Bookings open for 7th Irish Conference on Game-Based Learning (Cork)

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The forthcoming 7th Irish Conference on Game-Based Learning (iGBL2017) will be be hosted by in Cork this year on 22nd and 23rd June 2017, and bookings are now open.

iGBL provides a forum for all stakeholders interested in exchanging ideas, projects, and best practice on the use of games and game-based approaches to support motivation, learning, and change.

Researchers will be able to present and share their latest findings. Students will have an opportunity to present their work, showcase their games, meet specialists in this field and obtain feedback. Instructors will have the opportunity to discover new ideas and learn and share new game-based skills that they can integrate in their teaching. Companies will be able to showcase their products and explain how these can be used in the context of learning and motivation. The conference includes a mix of academic presentations, practical workshops, digital and non-digital games demos, along with plenty of opportunities to network.

This year, more than 70 authors (e.g., teachers, researchers, and students) will be presenting their work and developments on games and learning through 31 presentations (e.g., workshops, game demos, and research and practitioners’ presentations). See http://www.igbl-conference.com/authors/

So, this promises to be a very interesting programme, and you can now register your place :

*Students: €49
*Regular: €99

The registration fees cover entry to all events during iGBL2017 (i.e. presentations or workshops), a conference pack, light refreshments and a lunch. The fee does not include the cost of accommodation or evening meals.

So, if you are enthusiastic about games and would like to share your experience or meet like-minded people, then iGBL2017 will be a great event to attend, and you can book your place now at – http://www.igbl-conference.com/registration/

Inspirefest 2017 – AI, robotics & games meet Diversity

Last week saw the official launch of the Inspirefest 2017 Programme in Grand Canal Square, with an array of speakers announced from as far afield as Silicon Valley, New York, the UK, France, Australia and Africa. Gamedevelopers.ie popped along to see what was happening.

Themes this year will vary from Blockchain, Fintech and Medtech, to Infosecurity, A.I., Robotics, and Games as well the Future of Work and STEM pedagogy for a new landscape.

Games – so what might be involved here?.

We know last year Brenda Romero spoke – see her talk here –

 

In fact this year Brenda is back but she is joined in a panel by Rhianna Pratchett, lead writer, Tomb Raider and Eimear Noone, composer and conductor, World of Warcraft. Since she spoke last year of course Brenda has become a BAFTA award winner for her contributions to the games industry and games education.

In non games related talks – Inspirefest will welcome over 50 speakers from 15 countries on July 6th and 7th, with keynote speakers including the President and CTO of Nokia Bell Labs, Marcus Weldon; Silicon Valley icon and venture capital partner Ellen Pao; Games leader, Rhianna Pratchett of Tomb Raider fame; the head of the US National Science Foundation, Dr France Córdova; and Chief Strategy Officer for Accenture, Omar Abbosh.

Another intriguing inclusion will see Other Voices founder Philip King teaming up with engineers from Nokia Bell Labs to create a special performance to close the first day of the conference at the Bord gais Energy Theatre, while Ana Matronic of Scissor Sisters fame will offer her unique view on Robotics.

Inspirefest 2017 will take place from July 6th – 8th 2017, in the Dublin docklands. This unique international conference and festival of technology, science, design and the arts, has diversity and inclusion at its core.

In its third year, each evening the event will be topped off with a Fringe festival of banter, music and culture, hosted in Facebook (Thurs) and Airbnb (Fri), while the popular Family Fringe event returns on Saturday July 8 with exhibitions and workshops from Space exploration to coding and a mini Dublin Maker, at The Dock, Accenture’s multi-disciplinary research and incubation hub at 7 Hanover Quay.

gamedevelopers.ie is also happy to collaborate once again in the fringe event and will be working with partners to run a family friendly games unplugged event which this year will take place in Grand Canal Dock on Sat 8th of July. More soon at http://inspirefest.com/fringe/

