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davidfieldfutureworks-blog · 7 years ago

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Contemporary Contextual Studies: Session 17 (02/02/2018)

Had a presentation today for the “imaginary game jam” thing. As TK is one of the resident technical designers my prospective role was essentially already filled, so I just said I’d handle the audio design. Strangely enough, I actually put some brief thought into it.

As the concept was essentially Twisted Metal/Crazy Taxi meets Fallout, and felt that a dark ambience-heavy metal mashup was on the cards for the soundtrack. Being based in Manchester, the use of Manc bands was essential (anything else would be punishable by being sent to live in Liverpool). The core idea would be to take the melody of one song (eg The Boy With the Thorn in His Side by The Smiths), time stretch it and play it in reverse, then lay on some guitar samples by assigning segments of guitar riffs from other songs (eg The Girl in the Dirty Shirt by Oasis) on a sampler, and just basically experimenting til it sounds good. That’s my approach to music at least...

Regarding my actual assignment work, I decided that if I’m going to do this thing properly and look into how I’m going to break into the industry and eventually land my desired role, I’d have to look at everything from a practical perspective. Therefore, I decided to do some budgeting.

Working through all my current and projected expenditure, I came to a target monthly income. I then looked into various roles available at studios in a realistic location, ranging from areas in Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Yorkshire, and Lincoln (I have family and a few mates there so adjusting to a smaller city for the sake of two or three years wouldn’t be as big of an issue if I was starting from scratch). The roles themselves however were quite frustrating.

First off, I clearly have no specialised role to begin with. I’m decent with low poly models, but not good enough for entry level art. I can do technical design, but can’t code, so that’s out (most roles require strong knowledge in C++). My level design skills are limited to real life maps and floorplans that I can draw over and make slight modifications to, leading me to conclude that looking into this particular job would be pointless. Then there’s audio. As much as I love working in a recording studio, I’m too out of practice to consider myself genuinely good, and on top of that most job listings again ask for strong knowledge in C++. It became clear that the role to look into would be the dreaded QA tester.

Going for the position of a QA tester is problematic for a few reasons, ranging from the difficulty to get noticed enough to progress through a company, to the redundancy of being a “qualified game designer” (whatever that means). Ever since I first considered the possibility of working in the industry fifteen or so years ago, it’s always been said that the way to get a job with no experience or qualifications is to go for quality assurance.

Now, obviously it does at least require a background in something related (modding, for example), however besides the knowledge and experience gained from this course (or the second year, if I’m being totally honest) it brings up questions such as “should I really have plunged myself into £45k+ debt for a job like this?” At the end of the day, I could’ve easily earned a comfortable £16-18k/annum for three years building up my portfolio on the side. Then again, would I have actually spent my time doing that, or would I just have wasted it all on going out? Resilience is a key factor in a job such as QA testing though, so it’s a point I’m going to have to moan about til I get bored in order to get it out of my system.

Another issue I’ve been having is the complete lack of information about salaries in job listings in the industry. I’ve honestly never known anything like it, and it’s quite insulting, as it seems to suggest that people should be so lucky to even be considered for a position. That has got to be the most infuriating thing I’ve learned so far about the industry. I perfectly understand a company being secretive over their finances, but to actually withhold information from potential employees is ridiculous when you consider the fact that everyone has responsibilities. How is anyone supposed to know if they’re wasting their time or not in applying for a role that may or may not be financially sustainable for them?

Anyway, putting that rant to the side, I did a little digging, and from what I can gather £15k/year seems to be a sensible figure to work with as far as QA testers are concerned. Long story short, the finances just don’t work out. The alternative is to spend the first few years of my thirties living with my mam, a prospect I refuse to consider.

From here I effectively (a word branded onto my brain thanks to Ewan) ruled out looking for a job at AAA studio straight out of uni, at least until I have some savings or pay off enough debt for it not to be considered part of my monthly budget.

Speaking to John, who I’m assuming could hear my frustration through my choice of words (which consisted of “f” words such as “[it’s] frustrating...) he simply suggested I get in contact with producers at studios around Manchester and the North West area and simply ask the questions I needed to ask. Out of my pool of ten studios that range from low level indie to not quite AAA, only two got back to me on my request for advice (which is more than I expected).

One basically suggested that the best way to find out would be to ask people in the industry (!!!) and the other went into a highly appreciated amount of depth, including personal experience. In hindsight I probably should’ve mentioned my age, as he also gave as he went onto say I’d need to get another degree for getting a “normal job” (on the off chance that anyone who hasn’t had one before is reading... no you don’t. Having a level 2 in both Maths and English, along with six level 2s in total is all you require in terms of qualifications to get such any type of “regular job”).

Nevertheless, his advice was actually quite brilliant. A basic breakdown for anyone who’s interested: - Being a game producer is a catch 22 position. You need experience to get a position, but can’t get experience without filling such a role.

- Make games no matter how bad they are just to get something done.

- Use game jams to get the experience you otherwise can’t get.

- Loving the work you do is worthy of sacrificing money. [Side note: it’s sacrificing what the money pays for that concerns me]

- Wanting to be a game producer is great, but the worst thing to want to be before entering the industry.

- Design documents are the way to go for landing the role of a “junior designer” at a larger studio.

- Quality Assurance is indeed the recommended role for a budding producer to start off with.

- Being a QA at Sony’s Liverpool branch will likely meet my budgetary needs, and is a realistic commute, though staff turnover is very high.

- It’s worth getting a PRINCE2 qualification, as it will prove true understanding of project management.

- Speculative applications and LinkedIn are a must for getting work.

So, to bring this lengthy entry full circle, it seems that my best approach is to banish myself to the city of scousers.

#futureworks #bagd #fwdd2000 #dd2000 #indigo #contemporary contextual studies #industry insight

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elidecarteretfutureworks-blog · 7 years ago

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DD2000 500-700 word research blog

As the essay is focused on sexism in video games, the focus of research fell onto examples of games which have sexist themes or obvious underlying sexism within their designs. In terms of the initial research, I began by looking up key examples such as dating sims, GTA, Duke Nukem 3D, Ride to Hell and the Witcher 3, before decomposing them into seeing how they were sexist and what caused them to be seen portrayed this way.

The next piece of research concerned gender representation in video games, which often focuses on a few key points of how men and women are depicted differently: whether through frequency and playability (ability to play a male character versus a female character), physical abilities, role in the game, and physical representation (in terms of body, attire, etc). I found that male and females are portrayed differently in games in terms of women tend to have to look human when they are created to be sexualised, whereas male characters do not need to have this.

The research then turned towards how this sexism affects the players who are viewing it. For this section, I was going to write references towards the correlation between violence in games and sexism, however, this is branching into a whole different area which could be the topic for its own essay. I then began to look towards how sexism was beginning to be removed from the games industry, using examples such as Don Bradman’s Cricket, Call of Duty and FIFA, all of which have begun placing more female characters into their games.

One thing which I struggled with whilst researching this topic was finding quotes direct from the developers and designers themselves. I feel that the reasoning for this was due to the fact that it is an extremely sensitive topic to discuss and companies/ brands could be affected in the process if one of their designers begin telling the public that they have over sexualised one of their characters as a conscious decision without a good reason as to why they are doing it, it will look bad on them and the company, an example being when a Ubisoft employee told the world that Ubisoft did not have many female characters as they were ‘harder to animate’, a quote which sparked a lot of attention from other designers and fans.

A lot of secondary research, i.e. articles from outside sources who have spoken to designers have been used instead, which is still a reputable source to get information from, just not as effective at backing up points as quotes from the people who made those decisions in the first place. The reason for this is that these outside sources can just be speculating certain design decision, whereas the designers themselves know exactly why they made those certain design decisions and can give a clearer picture to the public into why they made them.

Finally, another section of research which I conducted was through looking at how other cultures deal with the same issue. The reason for this is that is interesting to compare the same issues between 2 different parts of the world to see how the different cultures have set themselves up for their public to deal with sexism.

