Category Archives: job

Train2Game News Age of Algorithms

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The first of a portfolio of free online courses commissioned by Creative Skillset is now open for business.

Age of Algorithms, developed by London Geometry (LG), aims to equip professionals working in the Creative Industries with the necessary maths skills to enhance and advance their careers by working more effectively in technical environments. In addition, the game is attractive to anyone wishing to brush up and refresh their existing maths training and also has a wide appeal.

Set in a medieval environment, this 2D physics-based game sees the player firing cannonballs to hit balanced and stacked targets aided by the maths they learn in the game. Hints and tips allow players to progress quickly into the game with the levels getting gradually harder as the puzzle-like equations become more complex. Topics covered within the game include: triangle geometry, angles, trigonometry, radians, vectors, velocity displacement and projectile trajectories.

Developed in Unity, Age of Algorithms is a browser-based casual maths game for Internet Explorer (PC), Firefox (PC/Mac) and Safari (Mac).

Sue Harrison, e-Learning Project Manager at Creative Skillset says, “Our learning resources have to be engaging, interactive, fun and above all relevant in the spaces that we know professionals from the Creative Industries inhabit as well as producing a product for a wider audience. Age of Algorithms serves that core audience”.

Professor William Latham, Founding Director at London  Geometry says, “In Age of Algorithms we are pushing the boundaries of education by integrating maths learning into the domain of a physics-based casual game. We are combining fun and learning”.
Creative Skillset will roll out further free online courses in the coming weeks and months with content on film making for the web, brand storytelling, fashion, animation, creative collaboration, commercial photography, film production, and visual effects.

To start the free online course, register now on the Age of Algorithms website www.ageofalgo.com

Train2Game News Video Games Prototype Fund

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The new Prototype Fund announced in the July Budget, following concerted lobbying by Ukie, has been launched today.

The Fund will have £4 million over the next four years with which to aid access to finance for both present and future games talent.

The Video Games Prototype Fund, run by the UK Games Talent and Finance CIC, will provide grants of up to £25k to help businesses turn ideas into working prototypes, used to attract private investment. Young and start-up companies will benefit from the scheme,  which is aimed at small and micro-businesses in the UK games industry. An emphasis will also be on nurturing new talent in the sector, with mentoring opportunities and skills support being provided along with the financial backing to successful applicants to the fund.

The project takes over from the Abertay Fund, which supported many earlier businesses to access finance when it ran from 2010 to 2014.

Access to finance is an ongoing problem for fledgling games development businesses attempting to create and retain new Intellectual Property. This financial and business support in the early stages of a studio’s opening will bridge the gap until private investment can be procured. Support for smaller, regional companies will indirectly help larger companies by developing the talent pipeline and stimulating the creation of more IP in the UK.

Successful grant applications will be decided upon published criteria, including potential for commercial success, viability and scalability.

CEO of Ukie, Dr Jo Twist, responded to the announcement, saying:

    We lobbied for this kind of support and we are pleased to see the Fund launch. It has enormous potential for the future of the UK games industry. Access to finance has been an on-going challenge for small and micro games businesses, and the financial support of the fund, as well as the mentoring opportunities that are provided, will open doors to a huge amount of unearthed games talent in the UK. Ukie is really proud to continue to support this project. It is one more step towards the UK becoming a world leader in games development.

Further information about how to apply for the Video Games Prototype Fund and the criteria can be found on their website.

Train2Game News Student looking to swap the broom for the paintbrush

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Michael Bird is a supervisor at an industrial cleaning firm but his dream is to ditch the cleaning and move into creating art in videogames

Since finishing the Art and Animation course with Train2Game Michael – who is 41 and lives in Kettering – has been on the hunt for a job in games but not had any luck so far. He firmly believes that given the first chance at a studio, he could develop into a great asset for any company.

Michael is from a family of artists, his father is a traditional artist and his mother is a colourist. Michael trained in sculpture and art before moving into video games.

