and portfolios to:
jobs@hellogames.co.uk

ART

Job Title Cinematic Animator – On-site or Remote – up to 220 EURO a day – Games
Job Category Art / Animation
Skills Required Animator
Location Germany
Job Description  

Location: On-site Frankfurt or Remote from home
Salary: Up to 220 EURO a day
Job Type: Contract from 10th Feb to 20th Feb 2013
Project: 1st Person Video Game Cinematic

My client is a specialist visual outsourcer to mainstream game developers as well the broadcast and feature film industry. As a result of a video game contract they are now looking to hire a Freelance Cinematic Animator to work either on-site in their Frankfurt studio or remotely from home. It is a short contract but an awesome project and there might be chance to work on future projects for the studio.

REQUIREMENTS / RESPONSIBILITIES:
You will be need to have experience of MotionBuilder and be responsible for layout of some cutscenes (prior to mocap). The cutscenes are first-person and the task is to block out the scenes and roughly animate the camera (which is supposed to be the head of the player).

A competitive day rate is on offer and the potential for work on other projects.

To ensure a speedy application please email your up to date CV in MS WORD FORMAT and Show Reel to officemanager@opmjobs.com or call me Jon direct on +44 (0) 1206 214425 if you have any queries.

So what are you waiting for? Don’t miss out on this great opportunity!

DESIGN

Game Designer

London

11 Month Contract

Start ASAP

£200 to £250 per day
STR are working closely with an award winning studio who are leading the way with interactive entertainment. Following this success and due to new exciting projects an excellent opportunity has arisen for an experienced Games Designer to join their team starting as soon as possible within a long term contract.
Game Designers are expected to bring their creative skills to bear in a team environment to delight customers and raise the quality of the features and products they are working on. Ideally we are looking for experience across multiple platforms and Apps, able to translate high level vision into quality designs and prototypes. Previous work with sports apps is an advantage. You must be comfortable working within a fast paced, busy team who rapidly produce prototypes and deliver high quality work as expected.

You will be focused on creating and implementing detailed interactive design mechanics that are fun and innovative and deliver highly engaging consumer experiences.

Responsibilities will also require collaboration creatively with external partners, brands and content providers
Key skills and experience required:

Proven ability to design detailed mechanics from concept and prototype to production
To develop workable product designs from high level creative direction
To work as part of a team, with artists and programmers, to fine tune interactive mechanics
A deep understanding of production pipelines and experience with in-development tool-sets
Outstanding verbal and written communication skills
High attention to detail
Knowledge of scripting or programming languages such as LUA, Kismet or XML and visualisation packages such as Visio or In Design
Passion for sports and interactive entertainment

On offer is a long term contract starting ASAP, full time Monday to Friday based on-site with our clients studios in London, easily commutable from many surrounding areas.

To apply please send your CV and Portfolio to cjacques@strgroup.co.uk or call Charlene Jacques on 02392 322362

QA

Job Title Embedded Tester
Job Category QA / Localisation
Skills Required QA Tester
Location Guildford
Job Description This is an excellent opportunity for a future high flying individual to join the 22cans team. We are seeking an embedded tester to work closely with our Development team on the production of Godus.

Key accountabilities
-Testing of games features in full partnership with the development team.
-Working closely with design and code to highlight weaknesses and areas for improvement during feature testing.
-Ensure the build remains stable, reporting of issues by verification testing and automated smoke testing.
– Meticulous logging and organisation of bugs .
– Generation of multiple test and bug reports.

Success Criteria
At least 1 game shipped in a similar role

Understanding of the software development process

Good understanding of mobile devices

Technical understanding of game features

Excellent interpersonal and written communication skills

Self-starter

Desired
Previous experience in QA is an advantage

Familiar with bug tracking software

Attitude and desire ‘to go far’ in the games industry

You can apply here.

Train2Game News: Train2Game reaches over 6000 fans

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Train2Game FBTrain2Game are very proud to announce that the official Train2Game Facebook page has now over 6000 fans!

