Category Archives: employment

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: 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: Wildman needs your help!

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WildmanGas Powered Games has reached out on Kickstarter to help its game Wildman. Train2Game students can help them!

Gas Powered Games have worked on many great games such as Age of Empires and Orcs Must Die. They are currently working on a new IP, Wildman.

Wildman seems like an interesting and new project which is a mixture of RTS and RPG. You control your armies and send them in to battle like with any RTS but after the battle you take a small group to adventure around to earn bonuses and become stronger.

Despite its successes with previous games the studio is in trouble and they may have to axe the kickstarter. They have had to lay off about 40 people recently.

Chris Taylor, CEO of Gas Powered Games said “I think everyone agrees better to have a few bucks to find the next job that run this train to the end and have nothing left to work with. It’s one thing for me to bet the company, but I can’t bet their last severance money, that’s not cool.”

Taylor has posted a very sincere video update on the Wildman Kickstarter campaign, letting everyone know what’s going on with the company and explaining his actions. He has also reached out to the Kickstarter community and Wildman backers, asking them to help him decide what to do about the campaign: should he let it run through to the end and reassemble the team if it succeeds, or should he shut it down right away.

So far the update has been seeing an overwhelmingly encouraging response, with fans urging Taylor to continue the Kickstarter. Many point out that the numbers have been promising, and that at least this will give Taylor and everyone at Gas Powered Games a chance.

With the support of the fans Gas Powered Games has managed to hire back some of its key staff. The kickstarter is helping people get there jobs back so we can just hope it continues.

On the support that the game is receiving Chris Taylor said “The outpouring of support this past few days has been unlike anything I could have imagined. I can’t thank everyone enough, and can only hope that one day I will return the favor to each and every person who reached out to help”

You can help the kickstarter here: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gaspoweredgames/wildman-an-evolutionary-action-rpg/posts/388863

Train2Game News: Games Industry Jobs – 16.01.13

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DEVELOPER

Job Title Graduate Programmer
Job Category Programming
Skills Required Programming
Location Yorkshire, North West

Job Description
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

QA

Job Title Quality Assurance Tester – London
Job Category QA / Localisation
Skills Required QA Tester
Location Hammersmith, London, UK & Europe

 
Job Description
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

ART

Job Title 2D Artist for Smartphone Games – London
Job Category Art / Animation
Skills Required 2D / Concept / Texture Artist
Location Hammersmith, London, UK & Europe

 
Job Description
Capcom, Beeline is currently seeking a talented 2D graphic designer and animator to join our London studio. The successful candidate will work with the Lead Graphic Designer and Producer to design, create and animate graphical content for freemium social games.

Required Skills:
Ability to design appealing and original 2D game content.
Highly skilled in 2D animation.
High proficiency with Adobe Photoshop & Illustrator (or similar software).
Experience with isometric perspective.

Desired Skills
Adobe/Macromedia Flash.
Previous experience with graphics for mobile devices.
Previous experience working with a game development team or similar.
Audio experience; proficient with audio editing software.
3D modelling/animation skills: Maya or Blender.

Profile
High creativity and attention to detail.
Strong background in sketching, drawing and illustration.
Ability to work within a schedule.
Genuine passion for the video games industry, design and animation.
Team player with strong social and communication skills.
Willing to learn, cooperate with the developers and open to feedback.
Good English language skills.

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

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

DESIGN

Job Category: Games and Level Design, Graduate, Web Development
Area: South East, East Midlands
Location: Chipston-on-Stour, CV36 4BA

GRADUATE OPPORTUNITIES AT GAZOOB
Entry-Level Game and App Developer

Description
We are looking for two full-time developers, designers, and programmers with an interest in game, web or app development. If successful you will join our small team working at the Gazoob offices in Shipston-on-Stour. This is a flexible role which will involve varied tasks and the ability to learn new skills while working. This will give any graduate the perfect opportunity to start building apps, games, websites as well as a job for themselves at a growing company.

About Us
Gazoob is a UK developer and publisher of education and young person friendly digital apps, eBooks and games. Based in the small town of Shipston-on-Stour we provide non-contentious and reliable content for young people from age five upwards. We want to provide a resource where parents can be sure of getting access to content that doesn’t contain anything inappropriate, is educationally sound or just plain fun. We’ve built a team of experts in their field to develop the best products as well as continually looking for new and exciting content to add to our portfolio.