He had a really positive experience with Train2Game and now wants to go professional. He’s now contributing to student studios and also created his own website to show off his work.

‘My name is Michael Bird I am an Artist, Animator. I have spent the last five years or so dedicating my creativeness to the gaming world with the dream of one day being able to work within a gaming studio and help make the games that are yet to come.’

‘I finished my Train2Game course in May last year. I would say that the overall experience with Train2Game was good; they always tried their best to help me with any issues or problem that I may have had. They wouldn’t tell me how to do it instead they would guide me in the right direction so you would end up learning what I needed to know myself, in truth I saw this as a better way to find the solution to whatever it was that I needed help with.’

‘I got into gaming art as a sort of natural progression to being a traditional artist as in using pencil, paints and clay. All my life I have been playing video games, from the modern masterpieces of today right the way back to the originals like Pong and Pac-Man, and everything in-between. It has always plagued my mind as to how it was done; those images that you see on the screen that excite the eye and make you want to play more. How do they do it, how I would love to find out and maybe see if I could do the same. It wasn’t until I got the flyer from Train2Game that I saw my chance to follow the dream of learning how to make what I had seen on the screen. So the opportunity that was presented was taken and I ran with it to a new horizon that has beckoned me for so long.’
 
‘Working with sculpture,  I think that it has helped me immensely as most of the time with gaming art you have to think in three dimensions as you would do when you sculpt. You get to understand movement, structure and how something should look from all sides. It’s like a 360 degree canvas where every point has to look right from every angle. So really what I create within a computer is just a digital version of what I would create in clay.’

‘To create something out of nothing never gets old to me be it stills or animation, they are both as exciting as each other. If a had to choose then it would have to be stills. More to the point of the environment and the props that populate it is it internal or external. . To create a beautiful game you need to create a beautiful environment to play that game in. You could create the best most iconic character in the world with the most stunning and realistic animation ever but if the gaming environment they live in isn’t believable then it will never work.’

‘Both my parents are artists in their own right. My father is a traditional artist where as my mother is more of a colourist. At first they thought I wasn’t serious but as time progressed they began to see that this was something that I craved with every ounce of my being. Sometimes they would say I should get a proper boring job and forget my dream but it never deterred me from this path to my true calling.’
 
‘I would love to say that my art is my job but unfortunately that is not the case yet. Despite the constant application for art positions within the gaming industry I have so far been unsuccessful in my efforts. All I want and need is that one person to take that chance on me. In the meantime bills have to be paid so I am a supervisor for an industrial cleaning company, but when I’m not working there I’m always creating pieces for my website michaelbird74.com it’s there to showcase my work for any potential employers.’
 
‘The last piece that I have only just finished was a Private Detective’s Office set in the style of 30’s America. It was more a case of being able to show that can create an interior set piece and fill it with relevant props and create the right mood with the lighting and textures. Since then I have two projects that will be starting on, one will be a Deep Forest Ruins scene and the other will be a Derelict Lighthouse. I haven’t decided which one I will start first so you will just have to wait and see by checking out the Work in Progress on my website.’
 
‘I think that Train2Game has taught me apart from the skills that I will need to fulfil my dreams, something that I will never stop learning as you can never know everything. Also I would say that they taught me to never give up no matter how hard and stressful it can get, there’s always a way to figure something out and make it better than you thought which in turn makes you better at what you do.’

‘What can I offer a professional studio? That is a difficult question as I could just put the usual things like my skills, my passion for gaming and so forth. In truth all I can offer is myself and what I have learnt from my life experience. How I see the world around me, how I have played so many games in my lifetime that they have all influenced the way I create my art, I have seen how the industry has grown and developed over the years to give me the foundation that has helped me to the stage that I am now. I have followed the way gaming itself has changed with the technology and it has made me realise that I can create anything and everything that I ever thought possible within a game as well as some that I could never have dreamed of. Just to have that power at my fingertips fills me with excitement and a driven determination to be the best gaming artist I can be. That’s what I can offer a professional studio, sounds a bit cheesy I know but it’s the best way I can describe it.’ 

