A funding seminar, entitled Funding for Video Games, will be held in Galway on 9 January 2019 from 9:30am – 11:30am at Cluian Mhuire, Wellpark Road. The goal of this seminar is to provide information to prospective funding applicants for the WRAP Fund (Western Regional AudioVisual Production Fund). The seminar is free but requires registration. To register for the event, please go to https://is.gd/vidgames.
Animation Skillnet is seeking applicants for its new pilot Animation Studio Lab programme.
The Animation Studio Lab aims to develop the specialist skill set of graduates by teaming them up with an up-and-coming animation director to produce a short film.
Applicants can nominate one of four specialist areas within Animation production when applying.
Successful participants will receive specialist training in their chosen area and they will be guided through a real world animation production scenario. Participants will work as part of a production team to deliver the short film.
The Animation Studio Lab is not attached to any studio and is designed to deliver specialist training in a real world environment.
The programme will run for 8-12 weeks, Monday to Friday from 10am to 4pm.
For more information on the programme and for instructions on how to apply, please see http://animationskillnet.ie/14-01-19-animation-studio-lab-call-for-applications/.
Deadline for applications: Monday 7th January 2019.
Interviews in early January with Final Selection on Friday 11th January 2019.
Animation Skillnet (http://animationskillnet.ie/) is seeking applicants for two position openings.
Click the links below to read more about each position.
Interested applicants should follow the instructions in the related link to apply.
Applications for both positions close on 9 January 2019.
Posted Dec, 2018.
Christmas is prime time for nostalgic memories to warm the hearts of the world-weary adults of Ireland; and little would bring more excitement on Christmas morning than opening the sitting room door to see that Santa, the legend, had left the newest games console under the tree.
With games consoles becoming ever-more advanced, and pre-loaded retro consoles making a comeback, DID Electrical asked 2,000 adults of Ireland to think back to simpler times of eating Coco Pops in their dressing gown on Christmas morning, and vote for their favourite consoles that Santa delivered.
In resounding first place was the PlayStation 1, with 30.7% of the votes. Those opening a PlayStation in the year of its release, 1995, would have spent Christmas morning fighting with their siblings over goes of games like Rayman, FIFA 96, Road Rash, Tekken and Mortal Combat 3; though in later years of course Tomb Raider’s Lara Croft would have made an appearance in the stocking, as well as Crash Bandicoot and even PaRappa the Rapper!
Next up was the Nintendo NES with 18.8% of the votes. Released in 1986, the now-seasoned-gamers, sitting comfortably in the 35+ age bracket, who were playing this on Christmas morning were undoubtedly squashing bad guys in Super Mario Bros.
However, the console claiming the top spot in the hearts of those in the 35-45 age bracket, and coming third overall with 16.1% of votes, was the Sega Megadrive. Everyone will remember the Sega Megadrive for the iconic Sonic the Hedgehog games, blazing the sound of clanging gold rings through the living room.
Next up was the original Xbox in fourth place with 12.5% of the votes. Some of the original games for the Xbox that would spark Christmas morning memories include Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell, Halo: Combat Evolved, Tony Hawke Pro Skater 3 and Max Payne.
Following just behind the Xbox, with 12.3% of the votes was the Super Nintendo ‘SNES’, with a long line of absolutely classic family fun games like Super Mario World, Super Mario Kart, Street Fighter II Turbo, Donkey Kong Country, Super Metroid, Final Fantasy and Zelda.
Rounding up Ireland’s favourite games consoles of the 80s to 00s era is the Nintendo 64 with 8.8% of votes. The Nintendo 64 came out with a whole host of classic games with a ‘64’ twist, including Super Mario 64, FIFA 64, Bomberman 64, Duke Nukem 64, Doom 64 and Madden 64 to name a few!
A special mention goes out to the Atari and the Commodore 64, which did get some write-in votes and clearly hold a special place in some hearts, but all-in-all didn’t hold a flame to the more advanced consoles from the era.
While the above represents the votes overall, outside of Dublin the Nintendo SNES was a firm favourite, taking the number one spot in the hearts of grown-ups in Meath, Clare, Limerick and Sligo; while the Super Nintendo (SNES) claimed the #1 spot in Wicklow and Waterford.
And though the PlayStation was the clear number one for both genders, female gamers voted the Nintendo NES at #2, while more men voted for the Sega Megadrive in the second spot.
Of course, handheld gaming devices can’t be left out of the equation! To no surprise, the original Gameboy topped the list overall, but the Nintendo DS was the handheld console that resonated most with the younger generation of adults in the 18-24 age bracket.
GamerFest is returning to Limerick on 2-3 March 2019. This year’s event will include a Fortnite Competition, interviews with some of your favourite Irish Youtubers, 1v1 Gaming challenges, Cosplay competitions, and so much more! The event will be held at Thomand Park. Tickets are on sale now and range in price from €16.60 – €85.50. Book yours now!
