Posted by: xSicKxBot - 05-01-2019, 01:42 AM - Forum: Lounge
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Get a job: Pixar Animation Studios, FoxNext Games, are more are hiring 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.
Here are just some of the many, many positions being advertised right now. If you’re a recruiter looking for talent, you can also post jobs here.
Location: Helsinki, Finland
Housemarque is seeking highly motivated Senior Level Designer to join our studio. You are passionate about games and the craft of Level Design. You take initiative and find creative solutions to complex problems. You are creative, team-spirited and result oriented.
Location: Bellevue, Washington
Camouflaj, the studio behind the episodic series RÉPUBLIQUE is looking for a QA tester for a contract position lasting 4+ months working on our ambitious VR-based action game project, Marvel’s IRON MAN VR.
QA performs a vital role as the first audience for any game, reporting on performance, usability, playability, and identifying aspects which could be improved. Testers are responsible for reviewing the quality bar for internal tools and for finding flaws before a project is submitted to our publishing partners. Our dev team-facing testing efforts work with the internal staff to provide detailed feedback to all the stakeholders, and represents the “voice of the consumer” in production/design meetings, and serve as the final gatekeeper before builds are shared externally from the studio. We are a small, focused, and driven team, and this role is an example of that need for both excellence and personal efficiency.
Location: Plymouth, Michigan
Stardock is committed to making visually compelling games. We are currently seeking a full-time Art Director at our Plymouth, MI studio. We work with bleeding edge technology and need an experienced veteran to guide and blend our amazing engineering capabilities with our talented art team. The Art Director not only sets the visual style of the game but provides specific guidance, both artistic and technical, on how to achieve those goals.
Location: Emeryville, California
Work alongside Pixar animators and engineers to design and implement new features within the Presto Animation System to help create the next generation of Pixar films. Presto is Pixar’s industry leading animation production software suite, built from the ground up with a modern architecture and a well-designed code base. You will be challenged by our production teams to enable Pixar to continue to raise the high bar for what can be achieved in the art of digital animation.
Location: San Jose, California
FoxNext Games is looking for a Senior Narrative Designer to translate the vision of the creative director into in-game story and playable events, develop fresh and innovative stories, settings, and characters in the Aliens science fiction universe, lead collaboration with other writers and designers, and more as a part of its team.
Snooker 19 is now available on Xbox One, marking the start of a new era for fans after almost a decade without an officially licensed snooker game. — we’re incredibly excited to share the official World Snooker videogame with players across the world. Jump in now, just in time for the start of the Betfred World Championships, and you’ll be able to play along in real-time online for the duration of the tournament.
As you can see in the new Snooker 19 trailer, the teams here at Ripstone and Lab42 have been working extremely hard alongside World Snooker to bring the game to life with incredible detail, featuring all the players and all the drama of the pro tour and a wide array of game modes for online and offline play.
Over and above all of that though, we believe that the most important factor in bringing to life an authentic snooker game lies within the gameplay itself. This is why we’ve engineered an extremely sophisticated physics engine, built from the ground up for snooker, to ensure that we capture every little detail of the sport to create the ultimate true-to-life simulation.
It turns out that the best way to test the physics of a snooker game is to put it in the hands of professional players, so we went ahead and did just that throughout the course of development. Top ranked players Kyren Wilson and Shaun Murphy both spent time with us in the studio for the ultimate test of our physics simulation and AI difficulty. They were both impressed by the level of control and the precision captured within the game and just how close it is to the real thing.
Applying spin realistically impacts the way balls rebound from the cushion, and to ensure perfect positioning to build a big break you’ll need to carefully control your shot pace and power, just like the pros do. AI opponents play just like they do in the real world, with their strengths and weaknesses in the game directly reflecting their actual play style, meaning that going up against Ronnie O’Sullivan in Snooker 19 will feel like it would if you got to play against him in real life. To make things a little fairer, we’ve added a selection of aiming aids to level the playing field and provide both amateur players and pro players with a selection of tools to help improve their skills.
The launch of the game today is just the start for Snooker 19 and we’re looking forward to supporting the game and the community throughout the 2019/20 World Snooker season. We hope to see you online in one of the many upcoming live tournaments and you can stay in touch with us over on Twitter at @snooker19game.
Snooker 19 is available now on Xbox One via the Microsoft Store. Click here for purchase details.