This is an excellent indication of the rise of Train2Game and its continued recognition in the gaming industry.

A Train2Game spokesman said, “It’s an incredible day for Train2Game reaching 6,000 fans on Facebook.

“The growth is testament to two things; one being the amazing student community of Train2Game and the second the great news supplied to the Facebook fan page from www.train2game-news.co.uk. “

Train2Game would like to thank all of their fans, students and staff for this great success. They look forward to welcoming many more in to the Train2Game family with the continued rise of Train2Game and the gaming industry.

Train2Game News: Cheap(er) Raspberry Pi now available

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Raspberry Pi Model B

Raspberry Pi Model B

The Train2Game News team is a big fan of the Raspberry Pi computer and now the cheapest computer on the market has an even cheaper version.

A new lite version has released and will cost £16. The Model A is a stripped-down version of the Model B Raspberry Pi, which launched late last year. The lite version has no Ethernet, one USB port and 256MB RAM.

As well as being cheaper than the Model B, the Model A consumes roughly a third of the power of the B, which is useful for those wanting to run projects from a battery or solar power, such as robots, sensor platforms, Wi-Fi repeaters and so on. The Raspberry Pi Foundation is already working on software to get its power consumption even lower.

The microcomputer is getting its general roll out this year, following a well-received reception from early adaptors.

The Model A will only be available in Europe for now, and can be purchase from suppliers RS Components and Farnell. This restriction is due to be lift soon so the rest of the world can order it as well.

RS customers outside Europe can order a Model A now, but there will be a short delay in processing orders, while paperwork is sorted before the devices can be shipped. Farnell customers outside Europe will see the Model A appear on their local sites when this paperwork has been filled.

The Raspberry Pi can be purchased here.

Train2Game News: Gareth Brook having great success

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Gareth BrookTrain2Game Student Gareth Brook has had an excellent start to the year. He has had some individual success and team success with Road Hog Games.

Gareth Brook from Leeds, West Yorkshire, is a Train2Game student on the games design course who has recently started his own studio, Road Hog Games with fellow Train2Game students, Amy Methven, Terri Mardel, Matthew (Izzy) Greenwood, in addition he has enlisted Justin French to create audio and Jonathan Parker to do extra coding work. They are currently working on a project known as Little Green Dude.

Recently, Gareth and Road Hog Games had an article featured in the Yorkshire Post after getting financial support from Microsoft. This article caught the eye of a games industry veteran who is now aiding them in their journey to create Little Green Dude.

The industry veteran, who can only be known as Ian, has previously worked on titles such as Pure Football, Academy of Champions and Manhunt 2. He has been in the industry for over 14 years so he is bringing a wealth of knowledge to Road Hog Games.

In addition to the success his company is having, Gareth is also making strides in his personal career in to the gaming industry. He has recently uploaded a game template which is being used at an educational facility to aid in the teaching of computer games design and computer science.

Gareth said about his recent success “2013 is going to be a very exciting year, and I’m already proud of what I have achieved in a short period of time. Train2Game has provided fantastic support for all involved at our studio and since starting the course last April it has opened many doors for me. New ones are still opening!”

I wish Gareth and Road Hog Games the very best of luck with everything and I look forward to the games he produces.

If you want to find out more about Road Hog games you can like there Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/RoadHogGames

and if you would like to look at Gareth’s personal portfolio you can find that here, including the template he had made: www.gbrookdesign.com

Train2Game News: Games Industry Jobs

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Train2Game is bringing you more industry jobs this week across all industry sections.

DEVELOPER

Job Title Programmers wanted for a AAA Game Studio – Multiple roles!
Job Category Programming
Skills Required Gameplay, Audio Programmer, Animation Programmer, Graduate Programmer
Location North West, UK & Europe
Job Description Do you want to work with a AAA Game studio that makes multiplatform games!?  This is your chance to work with a Studio that has been making great AAA games for the last 15 years!  It is an Award winning studio that has a great Location in the North West! The Studio is mainly looking for gameplay programmers however experience in other types of programming is a massive bonus.