Other research which I found links for but were not implemented into the essay were topic such as marketing strategies, how different types of design are affected by sexism, for example interior designers and fashion industries, the link between violence and sexism in video games and female armour in comparison to males, as they are designed completely differently to do the exact same job… protecting the vital body parts of the wearer and as such, should not be modified as to show more skin on the females armour.

The main research blog which I used to create the essay plan can be found using the link below:

https://elidecarteretfutureworks.tumblr.com/post/166672079638/dd2000-essay-research

#FWDD2000 #DD2000

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samuelrodgersfutureworks-blog · 7 years ago

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DD2000 - Route to Industry Blog post 1

After my discussion with Alex about what I might want to do as a career following our last lesson. I have decided that my skills lie in making 3D objects from concept art and pictures. I’ve decided to pursue a career in 3D art. I would ideally like to be a 3D Prop/Environment Artist for a games company when I leave Futureworks. I’ve been looking at various studios in the UK and Europe. One that I came across that I am particularly interested in is for a company called Frontier Developments based in Cambridge.

They have a job opening that I found on Indeed.co.uk for a 3D Props and Vehicle Artist working on their game Elite Dangerous. I fell this would be a dream job for me as I am very interested in vehicle design and 3D modelling. The job posting states the essential qualifications and experience required to be accepted for the job: In the job requirements I am expected to:

Key Accountabilities

Communicate visual ideas within the team quickly, through well-honed drawn skills, both digitally and in traditional media

Create and maintain fully textured 3D prop and modular assets, and to be undaunted working with large-scale locations

Work with fellow artists to maintain the highest-quality throughout the game world

Work with the Designers to ensure environments are unified in both fidelity and play experience.

Person Specification

Ability to appreciate, respond to and provide constructive critique

Desire to collaborate to create an immersive game world

A great work ethic to work hard, play hard and inspire colleagues with quality

Show initiative and be proactive to get the best from our powerful Cobra engine

Good communication skills both verbal and written.

Solid skills in hard surface modelling, preferably in Maya

Strong grasp of real-world machinery, weapon function engineering; the kind of knowledge which produces authentic science-fiction hardware

Great understanding of proportion, scale, perspective, lighting and colour

Experience with PBR and a real-time engines

Experience in working on a game team either commercially or on a completed mod with multiple releases

Proven skills in photo-realistic surfacing using tools such as Substance or Quixel

A keen eye for spinning narrative and life into the environment

Thorough knowledge of and experience with Adobe Photoshop

Strong traditional art skills.

I would need to work in a studio that has shipped a game in order to gain the necessary experience before applying for such a job. I would ideally have to get a internship as something related to being a 3D Vehicle/Prop Artist as my entrance to the industry.

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catwiltshirefutureworks-blog · 7 years ago

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DD2000, Assingment 2, Job Research.

Prop Artist. CD PROJEKT RED is currently looking for talented Prop Artists to join our Environment Art team in Warsaw to work on Cyberpunk 2077. A person on this position should be able to create amazing assets which will make the Cyberpunk world even more realistic. The team is looking for someone that can not only tell a story with their props but can also model and texture props from the scratch.

DAILY RESPONSIBILITIES IN A NUTSHELL

Modeling efficient assets that fit within the style of the game.

Creating photorealistic original textures using various tools and middleware.

Setting up materials and shaders to achieve best possible final quality.

Cooperation effectively with other artists and designers.

Must adhere to technical specifications when creating environmental assets.

Maintain the production pipeline and meeting deadlines.

REQUIRED SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

At least 2 years’ experience in working in games industry on at least one AAA title.

Excellent skills in one of the leading modeling packages (3DS Max, Maya, etc.) and Photoshop.

Good knowledge of composition, color theory, & lighting.

Basic knowledge of physically based rendering (PBR).

Experience with procedural content creation packages a plus (Substance, Houdini, World Machine).

Very creative and an excellent eye for detail.

Excellent communication skills and ability to work within a team.

Ability to easily communicate in English.

WE OFFER YOU

A modern and relaxed studio atmosphere.

A chance to work in a booming industry, within an international team.

A competitive salary and project-based bonuses.

Private health care & MultiSport card.

From 20 to to 26 days of paid vacation per year.

An exciting chance to work with the developers of one the most acclaimed role-playing games in recent history.

Step by step assistance and a ‘Relocation Package’ for people willing to relocate to Poland.

Polish lessons for foreign employees.

QA Tester (Temp)

QA TESTER - TEMPORARYLocation:

2K Vegas

Job Code:

2386

DESCRIPTIONQA TESTER - TEMPORARY**We are looking for Temporary QA Testers for Summer 2018. The interview process for these positions will start in March 2018. Summary: Test video game titles on various consoles, PCs and handhelds to check the software for errors and enter them into the test database. Reports to the Lead and/or QA Manager. Responsibilities:Find defects in the software using established and tedious methods. Accurately execute all assigned test cases. Enter detailed, but concise, bugs into bug database.Regress fixed bugs on each release.Be prepared to provide insight as to the playability of a title. Provide a positive role model, in terms of both work performance and attitude Skills:Technically proficient with PCs and gaming consoles Computer literacy, specifically MS Word, Outlook, and Database Software

Qualifications: High School diploma or equivalent

Minimum age of 18 years and above.

Ability to test both 2D and 3D games repeatedly, while listening and looking for bugs.

Ability to test using a handheld gaming device and various other gaming platforms.

A positive attitude with the ability to work in a team environment.

Reliable, and can be counted on to work all scheduled shifts.

Capable of working any mandatory overtime; which can occur during the work week, weekends, and occasional holidays.

Must be able to communicate effectively in English, in both written and oral forms.

Ability to sit for long periods of time and occasionally lift up to 20 lbs.

Environment Artist (Junior or Mid-level)

Ninja Theory are on the lookout for a talented junior or mid-level Environment Artist, to help make great assets for our award winning games. You’ll create content for our 3D environments and will get involved in modelling, texturing, material creation and lighting – all to a high quality finish. We’re looking for someone talented, who can stick to a schedule, and who ensures the overall vision of the project is maintained.

Responsibilities

Take an active role in asset creation, producing high quality art content with a strong commitment to deadlines. You’ll get support and direction from senior members of the team to help you do this, as well as the freedom to be creative.

Build, maintain and manage strong working relationships with other disciplines in the studio, ensuring the vision of the project is maintained whilst understanding the project production process.

Take an active part in team discussions, offering advice, suggestions and constructive criticism for improving the quality of environment art.

Maintain a flexible working practice, showing the ability and willingness to adapt to various art styles and tools, and to take advice from other disciplines and members of the art team as required.

What we’re looking for:

Essential

Demonstrable experience in a similar role – with a good working knowledge of an environment art pipeline from start to finish, including optimisation practices.

Good knowledge of industry standard 2D and 3D software packages such as Maya, Photoshop, Substance Painter and / or Substance Designer;

Artistic flare and talent – someone who will inspire us with their work and enthusiasm

An appreciation of how environment work affects other disciplines.

Ability to set realistic time estimates and work to deadlines

Demonstrable creative thinking and problem solving skills

Great communication skills

A passion for visual arts and an ability to work as a collaborative, positive, enthusiastic and ambitious team member with a real desire to be part of the team.

Desirable

Knowledge of Unreal Engine 4;

Experience working with Z-brush & Substance;

VR development experience;

Understanding of modern games development practices;

Competency with environmental lighting;

Sketching skills.

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samuel-bryant · 8 years ago

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DD2000 - Research Blog

I believe story’s are a kind of ‘intellectual tennis’ between the writer and its reader. There are unwritten laws that bind the two through respect and honesty.

Key Designers

Kotaro Uchikoshi: Spike Chunsoft. My top choice out of the key designers is Zero Escape Scenario writer, Kotaro Uchikoshi.

Ken Levine: Ghost Story Games (Irrational). Previously worked on the Bioshock series, recently revealed his new studio Ghost Story.