George R.R. Martin Will Host Q&A With Stars Of New Tolkien Movie
George R.R. Martin has often cited J.R.R. Tolkien as an inspiration for his own A Song of Ice and Fire series. So it's exciting news that Martin has been announced as the moderator for a discussion and Q&A about the new movie, Tolkien.
Martin will moderate and discussion and Q&A with the movie's stars, including Nicholas Hoult, Lily Collins, and director Dome Karukoski. The event is taking place on May 8 at the Regency Westwood Village where the film is premiering in Los Angeles.
"Modern fantasy would not exist without J.R.R. Tolkien and Lord of the Rings… and that most definitely includes my own A Song of Ice and Fire," Martin said in a blog post. "Tolkien's work redefined fantasy, and all of us who have followed in his footsteps owe him a profound debt.
"But who was the man behind the Shire, the Hobbits, and the One Ring? Tolkien, the new motion picture about JRRT’s early life, aspires to answer that question."
Last week, the Tolkien Estate disavowed the movie Tolkien. The Estate said it was not involved in and does not approve of the new film, which stars Hoult as Tolkien and Collins as Edith Bratt. In response, film company Fox Searchlight said it is proud of the movie, adding that it has the "utmost respect and admiration for Mr. Tolkien and his phenomenal contribution to literature."
Troubled Genesis Brawler Paprium Is Apparently Back On Track
Remember Paprium? Developed by Watermelon — the studio behind the excellent Pier Solar — this side-scrolling fighter was supposed to launch on the Sega Genesis / Mega Drive some time ago, funded by pre-orders pledged by the many fans desperate to see a new Streets of Rage-style brawler come to the classic 16-bit system.
However, it seems that the project is back on track, at least according to lead artist Luis Martins. Martins actually completed his work on the game some time ago, and was the person who spoke to us when we were trying to unearth exactly what was going on with the game.
Martins has now tweeted that he has made contact with Gwenael Godde (aka Fonzie, WaterMelon’s Creative Director) and that production is complete:
While this is obviously positive news, those who backed Paprium have been here before, and will rightly want to see more evidence before they get too excited. Needless to say, we’re digging and will hopefully have more info soon.
Gearbox’s Randy Pitchford Would “Love” To See Borderlands On Switch
Prior to PAX East 2019, Gearbox Software began teasing a series of images on its Twitter account. A number of these pixelated uploads were identified as Borderlands 2 at the time, leading fans to believe the game would be revealed for the Nintendo Switch. Instead, Gearbox went on to announce Bulletstorm: Duke of Switch Edition.
It’s left many Borderlands enthusiasts wondering if these games will ever be released on Nintendo’s hybrid platform. When asked on Twitter recently if there was any chance the looter shooter would make its way across to the Switch, Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford said he would “love” to see it happen. Here’s the full exchange:
While we won’t get our hopes up for the latest entry in the series, the first or second game would be great fun to play on the go. Of course, as previously noted, the second entry in the series has already been released as a portable experience on PlayStation Vita and Shield hardware.
Would you like to see Borderlands eventually make its way across to the Switch? Will you be picking up Bulletstorm this summer? Tell us down in the comments.
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 04-30-2019, 10:38 PM - Forum: Windows
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Build 2019 is packed with big potential to learn, create and have fun
Microsoft Build is our premier developer conference, providing access to cutting-edge technology, the ability to collaborate with peers, and an open door to fresh perspectives. Our goals are to foster community and transparently share our developer roadmap and monetization strategy — which we believe leads to even better collaboration and innovation.
While it maintains its roots of being produced by developers for developers, this year’s event is focused on empowering developers of all kinds, from experienced computer scientists to tech beginners with big ideas we have so much in store! Whether you want to learn a new technology or level up your skills in a certain area, we have you covered. With more than 180 sessions, from developing for accessibility to responsible AI design to building apps for HoloLens, and a gamut of topics in between, class is in session.
Speaking of class, for the first time, attendees are invited to bring two family members ages 14-21 to the event. The brand-new Student Zone is dialed in to provide students access to experts, hands on labs, co-coding opportunities and more. And for the first time, the Imagine Cup World Championship, a strongly contested student developer competition, will open the event!
In the competition spirit, we’re also showcasing eight innovative startups and we invite you to help us determine the “Startups at Microsoft Build: Attendee Choice Award.” Meet these cloud-born founders in person and vote on which startup you feel has the most compelling pitch. To turbo-charge their growth, the winner will be awarded a comprehensive set of go-to-market benefits, valued at more than $1 million USD.