For more information on the event: http://gamerfest.ie/
To purchase tickets: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/gamerfest-limerick-tickets-52911428507
“Once upon a time in the DUUG” took place at the Talent Gardens having no one else but James Brady speaking. For the ones who haven’t heard of him, James is a 3D artist with 4 years experience working on AAA games and large indie projects. You can find out more about himself and his work on this article (https://gamedevelopers.ie/my-pathway-to-being-a-3d-artist-in-games-james-brady/)
Quickly introducing, James has worked at Rockstar Games on the latest release Red Dead Redemption 2, along with the wildly popular multiplayer game Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds. James has also made art for Hitman 2, Halo, Firewall Zero Hour, The Forest, NotMyCar, Insurgency Sandstorm, the sequel to New World Interactive’s classic title ‘Insurgency’ and many more…
The talk was great and run smoothly, the attendees were bombarding Brady with great questions during a Q&A. It’s totally what can be expected from having an incredible and experienced artist in right front of you and willing to answer the most of your questions. What excites me the most from Brady is knowing how much opened for questions and conversations he is and now that he is back home because he wants to help the local industry gives us a great opportunity to be in contact with a great professional.
DUUG #21 happened for the first time at the Talent Garden Dublin, an innovative coworking, events and learning space in Glasnevin. The campus hosts 350 members, offering flexible workspaces, digital skills training and hundreds of events every year. With 23 campuses across 8 countries, Talent Garden also provides its members with access to a unique international network of tech professionals. The structure and staff got me very impressed and confident about further events to be hosted there.
To find out more about Brady’s work, check out his website: bradyart.xyz”
To learn more about the Dublin Unity User Group (DUUG), check out their website: http://duug.github.io/
Author bio: Jairo Lopes is CEO at Nocht Communications, a company based in Dublin and focused on Public Relations and Business Development in the game industry.
In 2019 Games Fleadh will be celebrating the Platformer Genre of Games, we will also have our first year undergraduate Robocode Competition.
The competition will take place on Wed March 6th in our Thurles Campus.
For more info visit www.gamesfleadh.ie
The Gaming for Peach (GAP) project is looking for game developers to showcase their games at their upcoming conference on 10th and 11th of January 2019 which will be held at Trinity College Dublin. GAP is looking to showcase ‘serious games’, games for education, and games with peacekeeping and similar themes. This showcase will also provide game developers with networking and outreach opportunities during the conference.
Any interested parties should contact Ciaran Devlin with further information about their games in order to discuss participation in the GAP showcase / games bazaar.
For more information, please see the GAP website.
2019 Calls for all Creative Europe MEDIA Support Schemes have now been published. E-Forms are availble for some Calls and will be available for all schemes shortly. Please note that the deadline for all Support Schemes is 11am Irish time on the relevant date.
CREATIVE EUROPE MEDIA DEADLINES
Please note that there is a new online format for MEDIA Calls which are now presented in one portal with Guidelines divided into two main parts:
Contact the Creative Europe Desk Ireland MEDIA Offices for more information and for assistance with Applications.
Check out our upcoming November/December evening courses, workshops and events in Dublin. See below for more info and on how to book.
Workshops and Events:
Evening Classes:
The PorterShed, Galway
€100 per place, book your place here.
A Certificate of Completion will be presented by Mind Cauldron to each workshop participant on successful completion of the workshop.*
Please ensure you have the following at the workshop:
You must be aged 18 or over to participate in this workshop.
All participants must agree to MindCauldron’s Code of Conduct to participate in the workshop.
—
* Please note this certificate is not accredited by any educational institution or authority, though it may still serve to demonstrate your learning commitments and accomplishments to employers or education institutions.
Sunny Bunnies TV show to include official mobile game developed in Ireland
Galway based 9th Impact has been selected by Media I.M. Incorporated Ltd, the London-based TV content distribution company to create a mobile game based on the hit preschool animated show, Sunny Bunnies.
“We picked 9th Impact as our game development partner because of their deep understanding of working with TV properties and their track record of making games that fans of the TV show love,” said Gavin Metcalfe, Brand Licensing Director at Media I.M.
The new game will be called ‘Sunny Bunnies: Magic Pop!’ and it is a puzzle where players tap 2 or more adjoining characters of the same colour in order to make them magically “pop” and count toward achievement of the level objective.
“We wanted to create a game that reflected the bright, colourful fun of the Sunny Bunnies comedy but was also challenging for kids and could help develop problem solving and logical thinking skills” said Dr. Finn Krewer, Head of Development at 9th Impact.
The core audience of Sunny Bunnies are 4 to 7 year old kids, so the game has been designed with safety in mind – there is no ability for players to enter any freeform text that could be seen by another player.
With the new tie-in, Media I.M. are aiming for complete integration between the Sunny Bunnies TV show and the mobile game.
“We are breaking down traditional barriers that existed between different media,” said Metcalfe. “An episode of the TV show will feature the Sunny Bunnies unwittingly creating the game and the game will feature lots of clips from the TV show.”
The specially created episode will be titled ‘Magic Pop!’ and will be available on the Sunny Bunnies You Tube Channel on the same day as the game comes out.