They are looking for someone that has:

–          Excellent C++ programming skills
–          Must have Strong Mathematical ability
–          Familiarity with programming test code
–          Excellent oral and written communication skill in English
–          Must adhere to schedules and work well under pressure
–          Self-motivated

Team player with a very strong work ethic and cooperative attitude Previous professional experience with 3D action game development is also a big plus! The studio offers a very competitive salary with paid overtime as well as a bonus scheme!  If you or anyone you know is interested and would like further information or wish to apply please contact me Richard Balding via email: richard.balding@amiqus.com.

DESIGN

Job Title Technical Designer London – Contract until Sep’ 13
Job Category Game Design
Skills Required Game Design
Location South East
Job Description Location – London
Contract until September 2013
Day rates between £225 to £250

OPM are pleased to be offering an excellent opportunity to join one of the most successful international development and publishing houses at their London studio.
The company is looking for a Technical Designer to join their Central London studio.

The Task
To have a key role in integrating content from various disciplines creating gameplay based on design documentation and helping to improve the toolsets and pipelines.

Responsibilities
• Create gameplay based on design documentation.
• Work with creative designers and programmer to help tweak gameplay systems.
• Integrate a variety of content from various disciplines.
• Analyse and assess potential risk factors in the design documentation.
• Act as a communication point between creative designers programmers and technical artists.
• Identify bottlenecks or improvements to the tool-chain and workflow.
• Documenting technical systems

Key Skills
• Analytical skills
• Methodical working practice
• A good understanding of technical design and game structure
• Experience using Photoshop 3DS Max or Maya
• Experience using visual design editors (Unreal Unity Hammer etc)
• Experience with scripting systems and/or state machine editors
• Experience with the Lua scripting language
• Experience with motion controllers and augmented reality systems

Catherine Cope| Design Consultant
Direct Line: + 44 (0) 1206 214416 | Email: catherine@opmjobs.com | Skype: catherine.cope.opm
LinkedIn – http://uk.linkedin.com/in/catherinecopeopm
Twitter – gamesdesignjobs

ART

Job Title Environment Artist
Job Category Art / Animation
Skills Required Environment Artist
Location Brighton
Job Description We are a small talented team of game developers based in the Brighton area. Our recent work includes Monkey Slam on iOS and converting CSR Racing to the Mac.

We are growing our studio to work on an exciting AAA mobile game with a well known publisher and are looking for a talented Environment Artist to come and work with us!

If you can prove the following we’d love to hear from you:

  • An excellent understanding of form, structure and silhouette in regard to modelling and composition.
  • Easy going attitude – being flexible with new ideas and most importantly open to direction and iteration.
  • Ability to communicate and work with coders, game and audio designers in a dynamic team environment.
  • Willing to help others and ask for help where needed.
  • Prepared to learn new tools during production.
  • Proactive in sharing info and assets.
  • A keen gamer and an appreciation of the visuals and user experience on all platforms from mobile to consoles.

Experience:

  • Ideally you’ll have at least 2 years game development experience in modelling and texturing environments although we would consider graduates with outstanding portfolios.
  • Strong artistic ability to visualise entire levels and detail with minimal concept art and direction.
  • Solid technical skills to manage assets that fit memory, design, and frame rate limitations.
  • Excellent polygonal modelling skills – able to generate clean and efficient models.
  • We make AAA quality games that have to be intuitive and slick. You would need to be hungry to make them even better!

Software:

  • Super skills in any of the following 3d apps – Maya, Max, XSI, Modo.
  • Excellent Photoshop skills.

Advantageous:

  • Knowledge of ZBrush or Mudbox.
  • Knowledge of Unity.

Applying:

All applicants will be asked to produce a portfolio. This role is for a short term contract initially between 5-6 months. We offer a competitive rate and an exciting, tight-knit working environment.

You can apply here.