Zoe Quinn: Independent. Activist, artist and award-winning developer.

The Polygon You tube series Devs Make Mario takes various game designers from both AAA and Indie studios to create a playable level in Super Mario Maker. I viewed the ticked videos below due to the variety in these designers skills. It was interesting to see these designers incorporate visual, story or platform philosophies from their own games into the Mario ‘engine’. WayForward Designer James Montagna incorporated the behaviors of the enemies into a puzzle themed level rather than an obstacle. Zero Escape Scenario Writer Kotaro Uchikoshi included metaphors and shortcuts to players to make them think about putting in difficulty for themselves to ‘feel’ reward.

Job Prospects

As a writer usually you would be working with a ‘narrative team’ during the pre-production stages of development. It is the writers responsibility to be able to adapt the narrative, story and quests around the established game and perhaps even art style and tone.

Narrative Designer; How will the story will be told Voice Actor; who would voice your character, personality Environment Artist; create a visualisation of the world Animator; personality, ability and costume Character Artist; visualise character development, condition and animations Quest Designer; how will the game combine the story and characters with reason Mechanic Designer; along with quest designs, what would the characters do/want

In my opinion I see a ‘designer’ as a problem solver whilst a writer as a problem creator. During the development stages the writer does not have free range to create any scenario as they wish as they need to communicate and understand within a team the goals and limitations of the other members. The game must stay consistent through mechanics, flavor text, and style in order to create a coherent and complete game.

Writers don’t just write they piece together dialogue, world, story and characters.

The Importance of Engaging Portfolios

This May I will have finished my second year of the Game Design course, in the first weeks of Summer I have planed to re-work on my first two years of work to a polished condition ready for a portfolio and website which will also be created online using the Weebly tool.

In this portfolio I will go back over my work addressing end of year feedback and critique after allowing to work on other projects, given that I won’t return to university until September I have the opportunity to prepare for the graduation show in June.

After amending my work I will begin a brand new project with Art and Sound students from the other courses at Futureworks. We are hoping to create a demo for a first-person psychedelic/procedurally generated horror game that pushes body and mind-bending horror rather than supernatural and cliche horror tropes seen in low-budget survival games.

Using my website as a finished portfolio and my tumblr as a development blog I can utilise these websites to present my work professionally and informal when necessary.

After the course ends I hope to engage my portfolio with established industry professionals who appreciate and consider the need for a writer with a particular interest in styles of writing and the community.

Key Games - Writing

Virtue's Last Reward: Story Rich, Horror, Visual novel. This game tells the story of nine people imprisoned in a unknown facility and forced to partake in the mysterious experiment; Nonary Game. In particular the game blurs the line between a linear and non-linear story through the use of a mechanic which almost breaks the forth-wall and questions the medium of video-games and illusion of choice.

Bioshock: Deco, First Person Shooter. Built around the fiction and philosophy of Ayn Rand (partial anagram of antagonist Andrew Ryan) and the ideas of utopia/dis-topia societies by George Orwell.

Bioshock is a fascinating game that adapts the mechanics of body modifications into the deeper narrative of perfectionism and greed that runs throughout the combat systems and personality of the enemies in the game; splicers.

Sara is Missing: Found footage style horror mobile game. Developed By Kaigan Games, S.I.M gives players the opportunity to test their voyeuristic pleasures of going through a private personal item of a girl who has gone missing. The re-created Android UI is the extra step of polish to push the immoral feeling of snooping but for a justifiable cause. The relationship between the player and the phone’s AI is interesting as this also questions how players ‘progress’ and what is the point of that ‘progress...

Emily is away: Romance novel. Created by Kyle Seeley. In this game the player is given the option to choose a profile on a AOL like messenger client on Windows XP and begin a non-functioning relationship with a girl called Emily. I particularly like the building of the relationship throughout the course of 4 years in game, the romance between the two never quite kick-off and that creates an interesting but awkward dynamic by the end.

Physical Skills

In order to implement my work into games I must gather an understanding of the software and engines needed such as UE4′s Blueprinting system for dialogue, flavour text and onscreen information. Twine is another piece of software used for creating branched narratives with minimal visuals.

Over the summer I will be working with Art and Sound students. Together we will take the stories and characters that I have written and implement them into the visual and sound design whilst allow putting in world, dialogue and character text.

Further Research

Below I have added short descriptions for other mediums which I love for there unique story telling and satisfaction as a reader/writer. S.S. Van Dine goes into detail about the importance of justifying the set-up and clear rules for the reader so that they can agree with the choices and directions the author takes, in particular with mystery detective novels.

S.S. Van Dine: Mystery story’s are a kind of intellectual tennis between the writer and its reader. There are unwritten laws that bind the two through respect and honesty.

Inside No 9: Anthology + Dark Comedy. Secretive-like writing is used to ‘drip-feed’ information to the reader which keeps them questioning what/why events happen. Characters intent and values are hidden and hinted at throughout and because of the formatting and diversity in characters Inside No 9 keeps you wanting more.

Luther: Previously on my Tumblr I analysed through storyboard the first episode of British crime drama, Luther. I used Luther as an example of research due to the standalone crimes influencing the overall plot between the ‘protagonist/antagonist’ I use those terms loosely as the show depicts a more ‘grey’ morality dilemma, creating truer tension and risk.

Black Mirror: Charlie Brooker’s techno-paranoia series approach’s our use of technology not with blaming phones or advancements but the greed and fragility of the people who abuse them. It introduces almost reachable technology that questions it’s purpose, moral and vulnerabilities .

Get Out: 2017, Jordan Peele. Good, current and socially-aware film that shows a more intelligent side to the horror genre. An inter-racial couple (Chris and Rose) visit the parent’s of Rose’s parents. Chris is black and is anxious to meet them as he doesn’t know what to expect. I don’t want to spoil what happens due to the film only just coming out in cinema but what I can say is that the intelligence of Chris as a character feel’s on par with the viewer at all times and this positions us authentically in the film.

Rear Window: Is a Classic short-story inspired film by Alfred Hitchcock. Again as stated previously I do have an interest in the writer admitting to our voyeuristic ways. This film uses the camera especially to set up the audience into the perfect position to watch all of the characters. We begin to question the action’s of a particular character who could be a threat, but does the truth justice spying?

Fighting Fantasy: A multi-choice RPG book series created by Steve Jackson (Inspired VLR Writer) which I own. These book’s other replay ability and various choices through the luck of dice and combat in written form! Adventure stories like these use game-mechanics to tell various fantasy stories set in castles, mazes that involve arguements, wit and skill.

Dungeon World: With my friends over summer I plan to create a new style of story-telling through the format of the Dungeon World role-playing game. We have decided to configure the options and skill sets of characters into different periods and situations rather than high-fantasy battles.

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ryandasilvafutureworks-blog · 8 years ago

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Things to do for Research blog + Presentation hand in

#FWDD2000 #FWYEAR2

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jackaccletonfutureworks · 8 years ago

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DD2000 - Research blog for a path into industry

Portfolios and their importance

Now before we even get to the building up to our chosen job and how we get there we have to talk about arguably the first and most important step when going into any industry, a good portfolio.

A portfolio in definition is according to many sources such as google, the oxford dictionaries and the free dictionary

a set of pieces of creative work intended to demonstrate a person's ability to a potential employer.

Example: "she had a portfolio of crayon portraits"

now reading the definition you should get an idea as to why a portfolio is quite the important tool in any industry but allow me to elaborate, a portfolio usually contains all of your best and well presented work that you wish to show off to a future employer in the hopes that it will impress them enough to consider you for the role available and hire you into it.

Even if that doesnt happen they are important tools for ensuring people dont soon forget you, if its good enough your employer might talk to his co-workers about it and the work that was in it, might recommend you to other companies and give you an easy-ish way into the industry, not only that but if its up online somewhere it can allow none industry people to view it and get invested in the work you do, get invested in your ideas and anything to do with them and begin to support you and want more of your work which is hard to ignore from people in the industry.