*** NO REPRODUCTION FEE *** DUBLIN : 26/5/2017 : Inspirefest 2017 Programme Officially Launches in Dublin’s Grand Canal Square. Last night saw the official launch of the Inspirefest 2017 Programme in Grand Canal Square, with an array of speakers announced from as far afield as Silicon Valley, New York, the UK, France, Australia and Africa. Themes this year will vary from Blockchain, Fintech and Medtech, to Infosecurity, A.I., Robotics, and Games as well the Future of Work and STEM pedagogy for a new landscape. Inspirefest will welcome over 50 speakers from 15 countries on July 6th and 7th, with keynote speakers including the President and CTO of Nokia Bell Labs, Marcus Weldon; Silicon Valley icon and venture capital partner Ellen Pao; Games leader, Rhianna Pratchett of Tomb Raider fame; the head of the US National Science Foundation, Dr France Córdova; and Global Strategy Officer for Accenture, Omar Abbosh. Again this year, the collision of technology and the arts will also be tackled with Other Voices founder Philip King teaming up with engineers from Nokia Bell Labs to create a special performance to close the first day of the conference at the Bord gais Energy Theatre, while Ana Matronic of Scissor Sisters fame will offer her unique view on Robotics. Some 3,000 people are expected over three days, and headline sponsors this year are Accenture and Bank of Ireland, with other organisations involved including Facebook, Dropbox, Intel, Nokia Bell Labs, Deutsche Bank, IDA, EI, SFI, IRC and Dublin City University. Pictured at the launch of Inspirefest 2017 Programme were Michelle Cullen, Managing Director and Head of Diversity at Accenture, Ann O’Dea, Founder of Inspirefest and David Tighe, Head of Innovation at Bank of Ireland. Picture Conor McCabe Photography. MEDIA CONTACT : john@mkc.ie

Pictured at the launch of Inspirefest 2017 Programme were Michelle Cullen, Managing Director and Head of Diversity at Accenture, Ann O’Dea, Founder of Inspirefest and David Tighe, Head of Innovation at Bank of Ireland. Picture Conor McCabe

There are a number of ways to get involved:

Buy a ticket (early bird ends May 31st!)  – http://inspirefest.com/#tickets

Volunteer – http://inspirefest.com/volunteer-application-form/

Are you researching a technology related topic currently? Enter the research communication competition – deadline 2nd of June – https://www.siliconrepublic.com/innovation/researchfest-2017-deadline-extended 

 

 

3D4Medical seeks 3D Animator/Rigger (Dublin)

3D4Medical_Job

(Not quite a games company.), but 3D4Medical are looking for a 3D animator/rigger.

The perfect candidate will be given the opportunity to work in a vibrant workplace to develop ideas and help build products which transform how students learn. We are looking for someone with expert ability in both 3D animation and rigging. Collaborating with in-house and outsourced artists, as well as a Medical team you will help create high quality medical animations for our award winning products and help us push the quality found within the industry.

​​Duties and responsibilities:

*​​Design, maintain and improve on complex riggs for realtime animation of bones, muscles and connectives for our award winning application Complete Anatomy.
*​​Understand and animate anatomically accurate movement of bones, muscles and connectives.
​​*Troubleshoot problems with rigs and animations for a proprietary engine.

​​Requirements:

​​*3 years experience with 3D Studio Max rigging and animation.
*​​A solid understanding of human anatomy and motion.
​​*A tidy and methodical work ethic.
*​​Able to manage time effectively within a deadline sensitive environment.
*​​Able to process and apply feedback constructively.


​​Bonus Skills:


​​*Understanding of Maxscript or Python.
​​*Interest in body mechanics and Science.
*​​Experience with realtime engine workflow.

​​Location:

*The Grange Offices, Stillorgan Road, Blackrock, Co. Dublin

​​Please apply through the 3D4Medical careers page – https://3d4medical.com/about/careers 

 

Imirt Inspire Interview 15: Anya Combs

The Imirt Inspire Interview series features inspirational members of the international game development community talking to Irish game creators.

The next interview will be with Anya Combs. It will be streamed on Thursday June 8th, 3:00pm Irish time.

ANYA COMBS

Anya Combs is the Games Outreach Lead at Kickstarter, where she focuses on working with game creators. She has been active in the digital games space for nearly a decade, overseeing multiple mobile and online titles launched for Nickelodeon & Addicting Games. She is excited to continue supporting developers through the most widespread crowdfunding platform out there, as they bring their creative projects to life.