QA

Capcom, Beeline is currently seeking a motivated QA Tester to join our London studio.The successful candidate will work with the QA team and the development team to ensure high quality bug free releases of our market leading games.

Required Skills:

  • Excellent attention to details, highly analytical
  • Self motivated with a professional work ethic
  • An excellent communicator both orally and written
  • Excellent organisational skills
  • Flexible (in regard to hours of work)
  • Proven decision making ability under pressure
  • Good understanding of business software applications (Excel, Word, Outlook)Familiarity with bug tracking software
  • Good command of the English language
  • Interest in games is essential

    Desired Skills:

  • Previous experience in gaming QA whether console or mobile phones is desirable but not essential

    Applicants must be able to start ASAP and will work from our studio in Hammersmith.

    Please send applications with your CV to jobs@capcom.com

 

Train2Game News: Train2Game Radio talks to Dan Rutter

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Dan and Vicki RutterTrain2Game radio got the pleasure of speaking to Dan Rutter about his new studio him and his wife have started, Turret Studios. They have a great game idea and a lot of ambition to get it done.

You can listen to part one of the radio interview here: http://audioboo.fm/boos/1181723-train2game-student-dan-rutter-talks-to-mark1

and part two here: http://audioboo.fm/boos/1181705-train2game-student-dan-rutter-talks-to-mark2

Or read the transcript below:

Hello my name is Dan, I am on the Art and Animation course and I live in Teddington.

Hi Dan, how you doing?
I’m fine Mark, how are you?

I’m great thank you buddy! So, tell me a bit about yourself. What’s your story and the past experiences that have shaped your life?
OK, I went to university studying Model Making for TV and Film. I came out of that with a degree, I’ve ended up working in the model making field, I’ve done some stuff for film and TV. I then moved in to Architecture but through all of that games have been a massive passion of mine and my wife. So I looked at the Train2Game course, applied in May 2 years ago now I think it was. Entered the Game Jam competition in November where we came in the top three, ended up going to the Gadget Show Live in April where we had some pretty good success. I mean, we didn’t win but it was a fantastic experience and I met loads of great people! I’ve been plodding on with the course since then and new year, new resolutions and new goals, decided to branch out and do something different this year.

Yeah and what was that?
My Wife and I have started our own company, Turret Studios, aiming to make apps for iOS and Android platforms using the Unity 4 engine.

Is it just Unity that you’re going to be using?
At the moment yes as it is the only engine we can find that enables you to make apps for iOS and Android, giving us as large a spread of the market as possible. We obviously loved using the Unreal Engine during the Game Jam but at the moment it only supports iOS. Whether the Unreal 4 engine will be any different, and I really hope it is because I do really enjoy using that.

Yeah, so what are you working on at the minute? If you can say
Yeah, we can. Our first game is called Digital Dojo and it’s kind of cross between Pokémon and Top Trumps. It’s a collectible type of game, the idea is you go around and scan the bar-code of an object and those numbers, from a pool of robot pieces, will generate a robot which you can level up and customize and then you can challenge your friends through Facebook and if you win you get points so you can upgrade your robot further.

That sounds quite fun!
Good!

I would be interested in that one. So is it just you and your wife working on it or have you got other people as well?
At the moment it’s just myself and my wife. I have a coder friend who goes by the name of Wurley who is giving some of his spare time to help work it out which is good, but we will be looking at trying to get some other students involved if possible. We actually have two competitions that we are going to launch, one is to design a robot character for the game and the other is to design an environment for them to fight in. All the details will be up on our website and you can download templates to sketch over the top of or Photoshop files with layers if you want to work digitally and then we will put them up on our website and let people do a poll so they vote for their favourites and hopefully those designs will end up in the game.

Very nice and what’s the website?
It’s http://www.turret-studios.com

Are you a registered company yet or are you still looking in to that?
Nope, we are a registered company. That paper work has been done.

You are?
Yup, so what I have recently done now is I have switched from full time work and have gone back to Free lancing as a Model Maker. So at the minute I am doing a lot of work for other companies just doing some technical drawings and laser cutting drawings just to bring in some cash that way, which enables us in to putting as much time as possible in to this to get it up and running.

