Category: News

The Gamasutra Job Board is the most diverse, active and established board of its kind for the video game industry!

Here is just one of the many, many positions being advertised right now.

Location: London, Ontario, Canada

ABOUT DIGITAL EXTREMES

Founded in 1993, Digital Extremes has become an employer of choice for talented people seeking rewarding career opportunities in the gaming industry. We are widely recognized for creating the award-winning Warframe, a free-to-play, third-person coop, PVP action shooter, space ninja adventure game available on PC, PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch. Our early titles include Epic Pinball, Solar Winds: The Escape, Unreal and Unreal Tournament co-created series (and all its iterations) as well as The Darkness II. With over 300 of the industry’s widely talented and culturally diverse employees in both Canada and the US, we are warriors combining our expertise to deliver superior fast-paced gameplay and intense melee combat all with a great deal of passion.

WHY WORK AT DIGITAL EXTREMES 

Our culture is centered on providing great opportunities to our employees so that everyone feels they are making a meaningful impact. Developing new and existing talent is our long-term focus. We are honored that our work environment has been consistently recognized as one of “Canada’s Top 100 Employers”. We summon you to join our elite team! 

The rewards of a career with Digital Extremes include:

• Competitive salary with bonus opportunities
• Excellent benefits and paid time off
• Matching RRSP plan
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Professional development and career support
• Fitness and parking/transit subsidies
• Daily lunches prepared onsite by our in-studio Executive Chef and professional kitchen staff
• All-day snacks and drinks, sleep pods, massage chairs, cold brew, dog therapy days and more

ABOUT THIS POSITION

Digital Extremes is currently seeking a Senior Lighting Artist to join our team. In this role, you will be working with the Creative Director, Art Directors and other Artists to create dynamic environment and cinematic lighting while maintaining a consistent style throughout the game. You have an outstanding grasp of both the art and technique of lighting and can balance both the creative and technical/performance aspects required for a top-quality game. In addition, you also possess an excellent understanding of Physically Based Rendering techniques and keep up to date with the changes in industry standards and best practices. You have an advanced level understanding of the colour theory and the use of light in telling a story. Preferred extras include experience with level population and world building, a strong traditional art background, as well as an understanding of the impact lighting can have on a final product.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Work with art director and other artists to create compelling environment lighting while maintaining a consistent style throughout the game
• Create atmospheric lighting that communicates mood, storytelling and gameplay 
• Create and manage the assets required in our post process pipeline, including colour volume textures, fog textures, HDR Skies, etc. 
• Optimization of lighting to meet performance requirements while maintaining the established look and feel
• Adjust textures and objects as necessary for best lighting results
• Collaborate with programming, art, and design teams to solve lighting challenges
• Provide feedback and insight in the development of lighting pipelines and tools
• Establish best practices and mentor other artists in the use of good lighting techniques 

QUALIFICATIONS

• 3+ years’ experience in game development lighting
• University degree in visual arts with specialization in graphic design, commercial art, graphic communications or cartooning OR completion of a college diploma program in graphic arts
• Excellent understanding of real-time and pre-rendered lighting techniques (including dynamic lights, global illumination, ambient occlusion, and pre-baked light map solutions)
• Excellent understanding of Physically Based Rendering standards and techniques.
• Excellent understanding of the impacts of lighting on a typical game level and the ability to demonstrate problem solving in this regard.
• A strong understanding of light, shadow, and color, with the ability to use that understanding to create dynamic compositions.
• Demonstrated ability to work self-directed when necessary
• Proficient with Maya, 3ds Max (or at least one major 3D software package) & Photoshop
• Ability to meet tight deadlines in our fast-paced environment
• Aptitude for learning new software tools 
• Possess exemplary oral and written communication skills
• A passion for games and the games industry 
• Must be willing to relocate to London, Ontario

JOIN US

Permanent, Full time (40 hrs/wk) position @ $52,500.00 – $93,000.00/yr based on experience and ability. Benefits include dental insurance, medical insurance, disability insurance and more.

Digital Extremes is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion. We welcome and encourage applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available upon request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the recruitment process. We thank you for your interest, however, only those candidates selected for the next steps in the hiring process will be contacted.

Interested? Apply now.

Whether you’re just starting out, looking for something new, or just seeing what’s out there, the Gamasutra Job Board is the place where game developers move ahead in their careers.

Gamasutra’s Job Board is the most diverse, most active, and most established board of its kind in the video game industry, serving companies of all sizes, from indie to triple-A.

Looking for a new job? Get started here. Are you a recruiter looking for talent? Post jobs here.

Oculus has so far been strict with what games it allows to launch on the Oculus Quest, leaving developers that aren’t granted official approval either out in the cold or made to look toward unofficial methods like sideloading to get their games on the standalone VR headset.

But starting in 2021, Oculus is looking to launch an alternative way for those devs to bring their games to the Quest without launching on the platform’s tightly curated Oculus Store. It’s something Oculus  briefly mentioned a few months back, but has largely remained coy about until now.

However even with today’s announcement there’s not much for specifics on exactly how Oculus is approaching this sanctioned alternative quite yet.

While more details are due in the future, Oculus notes that today’s announcement serves as a heads up to developers that previously launched games on the soon-to-be-sunset Oculus Go that they’ll likely be able to rehome their apps on the Oculus Quest in the near future (and give those developers time to rebuild their Go apps to for the newer headset).

“We’ve heard that many developers and enthusiasts are looking for easier ways to distribute apps outside of the Oculus Store. We’re excited to announce that in early 2021 we’ll offer a new way for developers to distribute Quest apps,” writes Oculus. “This will enable developers to share their apps to anyone with a Quest, without having to be accepted into the Oculus Store, and without the need for sideloading.”