The Q&A will be streamed live on the Imirt twitch channel, and later added to the Imirt Inspire playlist on youtube.

WANT TO BECOME AN IMIRT MEMBER?

http://www.imirt.ie/join/

VIEW PREVIOUS INSPIRE VIDEOS

http://www.imirt.ie/inspire/

Source: http://www.imirt.ie/news/2017/5/24/imirt-inspire-interview-15-anya-combs

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Call for Speakers – Galways Games Gathering

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The Galway Games Gathering – An International Games Event on the Edge of Europe

Sept 19th/20th, Bailey Allen Hall

NUI Galway, Ireland

 

The Galway Games Gathering is taking place this coming September and they are looking for speakers.

The renowned John Romero and Eimear Noone are already on the list as key note speakers.

Apply to speak at http://www.galwaygamesgathering.com/page-speaker-submissions.html

Coming soon you will be able to apply to demo your game.

Programmer – Mobile Games (Dublin)

simteractive_logo

 

Job Title – Programmer – Mobile Games

Job Location – Dublin, Ireland

Job Type – Permanent

Job Salary – Negotiable depending on experience

 

Simteractive is seeking a talented, experienced and enthusiastic programmer to join their team and work on Eden Isle and future mobile games.

 

Responsibilities:

*Technical direction for an entire mobile game project
*Implementation of new gameplay systems
*Programming tasks across all areas of the game including AI, UI, GameSparks integration, Facebook integration, saving and loading systems, in-app purchases and in-game adverts
*Implementation of character animations, effects and art assets
*Optimisation, refactoring and bug fixing of existing game systems
*Maintain a high level of code quality
*Co-operate in the overall planning of projects
*Evaluation of third-party tools
*Technical design of new projects

Requirements:

*3+ years of relevant professional experience in a programming role including at least two shipped titles, ideally for mobile or tablet
*Excellent programming skills including knowledge of Unity3D and C#
*Strong understanding of the challenges presented by mobile platforms
*Confidence and experience with third-party tools such as GameSparks, Facebook API, NGUI, advertising, analytics and plugins
*Great communication skills and ability to work well with all disciplines
*Hard-working, focused, high degree of self-motivation and ability to solve problems independently
*A strong personal interest in creating fantastic simulation games for mobile devices
*A degree in computer science, game development or equivalent

 

We Offer:

*Technical ownership of an entire project
*Join a small, multicultural, friendly and dedicated team
*Bright offices in the very centre of Dublin
*A good work-life balance
*A chance to join a company in a key role at a very exciting stage

 

How to Apply:

To apply, please email hello@simteractive.com with a cover letter and CV by 22nd May 2017.

 

About Simteractive:

Simteractive is a Dublin-based mobile game studio specialising in creating simulation games. We are currently working on Eden Isle: Resort Paradise, which is in soft launch in Canada.

 

www.Simteractive.com

www.EdenIsleGame.com

www.Twitter.com/Simteractive

Lecturer/Lecturer below the bar in Game Development (Limerick)

UL logo

Lecturer/Lecturer below the bar in Game Development & Playable Media

 
The University of Limerick (UL) with over 13,000 students and 1,300 staff is an energetic and enterprising institution with a proud record of innovation and excellence in education, research and scholarship. The dynamic, entrepreneurial and pioneering values which drive UL’s mission and strategy ensures that we capitalise on local, national and international engagement and connectivity. We are renowned for providing an outstanding student experience and conducting leading edge research. Our commitment is to make a difference by shaping the future through educating and empowering our students. UL is situated on a superb riverside campus of over 130 hectares with the River Shannon as a unifying focal point. Outstanding recreational, cultural and sporting facilities further enhance this exceptional learning and research environment.

Faculty/Department: Science + Engineering/Computer Science & Information Systems

Title of Post: Lecturer/Lecturer below the bar in Game Development & Playable Media

Contract Type: Multiannual

Contract Type: Lecturer below the bar – Contract Type: Tenure Track (five year fixed term).

