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: San Jose, California

Cold Iron is seeking an experienced Console Gameplay Engineer to join us in creating a shooter set in the Alien universe for consoles and PC! Are you a passionate game developer? Is making an awesome game the thing that gets you out of bed in the morning? We’re sure you’re amazing in your field, but do you see perfecting your skills as the means to making the best experiences possible? Great, we want to hear from you!

Your Day to Day

You can expect to be responsible and accountable for the following:

• Write game, engine, and tools code using C/C++
• Help design, schedule, and implement features that meet game and console requirements
• Regularly debug, profile, optimize, and maintain code
• Bring up the game on next gen consoles and be “the platform expert” for the rest of the development team
• Develop new features and mechanics within Unreal Engine 4
• Provide technical assistance by responding to inquiries regarding errors, problems, or questions with programs

Your Career Progression

Do the best work of your career! No, really, that’s what we expect of you. Come aboard and work with industry veterans all working to improve their craft and become better game developers. Your portfolio of experience will grow, and the size of the audience you reach will expand exponentially. The small team atmosphere allows you to contribute more and have greater ownership over what you do day to day.

Requirements

• 5+ years of C++ experience, console experience preferred, but not strictly required
• Ability and drive to contribute towards and advance all aspects of the game
• Work independently and efficiently under deadlines
• Excellent programming, debugging, and optimization skills
• Experience with technical requirements, APIs and hands-on development for Xbox and PlayStation consoles 

Would Love to See

• Experience with Unreal engine (ideally UE4)
• Experience with various scripting languages (e.g. Javascript, Python, Perl, HTML)
• Experience with the games industry (ideally developing first-person shooters

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, mathematics, physics, or related degree
• Or equivalent industry experience

Benefits

Health and Wellness

• Medical, Dental and Vision
• 401(k)
• Prescription Drug Coverage
• Life Insurance
• Business Travel Insurance
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Employee Assistance Program
• Long Term Disability

Perks

• Employee Referral Program
• Education Reimbursement
• Fitness Club Discounts
• Training and Development
• Commuter Incentives and Hybrid Vehicle Purchase/Lease Program
• Merchandise Discounts

About our Location

Cold Iron Studios, a division of FoxNext Games, is on a mission to create games they want to play with people they love to work with. The studio was founded by three industry veterans in 2015, and has since expanded to 25+ awesome developers who are all experts in their discipline. The Cold Iron team is a diverse group of passionate gamers with decades of experience developing and launching award-winning MMO and action titles. Currently, the team is working on a new PC and console shooter based on the Alien franchise. The team is especially excited to be entrusted with the Alien universe and to provide Alien and gaming fans with an experience they will love. 

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.

“Thinking back on the last couple of years, there were [so] many smartphone games, that it seemed people had forgotten about the artistic or high-definition games.”

– Veteran game dev Tetsuya Mizuguchi, speaking about the recent history of the Japanese game industry.

Japan has long played host to a vibrant game industry, but in the past two years it seems devs in the region have had a string of international hits, ranging from Persona 5 and Nioh to Nier: Automata, Resident Evil 7 and Breath of the Wild.

That’s the premise of “Ebb and Flow”, a new documentary published on YouTube this week by Archipel (the folks behind the Toco Toco series of videos profiling notable Japanese creators) that aims to explore the past, present and future of Japanese game dev.

If you’re at all curious about the topic this is well worth a watch, as it features conversations with everyone from Rez creator Tetsuya Mizuguchi to Yakuza series frontman Toshihiro Nagoshi and Nier: Automata director Yoko Taro about why the Japanese game industry is changing, and how Japanese devs work differently than some of their counterparts abroad.

“The development environment in the West is more systemic than it is in Japan,” says Taro (via English subtitles) at one point. “Every job is clearly assigned, middleware is streamlined, and everyone has learned how to use it. Level designers know exactly what they need to do. It’s designed in a way to curb trouble from occurring. On the other hand, Japan has failed to form this kind of systematic environment, and we’re still in the stages of trial and error. ” 

You can hear more of his comments, as well as input from other devs and the folks at Tokyo-based localization firm 8-4, in the full video.

When it comes to animating, every second counts. What better way to learn how to improve in-game animations and personal workflow than through rapid, rapid-fire succession? 

In this GDC 2018 micro-talk session, animators Gwen Frey, Joe Han, Almudena Soria, Jalil Sadool, Kyle Chittenden, and James Benson deliver their best animation tips and tricks as fast as they can in 5-minute bursts.

Animators interested in learning as much as they can in rapid succession may appreciate that they can watch the full talk for free over on the official GDC YouTube channel!

In addition to this presentation, the GDC Vault and its accompanying YouTube channel offers numerous other free videos, audio recordings, and slides from many of the recent Game Developers Conference events, and the service offers even more members-only content for GDC Vault subscribers.