About You
• You may have an interest in game design and experience using engines such as Unity,
• You might be a keen web or graphic designer with skills in Photoshop and Dreamweaver,
• Or you may have experience building professional quality mobile applications.
• You must be confident, enthusiastic, and a positive thinker.
• You will be able to see any job through to completion independently.
• You will have a degree level qualification in any field.
• You will have good time management and communication skills.
• You must be able to travel to the offices in Shipston-on-Stour on a daily basis.
Salary and working hours are negotiable.
We are not looking to work with agencies to fill these vacancies.

To apply
Please submit a full covering letter with supporting material, and CV to:
ed.harmer@gazoob.com

Train2Game News: Games Industry jobs – 09.01.13

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It’s a brand new year with brand new jobs for Train2Game students!

DEVELOPER

Job Title Generalist Programmer
Job Category Programming
Skills Required Programming
Location Brighton, South East
Job Description  

Our Client is an independent studio that makes games, apps and interactive media for multiple platforms.

The management team have graduated from some of the industry’s elite development studios, and have a wealth of experience across multiple disciplines and platforms.

From graduate level through to lead positions our client is looking to fill a number of broad reaching roles. We are currently engaged with a number of partners with our work ranging from Mobile to Browser based games / app development.

The successful candidate will join an experienced development team and will gain industry-leading experience on various emerging platforms.

Skills Range

If you have experience in any of the following areas, please get in touch!

Lua
C#
C++
Objective-C
JavaScript and HTML5
Unity 3D
iOS / Android development
ActionScript 3.0 and Flash

Salary: Based on Experience
Attendance: Full-Time

Additional Information: This is a full-time contract role based in our Hove office, contracts range from 6 – 12 months. Permanent positions are also available to the right candidates.

If you are interested in applying, please contact Mark Hope for more details: mark@aswift.com or 01709 834 777

DESIGN

Job Title Mobile Games Designer – Midlands UK – £Neg DOE – Mobile Games
Job Category Game Design
Skills Required Game Design
Location Midlands
Job Description Location: Midlands
Salary: £Negotiable DOE
Job Type: Permanent
Project: AAA games

This Midlands based independent studio has helped create and build some of the biggest game franchises in games over the past 16 years.

Over the last three years they have developed and self-published nine games on the iOS and Android Stores all brand-new IPs achieving worldwide features and fantastic chart success Metacritic and player ratings. Their games have been downloaded by over 9 million people so far with repeated success in reaching #1 ‘All Apps’ in multiple territories.

Having recently moved to their new studio in Warwick they are in need of at least one experienced mobile games designer to work on their unannounced titles

The successful candidate will have shipped multiple game titles across all mobile platforms. You will be passionate have an excellent understanding of what makes a great game and a strong knowledge of game balancing and pacing. You will be working alongside other amazingly talented team members to create great gaming experiences aimed towards a variety of audiences.

Duties/Responsibilities:
• Define the overall creative vision and specific feature requirements to the team.
• Communicate the overall creative vision and specific feature requirements to the team.
• Write clear and concise game design documents.
• Drive the initial prototyping tuning gameplay pacing and first user experience and difficulty ramp of a mobile game.
• Research develop and design new games and features.
• Analyze and improve existing game mechanics and features based on playability user preferences and trends.
• Provide expert knowledge and implementation on social/mobile mechanics.
• Make sure the games are fun!

Skills/Experience Required:
• Must have mobile games design experience preferably ios and Android or other handheld (DS/3DS…)
• Awareness of Social Gaming and ideally have been involved in the creation of a social game using multiple purchase mentality
• Proven track record of successful game design from concept through to implementation
• Unity experience would prove an advantage

For the opportunity to be part of this team please send your cv (MS Word Format) and work examples FAO Catherine to officemanager@opmjobs.com or call +44 1206 214416

ART

Job Title Game UI Artist
Job Category Art / Animation
Skills Required 2D / Concept / Texture Artist, UI Artist
Location Warwick, Warwickshire, Midlands
Job Description Position Overview:
• This position involves designing and creating 2D Artwork and Graphics for our Games. In game and UI elements for primarily iOS and Android platforms.

