Category: News

Publisher Perfect World has announced the closure of the Seattle-based development studio for Runic Games, something made public the same day it was revealed that it hit Gigantic developer Motiga with severe layoffs.

In a statement received by Gamasutra, Perfect World says that the decision came as a result of “the company’s continued strategy to focus on online games as a service.” Runic’s latest game, the single-player action adventure game Hob, released just over a month ago. Before that release, Runic made a name for itself through the 2009 action RPG Torchlight and its followup Torchlight 2.

The company says that Runic Games will continue to exist as a part of Perfect World, but it is worth noting that the Seattle office that it shut down Runic’s sole location. 

As always, if you or someone you know has been affected by layoffs or a studio closure, you can email Gamasutra to share your story confidentially.

The full statement can be found below: 

“Following the news that Motiga has reduced the staff of its studio, Perfect World Entertainment can confirm that as the publisher of Gigantic, the game will continue to be available on our platforms. A core team of developers remains at Motiga, who will work with us to support the game and its players, including moving full steam ahead with the upcoming November update and future content. We cannot thank everyone enough for their contributions in making Gigantic the outstanding experience it is today.
 
Perfect World Entertainment recently closed the Seattle office of Runic Games as part of the company’s continued strategy to focus on online games as a service. We’re grateful to the team for all of their hard work bringing incredible experiences like Torchlight, Torchlight 2 and Hob to life. Runic Games will remain a part of Perfect World Entertainment’s portfolio of studios, and its games will continue to be available to players, as we stay committed to supporting and growing Runic Games’ beloved franchises.
 
The staff reduction at Motiga and the closure of Runic Games Seattle were unrelated. Perfect World Entertainment stands committed to delivering the best massively multiplayer online gameplay experiences to our players.”

Update: Runic Games has released its own statement through its website, confirming that today marks the last day for the studio and, it seems, for its staff as well.

It’s been barely two years since Ubisoft first announced its fantastical stab-’em-up For Honor in 2015, but the story of how the project got the green light stretches back much longer than that.

At GDC 2017, creative director Jason VandenBerghe took the stage to deliver a passionate presentation about the creative processes that propelled For Honor into production and guided everyone on the team to collaboratively produce a game that is, in his estimation, true to that original vision.

It was a fun talk, in part because of VandenBerghe’s fiery speaking style but mostly because he offered fellow devs a guided tour from the games original conception straight through to its big reveal. In the process he also shared techniques that his team applied to maintain a cohesive vision across all the phases of development.

If you missed out on seeing this talk earlier this year, don’t miss your chance to now watch it for free over on the official GDC YouTube channel!

In addition to this presentation, the GDC Vault and its new 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, GDC Europe, and GDC Next 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

Microsoft has added its name to the list of companies supporting the Khronos Group’s OpenXR standarization project.

Microsoft itself is naturally a significant addition to the group, as the company is responsible both the Windows operating system many other headsets and programs make use of and its own line of mixed reality headsets.

According to Road to VR, the tech giant now joins the likes of Google, Oculus, Unity, Valve as, and several other members of the working group that seeks to establish a multiplatform, royalty-free standard for VR and AR platforms and devices. Such a project aims to, ideally, simplify the development process by allowing developers to create apps and games that can run on any VR platform rather than require developers to tweak projects for each individual platform.

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: Redwood City, California.

Crystal Dynamics is looking for a talented and passionate Creative Director for a new AAA action adventure title we are developing. This individual will be responsible for overseeing all decisions that affect how the game plays, looks, and sounds. We would like to find a person who has experience providing creative direction for world class titles. The focus of the Creative Director will be to ensure the highest quality for the game play, artwork, music, and audio assets that will be in the final shipped version of the game. We expect the Creative Director to lead the overall vision of the game.