But an important part of a portfolio is to make sure it fits the job role, its nice that its all neatly presented and stunning work but if your going for a modelling job and bring in cool doodles of swords instead they will more than likely enjoy them but dont cross your fingers for the job or even being well remembered in a good way.

Now lets take that Modeling job as an example, if your looking into that job there are some things that would work well in your Porfolio

What to include generally

Some well constructed and unique models to show your skill, talent and creativity. Make sure to have beauty shots (Three angles) a Uv render (Shows off the uv maps of the models showing you do know how to Map and texture) and a wireframe

some more bland models that everyone has but it shows you can model things of this type, guns, corridors things like that

all of the work should be finished and if not it should be a w.i.p showing of how the model developed or something you are working on recently and wish to say “this is my latest project”

Portfolio : About myself

Every portfolio for every job must be different and suited for the job role your looking to invest into. Now my portfolio will have me looking into narrative design so there are some things i do need to include when constructing mine and things i need to look out for

What i should include

Well written stories of varying length and style as well as on different matters and subjects to give a quick look at the range i can write at and my ability with different styles and topics

Character development if possible, Original character, fan characters and things like that, let people in the industry see the work and love put into them and how you created them from the ground up, even include the most trivial detail if needed it will show how i think about even the smallest things for characters and bring them to life

Same applies for world building, show worlds you crated and the living breathing atmosphere they have, show off head canons and theories about already made worlds if you wish

Show dialogue and scripts made, this includes roleplaying and back and forth between characters of your own and friends

Work done that is not narrative directly but does still link to it

Any writing done for games, this includes small projects and twine games

Now what have i done to go towards this portfolio as of writing this?

I have written many short stories and poems some better than others i cannot lie however i tend to struggle sometimes with motivation in writing longer tales if they are not split into parts either via working time or as part 1, part 2 etc, 3 twine games which could be improved but stand at a decent enough quality and i do intend to create more, have an entire blog built for role playing (character creation and building, dialogue, world building) this is where i let alot of my ideas roam free as well as some of my more out there character traits, this character has spawned off into his own story and world view from a character that had nothing to start with, he has spawned countless side characters and alternate realities surrounding him and all of them have their own stories and worlds not to mention many pieces of college work.

All of these very important in the portfolio especially for the job role im looking to enter.

General Examples of both good and bad portfolio's

Networking

Networking is in short terms the connections you make with people be them big or small, it forms a web coming from you of connections you made. If you meet David and David knows Susan but you dont know Susan, she is still now in your web of networking due to knowing David.

Networking is important to the industry at it is a key way to get into the industry and get yourself known to people, without the links to people it would be almost impossible to get a way into the industry without directly going up to someone and asking for a job or applying yourself.

Networking can also offer unexpected help from people inside the industry through simply talking to them.

But how can networking help my career path into a narrative games career?

More importantly what kinds of networking could help my cause?

Well the obvious one to start off in narrative would be social media, its a great place to store and write small stories or tales and build character/worlds. It is also perfect for getting your small tales out to a large audience of people very quickly.

Take tumblr for example, its blogging allows for quick short stories or grand giant multi-post tales to be re-blogged , twitter is also a good example here as many industry insiders use twitter and could be a great way to share your narrative ideas and work with them to get feedback and make yourself known to them

It is also a prime location to show off portfolio w.i.p work and gain interest in what else is inside your portfolio both from regular people and industry insiders which could lead to job offers or simply having you in mind when a place does come up

Another prime example would be Game conventions, they allow for examination of upcoming games as well as series of games with over arching stories as well as the idea of communication with industry insiders as well as games media about games and your general idea. It could also provide you with skills and much needed tips if your willing to buy some people a beer. Game designers are just people like you and me so most of them have no issue sitting down to talking.

There are a few that take place here in the UK :

EGX - EGX is a British made Gaming Convention sponsored by Virgin media and s currently set to take place in the Birmingham NEC arena on the 21st -24th of September

Play Expo - Play Expo is a British games convention set in Manchester England at event city.

There is one that comes to mind and does take place in the US

Ludem Dare - Ludem Dare is a game jam hosted this year in San Francisco that gives people a theme and 24/48 hours to create a game, this allows people in the industry to see how people work under a tight deadline and the quality of games they can create with minimal information. It also allows for the people involved to brush up on their skills or develop new ones.

Well i say one but you cant talk US and game gatherings without mentioning

E3 - E3 is a yearly multi company convention in which the biggest games are shown and revealed and many of the gaming industries top professionals visit to give their games that needed star power, a place like this is perfect to ask questions, build connections and show off work you had done in hopes of making an impression

One important thing to know about networking overall however is that you should never be afraid to talk to someone or ask questions to them, they are not some untouchable idol who will simply scoff at you, they are infact just as human as you are and i imagine they they have trouble talking to a person from time to time. Plus there is only things to gain instead of things to lose

The Ideal Work Place/Key Companies In My Field

When it comes to an ideal work place that generally comes down to preference, some might want to work for Bethesda, maybe you want to work for EA but this is in general terms which company would be the best suited for the field i would like to enter

The first company that instantly jumps put for narrative focused games would be tell tale who have generally been known to create heavily emotional narrative focused point and click/episodic games based on existing IP’s such as The walking dead, borderlands and game of thrones

https://telltale.com/ - 4000 Civic Center Dr, San Rafael, CA 94903, USA

https://telltale.com/jobs/

As of this moment in time they are only looking for a senior writer in the job field i wish however that doesnt mean i cant apply for another job they are in need of to work my way into a writing position for example they are always looking for q/a testers so using that i can wiggle into a narrative design or writer role by suggesting things that could improve the story experience or helping with the writing of scripts and dialogue.

An issue with telltale however is it is hard to single out a game from their library as more narrative focused or important than any other, walking dead offers a dark saddening take on the world where every option and choice you make will have an impact later. This is in stark contrast to say tales from the borderlands which yes does have a similar choices matter mentality however the story in that game is less serious and grim and more light hearted and lovely.

With tell-tale they cover so much ground in their narrative focused games its hard to single one of them out alone

Not a company that comes to mind when thinking of narrative but one that i would enjoy a job at would be gearbox, they are mainly known for creating the borderlands franchise and as of now are in the process of making the third game . Their narratives tend to be somewhat serious but have a lighthearted tone to them with alot of dirty humor.

Borderlands and its sequels probably are the most notable games they have created and do narrative in an inventive way in that it is both serious yet not at all serious at the same time i mean....the planet your on is in grave danger from a tyrant hell bent on wiping life as you know it off the planet with an alien doom weapon, but at the same time the villian mocks you with such childish insults and sarcastic nonsense its hard to take it seriously, even more so with some of the side missions like “shot this guy in the faace” which is exactly as it sounds.

http://www.gearboxsoftware.com/ - 5757 Main St, Frisco, TX 75034, USA

http://www.gearboxsoftware.com/careers/

Gearbox software have an odd internship program that allows people of all skill levels to join and it is called the cogs program, in their own words the cogs program is

“The COGS program at Gearbox Software is designed for future game developers to get a chance to start their careers by becoming embedded with the veteran, professional developers at our world-class video game development studio and actually contribute to a commercial video game project. It’s the real deal. This is the foot in the door. This is the chance to prove yourself.

The COGS program differs from a traditional internship because Gearbox Software will actually pay you during your time at the studio. What?! Did you read that right?! Yes, we’re going to pay you to prove yourself. We must be nuts.But forget about us being nuts for a minute – the COGS program is as real as Clap Trap’s malfunctioning artificial personality.