Key Responsibilities:
• Working with the entire Development team to design and implement focussed, practical solutions within a realistic time frame.
• Design Icons and logos within the style constraints of the product.
• Work efficiently and at a speed representative of the platform.
• To be responsible for all 2D art aspects of any given project
• Be able to create all levels of Art from palette controlled pixel sprites up to hi Res Marketing Assets.

Skills and Experience:
• Excellent 2D background, including ideally pixel work.
• Use of Photoshop and Illustrator.
• Willing to work with Engineers to work within the technical limitations of the platform.
• Self Organised and willing to participate in team meetings.
• The ability to draught out a variety of concepts styles at speed to fit within the design constraints before game assets are created.

 

To find out more information and apply you can contact them HERE.

 

QA

Type: Permanent
Location: Edinburgh
Salary: Competitive
Company: Rockstar North
Contact: Michelle McKnight
Posted: 09/10/2012 10:12:00
Reference: GR/GR/GR/Test

 

Rockstar North is looking for enthusiastic and self-motivated individuals to join our Games Test teams in Edinburgh. You will be expected to play through our latest games looking for problems and reporting errors, to ensure game quality before release.

Responsibilities

You will be finding and reproducing bugs, errors or problems in-game as directed. The role will require accurate, detailed and complete reporting to the required standards and subsequent revision of those errors or problems.

Qualifications

Successful applicants will have excellent written and verbal communication skills and enjoy working as part of a team. You will have good general computer skills and be a confident learner working with word processing, databases and spreadsheets. You will be able to show consistent attention to detail and have the ability to remain focussed when approaching repetitive tasks. We will be looking for flexibility regarding unsociable and extended working hours to meet the demands of the role.

Additional Information

Candidates must be 18 years of age and above and provide two references. The position will be a full-time short term contract. Applicants will preferably be educated to further or higher education standards.

This is a two stage application process. You will first be asked to complete an application pack from which you may be asked to attend an interview.

PLEASE APPLY ONLINE VIA www.rockstargames.com/jobs

Train2Game News: Train2Game Radio talks to Connor Adams

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Connor AdamsTrain2Game spoke to Connor Adams this week about how I went from a Train2Game student to working at Atomhawk up in Newcastle.

Connor is a brilliant Artist you can check out his DeviantART page HERE or his portfolio HERE.

You can listen to Connors radio interview here – http://audioboo.fm/boos/1114244-train2game-studio-radio-with-mark-talks-to-connor-adams

or read the transcript below:

Hello I’m Connor, I live in Gateshead but I’m from Weymouth and I took the Art & Animation course.

Hi Connor, how you doing bud?
I’m not too bad man, how are you?

I’m excellent, thank you
Awesome, it’s lovely to hear your voice again.

Yours too! So tell me, what’s your story Connor? What are the past experiences that have shaped your life to make you who you are now?
Oh wow, that is a deep question. I suppose I started off by playing a lot of video games when I was young, like everyone. I took quite a weird path, I left school after finishing my GCSE’s and I just started painting and drawing all day because I wanted to design all these games but I didn’t really know what path to take. So I was painting and things like that and then I saw the Train2Game course and joined up on that and I attended a lot of Game Jams whilst studying everyday on my own time and getting all that down. Then I applied for the internship up here and here I am. I’m sure there is probably a lot more to it, but that’s all I can remember for now!

So where is it you applied for an internship for?
I applied up to Atomhawk. It’s based in the Northern Design Centre in Newcastle.

What kind of games do they make there?
The guys at the studio, all of us are concept artists and illustrators, so we have no programmers, we have no designers or anything like that. So people come to us and they out source us for concept art and illustration. We do a lot of stuff before games are released like we worked on Mortal Kombat. We are working on a lot of stuff right now but none of it I can say because it’s all under NDA, which is typical. It’s a lot of stuff like Sony and Warner Brothers, people like that. So it’s quite big clients but we don’t actually work on the games, we just make the concepts and illustrations.