Those who purchased All Access passes to recent events like GDC or VRDC already have full access to GDC Vault, and interested parties can apply for the individual subscription via a GDC Vault subscription page. Group subscriptions are also available: game-related schools and development studios who sign up for GDC Vault Studio Subscriptions can receive access for their entire office or company by contacting staff via the GDC Vault group subscription page. Finally, current subscribers with access issues can contact GDC Vault technical support.

Gamasutra and GDC are sibling organizations under parent UBM Americas.

Why do some people experience motion sickness when playing VR games? Although it doesn’t happen every time a headset is worn, it’s an issue that still plagues VR developers. Before tackling the problem, it’s important to understand what exactly happens to the body when entering VR. 

VR developer Suzanne Leibrick provides helpful information through a series of tweets for devs unfamiliar with how (and why) certain people experience motion sickness in VR, while clearing up some misconceptions around the phenomenon. 

For starters, not all individuals will feel ill in VR, even if they’ve never put on a headset before. “One common misconception people have if they haven’t tried VR at all is that VR makes all people sick,” she writes. “This isn’t true. It’s also not true that all VR makes people who do get sick, get sick.”

Technology related motion sickness happens when your sense of proprioception (where your body parts are in relation to other body parts/the world) and your visual system don’t agree. This is what will cause some people to feel sick. 

“So the first cause of technology sickness would be if your HMD display doesn’t track your physical movement and change accordingly very quickly,” Leibrick explains. “Your tracking system has to be good, but so does the system you’re running VR on. Remember, not only must I know where your head is, but display the relevant data to your eyes, too.”

There’s also content related motion sickness, which comes from motion where you have zero control over the camera. To combat this, Leibrick recommends teleportation as a movement system, or a joystick motion that goes forwards or backwards (although rotating through this motion may cause sickness).

Be sure to check out the entire thread here to learn more about what Lebrick has to say about motion sickness in VR — it’s worth the read! 

It’s Friday! Let’s talk a bit about motion sickness in VR! Some common misconceptions, some (hopefully helpful) hints and ways to figure out what triggers sickness for you, and how to avoid it. Most likely not comprehensive, but I’ll do my best. Source – v. good at being sick!

— Suzanne 🔜 Embedded Vision Summit (@inannamute) May 11, 2018

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: Bellevue, Washington

Are you looking to work in a creative and fun environment where you can work with a tight-knit team and have a big impact in creating a AAA game? Sucker Punch is looking for a self-driven Senior Environment Artist to use their strong modeling, texturing, and technical skills to inspire and create compelling worlds that push the boundary of gameplay, art, and story-telling on PlayStation 4.
 
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Create props, architecture, and terrain models, textures, and materials
• Collaborate with the art and design teams to design and layout game play spaces and create visually striking game environments
• Work with the Art Director and Environment Art Lead to drive the art vision for the game
• Follow established art direction and style through use of concepts and critiques.
• Translate concept art and design ideas into 3D gameplay worlds
• Participate in establishing pipelines for the best results in a given amount of time
• Participate in establishing and maintaining the high quality bar for the game
• Participate in scoping work for environment art planning and milestone deliveries
• Ensure that assets meet the performance and memory requirements of the game engine and hardware.
• Guide and mentor other team members.
• Be able to work well as a team member or small team lead.
• Ability to adapt and assume new responsibilities should the need arise.

Qualifications:

• Portfolio of work demonstrating strong proficiency as an Environment Artist.
• Professional experience working on current generation games.
• Self-driven with strong communication skills.
• Ability to mentor and teach other artists.
• Expert understanding of Maya, Photoshop, Mudbox, Z-brush or equivalent.
• Expert understanding of generating normal maps from high poly models.
• Expert ability to create realistic looking textures and models.
• Understanding of source control via Perforce or equivalent.
• Ability to meet deadlines under tight schedules.
• Five or more years of professional experience. 

Desired Skills and Pluses

• Knowledge of texturing programs like Substance or Quixel.
• Knowledge of real-time rendering tech.
• Understanding in creating PBR materials and rendering.
• Previous console development experience. 

Portfolio and other Requirements

• A portfolio review is required. We prefer web-based submissions, but will evaluate DVDs if necessary.
• Applicants should expect to take a modeling and texture test on provided 3d model(s).
• Applicants must be able to work in the USA and willing to relocate to the Seattle, WA area.

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.

Twitch has filed a counter-complaint against the lawsuit filed by former <i>Counter-Strike: Global Offensive streamer</i> James ‘Phantoml0rd’ Varga, who sued the company nearly three months ago for damages after being banned indefinitely from the platform back in July 2016. 