Very nice and have you seen the new forum section that has gone up as well?
I had a browse around last night, I haven’t had a good rummage but I have noticed there have been a few changes.

Yeah like there is a new student studio section that you can apply for it and its only student studios that can post on that to get advice and get people talking, so that’s where you can put things like your competition.
That sounds fantastic! I’ll be doing that straight after this.

Excellent! So did you and your wife meet through gaming or was that something before?
My wife and I met at University. I was doing Model Making and she was doing Furniture and Applied Products but we soon found we were sat in front of the Playstation 2 back then playing SSX and all kinds of games which was quite good fun. We even had Little Big Planet wedding toppers at our wedding and our wedding cupcakes had Marshmallow space invaders on the top, so that’s how heavy in to games we are.

That sounds beautiful! That sounds like the kind of wedding I would like.
It was pretty awesome. Our favour boxes had Marvel Superhero candy sticks and penny sweets in.

So is your wife more the arts type like you or does she do other things as well?
She is very good with her Admin and things. She works in a job where she isn’t doing what she wants to do but it brings in money. In terms of the company and how she fits in to things, at the moment she is looking at learning coding, so she’s got some books and signed up to some courses as a long term goal and in the short term she is running all of our social media, the website and keeping the books, making sure things balance.

Very nice, is she going to get in to Train2Game as well do you think?
It’s definitely an option. It’s just trying to get some things set up and sorted and then try and find time for her to do that. She works quite long hours and works every other Saturday and things like that. So we will be looking in to that

So finally, what is your greatest ambition?
At the moment my greatest ambition is just to get that first app out there, hopefully succesful and what I would really love is to be stood on the train, look over some ones shoulder and see them playing our game. I think that would be fantastic!

That’s a beautiful idea
It’s a great idea, it’s kind of the app equivalent of walking in to a shop and seeing it on a shelf.

Excellent. Well I wish you all the luck with everything Dan
Thank you very much

My pleasure and thank you very much for talking to us today!
No trouble at all, cheers!

Train2Game News: Exciting iOS beta test for T2G students

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ImpPairedTrain2Game students invited to work with developers of puzzle title Imp Paired

Take part in the Train2Game exclusive beta, plus a chance to become part of professional development team

Casual puzzle title Imp Paired is offering Train2Game students exclusive access to a specially determined period of its beta test. In exchange for their time and expertise, students will receive a host of supporting and background information and the opportunity to engage the developers in conversation about the beta test from a developer’s point-of-view. As well as helping to test the game for bugs as part of the beta team, the Imp Paired developers are also looking for assistance with on-going development and managers to interact with the Imp Paired community. There is a genuine opportunity that the students who excel in this stage of Imp Paired’s development could continue to contribute to the ongoing development of this title and future releases from the studio.

Sign up for the Beta by emailing: nicholas@imppaired.com

Beta testers

The Imp Paired beta test is aimed at bringing the game up to release quality over the next few months. Testers will be given a copy of Imp Paired to install on their iOS devices and will be asked to give their feedback on new builds as they arrive throughout the test period.

The first builds are bound to be a little rough around the edges, but the developers behind Imp Paired are looking for the sort of people who like finding out where rough edges lie because it will be their feedback that drives the development process during the beta period.

As a beta tester you will be instrumental to the development process and you will be able to add the experience to your CV and portfolio.

Community managers

Community managers will be asked to field questions from and join in with the growing community through the Imp Paired website and social media channels, relaying information and questions between developer and audience. As part of the community team students will manage hubs like the Imp Paired Facebook page, contributing posts that offer opportunities for engagement.

Imp Paired

This puzzle title is best described as a cross between Pairs and Tetris. Where in traditional Pairs games you start with a full board and attempt to empty it, in Imp Paired you start with a half empty board and attempt to prevent it from filling. The task the player is presented with is to keep on top of their workload on a package sorting production line by revealing and matching pairs and sets of patterns on the packages’ reverse sides. New packages keep arriving all the time and the player must prevent their board from filling up or it’s game over.