COGS stands for Contractors of Gearbox Software – you will get a contract and it will say that you have become an actual, official, paid professional inside the studio that is home of Borderlands, Duke Nukem, Brothers in Arms, Homeworld, Battleborn, and Randy Pitchford’s flamboyant shirts. The contract terms can be for as little as three months or as long as a year, depending on the timing and the role. During that time you’ll get free soda. Also during that time you’ll contribute to a real commercial product at our AAA development studio earning valuable experience and credit that will not merely be rewarding and insanely gratifying, but will also set-you-up to be very valuable and sought after by the industry. And there’s free snacks to wash down with the soda. Did I already mention the soda? It’s a cool deal.”

quote directly from here

This is all to simply prove if you deserve a job or not

Key people in my field

http://www.evanskolnick.com/games

His portfolio is rather well put together and lists all of his skills and accomplishments as well as any and all of the projects he has worked on it also seems to show his wide range of work as he has taken part in narrative roles on project such as mafia 3 which is full of gore and racial angles and tension to the kid friendly hi-jinks filled over the hedge game and movie.

This is a portfolio i should keep an eye on and learn from

https://twitter.com/evanskolnick?lang=en

Evan Skolnick is an american born writer who has previous worked on marvel comics as a lead writer and now has jumped into narrative video game design, his most recent project/job being the walking dead : a new frontier by telltale which makes him a key player not only in my field but a company based solely around the field i wish to work in

has a book out called : video game story telling, what every developer needs to know about narrative techniques

the description of the book and what it may offer

“With increasingly sophisticated video games being consumed by an enthusiastic and expanding audience, the pressure is on game developers like never before to deliver exciting stories and engaging characters. With Video Game Storytelling, game writer and producer Evan Skolnick provides a comprehensive yet easy-to-follow guide to storytelling basics and how they can be applied at every stage of the development process—by all members of the team. This clear, concise reference pairs relevant examples from top games and other media with a breakdown of the key roles in game development, showing how a team’s shared understanding and application of core storytelling principles can deepen the player experience. Understanding story and why it matters is no longer just for writers or narrative designers. From team leadership to game design and beyond, Skolnick reveals how each member of the development team can do his or her part to help produce gripping, truly memorable narratives that will enhance gameplay and bring today’s savvy gamers back time and time again.“

Edwin McRae isnt noteworthy due to the work he has done, though he has worked on many smaller titles and mobile games as a narrative designer and world builder. He is more notable due to his constant advice and tutorials on how to become a better narrative designer and how to build a living breathing world from scratch

He too like Evan has a book or two to be purchased and read which can be found here : https://www.edmcrae.com/books-and-comics.cfm

Another good narrative designer to take a look at would be Daniel Dick, he describes himself as follows

“ I'm a Narrative Director & Writer with over 15 years of industry experience creating, building, and implementing successful narratives (including multiple AAA titles). I also recently designed a narrative design and game writing course for the University of British Columbia's Creative Writing Program.”

Some notable projects he has worked on include

★ DEUS EX: MANKIND DIVIDED Narrative Director Eidos Montreal ★ HOMEWORLD: DESERTS OF KHARAK Narrative Director BBI / Gearbox ★ SPEC-OPS Lead Narrative Designer & Writer Rockstar Vancouver ★ BULLY Narrative Designer & Writer Rockstar Vancouver ★ SOCOM: TACTICAL STRIKE Lead Writer & Narrative Designer Slant Six / Sony ★ SOCOM: FIRETEAM BRAVO 3 Lead Writer & Narrative Designer Slant Six / Sony ★ NEED FOR SPEED & SSX Story Consultant & Contract Writer Electronic Arts ★ TREASURE PLANET Game Designer & Writer Barking Dog / Disney ★ THE DAMASCUS LETTER: A Spy Novel Author Finalist for the AMAZON BREAKTHROUGH NOVEL AWARD in 2011.

His portfolio on Linkden is also very well put together and will have to keep an eye on this one as well

https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldick/

The skills i need

When it comes to narrative design in general there are certain skills you will need when entering the field.

Atleast basic knowledge on pacing and tone to a story, you cant have characters fighting an epic war then suddenly 2 seconds later have a clown filled tea party only to mourn their friends for a solid hour or two after that, it kills both the tone your going for and pacing. Keep it balanced and consistent

Understand character and world building, it good to create a world or character but if they are blank slates of boring with a side of boring pie then no one will care.

To create a breathing living world you must think about every detail and bit of history, what does this town do for the world, why is this ruin here, where do these enemies live etc. However be careful as you cannot make a game with backstory and word building alone and people do not want to have to sit through hours of lore.

Characters are harder to build, they can have preset fears and goals and motivations and even backstories however alot of the time they need to grow alongside the player and inside the events of your narrative. If a character loses something precious to them show it, if they are tried from a long battle show it, if they have been beaten badly and took a massive hit to their pride again show it to the player and in the character.

Script/dialogue writing skills and understanding what goes into creating them. Make sure every bit of dialogue fits who it is meant for perfectly and try to avoid repetition if possible. Ensure scripts are clear to read for the voice actors

Ability to take critique and improve from it, maybe someone thinks a certain aspect of your narrative is a bit off and wants to give feedback, it would be your job to take that feedback in and maybe change the narrative a bit to fit it.

Interpersonal skills, do you really think your going to be working alone....yeah no it doesnt work like that as you will be with a team of writers more than likely who will be throwing in ideas into this world or character and trying to make them perfect. Listen to what they have to say and work with them. Plus you will be working with other departments, maybe the environment designer needs specific dialogue for a fire area and you need to take a look at the area to gauge what kind of dialogue to fit into it, Maybe the character designer needs help figuring out how this character might speak and what they could even say

You have to have the ability to understand the genre of what it is your writing, cant have a kid friendly platformer suddenly have sexual jokes and decapitations now can we?

Organization in your writing is a good skill to possess as well as good motivation skills and time management

My work and evaluating it/General Evaluation

Now that i have mentioned the skills needed and the work i have done it is time to evaluate it bit by bit and see if i meet the standards set above and if not how can i achieve them from where i am now

My work

Short stories and poems tend to come to me in the moment and usually come from my already made characters, existing characters from movies/tv/games or from some random idea i had in my mind. However as mention before they tend to be a one time thing and rarely branch out and become longer, any longer story usually gets forgotten about due to motivational or memory issues even if broken into parts (For example i got 5 parts into a dark souls 3 story before forgetting it and never really going back to continue it). If i wish to get into narrative i need to work on long stories

The few twine games i have made so far are at a time where i have minimal knowledge of twine and one of them i cannot add to my porfolio due to content inside it. They are not nearly to the standard they could or should be and i should spend time completing and working on them to put them at the level i believe they could be.

The blog is personally my proudest bit of writing, i started the blog with a charcter based on an ingame mario enemy that had no backstory or anything, no personifcation or even personality. I took this enemy and gave it life and a soul, gave it wants and needs and fears and a personality, it has goals and a past now and as said has spawned countless Alternate worlds and ideas from it due to the story i have told with him. However alot of the writing tends to be very informal and dailouge based and the blog also has some informal and silly content to go through, will need to isolate the writing from this blog to show on the portfolio

As said he has spawned countless characters off of himself, from a sweet gentle shy king, to an evil dominating tyrant, a lonely yet wise last of his kind hunter, a sickening horrific yet lovable spider hybrid creature, a shy 1 limbed mechanic looking into necromancy to power his robotics to be honest this is stuff to include in the portfolio however it mention it here as no matter how many characters i do have i should continue to add more to the mix and develop them every chance i get to do so.

Skills and myself overall

In terms of skills i would like to atleast believe i own some of the needed skills for my job role, a basic understanding of pacing and tone, world and character building experience as well as interpersonal skills and abilities. Perhaps i do struggle a small amount with critique as sometimes it dont learn or go back to redo what is told of me.

Out side of skills to myself in general im a generally approachable and creative guy who could keep tensions low and ensure that everyone in the company is keeping themselves happy and destressed, i would also like to believe im willing to advance and learn even if it is painful.