What is the most dramatic or exciting thing you have done in your life previous to being at Atomhawk?
Oh god! All these questions Mark, I’m not sure I’m ready for them! I think the most scaring and exciting thing, was leaving school. Trying to take things in to my own hands. From leaving School and going straight to Train2Game that made things a lot easier. Going down that personal route was quite scary at first.

I know you were also part of Derp Studios as well. How was that experience?
I was part of Derp Studios, yeah. That was really, really great. I mean the Game Jam and the meeting with people and going up to Luton and doing all that was just great. The whole experience was fun and these guys I still talk to a lot of them today, Me and Amanda are mostly talking a lot and it’s great. It was a great bonding experience. It was great for contacts, it was great for skills, great experiences. Well I met you up at The Gadget Show which was a lovely experience.

It was indeed! We have been firm friends ever since.
Yeah absolutely, it was really great.

We touched on it before, what is your reason for getting into the gaming industry particularly?
It’s just games you know? It’s like what kind of guy can say they go to work and draw men shooting aliens and you know, Zombies and Monsters! It’s all fun and games. It is serious at the same time but it’s all play. It’s hard work but it’s play. To get paid to do that is just fantastic.

When did you actually get the job at Atomhawk that you have now?
My internship was 3 months ago, so back in September, August was when I was applying and got the internship but a few weeks ago they offered me a junior position which is going to last 6 months which is fantastic.

So you get a nice job just in time for Christmas then?
Absolutely yeah which is a real relief as Christmas is a horrible time.

What is your greatest ambition?
Oh OK, well I guess just to be the best, like a Pokemon trainer! I gotta keep on going and hit the top of your field, maybe one day in the future I will have my own Graphic Novel and I’ll be working on some AAA games. I dunno the future is very unpredictable so it’s hard to say really.

Finally then, if you could work for any studio what so ever, what would you work for?
Actually, genuinely I would rather work for my self. I think I would rather get some of my closest friends and make my own studio and make the games that we love.

So we should probably start working on that soon then?
Absolutely!

Thank you very much buddy!
No worries, cheers mate.

Train2Game News: Student Diaries – 13.12.11

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There are a few Train2Game students on work placement at DR Studios. Below is some diaries of how they are getting on.

Amanda Blatch week 12

Soooooo…. Diary this week. You know.. I think it’s kind of slipped my mind what I did last week, it passed by so quickly! There was a lot of work to do and that got done as we are sticking more strictly to our deadlines of getting  a new build out every Friday so we had a game to play over the weekend. With the latest build you can really tell the game is starting to come together and a couple of new features have been added into the game that helps move the game along at a speed that would be enjoyable for the player without being too easy. Overall, it’s looking very good atm with all the updates and changes to the game.

On top of that I have had more of a break in my usual UI making process, creating a couple new characters for the game which will form part of an exclusive content pack on release date. The splash screen itself has also had an almost completely new do-over and is much more polished and finalised, ready for promotion.

But apart from that there is not much more I can say, the game is close to being finished, we just need to keep pushing that little bit further to make the game the best we can make it! So, again, till next week.

Craig Moore Student Diary Week 55

What day is it?

It’s been a pretty intensive week here, trying to ensure that two builds go out a week while constantly improving and bug fixing is certainly akin to juggling cars. It’s been a smooth one though with very few hiccups and the build is going from strength to strength, I think our big focus next week will be to crush some of the gameplay blocking bugs that are really getting in the way of heavy play testing.

As with previous weeks I have been working closely with Tim to ensure new features get in to the game, it’s a really effective approach that ensures we are working on the same thing but each to our own abilities and insures rapid iteration and turnaround of features.

It feels like we have had this game under wraps for ages now, and in reality it is, it’s been a good six months and I cannot wait to show it to the world! I feel like we have taken everything that made My Sea Park cool and turned it up to 11 while adding some cool little features that I genuinely have never seen before in games of this genre.

Also don’t fret! This one is coming to both iOS and Android.

Getting this kind of experience and exposure is something I could never dreamed of getting 18 months ago, but here I am. It’s a lot of hard work but I would not change it for the world.