We also have some very exciting news for our partners. We are deepening our investments and will be making several announcements benefiting both our ISV and reseller partners when they leverage our commercial marketplace to collaborate on joint sales. We also have dozens of partners on site at Build with deep dive sessions, hands-on labs, and an exhibition area with a ton of experts on hand.
But that’s not all. We’re weaving wellness and community-focused areas throughout Build as well. Our Hang Out lounge provides a cozy place to recharge between sessions and features a variety of content from our Cloud Advocates and LEAP Program participants. It also plays host to daily popup experiences, including an IoT day and an opportunity to get hands-on with classic Commodore 64s, among other engaging opportunities.
I encourage you to spend some time with the session catalog to craft your ideal schedule. These sessions are created and delivered by the engineers who create our products and provide a great opportunity to connect with them on a personal level. A couple can’t-miss sessions include:
From Zero to DevOps Superhero: The Container Edition This is not another “Hello World” session with quick tips, but rather a deep dive into how you can truly go from zero to DevOps superhero by selecting container tooling built for simplifying the process. You’ll also learn how these tools can provide better orchestration for cloud services, abstraction and encapsulation for your microservices deployments and visibility into what runs where and why.
Azure IoT platform services: a comprehensive overview In this demo-heavy session, you will learn what’s available for modern IoT developers. Azure IoT Hub, Device Provisioning Service, Time Series Insight, Azure Maps and Visual Studio Code will all be put to contribution and you won’t believe all that can be achieved in only 60 minutes.
And, we’ll have exciting speakers who were selected from the call for proposals, including this one:
Designing for speech Designing a natural language interface can be difficult. Is the interface supposed to be able to interpret every single nuance of speech? And how about slang? Or should we aim more towards forced language and make our users learn how to interact with simple commands? According to Comscore, 50% of all searches will be made by voice by 2020. Today, 40% of adults use voice commands at least once per day. Get ready now and your bots and apps will be a delight to talk to!
While we’re hosting the physical event in Seattle, our aim is to make it interactive for those who can’t make it in person as well! Satya Nadella’s opening keynote will be streamed live beginning at 8:30 a.m. Pacific on May 6, and core sessions will be online for free viewing within 24 hours. You can find it all on the Build site.
For those headed to Build, we can’t wait to welcome you to Seattle, to share and collaborate, and to imagine, create and code together!
Apple TV+ to launch as for-pay subscription service, Cook suggests
By Mikey Campbell Tuesday, April 30, 2019, 05:33 pm PT (08:33 pm ET)
Potentially ending months of speculation surrounding Apple’s planned pricing policy for Apple TV+, Apple CEO Tim Cook on Tuesday hinted that the upcoming original content service will be available on a subscription basis.
Fielding questions on Apple’s recent push into services during an investor conference call, Cook likened Apple TV+ to an over-the-top product similar to those offered by major networks and content holders.
“The TV+ product plays in a market where there’s a huge move from the cable bundle to over-the-top,” Cook said. “We think that most users are going to get multiple over-the-top products and we’re going to do our best to convince them that the Apple TV+ product should be one of them.”
Unlike cable subscription schemes, over-the-top streaming services provide users a la carte access to TV and movie content. Typically, the offering is limited to an individual service, channel or group of channels owned by a content holder and is therefore cheaper than traditional cable tiers. Further, over-the-top systems are cost efficient in that viewers pay only for the content they want, rather than a bundle that includes channels that might go unwatched.
As part of a “sneak peek” at programming set to debut on the service, Apple trotted out A-list Hollywood stars like Steven Spielberg, J.J. Abrams, Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston, Steve Carell and Jason Momoa to present first looks at their forthcoming projects.
Rumors claimed the TV+ would be a free, value-added service available to Apple device owners through the new TV app, with Apple generating revenue on its investment via subscriptions sold to third-party services. Previous reports said the company at one point mulled a bundle that would integrate TV+ with Apple News+ and Apple Music.
Judging by Cook’s statements today, it appears Apple TV+ will instead be listed as a for-pay subscription solution, putting it in competition with the likes of Netflix and Hulu.
Jordan Peele's The Twilight Zone Has Been Renewed For Season 2
CBS is renewing Jordan Peele's The Twilight Zone for a second season. A CBS All Access exclusive, The Twilight Zone is a modern reimagining of the TV series of the same name that began airing in 1958.