But to evaluate you have to speak of the bad too, which is sometimes i can be very unmotivated and avoid/put off work for as long as possible even if i understand and know i have work. I can also get frustrated easilly with things that i cannot do or do not understand, if i wish to advance in my industry i willl need to put these under lock and key

My path into industry due to what i have found here

Due to the information i have found here there are a few paths into industry i can take

i can look for a indie or triple A developer looking for a q/a tester and work into the company from there offering the skills i do have to help construct the game and help any struggling member of the team during my none working hours, this iwll show them my previously obtained skills and allow them to remember me above all the other Q/A testers thus getting a foot in the door

I could also use my Voice acting talent and get in through that, voice a character and offer changes and help to the script as well as developing the character which again gives me a foot into the door.

another option is to wiggle into games journalism, this way i can write about and meet many developers as well as play some of the hottest games before anyone else and offer my opinion on them and what could be changed.

#FWDD2000

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simranwhithamfutureworks-blog · 8 years ago

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DD2000 Producer Job Role Research:

How to structure a portfolio as a graduate to prepare to enter the role of game producer?

Upon analysing many game producer online portfolios whilst some display creative work such as concept art and 3D modelling, the majority of them display non-typical creative work such as design documents, project timetables and management excel sheets, visual representations of how someone has managed a project from beginning to end and what concepts, milestones and development process the project when through its lifespan.

With the role of game producer not being a heavy creative output role within the games industry I asked a few game producers such as Fernando Melo of Bioware, Ryan Treadwell of Certain Affinity, Dan Saxon of Astro Manatee, and Kel of TEAM 17 and they all provided me with the same piece of advice when approaching the subject of displaying one’s skillsets and work talents when looking to enter the role of game producer.

In case of looking to enter the management sectors of the games industry it becomes a case of your CV and resume are more important than your physical work, one of the key elements when designing a CV or resume for the role of producer to look out for and not fall into is to not structure your cover letter/CV around the idea you are interested in using the role of game producer as a stepping stone to reach another ideal role, when you apply for the position of producer your CV should reflect the fact you wish to enter the role of producer specifically.

So in terms of a game design student structuring a portfolio of their creative work such as level design, artwork, 3D models, environment art to suit the role of game producer, one the key fundamentals to display is the methodology behind the work and what it took to complete the work.

The difficulties, struggles, development milestones, and how all these aspects tied into you completing the project these are all key aspects of displaying how you began the project and was able to manage the multiple creative aspects that led to you finishing that specific project, use the finished piece to draw attention to the challenges and development you overcame.

This is an approach I have taken within my own portfolio and within my own Tumblr development project blog, within my blog I display my entire project development from beginning to end, shows the production and development of all creative aspects (3D models/artwork), and I explain the creative challenges and milestones I hit and how these influenced my ability to manage and produce the work for the project.

As you can see in the screenshot above I have conducted research on the type of cover letter/CV that is best suited for applying for the role of producer, as per my interview with game producer Keiva of Cold Sun Studio she provided me with an example of game design student graduate CV suited for the role of producer which led to her securing a job within the games industry.

Above you can see the current state of my producer CV cover letter which manages to display my skillsets, experience and current work without going over a single page and managing to convey all necessary information and aesthetically stand out which is key factor to ensuring you can be remembered within the eyes of an employer whilst also displaying all skill sets and links to any project management work related sources you have.

#FWDD2000 #DD2000FW #FutureworksDD2000 #DD2000Futureworks #DD2000

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danielledgerfutureworks-blog · 6 years ago

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Route To Industry Research Blog - Full

Key Designer – Eric Barone

Eric Barone the Sole Creator of the hit game, Stardew Valley had a very interesting path to the games industry as the first prototypes of the game were created as practice for Barones programming skills. (Ligman, 2016)

As a child Barone Fondly Remembers the game Harvest moon, he adored how it favoured domestic tasks instead of violent mechanics. Harvest Moon allowed the player to have social and even romantic relationships with the townsfolk which isn’t a feature that many games offered. Barone described this as “making the experience much more personal” (White, 2018) although at first he was discouraged from the games industry after often reading about its underpaid overworked culture. Based on this his career took a turn and he chose to instead study computer science believing this could provide him with more financial stability.

After graduating he tried to get a normal job where he could support both him and his partner. However after several attempts of failing to get an entry level programming job he applied for he decided that he had a better shot at a one of these positions if he improved upon his programming skills, he began doing this by learning how to program video games as he decided it was a creative way to teach himself and would keep him interested longer.

When he started he didn’t have a plan, but he was always focused on the player experience throughout the development of the game. Starting with player movement and navigation and slowly working his way up through different farming mechanics. Barone kept iterating and going back to previous mechanics and reworked or completely started fresh with them in order to create something he was happy with.

During the games 4 and a half year development process Barone never asked for help and did all testing himself until the final stages of the game. Towards the end of development those close to him including his long term girlfriend urged him to compromise the quality because otherwise she believed he would have never released the game, but actually caring about the details and being meticulous with the game is what Barone feels made it a great game.

Finn Brice the founder of Chucklefish made Barone an offer. 10% of Stardew Valley profits would go to Chucklefish and in return Chucklefish would act as a de-facto publisher for Barone’s game also helping him with some of the more tedious aspects of games development such as public relations and legal documents. Barone felt this was a good deal because if a larger publisher had approached him first they might have asked for 60-70% of the profit. (Chucklefish, 2018)

Key Designer- Sean Valesco

Sean Valesco and 4 of his friends worked at Wayforward making games quickly for popular IP’s and Shantae Series , however at the end of each project the staff would be shuffled around, this meant that seas Valesco would be split up from his friends during the work day so they all started to meet up at Valesco’s house after work and at the weekends and work on smaller projects. After some time doing this they started to discuss making a Nintendo inspired 2d platformer that could capture the nostalgia of the Nintendo Entertainment System and its games but with smoother animations and a much better quality. (Wayforward, 2018)

Valesco and his team decided to create this game with no large publishers as to avoid releasing a game that was in his eyes only 90% finished. The team decided to set up a Kickstarter for the game as it meant they would have creative freedom but would still be working towards a promised deadline.

Shortly after this the team left Wayforward so they could work full time on their iconic 2d platformer Shovel Knight. Their funding goal was set at seventy-five thousand dollars. At this time the teams problems were that nobody knew about the game they were making or their Kickstarter so they started to prepare for PAX where they would be able to showcase their game, they began working tirelessly on a demo to show off at PAX, although while they were there the game did not receive much attention they met some other developers who had also funded projects using Kickstarter and they were given 2 good pieces of advice, number 1 being update the Kickstarter every day and the other being to send your demos out to YouTube creators and Twitch streamers.

When the team returned from PAX they took the advice and started posting to their Kickstarter daily, interacting, posting updates and hosting art competitions. Doing this and as well as sending copies of the demo for the game to YouTube and twitch streamers started to create a fan base for the game so by the time their Kickstarter campaign ended on April 13th 2013 they had surpassed their funding goal of $75,000 and managed to raise $311,502. (Yacht Club, 2014)

This project was going to require a lot of crunch time in order to finish it on time while also trying to create a great game. Towards the end of their deadline Valesco pushed it back and although this meant the team digging into their own savings to get by, they pushed through and finished the game releasing it June 26th 2016 and selling 75000 copies in the first week.

Although this was not a wild success, as the stretch goal promised boss knight campaigns were added in they sold more copies of the game and the fan base grew until they were getting contacted by publishers asking for the game to be ported to other consoles, eventually leading to shovel knight getting its own Amiibo figure which was the first of its kind not being from one of Nintendo’s own IP’s.

Key Companies

Team 17 is a video company based in Wakefield UK, the company was founded in December of 1990 through the merging of 17Bit Software and Team 7 who was originally based in Sweden. There are many benefits in working for team 17, they are as follows according to the team 17 website

Career progression at all levels – it’s up to you to shine!