During the term of the contract the successful applicant will have the opportunity to apply for tenure in accordance with the University’s Policy and Procedures for Granting Multi-annual Status to Entry-level Academic Staff

Salary Scale: Lecturer – €51,159 – €79,146 p.a.

Salary Scale: Lecturer below the bar – €38,348 – €52,722 p.a.

Informal enquiries regarding the post may be directed to:
Prof Tiziana Margaria
Head
Department of Computer Science & Information Systems
University of Limerick
Email: tiziana.margaria@ul.ie

See https://cloud.corehr.com/pls/ulliverecruit/erq_jobspec_version_4.display_form

 
Contact Person : Prof Tiziana Margaria Competition Type : Academic
Contact Email : tiziana.margaria@ul.ie Job ID : 022148
Contact Number : Close Date : 26-May-2017 12:00
Further Particulars :

Competitive Start Fund for Female Entrepreneurs – info event

Competitive Start Fund (CSF) for Female Entrepreneurs Open Evening in the Guinness Enterprise Centre (GEC) in Dublin on May 8th.

Enterprise Ireland’s €750,000 Competitive Start Fund (CSF) for Female Entrepreneurs will open for applications on Wednesday 3rd May and closes at 3pm on Wednesday 17th May. Equity funding of €50,000 is available to a maximum of 15 successful female applicants with early stage, female-led start-up companies. Last year, one in three companies that received CSF investment from Enterprise Ireland were female-led.

The purpose of this CSF is to accelerate the growth of female-led start-up companies that have the potential to develop an innovative product or service for sale on international markets, and the potential to create 10 jobs and €1m in sales within 3-4 years of starting up.  The fund is designed to accelerate ambitious females to reach their key commercial and technical milestones, build out and validate a scalable business proposition.

As well as securing up to €50k in funding, 10 of the successful applicants will also have the opportunity to participate in Enterprise Ireland’s INNOVATE programme delivered by Dublin Business Innovation Centre (BIC). The INNOVATE programme will increase the capabilities of the participants, moving them to investor-ready within a short period, and will be delivered over a 12-week period in the Guinness Enterprise Centre (GEC).

Please join us in the Guinness Enterprise Centre on Monday 8th May at 6pm where you can hear more details on the INNOVATE programme from Enterprise Ireland , Dublin BIC and GEC.

Please register here to attend this informative event!

Develop:Brighton – call for Indie games for showcase

develop Brighton

 

 

Develop:Brighton’s annual search for the next big thing in indie games dev is officially underway as submissions open for the seventh Indie Showcase competition sponsored by Unity.

The competition is totally free to enter and all 10 finalists will get the opportunity to show off their games to over 2,000 developers, publishers and media at Develop:Brighton. They’ll also receive a free conference pass for Wednesday and Thursday, pre-event publicity plus a profile on the event website.

Previous Showcase winners that have gone on to be successful include Gunpoint, That Dragon Cancer, Hue and Darklings which made it into the top-100 grossing games chart on iOS.

Entry to the Indie Showcase is FREE and is open to:

• Studios with no more than 15 people

• Studios – and games – that are non-publisher funded

• Games which are not published by a third party at the time of submission

• Games that have a development budget of less than £1 million

• Games that are created in the “indie spirit”

The deadline for submitting your game is 19 May 2017

Find out More

 

Eden Isle Updates

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Simteractive quietly released Eden Isle in Canada, Belgium and the Philippines a little while ago. As with most mobile games, we released it in a few countries first so we can make sure everything is working perfectly before we release the game worldwide in the coming months. If you are in one of the countries where the game has been released, you can download it for free from the app store.

The second update came out on Wednesday. It’s a very exciting one because, along with bug fixes, shorter loading times, better visibility of your resort’s star rating and happier guests, it has some great new features.

There’s a new activity, the Peach Blossom Spa, which is one of my favourite things in the whole game. Like the scuba diving and swimming with dolphins, it’s an activity that you can develop at a particular site in the resort.

