Category Archives: employment

Train2Game News Apple creating jobs

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App Store creator claims credit for half a million jobs in Europe

In a slew of new figures focused around job creation, Apple reports it has paid European app developers a total of $6.5bn since the App Store opened in 2008.

In 2014, the overall app economy is expected to generate revenues of $16.5bn to European GDP, according to figures published by Apple, with worldwide GDP contributions coming in at an estimated $86bn.

The company also claims that 497,000 jobs created in Europe since 2008 can be directly attributed to the App Store.

Of these, 132,000 are directly or indirectly supported by Apple, and 116,000 were created at other companies as a result of Apple’s growth.

“This job growth for coders, developers, entrepreneurs, and others would not have existed without Apple’s innovations and technology,” the firm wrote.

“With more than 1.2m apps and over 75bn downloads, the App Store has created an entirely new industry: iOS app design and development.”

Source: Develop

Train2Game News Visual Effects and Animation Festival

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BFXVisual Effects and Animation Festival returns to Bournemouth UK for 2014
The BFX Festival returns to Bournemouth this summer to celebrate British talent and creativity in animation, computer games and visual effects and inspire the next generation of people to enter the booming industries.

Last year’s BFX Festival was a fantastic celebration of visual effects, animation and games and this year’s event is aiming to build that success, with experts and enthusiasts from across the UK and beyond presenting an amazing selection of material and leading a range of Festival activities that will appeal to all.

Tickets are now on sale for the Festival, which will take place across four days from 24-28 September 2014, hosted at the Bournemouth International Centre.

Talks featuring movie titles such as The Lego Movie, Gravity, Maleficent, Godzilla, Guardians of the Galaxy and The Edge of Tomorrow will be on offer, giving delegates an insight into the range and quality of visual effects needed to create such blockbusters. Legendary computer games, such as the new instalment of Elite from Frontier Developments, called Elite: Dangerous will also be presented.

As well as talks from industry experts on some of this year’s best VFX and animation there will also be a large concept art exhibition direct from the vaults of Walt Disney Animation Studios and Walt Disney Pictures; featuring concept artwork from the movies Sleeping Beauty and Maleficent.

A series of workshops will be available for those wishing to explore animation and VFX techniques further and a number of family activities are also on offer, including children’s animation workshops and public cinema screenings. Talks and workshops have been created with all levels of expertise and knowledge in mind, and the Festival is open for all members of the public to attend.

The Festival is being organised by the International VFX Hub; a collaboration between the award-winning National Centre for Computer Animation (NCCA) at Bournemouth University and the Faculty of Media and Performance at the Arts University Bournemouth (AUB).

Sofronis Efstathiou, Senior Lecturer at Sofronis Efstathiou and the BFX Festival Director said, “We are delighted to be hosting the second BFX Festival this year and to celebrate the best VFX and animation in the world. There is truly something for everyone; from industry experts to hobbyists, animators to technical directors. Come and learn more about this amazing industry and the hard work that goes into creating some of your favourite movies and computer games.”

Companies such as Animal Logic, Framestore, Double Negative, The Mill and MPC will be speaking at the Festival, along with Festival partners The Foundry, Chaos Group, Next Limit and AMD.

At the heart of the Festival is the BFX competition – where students from around the country will be competing to create the best animation and visual effect from a selection of briefs and screenplays given to them. The competition, which is held on Bournemouth University’s and Arts University Bournemouth campus, replicates a film studio with participants working in groups of up to six to create a short visual effects or animation sequence. Teams are mentored throughout by industry practitioners, with a panel of industry judges picking the winning team and awarding prizes.

The competition is currently underway, with teams from 10 higher education institutions taking part, competing for a variety of award and prizes across a number of categories, with winners due to be announced during the Festival itself.

Tickets for the BFX Festival can be purchased on Eventbrite with Early Bird discounts available.

More information about the BFX Festival (including ticketing), and the BFX Competition, can be found at www.bfxfestival.com.

Train2Game News 500 studios in the UK

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Develop has compiled a list of more than 500 British games development studios as part of Game Source 2014, a new directory for the UK’s games agencies.