Varga was banned and his channel was removed after he allegedly failed to disclose his business ties to a Counter-Strike: Global Offensive gambling site (where players could gamble with weapon skins since they had monetary value), which he promoted during his streams. 

In a lesser offense, Varga was warned by Twitch for violating its policy against “sexually suggestive content, content involving self-harm, and content involving racist symbols.”

As reported by Polygon, Twitch’s counter-complaint (which was filed on May 2) says it handled Varga’s ban properly demanding “an award of compensatory damages” for harm Varga brought upon the company and Twitch users. Twitch also stated that any supposed damages alluded to in Varga’s lawsuit are “vague, uncertain, imaginary, and speculative.” 

The counter-complaint also argues that Varga was warned and received penalties a year in advance “for streaming content that violated his contract with Twitch, Twitch’s Terms of Service and its Rules of Conduct.”

Although the rebuttal doesn’t go into how much the company is looking for in redresses, Twitch is asking for compensatory damages and full coverage of legal fees throughout the duration of the case. A copy of the entire counter-complaint can be seen here. 

“A friend posted a question on Facebook: are there any game devs who have actually, really retired? And my response: Who can afford to retire? I was only half-joking.”

– Laralyn McWilliams highlights some issues beyond crunch that the game industry needs to address

There’s been a considerable amount of discussion recently about the game industry’s willingness to embrace crunch and if game development unions could make a dent in the harmful habits accepted by many studios. 

But, as longtime dev and Microsoft creative director Laralyn McWilliams argues, crunch isn’t the only problem developers should be talking about.

McWilliams shared her thoughts in a Twitter thread on some of the business-end shortcomings she’s picked up on through her own experiences and interactions with other developers, noting that in many cases game developers are in working situations that don’t provide them with retirement options, healthcare, or financial security.

“Don’t get me wrong: mandated crunch sucks. So does peer pressure crunch. So does sympathy crunch. We should be discussing this and working toward change,” McWilliams tweeted. “But retirement planning/funding and insurance (health, disability, life) are the big Indiana Jones rolling boulders of doom behind every game dev, even if you’re not aware of it yet.”

McWilliams notes that she knows developers that spent the bulk of their career bouncing between game development jobs following layoffs or contract work and, as a result, end up spending whatever savings they’ve built up trying to stay afloat between jobs. Her full thread dives deeper into these issues and offers developers an important look at what she describes as the “long-term” issues in the game industry right now. 

I’m saying this as a dev over fifty, looking around me at other devs going into and through their forties. You may not be there yet… but you will be. And I very much want you to be able to retire, even if that just means going indie and making your own games.

— Laralyn McWilliams (@Laralyn) May 11, 2018

In the summer of ‘95 I blew more money and time than I’d care to admit trying to unlock the “secret ninja” that friends said lurked within the aging Mortal Kombat arcade cabinet at our local bowling alley.

20 years and a slew of sequels later, the latest Mortal Kombat game seems refreshingly upfront about the price you’ll pay to unlock its extra fighters – players on PlayStation 4 can “Press X to purchase Goro” right from the character select screen.

They can also pay ninety-nine cents to buy a pack of five “Easy Fatalities”, in-game items that can be spent to let players execute one of Mortal Kombat’s notorious finishers with a very simplified version of the (historically difficult) requisite button combo. 

Every player gets a free “Easy Fatality” and more can be acquired just by playing the game, but players willing to pay money to make things a bit easier for themselves will find plenty of opportunities to do so in Mortal Kombat X. It’s not quite as crass as say, charging ninety-nine cents to let players jump higher — but you could see something like that from here, if you squint.

This is the sort of microtransaction that some free-to-play monetization specialists might call a “hard” boost; players pay a bit of real money for limited-use consumables they can burn to make the game easier for themselves.

And while free-to-play games like Candy Crush Saga have long relied on selling boosts as part of their money-making strategy, this is the first time they’ve appeared in a high-profile fighting game. Thing is, Warner Brothers Interactive is charging $60 for Mortal Kombat X — King gives Candy Crush away for free. Now, some fans are publicly venting their frustration at NetherRealm Studios for layering in microtransactions on top of the sticker price.

Diluting the experience

“When you pay a price like that up front, the feeling that you are being nickel-and-dimed for even more rubs a lot of people the wrong way,” observes long-time fighting game player and developer Seth Killian. “It’s like going to a nice restaurant, then having the waiter ask ten times if you want to add cheese for $1, a side-salad for $3, etc.”

“You’re free to say no, and maybe the meal doesn’t need any of that stuff to be good, but just the experience of having that stuff put in front of you can leave you feeling less happy about the experience overall.”

I talked about this issue with Killian and a few other folks familiar with both fighting game development and the business of game monetization because to me, this feels like a bit of a watershed moment in big-budget game design.