‘In truth there is no one studio that I would like to work for or with, for me it’s all about creating beautiful game art, be it for a mobile, handheld or a AAA title. When I’m playing a game all I can think about is I really want to be the guy who build that, the guy who will spend hour after hour to get it looking and acting right so it fit the game. I often study the screen to figure out how they did it and see how I would go about creating it.’
 
‘I would say that my long term aims are to keep creating more and more stunning work, to learn new skills and improve what I already have, To maybe end up being a senior artist within a studio, that would be nice but for a start I just want to get my foot through the door and then see where it takes me. I will never stop doing what I love doing at the end of the day I’m an artist and the desire to create, build, sculpt, paint and draw will only die when I do. Being a videogame artist is where I see myself and I will do everything I possibly can to get there.’

Found out more about Michael’s work at michaelbird74.com

Train2Game, bringing City & Guilds to the Games Industry
Train2Game is a proud supporter of www.plasisgamesportal.com and www.gamatier.com

Train2Game News Gamers with Aspergers

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Gaming offers a unique appeal for people with Aspergers Syndrome.
The Really Awesome Gaming Expo, or rAge, is Africa’s ultimate destination for those who love gaming. Brought to you by NAG, rAge caters to every gaming and tech enthusiast across the board but also takes on a more serious purpose by encouraging development, growth and opportunities within the sector. In line with this approach, rAge will host the Start Up organisation as an exhibitor at this year’s expo. This organisation assists individuals diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) in finding and maintaining high-end employment opportunities as well as educational placement.

Nanette Botha, senior job coach at Start Up, explains AS thusly, “AS is a form of autism characterised by normal to superior IQ, accompanied by social and communication difficulties. These difficulties stem from neurologically based sensory and information-processing differences. Even though individuals diagnosed with AS might look like everybody else, their mind works in a significantly different way, and sometimes their behaviour and reactions will not be typical.”

Children with AS enjoy spending time with people they know well, but avoid crowds and busy, unpredictable places. They tend to be highly intelligent and are prepared to put all their energy into something that interests them, but somehow struggle to convey their thoughts. Noticing the slightest change in detail that others don’t even pay attention to while the “bigger picture” often goes by unnoticed is another marker in diagnosing AS.

Those with AS have unique talents and are being actively sought out by companies both locally and internationally as their “out of the box” thinking styles give undeniable value to their employers. From a CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) as well as a business angle, it makes sense to hire these highly intelligent individuals,” adds Nanette.

A career in gaming is highly appealing to those with AS and many of these individuals show remarkable talent in gaming, computers and game development.

For more information on Start Up visit www.startupautism.com

Train2Game News RPG Maker MV Preorder

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Degica and Kadokawa Corporation are excited to announce that the latest version of RPG Maker is now available for pre-order on their website and Steam for 10% off.

RPG Maker MV is the successor to RPG Maker VX Ace (one of the highest selling software titles on Steam). It provides many new enhancements and features including:

    -Mac Support: You can now create RPGs on the Macintosh!

    -Multiple Device Deployment: You can now release your RPG Maker Games on the following platforms:
        Windows (EXE)
        MacOSX (APP)
        Android (APK)
        iOS (IPA)
        HTML5 for Web Browsers

    -Battle Modes: You can now choose to use either the classic Front View, or the heavily requested and more modern Side View battle system.

    -Mouse & Touch Input support: Tired of playing your game with a keyboard? You can now play your RPG via touchscreen or mouse.

    -LARGER Database : Support for twice as many items as VX Ace for a grand total of 2,000

    -THREE Layers for drawing complex maps, with an intuitive interface that automatically selects the correct layer for you.