The list was compiled by the Develop team, and is an updated version of last July’s Develop 100, which ranked to the top 100 UK studios and included a list of hundreds more.

Game Source’s studio directory features the company names and website links for more than 500 studios found throughout the UK, ranging from indie start-ups and one-man studios to publisher-owned behemoths and other triple-A games developers.

You can view the book for free, either in your browser or by downloading the iPad edition.

Presented by MCV, Game Source is the UK directory of leading games industry service companies, featuring creative and promotional agencies, digital distributors, accessory and hardware firms, logistics and payment companies and much more. The guide showcases the leading players across each sector, offering a snapshot of the resources on offer, plus client history and contact details.

Train2Game News Train2Game launch new online radio channel

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Train2GameA new radio channel created by Train2Game is best described as: Inspirational, Informative and Advisory. Train2Game Radio brings you voices from both the Games Industry and it Students.

The new radio station has been created to guide those already on the course and tell others more about the company. The channel hosts material created by the Train2Game team but also other programmes featuring Train2Game from commercial and public radio.

It features radio programmes from many renowned individuals and organisations, shows include: City and Guilds say Train2Game are doing it PROPERLY, CNS Group coaching Train2Game Students LIVE, JuiceFM Mike Gamble from Epic on Train2Game, Microsoft’s Andy McCartney Future of Gaming and shows from the BBC.

Hear more at the newly launched channel at: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/train2game-radio

You can view the programmes in the file below

http://www.scribd.com/doc/234771842/Train2Game-Radio-Summer-2014-Highlights

Train2Game News Artist required for Student Studio

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Train2GameTrain2Game Student Liam Young is on the developer course and is just getting his own studio off the ground but requires an artist.

Liam is covering all the design and development side of the company himself but requires a talented artist to turn some concept art into in game assets and he is prepared to pay the right person for the work they do.

The right person would not be taken on as an employee of the company but would receive full credit for the work that is done for the game further helping the portfolio and CV of the decided on artist.

It is important you be a dedicated worker and reach a mutually agreed upon deadline at a satisfactory level of quality.

If you are interested in helping Liam with his work you can get in touch with him by emailing lyoung536@yahoo.co.uk

You can view the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ZombieBoffinStudioLtd

and the twitter page at https://twitter.com/ZombieBoffinLtd

Train2Game News Mytho Games looking for Designer

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Mytho GamesTrain2Game student studio, Mytho Games, is looking for a designer to join the team to work on a few projects they have going.

The team already have a current designer but he is busy with life at the moment and unable to devote his time to the team so a second designer is needed to keep the projects rolling along at a good speed.

The company asks “We are looking for an individual that really wants to put their ideas forward into a game. We are big believers in creative freedom so providing your ideas are now so crazy and impossible to do its likely we will use it. Anyone who is a good story teller and excellent level designer will be the best pick.

Only real requirement is you have Facebook and enough enthusiasm to oil the rusted wheels of progress that have coursed our team to a slow to a crawl.”

To register your interest for the position or to find out more contact The Warrior of Jupiter on the Train2Game Forum.

Train2Game News Zero Hour Contracts

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Vince CableEmployees on zero hours contracts will have the freedom to find work with more than one employer after Business Secretary Vince Cable announced plans to ban exclusivity clauses.

Exclusivity clauses prevent an individual from working for another employer, even when no work is guaranteed. The use of exclusivity clauses in zero hours contracts undermines choice and flexibility for the individuals concerned.

The ban, set to benefit the 125,000 zero hours contract workers estimated to be tied to an exclusivity clause, is part of a bid to clamp down on abuses in the workplace by less scrupulous employers. It will allow workers to look for additional work to boost their income.

Business Secretary Vince Cable said:

“ Zero hours contracts have a place in today’s labour market. They offer valuable flexible working opportunities for students, older people and other people looking to top up their income and find work that suits their personal circumstances.

But it has become clear that some unscrupulous employers abuse the flexibility that these contracts offer to the detriment of their workers. Today (25 June 2014), we are legislating to clamp down on abuses to ensure people get a fair deal.