The Sunny Bunnies You Tube Channel attracts over 20 million views monthly, so the developers are anticipating that a lot of players will be introduced to the mobile game organically.
Sunny Bunnies: Magic Pop! will launch on Google Play Store and Apple App Store globally on November 16th.
About Sunny Bunnies
The Sunny Bunnies are five beaming balls that can appear anywhere there is a source of light, from sunshine to moonlight. In each episode, the creatures bring their fun and games to a different location, a circus, a sports stadium, a park, embarking on mischievous adventures and spreading laughter and happiness. At the end of every episode, the fun continues with a collection of bloopers.
About Media I.M.
Media I.M. Incorporated Ltd, launched in April 2014 by former Viacom International Media Networks executives Maria Ufland and Irina Nazarenko, is an international content distribution company specialising in the sale of premium family entertainment and animation to both linear and non-linear platforms. The London-based operation has forged exclusive distribution agreements with several of Europe and Russia’s top animation producers, including Bionaut Films, Studio Atria, Da Animation Studio, Studio Nebo and Digital Light Studio.
About 9th Impact
9th Impact are a multi-award winning game development studio based in Galway, Ireland. They specialise in creating games based on TV shows in partnership with the brand owners. Their most recent release was the official game of the Danger Mouse TV show on mobile and Nintendo Switch. The game has won several awards and is shortlisted for ‘Game of the Year’ at the upcoming TIGA Awards.
Assistant Lecturer in Game Design
(Permanent Wholetime)
(Reference: HRC/A/83b/18).
Location: Currently located in DIT Aungier Street, Dublin 2.
The School of Media is seeking to appoint an Assistant Lecturer in Game Design on a Permanent Wholetime Basis.
The role of Assistant Lecturer in Game Design will involve delivering multi-disciplinary and well-rounded education in game conception, design and development with a view to creating students who can innovate in game design across the domains of both entertainment and serious games. The role will also involve the development of DIT as a centre of excellence for research into games.
The ideal candidate will have qualifications in game development, a record of teaching and an active professional/creative portfolio in the games industry with demonstrated interest in all aspects of game design. They will also need significant experience in developing and running game design workshops.
Applicants should have a professional background with evidence of participation in games that have been published.
Technical proficiency across multiple areas of game design is required. S/he will be a creative and innovative individual willing to join a dynamic team supporting the delivery of programmes in game design at both undergraduate and post graduate level.
Candidates should have the ability to work in an interdisciplinary environment; lead new initiatives in game design techniques; contribute to new programme development; and to contribute actively to School, College and Institute activities, reflecting its position as a leading centre for the creative and cultural industries.
Note: At least an MA level qualification is an essential requirement.
Full details available at https://my.corehr.com/pls/ditrecruit/erq_jobspec_version_4.display_form
Deadline for applications 22nd of Oct. 2018
Posted 8th of Oct, 2018.
My dad worked at a graphic design company in Belfast, Northern Ireland in the 90’s. The company he worked at had Apple Macintosh computers loaded with Bungie’s classic hit “Marathon” and Bullfrog’s legendary title “Syndicate”. After hours, he would sneak me in to play these games along with a quick shop run for orange juice and cookies. This was the start of my pathway into the games industry as an artist.
Many years down the line when the Microsoft Xbox was released, my parents bought me the collector’s edition of Halo 2, the sequel to Bungie’s next generation title ‘Halo’. The collector’s edition came with a ’making of’ DVD which showcased the production of Halo 2. Not only did I watch this on repeat, but it reinforced my longing to become a 3D artist within the video games industry. During secondary school, I started to learn the tools required to becoming a 3D artist. Not owning a computer at this time, I would borrow my Mum’s laptop in the evenings to practice 3D modelling.
After secondary school, I decided to pursue a 1 year Game Design course. I taught myself a lot in the evenings after completing assignments. Once I graduated, I decided to pursue a HND in Game Development at North West Regional College in Derry. During my time in the HND course, I stumbled upon a website called Polycount ‘https://polycount.com/’.
Polycount is an online community solely focused on the design/art spectrum of game development. The community consists of seasoned grizzlies to budding grunts trying to land their first job in the games industry. After contributing to several on-going threads within the community, I felt at home. I decided to drop out of the HND course, much to my parent’s dismay, and focus my time on honing my abilities and creating a game art portfolio. There has been a huge growth of globally accessible online educational content for newcomers wanting to learn their desired craft.
Three really useful ones are: 3DMotive, Eat3D, Udemy
My first project within the games Industry was as a QA tester at Creative Assembly in Horsham, West Sussex in the UK. I worked on ‘Total War: Warhammer’ along with a few DLC releases. My tasks in this role included testing for game bugs and reporting them to the correct development team. Once the art team got a whiff that I knew 3D art, I was then embedded into the environment art team to report back with environment art bugs/problems. The skills required for this position was a passion for video games and general computer knowledge.
Over the last year and half as a freelancer, I have been very lucky to have contributed to more games than I can count on my two hands. I contributed environment art, asset creation, weapon creation for these projects as a seasoned artist.
My work has been featured in multiple magazines such as 3DArtist, Develop Magazine, and ImagineFX.