    -Higher Screen Resolution: With all assets being made 1.5 times larger, the default resolution is increased to 816×624, allowing for more detailed games.

    -Complete English Support, community and forums!

The pre-order starts September 30th and will run until the game launches on October 23rd.

In addition to a 10% discount, people who preorder will also receive 2 brand new resource packs free:

The Cover Art Characters Pack
For the first time in RPG Maker history, an official set of resources featuring RPG Maker MV cover art characters is available! Featuring a brand new main party and brimming with bonus material, this pack includes the essentials to build the perfect character party.

The Essentials Add-On
From expertly-composed original music to clever tileset add-ons and emotion-packed character facesets, this pack includes material that enhances the standard RPG Maker MV resources and really lets your projects shine.

RPG Maker MV Preorder Page: http://preorder.rpgmakerweb.com/rpg-maker-mv

Steam Preorder Page: http://store.steampowered.com/app/363890

Train2Game News XBLIG Tribute

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In response to news that Xbox Live Indie Games is closing down, the Indie Games Uprising has returned to shed light on the positive effects the channel had.

As usual with XBLIG, articles have surfaced describing the channel as a failed experiment filled with zombie games and vibrator apps – but that isn’t the whole story!

The Indie Games Uprising Tribute promotion aims to highlight developers who started their career on Xbox Live Indie Games or gained something from publishing on the channel. XBLIG enabled many hobbyists who had no experience in game development to publish games, and in some instances pursue games as a career. XBLIG also attracted AAA veterans who could release their indie games with ease via the channel’s straight forward publishing process. XBLIG changed a lot of lives, and many of us involved with the Uprising don’t believe we’ll see something quite this special again.

You can look at this promotion as a “where are they now?” spotlight. Listed on our site are developers who feel XBLIG paved the way for them to work on exciting new projects on platforms such as PS4, Xbox One and Wii U. There are also links for their old school XBLIG games so you can see where it all started!

The Indie Games Uprising ran annually from 2010 – 2012, showcasing quality XBLIG games that weren’t getting the promotion they deserved. Each promotion was showcased on the front page of Xbox Live, receiving unofficial Microsoft support.

Official Website: http://www.indiegames-uprising.com/XBLIGTribute

Train2Game News Game Audio salary increase

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Salaried employees in game audio and sound design earn an average of $10,000 more annually than was reported in 2014.

Freelancers earn an average of $1,000 less per project while the average number of projects for freelancers has risen from 4.6 in 2014 to 5.2 in 2015, according to the Game Audio Industry Survey by GameSoundCon with 591 respondents.

The percentage of salaried workers in game sound design increased from 37% in 2014 to 46% in 2015.  Freelance designers now make up 46% of the game audio industry versus 60% in 2014, demonstrating a previously unseen even split between salaried employees and freelance composers and designers.

Other changes include:

●     80% of game composers reported they also provide sound effects, in comparison to 65% of composers who reported providing sound effects in 2014

●     23% of indie game projects now offer soundtrack clauses allowing composers to profit from soundtrack sales, rising from 18% in 2014.  The percentage of AAA games offering payment for soundtracks remained constant at 5%

●     While game audio and sound design remains a primarily male industry, the percentage of respondents identifying as female doubled from 3.5% in 2014 to 7% today

The Game Audio Industry Survey, conducted by GameSoundCon, tracks compensation, working conditions, contract terms and production information for the game music and sound industry.

GameSoundCon, taking place Nov. 3 – 4 at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, offers attendees hands-on training sessions and networking events with audio industry luminaries.

“The changes we observed in game sound design compensation over just one year demonstrate the value of collecting this information,” said Brian Schmidt, executive director, GameSoundCon.  “Our inaugural 2014 survey was meant to illuminate aspects of the game audio industry that Gamasutra’s annual salary survey didn’t focus on.  I’m very pleased to see our efforts continue to bring new findings to light about this group of talented professionals.”