The player is taken through the game by a pair of imp characters who pop-up between levels to instruct, encourage, insult and infuriate the player. The imps seem to be in charge, but as the player gains mastery of the increasing challenge the relationship between the player and the imps begins to unfold.

Imp Paired has both single and multiplayer modes and a range of difficulties. It sits together as a smart, humorous and fun experience, which lets newcomers and experts alike enjoy an exciting and challenging puzzle game.

To find out more about Imp Paired go to:

Website: imppaired.com

Facebook: facebook.com/imppaired

Twitter: twitter.com/imppaired (@imppaired)

YouTube:http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvNFTGwmKf3nhX_aluHatJA

Imp Paired will be released for iOS in 2013, with a planned release for Android at a later stage.

To sign up for the Imp Paired beta or to join as a community manager email the team at the contact email address below.

nicholas@imppaired.com

Train2Game students wanted , Dead or Man Alive

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Train2Game student studio Global Empire Soft launch exclusive Beta to Train2Game students

Man Alive

Man Alive spins gaming as we know it on its head and challenges gamers to find ways to kill the main character to progress through the game. With dark humour and superb artwork this completely individual title is set to get gamers talking. By taking part in the Beta, Train2Game students will be able to work with Global Empire Soft to trouble shoot the title ahead of its full release.

The Beta – The Beta testing stage will be the final step towards releasing the game and will be open to students for around two weeks. Those who sign up for the Beta will be asked to play through Man Alive and reply to the global Empire Soft team with their feedback over the period.

To sign up to the Beta, contact: manalivebeta@globalempiresoft.com

Man Alive –  Puzzle-platformer but with a unique twist, Man Alive is a bit like Mario meets Limbo and then falls down some stairs.

The goals within Man Alive are very unique, as is the way the player uses the character. The aim of each level is not to survive the onslaught of enemies, but more to avoid being delayed in killing yourself. Some levels you will find yourself using the remains of your previous life to achieve this, such as jumping on your drowned corpse to cross a lake.

Global Empire Soft  –  The Global Empire Soft team is made up of Train2Game students and non-students, including, CEO, Richard Hoffman.

Man Alive on Steam – The Global Empire Soft team have also posted Man Alive on to Steam and they are looking for support to get their game on to the platform. If you follow the link below you can vote to help give Man Alive that opportunity.

Man Alive on Steam

To find out more about Man Alive go to:

Website: http://manalivegame.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/manalivegame

Twitter: https://twitter.com/manalivegame

Man Alive will be released in 2013

To sign up to the Beta, contact: manalivebeta@globalempiresoft.com

For PR enquiries for Global Empire Soft and other Train2Game studios, contact:

Harry Cole

harry@swanpr.co.uk

Train2Game News: Games Industry Jobs – 24.01.13

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This week’s Train2Game jobs is a special one, Train2Game have teamed up with games industry recruitment agency Aardvark Swift to deliver some top graduate developer position directly to Train2Game students.

For those of you that are unaware of Aardvark Swift, they are the premier recruitment agency in the games industry and also recruit across mobile, digital, toys, nursery and licensing.

Junior/Graduate Gameplay Programmer

North West

£Excellent + Benefits

Our client is one of the UK’s Premier Games Developer. They have a stack of awards and an unrivalled sales track record to back their claims up. Based in the North West, the studio regularly features in the top 10 of the Develop 100 “World’s Most Successful Games Studios” (2007, 2008) and consistently produces AAA titles across all formats. They are seeking a Graduate / Junior Programmer to join the Gameplay team.

Required Skills:

Strong C/C++

Good A levels preferably maths or physics.

A 2:1 degree or above in either computer science or maths/physics degree.

A strong candidate will also have one or more of the following:

  • Experience programming consoles at a low-level on PS3, 360, Wii or PC.
  • Strong 3D math skills.