Several of the games I have worked on to date include:
*****PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds
*****Insurgency Sandstorm
*****The Forest
*****Hitman 2
*****Halo Infinite
Everybody’s path into the games industry is different, be it indie developers, AAA developers and even some who want to go into teaching. We all share the same passion, to make video games. As a student, or budding self-taught artist like myself, your biggest challenge will be deciding which aspect of the industry you would like to dive into i.e.: Animation, Character Art, Rigging, Weapon Art, Vehicle Art, Environment Art and even Lighting Art. It’s very important that in doing this, you focus your skills in one area and develop them to the best of your ability.
One way of finding your ‘niche’ would be to work on small projects with peers or even join a mod community at ModDB ‘https://www.moddb.com/’. Another great way would be to attend local game-jams. It’s very important to be visible in this industry, this can be easily done by joining websites such as Polycount ‘https://polycount.com/’, Artstation ‘https://www.artstation.com/’ and Mapcore ‘https://www.mapcore.org/’. Not only will this allow you to be inspired by other’s work and make friends, it will also allow you to get professional critique on your work. By posting your ‘Work In Progress’ shots, you may also become visible to those who are hiring. People will be able to see how passionate you are about your craft and you will also find yourself getting better at a faster pace.
Always be friendly, humble and respectful. The game’s industry is very small especially in the art/animation section and word travels. You certainly don’t want a heat of the moment ‘comment’ to hinder your chances of securing employment in a studio. When it comes to your portfolio, quality is more important than quantity. A portfolio with fewer pieces that really show your strengths would stand out better than a portfolio with a lot of incomplete pieces.
Many exciting projects were announced at this year’s E3. We certainly live in the most vibrant time of gaming due to graphic fidelity. I really admire what Nintendo have done with the Nintendo Switch and I would love to see more Playstation 4 and Xbox One games being released on it also. There has also been a huge influx of ‘Battle Royale’ games since PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. A lot of game studios are either releasing battle royal games or shipping battle royal game modes for their current projects.
In the next five years, I can see games migrating to a cloud service rather than being released for purchase on PC or console. I feel there will be companies who release software that allows gamers to play PC games like DOOM and Battlefield on their mobile phone for a monthly membership.
Bio: Video game artist from Ireland. Drinks copious amounts of tea.
Portfolio: https://bradyart.xyz
*Polycount – https://polycount.com/
*Artstation – https://www.artstation.com/
*Mapcore – https://www.mapcore.org/
*ModDB – https://www.moddb.com
*3DMotive – http://3dmotive.com/
*Eat3D – http://eat3d.com/
*Udemy – https://www.udemy.com/game-art/
Animation Skillnet have a number of courses and workshops running in the months of September/October.
Workshops and Events:
1) One day workshop in Character Design for Animation with Ernie Gilbert with support from Screen Training Ireland (Sat 15th September).
2) Character Performance, Acting, and Storytelling for Animation with Myrna Gawryn with support from Screen Training Ireland (Sat 22nd September).
3) Schoolism Live – Dublin with support from Screen Training Ireland (Sat 20th & Sun 21st October).
Evening Classes:
4) Storytelling and Screenwriting with John Dawson (5 Monday evenings)
5) Production Management for Animation (5 Tuesday evenings)
6) English Language for Animation and Other Creative Studios with Everest Language School (5 Wednesday evenings)
7) Essence of the Pose – Gesture Drawing (5 Thursday Evenings)
For further information on available courses and workshops visit – http://animationskillnet.ie/category/courses/
Screen Training Ireland and Animation Skillnet are currently seeking applicants for a graduate Traineeship Programme for Animation, VFX and Games.
The programme has been running since 2016 and has had a very successful track-record with over 90% of graduate trainees going on to gain further work in the industry.
Last years programme had 12 graduates placed in animation, games and VFX studios for up to 6 months. The participants received targeted and intensive training in specific skills areas throughout the training period. Off the job training included courses in storyboarding, production management and visual storytelling. The participating studios last year included Brown Bag Films, JAM Media, Cartoon Saloon, Boulder Media, Windmill Lane VFX, Screen Scene VFX, Piranha Bar, HMH and Immersive VR Education.
The 2018/19 programme will take place over a 6-month period, with a short intensive period of upfront training, followed by a mixture of on-the-job and classroom based training over the following months. Selected participants for the 2018/19 programme will once again be matched with leading animation, VFX and games studios and participate in tailored training through Animation Skillnet and Screen Training Ireland.
The VFX, Animation & Games Graduate Traineeship is a full-time programme for which a training allowance/bursary will be made available to selected participants.
Start Date: Monday 22nd October 2018
End Date: Friday 5th April 2019
Interested applicants should upload a CV Link or LinkedIn link and showreel/portfolio link to:
http://animationskillnet.ie/event-registration/?ee=219
Deadline for applications: Wednesday 12th September 2018.
Interviews will be in late September/early October with the Final Selection on Friday 5th October 2018.
GamerFest 2018 takes place on October 28-29 at the Galmont Hotel (previously Radisson Blu) in Galway City.