More information about GameSoundCon is available at www.GameSoundCon.com

Train2Game News UKIE 2015 Member Survey

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Ukie’s 2015 member survey results indicate UK games businesses are confident of future growth in a global market place.

Ahead of its AGM at EGX tomorrow, Ukie has revealed the results of its 2015 Member Survey. The results, collected from Ukie’s membership of developers, publishers, platform holders and games service providers, reveal a rise in the number of start-up games companies and confidence of further growth, fuelled by international deals and the introduction of the tax breaks last year.

The Ukie survey results show that 4 out of 5 UK games businesses are anticipating a period of growth for their company in the next 18 months. This statistic is an improvement on 2014, where 77% of respondents anticipated that their business would grow.

Significantly, this is particularly evident in UK developers, where 93% of respondents expect the next year and a half to bring growth for their company.

The Video Games Tax Relief, which came into effect in 2014, appears to have played a role in this expectation of growth, with 64% of developer respondents saying that they have been able to hire more staff as a direct result of a successful tax relief application. Nine out of 10 respondents plan to take advantage of the tax breaks for culturally relevant games in the future.

The survey also showed the huge growth in UK games businesses over the last few years, with nearly half the respondents to the survey (46%) being companies that have been in existence for 5 years or fewer. A majority of the businesses are also considered small or micro, with 61% employing 25 or fewer staff.

Despite the relative youth and small size of many games companies, the UK sector contributes £1.4bn GVA to the economy and the UK consumer market was estimated to be worth £3.6bn in 2014, ranking sixth worldwide.

The survey also revealed how active UK games businesses are in overseas markets. Over two thirds (68%) of Ukie members generated over 60% of their annual turnover from business outside of the UK, showing a huge export nature and international reputation of the products made in Britain. Ukie operates a global trade programme to help UK games businesses of all sizes to access international markets and forge overseas partnerships.

Ukie CEO, Dr Jo twist, commented on the results, saying, “It’s great to see such a confident outlook from UK games businesses as we continue to demonstrate that we are a hugely productive, growth sector of the future. Ukie lobbied hard for the Tax Relief to come into effect, and to see it having such an impact in actively growing our industry is amazing. Our survey also shows the importance of overseas markets to UK companies – our sector is competing against some major global competitors and our presence in the international markets is something of which we should all be proud. I look forward to seeing the further impact of the Tax Breaks, the introduction of more events in our global trade programme and the continued growth in the fantastic UK industry in the next 18 months.”

Train2Game News European games devs driving global digital economy

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The Interactive Software Federation of Europe (ISFE) has presented a report by Deloitte that shows how European games companies are a driving force behind the global digital economy.

The report Mobile Games In Europe explores the emergence of the in-app purchase model in mobile video games. It shows how that model now supports 21,000 full-time employees in the European Union, many of them working in small enterprises that have been able to build sustainable businesses. The report highlights how mobile game developers now enjoy a lower barrier to entry and can start and build successful businesses anywhere in Europe. Regional industry hubs have attracted talent and capital and created new types of jobs and flexible, innovative business models.

ISFE expects to see double-digit growth in the mobile games industry until 2017, making it the fastest growing ‘content’ sector in Europe, with consumer spending estimated at more than €20 billion in 2015 alone.

The Deloitte report demonstrates that the in-app purchase model is popular with consumers, who show a high level of awareness of these games and enjoy more choice and variety. It also shows that only a small percentage of these gamers ever make in-app purchases. Consumers now download more free and in-app purchase mobile games than paid games. 

On Tuesday 15th of September, ISFE organised a high-level event at the Microsoft Executive Briefing Center in Brussels to present the findings of the report. The event featured a keynote speech by MEP Kaja Kallas (ALDE) and a panel discussion during which representatives from the games industry, the European Parliament and the European Commission discussed how the growth and leading position of the European games industry could be ensured while supporting the EU’s Digital Single Market initiative.