Craig

Matty WS week 53

This week has been quite busy again as usual; I’ve been remaking a few assets here and there and redoing some older animations that weren’t up to scratch. Over the weekends I’ve been playtesting the game as well as other games for ‘market research’. I’m finding Hayday pretty fun annoyingly. I’ve also been playing chess more lately because of Social Chess on the iPad, but before that I used to play a game a day or more sometimes, so now it’s just a case of playing multiple games each day over time. I also caved and bought things on the iPad, Red alert and LSAW (land sea air warfare, tis an RTS). The store is so expensive though! Everything on android is cheap or free, cannot see why it’s not the same for iDevices.

The next project (although still up in the air) is starting to sound pretty awesome now and I really cannot wait for it to start!

MattyWS

Train2Game News: Mid-week round up – 12.12.12

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The Train2Game blog has once again been searching the internet and has found some of the biggest news from across the week.

The Rapid2D engine has gone live as of yesterday following its demonstration at the Evolve conference in London. Rapid2D is designed to help developers create apps for PC, tablet and Windows Phone 8 through the Windows 8 Marketplace. The engine uses C++ for scripting, and includes features such as physics, visual effects, sound particle systems, collision control and animated sprites. As well as the free version of Rapid2D, there will also be extra add-ons, upgrades and a pro-version available to developers.

Randy Pitchford, one of the developers behind Borderlands 2 has confirmed that there will be a new character class coming as DLC. Mr Pitchford previously said it was unlikely because of the amount of extra work the Mechromancer class took. The news was revealed after someone tweeted the developer saying “My mate says you won’t” to which Randy replied, “yes – we’re working on another character.” It’s as simple as that.

PopCap, the team behind hit casual games such as Plants v Zombies has announced that they are now working on a AAA title. The news comes following a tweet and job posting from PopCap. The game is a console game, inspired by Team Fortress 2. The job posting confirms that the game will use the Frostbite 2 engine, which is becoming more and more popular.

The final issues of PSM3 and Xbox World have gone on sale today. One of the many features in the last PSM3 magazine is a feature written by editor Dan Dawkins talking about the making of’ PSM3, office secrets, the highs and lows, how things have changed and how the future looks. Meanwhile Xbox World rounds up the biggest, loudest, saddest, funniest, most shocking moments in Xbox history and gives GTA5, arguably the biggest Xbox game of 2013, one final, epic preview.

Rovio has announced plans to release an Angry Birds feature film in the summer of 2016 and it will be in 3D so you can feel what those bad piggies go through. Despicable Me producer John Cohen has signed on as producer for the CG-animated movie, while David Maisel, former chairman of Marvel Studios and executive producer of Iron Man, will serve as executive producer. The movie will be produced and financed by Rovio outside of the studio system, allowing the Finnish company to retain full creative control of the project. Over 100 billion Angry Birds games have been downloaded since the games début in 2009.

Train2Game News: Games Industry Jobs – 11.12.12

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Train2Game has searched around to find you some of the entry level jobs in Art, Design, Development and QA.

ART

Job Title Junior Artist
Job Category Art / Animation
Skills Required Graduate Artist
Location Old Street, London, UK & Europe
Job Description Sports Interactive (SI) is the world’s leading developer of football management simulations through its Football Manager series of games, in its twentieth anniversary year. With one of the lowest staff turnover rates in the industry, and regular appearances at the top of the PC, PSP and App Store charts around Europe, this is a chance to join a winning team.

Position Overview
We are looking for an artist to join our graphics team in a junior role, helping with the creation and implementation of assets and graphical content in our games.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Dealing with licensing and asset creation for the game
  • Creating graphical content for the game
  • Assisting in the development of content across numerous platforms.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE  

  • Proficient with Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator
  • Experience creating graphical content for games (either professionally or within a gaming community)
  • Portfolio required

DESIRABLE

  • Basic knowledge of HTML and/or XML
  • Web design experience
  • Strong interpersonal and communication skills
  • Interest in football.

You can apply HERE.

DEVELOPER

Job Title Games Programmer – iOS / Android
Job Category Programming
Skills Required AI / Artificial Intelligence, Tools, Gameplay, Mobile / iOS / Android, Graphics / Engine, Core Technology, UI / Front End, Graduate Programmer
Location Brighton
Job Description Boss Alien are a growing company working on exciting projects with small team sizes. We need programmers who are happy to work in whatever area is required of them – this could change on a daily basis!

We are looking for smart, energetic, friendly people to join us!