The gamer and YouTuber festival is one of Ireland’s largest, this years event contains a Player Zone where gamers can play the newest releases, a Live Stage with interviews and VR challenges, a Virtual Reality Zone with the latest VR experiences, a Retro Gaming Zone and an Indie Zone to play original consoles and independently developed indie games.
Early-Bird Admission – 14.95e
General Admission – 19.95e
Student Admission – 14.95e
For a full list of events visit the GamerFest website at – http://gamerfest.ie/
Schoolism – Dublin are running a workshop in association with Animation Skillnet and Screen Training Ireland on October 20th – 21st at the Morrison Hotel, Dublin 1.
The workshop program is as follows:
Day 1: October 20th
Creating and Art Directing Compelling and Unique Visions for Games with Stephan Martiniere (9:00am to 12:00pm)
Sculpting with Paper with Megan Brain (1:00pm to 3:00pm)
Sharing Your Stories: From Notepad to Script with Shannon Tindle (3:30pm to 6:30pm)
Day 2: October 21st
Visual Development & Art Direction As A Freelancer with Sylvain Marc (9:00am to 12:00pm)
Designing With Colour & Light with Nathan Fowkes (1:00pm to 4:00pm)
Procr(e)astination: The Art of Perpetual Production with The Black Frog (4:30pm to 6:30pm)
For further details on Schoolism Dublin visit – https://www.schoolism.com/workshop-dublin/
Tickets are available at a reduced rate for registered members of Animation Skillnet, for ticket prices and information on how to register visit – http://animationskillnet.ie/event-registration/?ee=184
Gaming as Youth Work: Exploring the Role of Gaming as a Creative Tool for Fostering Social and Emotional Learning among Socially Isolated Young People
Applications are invited for a two-year, full-time, funded Masters through research exploring the role of gaming in youth work. This project is a partnership between IT Carlow and Carlow Regional Youth Service (CRYS). Funded by IT Carlow’s President’s Fellowship Scholarship and by CRYS, the student will have their fees paid and will receive a stipend of €26,000 (€13,000 across each year of the programme). In addition to an academic qualification, the successful candidate will receive direct, hands-on youth work experience.
Youth work is a form of informal education which uses flexible methods to support young people’s social and personal development. Despite youth work’s demonstrable success in engaging a diversity of young people, there remain a cohort of young people who do not participate in traditional youth work formats because of communication, learning or mental health difficulties. Such young people may experience significant social isolation. For youth workers, innovative ways to engage such young people are required. Research suggests that gaming may offer one such approach (Stewart, 2013; Dunlap and Rivers, 2018). While ‘games in isolation do not provide in-depth emotional bonding … they can serve to facilitate relationships’ (Dunlap and Rivers, 2018: 141). Games can also integrate skills such as communication and cooperation, and provide safe spaces for experimentation and risk-taking (ibid.).
The aim of this interdisciplinary study is to work collaboratively with youth workers and a targeted cohort of 20 young people from the Carlow region in order to answer the following research questions:
*Can gaming be used to build relationships between youth workers and socially isolated young people, and if so, in what ways?
*Can gaming contribute to young people’s social and emotional learning, and is so, how?
The research will result in a resource pack for youth workers which will be disseminated throughout the sector. The successful candidate will be based in Carlow Regional Youth Service (CRYS) for part of the week and will work alongside its staff in the development of the project.
The student will be co-supervised by the director of SocialCORE, IT Carlow’s applied social research centre, and the director of GameCORE, IT Carlow’s research centre for interactive applications, software and networks. He/she/they will be also required to undertake two hours teaching per week.
The successful candidate will:
-Be a youth work graduate, or a graduate of another discipline with at least five years’ youth work experience;
-Have a minimum 2.1 honours degree;
-Be available to work/study full-time;
-Have the ability to engage with diverse young people using youth work pedagogy;
-Have very good writing and analytical skills;
-Be committed to the principles of youth work;
-Be interested in gaming as a tool of youth
Technical knowledge of gaming or coding is not a requirement of this project, though some experience of using games is desirable.
To apply, please email patricia.rochford@itcarlow.ie with the title of the project in the subject line, a CV and a statement (c.500 words) of why this project is of interest to you.
For informal enquiries, please contact Dr Niamh McCrea, at niamh.mccrea@itcarlow.ie.
[sorry for the short timeline – blame the holidays!]
The 2018 Board elections for Imirt will happen in September. There will be three seats available for nominees to fill (it was four last year). Being on the board of Imirt means you steer the agenda and implement the goals of the organisation.
As a volunteer-run organisation we look forward to welcoming new faces to the board every year and would like to encourage anyone in the Irish games community to consider running.
To become a nominee you simply need to be a member of Imirt and e-mail contact@imirt.ie expressing an interest (i.e. you self nominate) by August 31st. We will then ask for your bio, goals, and optional photo to put on the Imirt website in the run up to the elections.
Note:
Imirt Irish Game Makers is a Company Limited By Guarantee (CLG) that represents game developers in the Republic of Ireland. We promote, mentor, and improve the game making environment for those developing games here.