Not because F2P monetization systems are cropping up in a console game —  EA was selling randomized weapon/resource packs in games like Mass Effect 3 and Dead Space 3 for real money years ago — but because NetherRealm is now allowing paying players to circumvent one of the hallmark mechanics of its flagship franchise: fiendishly difficult finishing moves.

As mobile game companies like Supercell continue to reap gobs of revenue on the back of F2P earners, publishers would be crazy not to push developers to implement similar monetization mechanics in premium games. But how far can we go in that direction without meaningfully compromising game design? Has NetherRealm already crossed that line?

The answer, at least according to the folks I spoke with, is no — not yet. But it’s getting close enough for discomfort.

“It’s really just cosmetic and for fun, and doesn’t ruin the game competitively,” notes competitive multiplayer game designer (and Gamasutra contributor) David Sirlin. “It has a strange feel to it, like it shouldn’t be a thing. I wouldn’t actually protest it though, just kind of shake my head in sadness at it.”

Competitive fighting games revolve around mastery — players learn to master executing basic moves, then climb a mastery curve by learning how to effectively use those moves against opponents while defending in kind.

Selling “Easy Fatalities” doesn’t interfere with that — you still have to beat an opponent fair and square before you can “finish him” — but it does seem to undermine the core focus on mastery that underpins fighting game design.

However, the driving force behind their inclusion in Mortal Kombat X is unclear; NetherRealm declined to answer my request for comment on the topic. Killian points out that these sorts of design decisions are often driven by the financial needs of the publisher, and that studios with popular established franchises  — like Mortal Kombat — are often pressured to drum up sales in order to shore up their publisher’s bottom line as it experiments with other less well-known games.

“These demands can be a strain, especially if the team wants the core of their game to remain untouched, so you could imagine them sneaking it in at the edges with stuff that doesn’t directly affect the game,” says Killian, estimating that the addition of cosmetic and consumable DLC often boosts a game’s bottom line by anywhere from 5-40 percent. “They do their best to meet the publisher demands while leaving their core experience intact.”

Walking a tightrope between players and publishers

It’s not hard to imagine NetherRealm enmeshed in a similar situation; Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon has already taken to Twitter to state that the makers of Mortal Kombat X would prefer players unlock in-game content by playing the game, rather than paying real money. And when you compare it to a free-to-play competitive game like Hearthstone, which is reaping beaucoup bucks selling randomized booster packs of cards that significantly affect gameplay, the monetization of Mortal Kombat X begins to seem almost laudible in its commitment to maintaining an even playfield.

“It’s so difficult to make even a fraction of the money you could make with an uneven playfield game, that if anyone is even TRYING to make a fair game and monetizing extra stuff, we should be supporting that,” adds Sirlin. “Yeah, this is a weird and uncomfortable example, but it beats the hell out of opening a random pack of Mortal Kombat cards [Kards?] that you can equip for +5 damage or something that would immediately render it as uneven playfield.”

And as monetization consultant Ethan Levy points out, Capcom — one of the more august names in fighting game development — already did just that in 2012 by building a system of performance-boosting gem power-ups into Street Fighter X Tekken and then selling extra gems as DLC.

The PR kerfuffle that followed was likely one of the (many) reasons SFxT sold less than expected; NetherRealm’s DLC experiment, by contrast, seems more sympathetic to the values of the fighting game community.

“[Easy Fatalities] do not affect game balance and were, in all likelihood, very cheap to produce,” opines Levy, predicting that they will “almost certainly make a positive return on investment” at a time when that phrase is more important than ever in big-budget game development.

“In a world where development costs continue to rise while the price of base games remains static, these sorts of experiments are just as necessary as cosmetic DLC, day one DLC and Season Passes have been over the past few years,” adds Levy. “I think easier fatalities gives a look at the new normal for AAA games. Over time, this type of in-game purchase will be so common that it’s mere existence will no longer make headlines on its own.”

Microsoft has rolled out the option for PC users to gift digital games and DLC through the Microsoft Store. The feature first hit Xbox One late last year and has now been extended to cover the PC side of the company’s offerings.

Other PC-based game storefronts like Steam and Humble have offered game gifting for some time, so Microsoft’s decision to enable the feature for its platform brings it in line with both its PC competitors and its own digital Xbox One game store.

Additionally, Microsoft has expanded the Xbox One’s gifting features to include all Xbox One titles, though Xbox 360 and Xbox Classic games on the store are still unable to be gifted.  

From the PC Microsoft Store itself, players can choose to buy a game either for themselves or as a gift at the moment of purchase.

Many of the same restrictions from the Xbox One gifting system still apply. Preorders and free games are ineligible to be gifted, as are things like loot-boxes or in-game currencies. Each user can only gift two discounted games in a 14-day period and any gifted title is bound to the region of the purchaser, not the recipient.