Required:

  • 2.1 degree in Maths, Physics, Computer Science or related, or equivalent industry experience
  • Excellent knowledge of C# or C++
  • Excellent knowledge of algorithms and data structures
  • Experience of creating games on desktop or mobile platforms
  • Desire to make great games
  • Great communication skills (verbal and written)
  • Happy to work as part of a team
  • Demonstrable love for some area of game technology
  • A passion for playing games and solving problems
  • Flexible and keen to learn new skills

Great to have:

  • Knowledge of two or more other programming languages (for example Java, Python, PHP, Clojure)
  • 1 or more years of games industry experience
  • 1 or more shipped titles on console, desktop or mobile platforms
  • Strong knowledge of console, desktop and mobile architectures
  • Knowledge of asynchronous engineering techniques
  • Experience of Unity, Unreal or XNA
  • SQL
  • Experience using digital content creation tools (for example Max, Maya, Photoshop)

    Find out more about us at www.bossalien.com

    Junior / Graduate Programmers with relevant demos and a positive attitude are encouraged to apply!

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

QA

Job Title Games Tester
Job Category QA / Localisation
Skills Required QA Tester
Location UK & Europe
Job Description Position Overview:

The Games Tester position is a responsible job; reporting bugs and providing quality feedback for our titles in development. These fixed term contracts are for our established Total Warteam, testing our project currently in development.

  • Test games in development for  software bugs
  • Enter bugs clearly and accurately into our bug database
  • Verify and recreate bugs as required
  • Report additional balancing, design and accessibility problems
  • Specific support and general roles available

Essential

  • A clear understanding of QA process
  • A keen enthusiasm for gaming
  • Good communication and  reporting skills
  • Driven and flexible approach

Desirable

  • A clear understanding of QA process
  • A keen enthusiasm for gaming
  • Good communication and  reporting skills
  • Driven and flexible approach
  • Experience of testing one full shipped title
  • A good  understanding of Strategy games (Total War)
  • Games industry related degree (e.g. audio, art, design, etc.) or expertise in a specific  game area is an asset (e.g. audio, technical, PC hardware, design or scripting etc.)
  • Fluent in one or more of the following languages: French, German, Italian or Spanish
  • Strong technical knowledge/skills (e.g. programming, scripting)

You will need to be available to start by December 2012.
PLEASE ENSURE A COVERING LETTER IS INCLUDED WITH YOUR CV APPLICATION

 

You can apply HERE.

Train2Game News: Microsoft opening new Development Centre in London

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Tech CityThe Train2Game researchers have found that Microsoft is opening up a new Development centre in the heart of London.

Prime Minister David Cameron today announced a major Government investment in Tech City. The Government will put £50m towards a visionary project to regenerate the Old Street roundabout, which will see it transformed into Europe’s largest indoor civic space, dedicated to start-ups and entrepreneurs in East London. This new civic building will host classrooms, co-working spaces and workshops equipped with the latest 3D printing technology, for use by both the local start-ups and the wider community.

One of the new additions to Tech City will be from Microsoft. They are establishing a Technology Development Centre in the heart of Tech City as part of their commitment to the cluster and will support local technology development. Microsoft’s hope is to work to inspire innovation and provide expertise and guidance to those with new and innovative ideas. They will create packages of support for Developer Apprentices and are working on a new Apprenticeship to support young people in and around Tech City.

Prime Minister David Cameron said “Two years ago I set out my commitment to help Tech City become one of the world’s great technology centres. Today we are seeing it continue to grow and go from strength to strength – and that is down to the talented, creative entrepreneurs who have set up there. The UK is in a global race and I am determined that we as a Government continue doing everything we can to equip the UK to compete and thrive in that race. As well as backing the businesses of today, we are creating an aspiration nation and also backing the innovative, high-growth businesses of the future.”

The mayor of London, Boris Johnson, added “The time is right to lay solid foundations in Tech City for London’s digital revolution, and this list of major new firms committing to the area is a testament to the confidence leading tech entrepreneurs have in the capital. Our new centre will provide not only a vital resource to nurture upcoming technology and creative superstars from around the world, it will drive huge investment into the capital and help create thousands of jobs.”

You can find out more about Tech City at their website.