[cross posted from http://www.imirt.ie/news/]
Immersive VR Education have released their teaser trailer for the ‘1943: Berlin Blitz’ VR experience.
The Waterford based company, and its founders Sandra and David Whelan successfully won a commission from the BBC Northern Ireland’s ‘Rewind’ archive innovation team, in conjunction with the BBC’s central VR Hub, to work on a Lancaster Bomber VR experience.
‘1943: Berlin Blitz’ puts viewers in the shoes of BBC war correspondent Wynford Vaughan-Thomas, and allows them to retrace his journey on a genuine bombing raid to Berlin at the height of the Second World War.
Commenting about the project, Sandra Whelan, Co-founder of Immersive VR Education said,
“The Berlin Blitz was an exciting project for us and working with BBC Northern Ireland’s ‘Rewind’ archive innovation team, and the BBC’s central VR Hub has been a fantastic experience. Initiatives like this really allow us to move forward on our primary goal, which is to bring immersive technologies such as AR & VR to distance learning, and to transform the ways in which people all over the world learn about and experience events, both past and present.”
Pre IPO, Immersive VR Education had successfully raised €1.3m from a number of private investors, including Suir Valley Ventures, Kernel Capital Venture Funds and Enterprise Ireland. Immersive VR Education is now a publicly listed company on the London Stock Exchange AIM and Irish Stock Exchange (Euronext Dublin) ESM with a market cap £37 million and has grown its team from 4 to 34.
For more information about Immersive VR Education and possible job opportunities visit – http://immersivevreducation.com/
Warducks VR and AR development studio are looking for an experienced back-end developer to join their dev team. The successful candidate will be responsible for the server side of their games and apps. Warducks studio is located in Dublin, Ireland. Previous work from the studio includes RollerCoaster Legends, RollerCoaster Legends II: Thor’s Hammer, Sneaky Bears, Sneaky Bears VR.
The position requires excellent programming skills and a passion for developing games or improving existing ones. As a back-end developer, you’ll work closely with the studios engineers to ensure system consistency and improve user experience.
Responsibilities include:
Participate in the entire application lifecycle, focusing on coding and debugging
Write clean code to develop functional web applications
Troubleshoot and debug applications
Perform UI tests to optimize performance
Collaborate with front-end developers to integrate user-facing elements with server side logic
Gather and address technical and design requirements
Build reusable code and libraries for future use
Liaise with developers, designers and system administrators to identify new features
Follow emerging technologies
Optimization of the application for maximum speed and scalability
Implementation of security and data protection
Design and implementation of data storage solutions
Requirements include:
Proven work experience as a back-end developer (5 years+)
In-depth understanding of the entire web connected game development process (design, development and deployment)
Hands on experience with programming languages like Java, Ruby, PHP, Python and C#
Working knowledge of CMS framework
Working knowledge of back-end services (Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure etc)
Familiarity with front-end languages (e.g. HTML, JavaScript and CSS)
Familiarity with Unity game engine and mobile platforms (iOS and Android)
Familiarity with back-end platforms (GameSparks, PlayFab, Firebase etc)
Excellent analytical and time management skills
Teamwork skills with a problem-solving attitude
Management of hosting environment, including database administration and scaling an application to support load changes
Setup and administration of backups
BSc degree in Computer Science or relevant field
Email info@warducks.com with your CV to apply
For more information about Warducks visit – https://www.warducks.com/
For further details on the job listing see – https://www.warducks.com/careers/
Simteractive are looking to hire a mobile games programmer on a permanent basis. The candidate will work on Eden Isle and future mobile games.
Responsibilities include:
****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 include:
****3+ years of relevant professional experience in a programming role including at least two shipped commercial 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.
****Must be able to work in Ireland.
Job Title – Programmer – Mobile Games
Job Location – Dublin, Ireland
Job Type – Permanent
Job Salary – Negotiable depending on experience
To apply, email a cover letter, CV and your availability to hello@simteractive.com. The closing date for applications is 9th August.
MADE IMAGE Films are looking for a Unity artist/animator to work on a new short-film production. The ideal candidate will be experienced in using Unity software, with some knowledge of Maya and 3Ds Max desirable but not a requirement. This is a part-time short-term position spanning the length of the production, the wage will be paid at Film Board daily-crew rates.
To apply for this position contact Linhong Yang of Madeimage films ltd. – madeimagefilms@gmail.com
For further information about Film Board pay rates visit – https://www.screenireland.ie/funding/short-film-schemes/short-stories
For more details on MADE IMAGE Films visit – https://www.facebook.com/madeimagefilms
Animation Skillnet with support from Screen Training Ireland are hosting a masterclass in Dublin with Animator, Writer and Director, David Feiss (Cow and Chicken, I am Weasel, The Ren and Stimpy Show).
The half day masterclass will take place between 1pm- 5:30pm at Bow Street on Tuesday July 24th.
Some of the topics covered include:
****Story Boarding for Features and Television: David will show his process of breaking down a script, thumb nailing a sequence, and boarding.