Varied projects – we publish games across many different platforms and use a variety of middleware

Training workshops for both tech and soft skills

Competetive salaries

Bonuses

Regular social events

Health Care & Life Insurance

Subsidised gym membership

The staff reviews written on Glassdoor about the working environments are generally positive, with some complaints about overtime, however this seems to be a common issue with most game development company’s as ‘crunching’ near a games release date is a common occurrence within the industry.

The salary for Artists According to the team17 Glassdoor page is £24,000

Rockstar is a large AAA games company which has a reputation for creating immersive open world games, Rockstar is an international company with many different branches, one of them located in Leeds UK Which is local enough for a daily commute. However according to Glassdoor the pro’s of working within this company are very few the main Pro being that you get to work on some of the most coveted games. However the cons are abundant including, low Salary, Poor management, an outdated overtime pay structure and little to no intrest in employee development.

Job Prospects

There are many ways in which someone can join the games industry the first of which being, working at a AAA games company this has advantages such as a chance to learn from others more experienced than yourself as well as a stable income for the duration of the employment contract.

My specialism is 3d Art which means the roles that I will be looking for in the games industry are either A Prop Artist or an Environment Artist, however since I will not have work experience when I leave university I am required to search for an entry role job as a Junior Environment/Prop Artist

According to (Glassdoor, 2018) the average wage of a 3d artist is 30k per year although this is not the case for the junior entry level position. Entry level positions usually pay between 20-25k per year depending on the size of the company you work for, for example as a junior environment artist at Ubisoft earns only 19k per year however the same position at Splash Damage offers 24k per year because often working for a smaller company means you will be a larger part of the team and will therefore need a more broad understanding of the development process.

According to a job advertisement posted for a trainee environment artist at SEGA the required skills for this position are “

· Visual flare and talent

· Skilled in 3DS Max/Maya/Modo

· Experience with ZBrush and Photoshop

· Knowledge of games development pipeline/environment/engines

· Self-motivated, good communicator, positive can-do attitude, team-player

· Love of visual environment creation” (GlassDoor, 2018)

The skills listed are attainable by all undergraduates studying games design, however one of the ways that you can help yourself stand out from the rest is with a portfolio which shows you demonstrating these skills, portfolios show employers you’re artistic and sometimes your technical ability, this is why it is important to keep updating and improving your portfolio.

Portfolio

A portfolio is the most important tool for a 3D artist as it shows potential employers what your capabilities are, it is your responsibility to make sure that your portfolio shows that you have a wide range of skills and talents and to keep it updated and relevant.

To stay relevant in today’s job market an artist’s portfolio must be online, the best options for 3d artists are Artstation and sketchfab. Artstation is the more popular option amongst professionals because it allows viewers to get a more technical view of the artists models separating the different texture maps, this can give a valuable insight into someone’s technical skill.

As is often the case quality is preferred to quantity which means that it is better to have 3 pieces that show your talents well than 9 that offer no insight into your artistic ability, as there is a lot of competition it is best to have your portfolio stand out, according to (Mon, 2017)

“Competition is hard and you have to stick out from the mass of artists trying to get their first job. Creativity and unique art samples help you do that. Metal barrels, wooden crates, concrete or brick textures are not exactly assets that will blow anybody away anymore. Try to come up with something refreshing and unique when building props or an environment.”

One of the ways to do this is to show that you can use different styles in your work for example an artist who shows they can recreate a cartoon style and realism shows a wider set of skills than someone who has only produced art in One of those styles. However all work in your portfolio should be of the same quality so if you feel one piece stands out as worse than others then work on it until it becomes of the same quality or create a new piece.

Key Games

One of the games I believe had influenced subsequent design the most is the classic SEGA Dreamcast hit Jet set Radio which was the first game to incorporate Cel Shading which is an art style in which 3d art appears as 2d art to mimic that of a comic book or cartoon, this style has gone on to inspire other artists to recreate and improve the style for their games. Games such as The Legend Of Zelda Windwaker and The Wolf Among Us and over 250 other titles. (Wyss)

Cuphead’s Art style has been one of the most unique in recent years using the style of a 1930’s cartoon incorporating hand drawn 2D animations into an extremely difficult run and gun game. The artist Chad Moldenhauer although this game has been released too recently to influence any other game which has been released, the style is mimicked and adapted from 1930’s cartoons and includes effects which give the illusion it is being played on a CRT television which makes it one of the most unique looking games on the market.

Another game that heavily influenced subsequent design was Space Invaders a popular arcade game created in 1978 by Tomohiro Nishikado was the first Pixel art game used in the apast because of the capabilities of technology at the time but many Indie developers have used it in recent years for many different reasons, some use it because it is quick to produce and others use it to create a feeling of nostalgia in gamers.

I believe my route to the games industry from this point is to increase and develop my skillset in order to create a variety of art styles also to use an online portfolio to display my skills and artistic techniques to potential employers and to keep increasing the size and quality of the portfolio throughout a position as a Junior Environment/ Prop artist.

Bibliography

Chucklefish. (2018, June 26). Chucklefish Home. Retrieved from Chucklefish Blog: https://blog.chucklefish.org/

GlassDoor. (2018, August 5th). Environment Artist Jobs. Retrieved from Glassdoor: https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/Job/environment-artist-jobs-SRCH_KO0,18.htm?srs=TAB_OVER_SALARY_SEARCH

Glassdoor. (2018, August 5th). Environment Artist Salaries. Retrieved from Glassdoor: https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/Salaries/environment-artist-salary-SRCH_KO0,18.htm

Ligman, K. (2016, March 9). Stardew Valley developer says there were times when he almost quit. Ready Set, p. 1.

Mon, S. (2017, March 17). Everything You Need to Know to Become a Game Environment Artist. Retrieved from Artstation : https://magazine.artstation.com/2017/03/game-environment-artist/

Wayforward. (2018). Wayforward Home. Retrieved from Wayforward: https://wayforward.com/

White, S. (2018, March 20). Valley Forged: How One Man Made the Indie Video Game Sensation Stardew Valley. GQ.

Wyss, J. (n.d.). The Wolf Among Us. Retrieved from Wikipedia : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wolf_Among_Us

Yacht Club. (2014, April 4th). Shovel Knight. Retrieved from Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/yachtclubgames/shovel-knight

#FWDD2000 #DD2000 #FW

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alexmoorefutureworks-blog · 7 years ago

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DD2000 - Cloud Emperium

Today we had a guest talk from two people from Cloud Emperium, a level designer and a vehicle designer. The vehicle designer, Joe Neville, had a look at some of my recent work, mainly my high poly Zaku II, but also some concept art that i did of a small spider sphere robot. The main piece of advice that he gave me was that when i am designing or modelling machines, draw or model them as they would be made. Take into consideration how all the inner working parts of the machine work, and for things like vehicles and mechs for a game, model the inside parts as well, as that way you can implement damage systems to reveal the inner parts to give more accurate looking damage. As well as some general advice, he game me some artists that i should look into for inspiration.

First off was his boss at Cloud Emperium, Nathan Dearsley :

Paul Pepera for his space machinery art :

And finally, another vehicle designer, Tor Frick :

Finally, he also recommended that i take inspiration from the mecha in Maschinen Krieger :

#dd2000 #fwdd2000

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andrewspeedfutureworks-blog · 7 years ago

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Requirements

Slightly Mad Studios requirements for a vehicle artist

We pride ourselves on the quality of our vehicle art, and we need to scale up our team in order to deliver for our current and future projects.

Core requirements include:

Experience making high quality in-game plane and car assets.

Good experience with 3D Studio Max 2011-2016.

Experience with Photoshop and JIRA a good bonus.

Core responsibilities include:

Modelling aircraft/car exterior (high detail, 100k+ polys).

Modelling aircraft/car interior (high detail, 60k+ polys).

UV mapping (unwrapping meshes).

Modelling low poly LOD versions of high detail meshes.

Daily progress reports in our central forum.

Skills with textures, animation, skinning and setting up data / runtime files a distinct advantage.