For more information, please contact Mark Hope at Aardvark Swift on 01709 876877 or Mark@aswift.com

Graduate Programmer

South

£Excellent + Benefits

Our client is a successful UK independent developer. They enjoy excellent relationships with a number of high profile publishers and company growth means they are now looking for Graduate Programmers to join there team

Key skills
• Strong C++
• Object-oriented design
• Good communicator
• Team player
• Passion for games

Desirable skills
• Flexibility (programming teams are generally small so the candidates will likely be asked to work on a variety of different areas during a typical project)

• Extended experience in one or more areas (dependent on seniority – more junior candidates will of course have less experience), in particular:
o Graphics
o AI / Game-play
o Networking
o Tools

In return the company offer an excellent Salary and Benefits.

More details are available by contacting Mark Hope: mark@aswift.com or 01709 834777

Graduate Programmer

Yorkshire

£Excellent + Benefits

Are you looking to join a creative games studio? Then look no further…

My client offers a relaxed and creatively charged atmosphere where talent can flourish. They pride themselves above all on the games they create and their appreciation of the people who create them.

Due to their recent success they are looking to add to their talented team with the addition of a Graduate Programmer.

Responsible For:

  • Writing, debugging and maintaining computer code, often in, but not limited to, C/C++.

– Writing code in a human-readable style, using descriptive and accurate class, function and variable names, and comments where necessary.

  • Carrying out other technical aspects of a project (for example running and maintaining build processes, setting up installers, providing technical information)

– Clearly and accurately communicating progress on, and problems with, your assigned tasks, and the project in general, to your lead programmer and / or producer.

  • Assisting in the production of project milestones and schedules

– Carrying out assigned tasks within the time scheduled for them as agreed with your lead programmer / producer.

  • Ensuring that your work integrates well with the work of other team members, and functions correctly as a part of the whole project.

Standards of Performance:

  • All work should be performed accurately and in a timely fashion

– Producing good quality human readable code as noted above.

  • Being pro-active with regards to problem solving

– Communicating progress accurately

  • Taking an active interest in a project so as to ensure a smooth and error free development process.

– The improvement of the quality of the content required for Team 17 software, including but not limited to iterative play testing, reporting problems and addressing any quality shortfalls as requested.

Key Skills:

  • Having the ability to solve technical problems

– Having an excellent working knowledge of programming language(s), particularly C/C++

  • Have the personal skills and the desire to work as part of a team

Be able to communicate clearly especially when relating to technical issues

How to Apply
For more details please contact Mark at: mark@aswift.com or 01709 834777

Tools Programmer and Graduate Tools Programmer

North West, UK

£Neg + Bonus

Our client has been making games for more than 15 years. They now employ more than 150 people and have released games on major platforms like PS3, Xbox 360, Wii and Nintendo DS. They also work with some Great IP’s and a variety of game types.

They are seeking a Tools Programmer or Graduate Tools Programmer to join their team developing technology at the core of all their productions, from AAA games on every major console and handheld device (over 100 million units sold to date), to their award-winning TV shows, broadcast around the world.

If successful, you will play a significant part in shaping the way art, animation and designs are produced across new projects, as well as keeping our technology up to date with the state of the art in the industry.

They are looking for candidates with:

• A good degree in Computer Science, Maths or Physics or related subject (2.i or above)
• Fluent in C++ and object oriented programming
• Experience of Direct X, OpenGL or similar graphics APIs Experience of writing user interfaces using one or more common UI libraries (Win32 GDI/wxWindows/Qt/…)
• Ability to interact with non-technical disciplines (such as artists and designers), understand their needs, deliver solutions they find intuitive and helpful
• A real desire to make users’ day-to-day work easier, simpler and more productive

A strong candidate will also have one or more of the following:

• Experience of writing plugins for common 3D and 2D packages (Autodesk Maya and Adobe Photoshop preferably)
• A confident grasp of the mathematics involved in CG rendering and animation
• The ability to analyse and optimise algorithms for efficiency
• Experience developing products for one or more non-PC gaming devices

For more information or to apply for the role, please contact Mark Hope at Aardvark Swift on +44 (0) 1709 834777 or e-mail mark@aswift.com

Graduate Gameplay Programmer

Cambridge

£Excellent + Benefits

Our client, the developer of award winning titles, are seeking highly skilled graduate to join their programming team as a Gameplay programmer working on a AAA title for next gen.