“Of the top 10 apps in the Apple iOS and Google Play app store in June 2015, six were made by game companies headquartered in Europe”, says Simon Little, Managing Director of ISFE. “We can be proud of our leading position, while keeping the focus on fostering a business environment where skills and talent keep our companies at the top.”

ISFE represents the European video games industry to the European Union and international organisations. ISFE spreads the word on its members’ positions regarding the main political and legal initiatives of European and international institutions in fields such as intellectual property, e-commerce, trade negotiations and the protection of minors.

Train2Game News 2015 Developer Satisfaction Survey

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Crunch time continues to be prevalent in the game industry, with 62 percent of game developers reporting their job involves it.

Of those experiencing crunch, nearly half are working more than 60 hours per week, with 17 percent working more than 70 hours, according to the 2015 Developer Satisfaction Survey (DSS) by the International Game Developers Association (IGDA).

During these periods of crunch time, 37 percent of employee respondents reported their employers do not or are unable to offer any additional reward to their employees for working overtime. Of those who are offered some form of compensation, 28 percent say they are given various perks such as meals, 18 percent are given time off and 12 percent get a combination of the two.

Poor working conditions were reported as the second leading factor contributing towards society’s negative perception of the game industry, with 55 percent of respondents selecting it among a list of provided factors. Sexism among gamers was the primary factor with 57 percent of respondents selecting it, and sexism in games rounded out the top three with 52 percent of respondents.

Other crucial points of the DSS include:

Salaries of Employees and Freelancers

·         67 percent of employees make more than $50,000 per year, with the most common salary[RB1] [ms2]  falling somewhere between $50,000 and $75,000.

·         Those numbers are dramatically different for freelance game developers, with a majority of 37 percent making less than $15,000 per year. Only 24 percent of freelancer respondents reported making more than $50,000 per year.. Only 12 percent indicated that they make $30,000 – $40,000

·         Almost half (49 percent) of self-employed game developers reported that their annual income from game-related work was less than $15,000 USD.

·Forty-five percent [RB3] of self-employed respondents [ms4] always forgo a salary or wage in order for their company to have what it needs.

Industry Mobility

·         The 2015 DSS found that employees switched employers 2.7 times on average 2.7 times during the past five years, compared to 3.75 times in the 2014 survey.

·         Freelancers and contractors, who have had an average of 4.6 employers duringof the past five years.
Distribution Method of Games

·         While Apple iOS[ms5] , [RB6] [ms7] Google Play and Steam are the overall distribution platform of choice among the different population of respondents, the top 7 overall platforms vary substantially among employees, the self-employed, and freelancers.

·         For employees, the top 3 distribution methods are Google Play, Steam, and Retail Chains; for self-employed respondents, they are Apple, their own personal website, and Steam; and for Freelancers, they are Steam, Google Play, and their own personal website.
Game Genres

·         Among all three types of respondents – employed, self-employed and freelancers – action game is the most developed genre[RB8] , with 52 percent of employed respondents, 51 percent of self-employed and 49 percent of freelancers indicating that it best describes the broad genre of the games they make.
[ms9]

·Role playing and casual games were tied for the second most developed genre by employees at 36 percent each.

·For self-employed developers, the second most developed genre was casual games (44 percent,) followed by strategy games (36 percent)

·Freelancers indicated that casual (47 percent) and role playing games (38 percent) were the second and third most developed genres.[RB10] [ms11]

The results of the survey provides the IGDA with a better understanding of its members’ priorities and critical issues affecting their overall satisfaction, thus helping prioritize the association’s advocacy efforts and initiatives, according to Kate Edwards, executive director.

The IGDA 2015 DSS Survey was conducted and analyzed by: Johanna Weststar, assistant professor, DAN Program in Management and Organizational Studies, Western University; and Marie-Josée Legault, professor, École des sciences de l’administration, TÉLUQ; with assistance and guidance from Kate Edwards, executive director, International Game Developers Association.