Slightly Mad Studios is a built from the ground up to support remote workers. It’s not a working style that suits everyone, but for the right sort of mindset, it’s a great way to get things done. That being the case, the following soft skills would stand you in good stead:

Trust: be able to work from home regularly, and in a primarily online work environment. We’re built from the ground up to support distributed development, and it’s part of our DNA.

Flexibility: be able to quickly fit in with a company with a mature and well-defined culture.

Speed: you’ll be working with a well defined and mature pipeline. We expect you to get up to speed with it quickly.

Diplomacy: you’ll know when to stand your ground, and when to give a little.

Motivated: working from home, or remotely from the rest of the company, isn’t for everyone. You need to know what this style of work entails.

Car culture: it’ll be a benefit if you’re a petrolhead, or a genuine fan of car or plane culture, or a follower of motorsport.

3D Vehicle Artist

Manchester, UK

Posted: March 13, 2017

Cloud Imperium Games is the ground breaking development team behind the highly anticipated space sim Star Citizen. We continue to set higher standards of quality and push the boundaries on what is possible in a modern game engine. We are a group of talented developers in a fast-paced environment and encourage ownership and thinking on your feet. Join our team of star-performers in pushing the envelope on in game visuals.

Foundry 42 is looking for artists with experience working in hard surfaces. Our artists are responsible for working closely with designers to create ships of all shapes, setup in strike teams, you will be work together to craft these beautiful flying multiplayer levels.

The ideal candidate has a good understanding of vehicle/industrial design, our ships require a strong degree of technical knowledge both in the software we use and the function areas that need to be developed to make a fully functioning ship for the Star Citizen universe. They work well and communicate with designers and other disciplines in a collaborative team oriented development process.

Responsibilities

Working from concept models and images turn them in fully functioning and flyable works of art – the work is both exteriors and mainly interiors.

Collaborate with designers, technical artists, and partner studios to understand and implement correct file naming, and directory structure requirements within the engine’s and game’s limitations.

As part of a team, maintain the high standards of modelling, texturing, PBR material creation and manufacturer design cues to provide consistent and high quality models.

Work with technical artists and animators to deliver ‘animation’ ready solutions, landing gear, cockpits, cargo doors, ejection seats.

Requirements

Hard surface modeling experience.

Strong working knowledge of 3DS Max and Photoshop

An eye for detail while maintaining efficient model making

Experience applying and tweaking shaders.

A keen eye for Industrial Design

Excellent sense of form, mass and volume.

Passion for pushing the state of the art in asset fidelity and production techniques.

High degree of self-motivation and initiative.

International travel may be required as part of the role.

Pluses

Experience with Cry Engine.

Experience using ZBrush or Mudbox for organic shapes.

Knowledge and/or experience with PBR (physically based rendering).

Strong verbal and written communication skills.

An avid gamer.

A love of Sci-Fi

Experience in vehicle or industrial design.

Environment Artist

Manchester, UK

Posted: March 13, 2017

Foundry 42 Ltd. is looking for Environment Artists with experience working in high-poly modular environments. Our artists are responsible for working closely with designers in laying out and finishing geo, props, materials, and textures.

The ideal candidate has a strong understanding of environment asset creation and modular kit-based construction methodologies. They understand all phases of environment creation from block-out through lighting. They work well and communicate with designers and other disciplines in a collaborative team oriented development process.

Sample pictures or portfolio link, which shows sample work are necessary.

Portfolio or demo reel should demonstrate:

• Exceptional modeling skills. Great assets examples using custom normal workflow or high to low poly baking • Strong understanding of a PBR workflow • Examples of building realistic shader libraries • Ability to create game ready assets, that work well within the given technical limitations • Very strong texturing skills and excellent knowledge of Adobe Photoshop • Keen eye on detail and realism • A strong sense for composition, color and light • At least average drawing/painting skills

Responsibilities:

• Creating game ready models of environmental objects (architectural building sets, organic’s, etc) • Working in the editor to build out levels and environments • Creating efficient UV layouts that work well within the engine/platform constrains • Creating realistic PBR shaders • Work closely with Level Lead, and Lead Environment Artist • Work closely together with the Level Design department • Work independently on asset sets and oversee level art

Requirements

• Thorough knowledge of the game development process. • Previous experience creating high quality environments for AAA games. • Strong working knowledge of 3DS Max and Photoshop, as well as, experience in using editors to lay out environments. • Strong knowledge of Substance / Quixel packages • Experience creating environments using modular systems. • An Understanding of effective asset creation and optimization. • Experience applying and tweaking shaders. • A keen eye for spatial composition and building believable scenes. • Excellent sense of form, mass and volume. • Passion for pushing the state of the art in asset fidelity and production techniques. • High degree of self-motivation and initiative. • International travel may be required as part of the role.

Pluses

• Experience with Cry Engine. • Hard surface modeling experience. • Experience using ZBrush or Mudbox for organic shapes. • Knowledge and/or experience with PBR • Experience with programmatic and/or parametric environment generation tools. • Strong verbal and written communication skills. • An avid gamer. • Experience in architecture, interior or industrial design.

Location: Wilmslow, Cheshire, UK

Environment Artist

Immotion Group - Immotion Group has vacancies for freelance or fixed term contracts Environment Artists. Contracts vary in length but are approximately 3 months from April. You will be based at our offices in Media City, Manchester.

We have a couple of VR experience projects that need beautiful environments. They range from interior rooms with props and lush open landscapes including buildings.

You will be able to take creative and technical direction. You will work from concept design and reference material and we also welcome your input into the design.

You will have a minimum of 2 years’ experience in modelling, texturing and lighting in a game and or VR environment using a game engine, either Unity or UE4

You will be expected to check your work in the game engine and ensure it adheres to the technical capabilities needed to make an efficient asset.

A creative eye for colour and light, understanding of real-time lighting techniques and understanding of composition is needed.

Good working knowledge of Maya (or 3ds Max), Photoshop, Substance Designer, Substance Painter, Unity and/or UE4 is required.

Junior Vehicle Artist Codemasters 9 reviews - Over the past 30 years at Codemasters, we have consistently developed innovative and successful award-winning racing games. Our studio’s have a rich and unrivalled heritage of multiple award-winning racing games, and these titles embody our cornerstones of passion, quality, continuous innovation, and an all-encompassing ambition to be the world leader in what we do. Working in a passionate close-knit team that ensures your voice doesn’t get lost in the crowd, you will deliver ‘AAA’ racing games within a studio that will value and recognise your contributions. Join our talented and experienced team now to re-invent and shape Codemasters’ most ambitious racing title ever, from its inception to a genre-defining experience. Our mission is to be the world’s number one racing games developer – so if you share our ambition, please join us for the road ahead. Essential Skills Aptitude for hard surface 3d modelling Excellent sense of form, mass and volume An keen eye for detail while maintaining efficient model making Experience in Vehicles/props modelling (high & low poly modelling/sub-division modelling/patch modelling) Able to optimize low-polygon or mid-low-polygon models while taking aesthetic and technical considerations into account Vehicle/props texturing, lighting & material creation Experience in applying and tweaking shaders General knowledge of art and technical standards for vehicle design in games Understanding of vehicle design and construction Passion for cars and car racing games and motorsport Software 3DS Max Photoshop Desirable Skills Livery & Logo design. Knowledge of mesh topology optimization techniques Understanding of PBR shader workflows Understanding of vehicle rigging for game Understanding of Photogrametry Understanding of the compromises and constraints inherent in the production of in-game art Reference gathering experience – on location photography, data/data collation, driving license, passport. Appreciation for Industrial Design Strong verbal and written communication skills. Ability to document your process Software Substance Painter, Designer Marmoset Toolbag ZBrush

videos of interest

GDC: Fallout 4 Modular Kit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBAM27YbKZg

GDC: Watchdogs 2 AI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHEcpy4DjNc

https://80.lv/

New Software Project Alchemist from creators of Substance painter Allegorithmic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8zE8hvP23I

#FWDD2000

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