“By making it easier for more developers to reach Quest owners in the future, we hope to spark inspiration with those who will build the next wave of engaging experiences for Quest.”

More details on the shift and resources for devs interested in making the jump can be found here. 
 

Oculus is backing away from its standalone Oculus Go headset, saying in a blog post that it’ll instead focus its future efforts on headsets that support six degrees of freedom (6DOF) like its Oculus Quest or Oculus Rift. 

The decision means Oculus won’t officially sell Go headsets anymore, and that it won’t allow developers to bring new Oculus Go apps, games, or updates to the Oculus Store after December 4, 2020. Things like bug fixes and security updates will continue for the platform until 2022, but Oculus says it won’t be shipping any additional feature updates for the Go in the future. 

“As we look to the future, we’re grateful to the Oculus Go community for pushing the VR revolution forward,” writes the Oculus team. “Unique amongst a landscape of tethered and drop-in systems, Oculus Go pioneered the all-in-one category—a new kind of VR with more freedom and flexibility. And that was a game-changer. Oculus Go opened up VR to many more people, and it helped redefine immersive entertainment.”

“From live concerts and sporting events to couch co-op gameplay, corporate training, and beyond, Oculus Go made new experiences possible for people around the world, and it laid the groundwork for Oculus Quest.”

The Oculus Go, launched in 2018 for between $200 and $250, aimed to occupy a sort of middle ground between mobile-powered VR headsets and full PC-tethered VR experiences, though that space has since welcomed the slightly costlier but more feature-rich Oculus Quest.

The Gamasutra Job Board is the most diverse, active and established board of its kind for the video game industry!

Here is just one of the many, many positions being advertised right now.

Location: Burbank, California

Insomniac Games is looking for a leader on our lighting team!  The Lighting Lead is responsible for maintaining quality and artistic consistency by establishing high visual standards and cohesive project style as defined by the Art Director. This lead artist sets an example for the team via the creation of lighting assets e.g. setups/scenarios, a mastery of technology and tools pipeline, and departmental production dependencies. They should have an understanding of memory and frame budgets, production schedule, and project goals. They’ll need to consider art, animation, and design concerns, understand PBR lighting basics and material authoring, and sets best practices for bug fixing. The Lighting Lead also helps implement new production methods to improve performance and efficiency of team.  If you’re interested in this role, please continue reading.

 Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following:

• Develops, engages, and facilitates the success of the lighting team
• Advances and improves lighting by reviewing current work with a critical eye
• Troubleshoots large scale scene files and rendering issues
• Troubleshoots and modifies materials when necessary for PBR compliance
• Helps other departments with atmospherics and lighting setups for their environment or test level needs
• Installs lighting for characters/weapons/objects and special setups for marketing when necessary
• Engages with lighting artists to ensure team cohesion and develops both long- and short-term goals
• Provides direction to lighting artists for aesthetic and technical considerations
• Works closely with principal artists to ensure quality consistency and advanced lighting
• Works closely with Art Director to keep quality and style consistent across all lighting scenarios
• Works closely with the Tool and Engine team to develop new or improve upon old technologies to improve visual effect quality
• Works with Project Management to maintain a clear and consistent schedule
• Participates in the planning of lighting needs for the project
• Works with other departments to ensure that assets are delivered in a timely manner
• Supervises bug distribution and verifies critical bug fixes
• Other duties may be assigned

Supervisory Responsibilities: Supervises employees in lighting discipline and is responsible for carrying out duties in accordance with the studio’s policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include but are not limited to interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.

Education and/or Experience:

• Master’s degree (M. A.) or equivalent; ten or more years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Superior understanding of node-based shaders and how they relate to lighting.
• Superior understanding of scripting lighting interactions.
• Superior understanding of Maya and Photoshop.
• Superior knowledge of modern lighting techniques.
• Understands source control with Perforce or the equivalent.

Other Skills: Superior understanding of lighting aesthetic, how lighting affects gameplay and guides the player, of real-time lighting and frame/ memory optimization, how lighting affects physically based materials.

If the Lead Lighting Artist role is what you’ve been looking for in your career search please submit your application using the link provided.

Interested? Apply now.

Whether you’re just starting out, looking for something new, or just seeing what’s out there, the Gamasutra Job Board is the place where game developers move ahead in their careers.

Gamasutra’s Job Board is the most diverse, most active, and most established board of its kind in the video game industry, serving companies of all sizes, from indie to triple-A.

Looking for a new job? Get started here. Are you a recruiter looking for talent? Post jobs here.

The Order: 1886 and Lone Echo developer Ready at Dawn has been acquired by Facebook for an undisclosed sum, and now joins the company’s Oculus Studios brand.

In a blog post announcing the deal, Oculus notes that Ready at Dawn’s recent projects have shown a penchant for creating virtual reality games, and praises the studio’s unique approach to narrative and locomotion in recent VR games like the Lone Echo, Echo Arena, Echo Combat, and the yet-in-development Lone Echo II.

While the acquisition brings Ready at Dawn into the Oculus’ network of VR-minded teams, Ready at Dawn and all of the devs it employs will continue to work from their existing locations but “with the full support of Facebook and the Oculus Studios team behind them.”

Acquisitions have played a growing part in Facebook’s recent VR plans, with the company nothing in that Oculus blog post that it is “exploring many ways to accelerate VR, and we have awesome and innovative plans for the next few years of gaming.” Recently, Facebook made a similar deal to acquire Asgard’s Wrath dev Sanzaru Games back in February.