Responsibilities:

• Provide overall direction in game play, art, music, and design
• Partner closely with all department leads ensuring milestones are achieved on time and within budget
• Provide inspiration to the team and ensure that the creative vision is accepted and embraced
• Help the team overcome obstacles and provide solid leadership
• A strong passion and commitment to developing world class AAA titles

Requirements:

• Experience in a Creative Director role previously for highly rated next gen games
• Leadership experience in guiding teams from all disciplines
• Solid understanding of the financial and managerial aspects of game development
• Previous background in leadership in design or art
• Strong understanding of the competitive landscape
• A passion for playing and developing gamesLeadership position in previous shipped AAA titles (3-5 preferred)

Crystal Dynamics is an EOE and M/F/D/V employer

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 Swedish mobile studio MAG Interactive has secured an 80 million SEK (~$9.7 million) investment to assist in financing its recent acquisition of QuizDuel developer FEO Media. 

The investment comes from the Nordic fund manager Swedbank Robur’s Microcap fund, which was established earlier this year to support small companies in Nordic countries. With the additional funding under its belt, MAG Interactive is able to finalize its purchase of FEO Media and bring its popular quiz game QuizDuel into its growing mobile game portfolio. 

That acquisition was first announced in late October for an undisclosed sum, marking MAG Interactive’s third significant purchase in four years following its acquisition of WordBrain in 2014 and Delinquent Interactive in 2015.

“It is exciting to have the opportunity to invest in MAG Interactive and at the same time help [realize] the truly strategic acquisition of FEO Media,” said Microcap fund manager Erik Sprinchorn in a statement.

“The development of a strong Nordic cluster in the games sector is something we strongly believe and want to play an active part in. Mobile games have proven over time to be a stronger and more profitable business than most of us expected a few years ago and MAG is a great example of that with a global, profitable business with fantastic future potential.”

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: Santa Monica, California

PlayQ is looking for a QA Designer to contribute to the development of world-class mobile games targeting a mass market. In this role, you will work as a member of the design team to ensure the quality of all game systems, features, and content by contributing to and understanding all game designs, creating test cases and plans that comprehensively cover those designs, and performing software testing to ensure the final quality of the game experience and performance.

Core responsibilities include creating product test plans, writing test cases for new features and systems, performing thorough software testing including regression, verification and deployment testing, identifying and documenting defects and reproduction steps, and adeptly utilizing bug tracking software. As a member of the design team, you will participate in design meetings and brainstorms, perform competitive surveys and analyses, and assist with level testing and tuning as needed.

The ideal candidate will be proactively driven to *own* quality – to aggressively plan, test, and verify the implementation and performance of game features and systems. This position offers a unique opportunity to participate to game design while being empowered to assure quality via informed testing. This is a full-time position that will be based in our Santa Monica office.

Responsibilities:

• Participate in and contribute to design discussions, meetings, and brainstorms for new game features and systems.
• Work with game designers to create precise test cases that comprehensively cover the intended functionality of software features, systems, and components.
• Create efficient and thorough project test plans to ensure quality.
  Identify and document software defects, including reproduction steps and video capture, using the preferred bug tracking software.
• Perform regression, verification, compatibility, and deployment testing as needed.
• Assist the development team as needed in pinpointing issues and tracking their status through resolution.
• Proactively and vigilantly maintain a high quality bar by remaining current with game status and performance – be the first to spot issues!
• Contribute to the identification and research of improvements to testing processes and techniques.

Requirements:

• 1+ years QA testing experience; contributed to the testing of at least 1 released mobile game title
• Bachelor’s degree
• Superior oral and written communication skills
• Ability to work independently and solve new problems with minimal supervision
• Proactive, positive, driven mentality that thrives in a collaborative team environment
• Courage to own quality, regardless of whose toes need to be stepped on (respectfully, of course!)

Bonus Points:

• Familiarity with JIRA
• Familiarity with Unity
• Technical writing ability
• Awareness of and eagerness to explore latest testing software, techniques, and trends
• Curiosity: a drive to understand how and why things work the way they do (i.e. game systems, features, technology, processes, the world around you)

Perks:

• Competitive compensation and equity options
• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision insurance
• Flexible time off
• 401K plan with company match
• Stocked kitchen with free snacks and beverages of your choice
• Catered weekly team lunches
• Brand new penthouse office space equipped with outdoor patios offering beachfront views
• Monthly team outings and volunteer opportunities
• Help build and support awesome GAMES. For a living! Who doesn’t love games?

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.