****The Writing and Design process: David will present episodes of Cow and Chicken and I am Weasel, and discuss the writing and design process that was involved in developing these hit TV series.
****Developing and Selling an Idea: David will discuss the process of developing, selling an idea to a network, and producing a show.
For further details on the masterclass and bookings visit – http://animationskillnet.ie/24-07-18-half-day-masterclass-with-david-feiss-in-dublin-cow-and-chicken-i-am-weasel-the-ren-and-stimpy-show-the-jetsons/
The International Conference for Interactive Digital Storytelling (ICIDS) 2018 will take place between the 5th – 8th of December at Trinity College Dublin.
ICIDS is a conference for researchers and practitioners concerned with studying digital interactive forms of narrative from a variety of perspectives, including theoretical, technological, and applied design lenses. There are currently open calls for papers/posters, demos/workshops, and a doctoral consortium.
The calls for papers and posters has been extended to July 25th. For further information on the CfP see – https://icids2018.scss.tcd.ie/ICIDS2018-CFP.pdf
The calls for demos/workshops closes on July 31st. See – https://icids2018.scss.tcd.ie/demos-workshops.html
The calls for the doctoral consortium closes on July 29th. See – https://icids2018.scss.tcd.ie/doctoral-consortium.html
Report on Economic Impact of the Irish Screen Sectors highlights need for extending section 481 to games and improving access to finance, markets and co-working spaces.
Imirt has welcomed the recommendations made in the Audiovisual Action Plan to develop the Irish games industry and further audiovisual sub-sectors.
The Audiovisual Action Plan was published on June 27th by Josepha Madigan, Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, along with a report on the Economic Analysis of the Audiovisual Sector in the Republic of Ireland. The report covers all Irish audiovisual sectors – film, TV, animation, video games, commercial advertising and radio. It analyses the economic impact of these sectors along with identifying strategic issues and making recommendations in areas such as funding, skills development, regulatory reform and marketing.
Imirt has announced its support for the recommendations made in the report to extend section 481 (Tax Relief) to the games sector, to provide funding for an “Irish Games” stand at international games events, to develop a prototype fund for games and to attract a large games studio to Ireland. Section 481 is Ireland’s fiscal incentive for film and TV production. Imirt board member Elaine Reynolds, who also runs mobile game studio Simteractive, said “In order to remain competitive, Ireland should extend section 481 to games. This could have a huge impact on international companies setting up studios in Ireland, which would create jobs, develop skills and bolster the future of the Irish games industry.”
The Audiovisual Action Plan states that a Steering Committee will be formed with the task of overseeing and implementing the plan. Imirt have offered to be a part of the committee to consult on the various issues and plans concerning the games sector such as the creation of a games prototype fund and opportunities for co-working spaces to alleviate the pressures of finding affordable business premises. Imirt board member Colm Larkin, who also runs Dublin-based game studio Gambrinous, said “I strongly back these recommendations and look forward to their implementation by government. In particular I believe setting up a games prototype fund will help create new game jobs and grow the number of games and IP created in Ireland that succeed in the global market.” Imirt chairperson Brenda Romero also strongly supports the creation of co-working spaces, stating that: “To have a co-working space where developers with different areas of expertise could work together would elevate skill levels, offer space for community events and provide a common destination for potential partners to meet with Irish game developers.”
Olsberg SPI was the creative industries strategy consultancy hired to configure the report on the economic analysis of Irelands audiovisual sector.
For the full text of the Olsberg SPI report “Economic Analysis of the Audiovisual Sector in the Republic of Ireland”, see this link: https://www.chg.gov.ie/app/uploads/2018/06/economic-analysis-of-the-audiovisual-sector-in-the-republic-of-ireland.pdf.
For the full Audiovisual Action Plan report see: https://www.chg.gov.ie/app/uploads/2018/06/audiovisual-action-plan.pdf
The Galway Film Centre are organising a Story and Macro Design Masterclass (1 day) with Brian Allgeier and Screen Training Ireland in the Galway Film Centre on July 7th.
This course is open to, game writers, game designers and narrative designers from gaming industry, as well as writers/storyliners from film & TV with an interest in gaming.
Brian Allgeier is the long-time director of the ‘Ratchet & Clank’ series and was part of the original team that created the franchise at Insomniac Games. He has worked in the games industry as an artist, designer, and director for over 26 years. Brian led the design and creative direction on a wide range of titles from the light-hearted ‘Ratchet & Clank’ games to the virtual reality horror adventure ‘Edge of Nowhere’. He is the author of the book, ‘Directing Video Games: 101 Tips for Creative Leaders’ where he shares his directing experience and the universal principles followed by veteran creative directors. As the Director of Experience at Insomniac Games, Brian focuses on how the science of user research and the art of creative collaboration can be applied to develop better games—like the highly anticipated ‘Spider-Man’ for the Playstation 4.