Last December (2013), I launched a consultation into this issue. Following overwhelming evidence we are now banning the use of exclusivity in zero hours contracts and committing to increase the availability of information for employees on these contracts. We will also work with unions and business to develop a best practice code of conduct aimed at employers who wish to use zero hours contracts as part of their workforce.”

This action follows a government consultation into zero hours contracts which received over 36,000 responses. 83% were in favour of banning exclusivity clauses in zero hours contacts.

The Business Secretary also announced that the government will:

  • consult further on how to prevent rogue employers evading the exclusivity ban, for example through offering 1 hour fixed contracts
  • work with business representatives and unions to develop a code of practice on the fair use of zero hours contracts by the end of the year (2014)
  • work with stakeholders to review existing guidance and improve information available to employees and employers on using these contracts

The ban will be part of the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill, which is being introduced to Parliament today (25 June 2014).

Train2Game News Endemol Job deadline approaching

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EndemolThe deadline for the position at Endemol is fast approaching, get your application in quickly if you want a chance to work on some great projects.

A position like this doesn’t come along very often with the possibility to work on some good intellectual properties like Catchphrase and Pointless with a chance of getting one of your ideas off the ground with a strong team behind you. A job here would gain you great experience for future prospects you may have.

The deadline for the position is this Friday June 27.

To read more about the position you can see the previous post here and you can apply by visting https://adobeformscentral.com/?f=YRHOo0wfT6koVipNUDC-8A#

Train2Game News Endemol Job Opening

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EndemolTrain2Game spoke to Endemol UK on behalf of the students and they are looking to hire Digital Creative’s to help conceptualise and build amazing apps and games.

Endemol UK is one of Britain’s largest independent production companies and is behind some of TV’s biggest hits including Big Brother, Pointless, 8 out of 10 Cats and Ripper Street to name just a few.  Endemol Games have a proven track-record in creating TV show branded games and are building an exciting and original portfolio of products for worldwide distribution.

They are looking to hire two creative individuals who are passionate about games and other forms of digital media to join our digital creative team. The contract will initially be for 3 months. The work is full-time and paid at a monthly rate of £1300 gross income.

What are you looking for in an employee?

We’re looking for friendly individuals who have creative flair but also the technical ability to back it up.

What advice could you give to an applicant?

Any games you can show us that you’ve worked on in the past would be a huge advantage.

Can you tell us anymore about what the successful applicant will be working on?

We have some great IP’s at Endemol, from  Deal or No Deal to Mr.Bean, if you have an idea that fits any of our brands we’d be keen to look at developing it further. That said, we’re also offering the freedom to come up with completely original and unique IP’s. Have an idea for the next Instagram or Candy Crush? We’ll work together to make it happen.

What skills are you looking for?

We’re looking for someone with any level of programming skill, however if you can show us a game or two you’ve made in software such as Construct 2, GameMaker or Stencyl, we’ll be more than happy to consider you for the role!

Where will the job be?

Endemol UK is based in West London

To apply and get further details for this exciting opportunity to further your games career visit https://adobeformscentral.com/?f=YRHOo0wfT6koVipNUDC-8A#

Train2Game News More Roll7 Testing opportunities

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roll7Our friends at Roll7 have asked for Train2Game students to visit them and test their port of their hit PSVita game OlliOlli.

The studio are currently porting OlliOlli to PC, Mac, PS3 and PS4. They are interested in finding students at Train2Game to attend and give feedback regarding how it plays on the new platforms.

The details for the testing are as follows:

Location: New Cross, London
Dates: Between June 9th and June 20th , Monday to Friday
Duration: 2-3 hours
Times: Slots of: 9:30am-12:30pm or 2pm to 5pm

We are ideally looking for students who are relatively close to New Cross, London
Any students coming in to test from London can claim their travel expenses back from us
Anybody who wishes to travel further is welcome to but travel cost will not be provided.

Anyone who has an interest in signing up with us should email: sam@roll7.co.uk with the Subject: OlliOlli testing. Leaving their name, location, current college course, preferred gaming platform and contact number so we can get back to them on available days/slots.