"Jordan Peele and Simon Kinberg's reimagining of The Twilight Zone is off to an amazing start on CBS All Access, driving the most viewers on its premiere day for an original series to date," CBS All Access executive vice president of original content Julie McNamara said in a blog post. "Jordan, Simon, the creative team and cast have done a phenomenal job translating the series' legacy of socially conscious storytelling for modern-day audiences. They are master storytellers, and we look forward to bringing fans further into The Twilight Zone with a second season."
Though many of the episodes in Jordan Peele's The Twilight Zone are brand-new stories, a few are reimagined variations of episodes from the original series. One of the first episodes, for example, Nightmare at 30,000 Feet is a modern retelling of the original series' Nightmare at 20,000 Feet. However, even in the brand-new stories, there are plenty of references and call backs to the original The Twilight Zone.
Not only does The Twilight Zone come from the mind of Jordan Peele, the Get Out and US director serves as the shows' mysterious host and narrator. His production company, Monkeypaw, produces the series. The Twilight Zone cast includes several big name actors, including Ike Barinholtz, John Cho, Lucinda Dryzek, Taissa Farmiga, Greg Kinnear, Luke Kirby, Sanaa Lathan, Rhea Seehorn, Alison Tolman, Jacob Tremblay, Jefferson White, Jonathan Whitesell, Jessica Williams, DeWanda Wise, and Steven Yeun.
For a deeper dive into the first few episodes of The Twilight Zone, check out our breakdowns that are listed below.
Overpass Brings Off-Road Simulation To Switch This October
If there’s one genre where the Switch is arguably lacking, it’s racers. Sure, we’ve got Mario Kart, but there’s not much in terms of quality, realistic racers. Overpass is a new off-roader coming to all platforms including Switch this October, and the trailer above may prove interesting to anybody looking for a more serious driving experience.
You’ll be jumping in all-manner of licensed buggies and quads from real-life manufacturers such as Yamaha, Suzuki and Arctic Cat and going up against some pretty mean terrain, by the looks of things. Coming from developer Zordix AB, it looks like you’ll have to pay close attention to the technicalities – differential locking, transmission, 2 versus 4WD – if you want to conquer the dastardly terrain you’ll encounter.
The trailer seems to indicate that you’ll be giving your suspension a serious workout. The official PR blurb details some of the modes which will be available, including multiplayer:
The Career mode lets you manage your buggies and quads and choose the one best adapted to each track and terrain type in order to win the competition and attract sponsors. In multi-player mode, you’ll need to know and master the slightest detail of each track in order to post the best times and show that you are truly the master of off-roading!
When it comes to off-roaders, we’re quite partial to the arcade-y and hugely underrated Excite Truck back on Wii, actually. This is a very different beast, of course, and the attention to detail here certainly sounds impressive. We’ll find out if the game itself measures up in October.
Are you after a serious racing game to sink your teeth? Muddy as it may look, does this one interest you? Share your thoughts below.
European Conqueror X Moves Troops To Switch In Early May
Turn-based strategy fans may have something to look out for next week. Coming to Switch on 7th May courtesy of CIRCLE Entertainment, European Conqueror X will soon have you reenacting (and we daresay rewriting) history as you direct battles from key periods in the late 18th and early 19th century.
Developed by EasyTech, it’s a follow up to World Conqueror X which seemingly bucks the trend by going smaller and concentrating on a continent rather than upping the ante and going galactic. The series began on the 3DS and channels board game classics such as Axis & Allies and Risk. This entry will have you managing not only troops and military units, but also cities, generals and even royalty. It appears to have a particular eye for historical accuracy – that is until you get in there and change the tide of history, we suppose.
The official blurb details three modes:
There are three key modes to test your skills! The lengthy Campaign takes you from the battlefields of Europe to the US War of Independence and beyond. In Conquest you choose from a wide range of nations and seek domination over the continent through nation building. Finally there are challenges, special levels that test your strategic nous and understanding of the game mechanics.
We found the previous game to be a satisfying warfare strategy game, praising its “appealing board game aesthetic” and giving it “a solid recommendation for war-gamers”. The focus on a single continent that the title suggests sounds like a welcome change, although we’d imagine getting involved in the US War of Independence will involve heading to the Americas, at the very least. Regardless or where it takes us, we’ll be keeping our eye on this one.
It’s up for pre-purchase today and doing so will net you a 20% discount on the launch price of $9.99USD / €9,99, so if this looks like something that’ll float your boat you can get it for $7.99USD / €7,99.
Did you play World Conqueror X or the 3DS originals? How does testing your warfare skills on the European stage grab your attention? Share your thoughts with a comment below.