The game now has an opening cutscene, telling you about how you came to be running the resort. These have become very common in simulation games to help set the story. I think it’s good to show players what the game is about and what kind of long-term goals they have. In Eden Isle it’s about getting to a five star resort, developing the island from the state it’s in when you take it over, with weeds, dusty buildings and the ruins of previous activities and developing it into something you can be proud of, something you’ve built yourself that has your personal stamp on it.

We’ve also added in new animations for all the guests, the staff and the Huggable Tree. A big part of Eden Isle is the guest types and the characters and the special animations we’ve added enhance their personalities and they’re great fun. Different guest types react differently to the Huggable Tree. Look out for the different signs the male treehuggers take out and the different things that Chloe, the receptionist, does when she’s not working.

Some players were contacting us asking about how to raise the happiness of guests so we’ve added more information about this. Each accommodation building needs access to a suitable bar, shop and restaurant. When you select a business, you can now see which accommodation buildings it’s suitable for by the green icons that appear over the accommodation buildings. You can also select an accommodation building and see which of the three businesses it has access to.

Quite a few people have requested the ability to invite friends from within the game so that’s what we’re working on for the next update. We also have a few more exciting activities to add to the game but we’ll keep them under wraps for now.

We’re really keen to get feedback on the game so if you have any suggestions on what improvements you would like to see or if you are experiencing any issues with the game, just drop an email to hello@simteractive.com or you can message us through our Facebook page. There’s also the help and support page on the game’s website.

Happy resort building!

Elaine

[Gd.ie is cross posting this blog post from Simteractive’s website – See https://simteractive.com/2017/04/21/latest-eden-isle-update/]

Simteractive is a Dublin-based video game developer, specialising in casual sim games. Simteractive reimagines sim games for the current generation of free-to-play games on smartphones and tablets.

Beta Testers Wanted – Cork studio

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Hi, we’re Halesoft, based in Cork in the south of Ireland. We make games as well as provide a long list of other web based services.  We just came out of the woodwork lately, sprung up in Cork a few months ago.  We’re a bunch of lads from varies backgrounds, mainly engineers who ticker about with game development outside of our day jobs.  It started as a hobby but quickly became an obsession.  Twas either this or philately.

Anyway we’re looking for some beta testers to help facilitate the initial features of one of our latest projects that we are working on for a British developer/publisher.  The game is called the Lost Legacy (for now) and it’s a physical 3d puzzler.  It has similar game mechanics to such titles as the room.

We’re looking for some feedback from tech experts in Ireland so figured this was the perfect area to reach out to like minded people.

So if you want to help us with our product testing and you have an android device try it out here in the play store Lost Legacy and feel free to throw some suggestions our way.

Lost Legacy: Demo
Lost Legacy: Demo
Download QR-Code
Lost Legacy: Demo
Developer: Unknown
Price: Free

See http://www.halesoft.ie/

Game Artist (Animator), Team Leader, QA (Dublin)

Based in Santry, Dublin, Ireland BetStone is a privately owned company with worldwide operations, developing platforms and games to the Server Based Gaming market.

At BetStone we work together with the best people who possess the energy to make a difference. The company taps into your enthusiasm by giving you the responsibility and authority to make decisions, as well as harnessing your energy through creative challenges. BetStone respects your abilities by giving you enough autonomy to work independently day to day, while also being part of the wider team in an environment where you can make a significant impact and be recognised for doing so.

We currently have three exciting new full time permanent roles available for outstanding individuals to join our talented team.

We’re looking for a passionate, innovative Game Artist to help create the next generation of online and land-based casino games. With 5+ years’ experience in design, illustration, animation and postproduction, your creative flair and excellent communication skills will bring new games to life.

We also need a Team Leader, to lead, inspire and manage one of the world’s most innovative game development teams. A great communicator with proven professional management experience in the software industry and a passion for maximising team collaboration and development, you’ll be driven to achieve successful outcomes for projects, review performance and solve problems.

And last, but by no means least, if you live for results we’ve got a world-class opportunity for a Quality Assurance professional specialising in software testing. Responsible for the planning, execution and completion of software testing, including quality of product, you will take responsibility for delivering practical results with concrete outputs and outcomes.

Please email joinourteam@betstone.com for more information.

See also http://www.betstone.com/en/home.html