They currently have several exciting cutting-edge projects encompassing a range of genres, and are recruiting a mix of programmers for various project team areas such as: networking, 3D graphics, shaders, animation, physics, artificial intelligence, as well as general gameplay programming.

They have a reputation for technological innovation and their programmers get involved in all aspects of system architecture, design and implementation, bringing an extremely high standard of professionalism to the development of all their games, and fully contribute to a dynamic, creative and fun environment, working with advanced technology on the leading games consoles.

The ideal person will have:

Either a good degree, or solid track record, in Computer Science, Maths or Physics.
Possible specialisation in one of the following fields : networking, 3D graphics and shaders, animation, physics, AI.
Industry experience is not essential, but passion and enthusiasm are.
Advanced understanding of C++ and object oriented programming.
Well organized, and capable of code design.
Experience of DirectX Graphics, console toolchains, GUI APIs, LUA scripts, or ASM are also useful.
Familiarity with Xbox 360/Playstation 3 development/Networking/Multi-Threading is a plus.
Good communication.

They have in-house platform abstraction libraries, using a PC development environment to target the major consoles. Game programmers write platform independent game code using our in-house game engine and technology, while engine and tool teams work on company-wide technology and lower level target specific, optimized code.

In return the company offer an excellent Salary and Benefits.

More details are available by contacting Mark Hope at Aardvark Swift via email: mark@aswift.com

Generalist Programmer

London

£Excellent + Benefits

This is the London studio of a successful UK independent developer. They enjoy excellent relationships with a number of high profile publishers and company growth means they are now looking for Programmers who are generalists who are happy programming in a number of areas.

Key skills

• Strong C++
• Object-oriented design
• Good communicator
• Team player
• Passion for games

Desirable skills

• Flexibility (programming teams are generally small so the candidates will likely be asked to work on a variety of different areas during a typical project)

• Extended experience in one or more areas (dependent on seniority – more junior candidates will of course have less experience), in particular:

o Graphics
o AI / Game-play
o Networking

Other details

• Depending on the specific role, experience with middleware such as Unity or Unreal may be beneficial

In return the company offer an excellent Salary and Benefits.

More details are available by contacting Mark Hope at Aardvark Swift via email: mark@aswift.com

Train2Game News: Student Studio forum page

Posted on by

T2G ForumStudent studios invited to share experiences and advice in new group created on the Train2Game forum

Train2Game students who have created or joined indie studios are invited to join a specific student studios group and all students will be able to read contributions to this new forum page

The group has been designed for student studios to share experiences and advice on operating small independent studios. Train2Game will also work with the group to encourage discussions and pass on information about the work Train2Game does with start-up studios.

Train2Game will work to create PR for the studios based around projects they are working on, with press releases and  interviews on Train2Game Radio to coincide with when their games coming out, where it will be listened to by hundreds of thousands of listeners.

All students will be encouraged to follow the group but contributions will only be accepted after an approval process. This is to maintain the group as specifically for student studios, though all students can read and therefore benefit from the discussions.

To qualify as a student studio you will need to be a registered company, with a website. Individuals and groups are both welcome to apply. All applications will be considered, so feel free to get in touch,

If you are not in a studio and would like to create or join one, you can visit the forum groups: student project recruitment and student project showcase. Here you will be able to find others who are in similar situation, and once you are part of a studio you  can join the student studio group.

The group will be maintained by student administrator Lee Sainsbury and Train2Game PR Harry Cole. If you would like to join the group or discuss anything about the group, please feel free to contact either of the guys through the forum, contact names: Calibur and harrycole