The masterclass will focus on the process of developing an overarching game design and story structure. For game design, participants will develop a list of mechanics and use them in a core game loop. They’ll see how branching paths are gated, non-linear storytelling elements are designed, and the integration of progression systems. In terms of story, the class will study the anatomy of a strong plot and how to break it down further into key emotional beats. As the story and design are developed, participants will discover how the two tracks can influence one another and work in harmony to deliver a cohesive and compelling experience.
Participants will learn how to:
****Use macro documents to communicate story and game structure.
****Develop core statements for pitching a game concept and defining a vision.
****Define characters, settings, and game mechanics.
****Align character motivations with gameplay actions.
****Identify the conscious and unconscious desires of the hero
****Create antagonists and the obstacles the hero faces.
****Write major story beats that center around a controlling idea
****Build game pillars and a core game loop
****Plan an overarching macro design
To apply visit www.screentrainingireland.ie
Closing date for application is June 27th.
For queries email education@galwayfilmcentre.ie
Gaming for Peace (GAP) is an EU H2020 funded project which is developing a curriculum of soft skills derived from interviews with experienced military, police and civilian peacekeeping personnel, and the state of the art in peacekeeping relevant soft skills and serious games. GAP is embedding a selection of peacekeeping relevant soft skills in a digital role-playing game with in-game assessment. The key soft skills are: gender awareness, cultural competency, communication, cooperation, decision-making and stress management.
The GAP module (curriculum and game) provides an inexpensive, accessible to all, standardized training in soft skills for peacekeeping and is at the cutting edge of State of the Art in the domains of training for peacekeeping, curriculum development, soft skills, assessment, game design and soft skills standardization.
Call for papers:
They have an open call for submissions of academic/research/policy papers from researchers from academic institutions, international organizations, military training institutes, police and civilian humanitarian workers, policy institutes, and game designers, in each of the following topics:
****training for peacekeeping
****curriculum development
****soft skills
****assessment
****serious games design
****soft skills standardisation
****training for military, police, NGOs
****peace education
The deadline for the submission of abstracts (400 words max) is July 31st. Successful authors will be notified on September 1st.
Further submission details can be found here – https://gap-project.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/gap_flyer_A5_april_2018_final.pdf
For more information about the the Gaming for Peace (GAP) project visit – https://gap-project.eu/conferences/gap_gaming-for-peace_conference/
Simteractive are looking for a technical game design intern to join their team and work on Eden Isle: Resort Paradise.
They are looking for someone with an aptitude for spreadsheets, analytics, game balance and game scripting and a strong interest in developing skills in these areas. The successful candidate will work closely with the existing team and will receive hands on training.
This is a great opportunity for an aspiring technical game designer or game analyst to get games industry experience, to advance their skills, to get a credit on a mobile game, and to work alongside an experienced team.
Job Title: Technical Game Design Internship
Job Type: 4-12 month full-time internship
Location: Dublin
Salary: Expenses paid
Responsibilities:
****Carry out scripting and config file changes (e.g. change the prerequisites for when a goal triggers).
****Keep a record of changes made in each update of the game (e.g. create a flowchart showing the latest level flow for each update so we can clearly see what happens in each level and when each goal triggers).
****Prepare analytics reports in Excel (e.g. prepare a chart showing the percentage of players who drop off at each level of the game and how it compares to previous versions).
****Analyse data to identify areas that can be improved (e.g. identify any drop-offs that are larger than expected and analyse the percentage of players who completed each goal in that level).
****Propose improvements to the game based on patterns seen in the data (e.g. suggest changing the requirements for completing a goal).
****Review and play-test the game.
****Help with other game development tasks that arise.
Candidate Requirements:
****Ideally suited to a graduate or student in game design or related area, such as data analysis, with excellent academic record
****Comfortable with spreadsheets, such as Excel
****Strong analytical and numerical skills and ability to deal with large amounts of numerical data
****Solid understanding of mathematics, statistics and probability
****Excellent attention to detail
****Smart, conscientious individual who is committed and motivated to achieve high standards
****Eager to gain a wide variety of game development experience and open to feedback
****Ability to understand game balance and game systems and the impact changing variables can have on the gameplay experience
****Interest and experience in game development
****Good knowledge of current mobile games market, free-to-play monetisation and social games
****Experience with a range of software tools and ability to learn quickly e.g. Excel, OmniGraffle, Unity
****Outstanding communication skills – written, listening and presentation
****High degree of self-motivation and ability to multi-task, prioritise and manage personal workflow
To apply for the position email hello@simteractive.com with a cover letter, CV, details of previous game development experience, when you would be available to start, what your most-used Excel command is and how long you an internship you would be available for.
For more information about the company visit – https://simteractive.com/
Initiative Creative Gaming have opened the call for submissions for the Creative Gaming Festival – PLAY 2018 which will take place in Hamburg from November 1st – 4th.
The festival accepts game submissions from developers throughout Europe and enters them into the Creative Gaming Awards under three categories – Most Creative Game, Most Innovative Newcomer, and Audience Award.
The nominated games will be presented to a large audience in an exhibition at PLAY 2018 where three winners will be selected for the prizes which range from 500e – 1500e. The competition focuses on creative games and playful media with novel and innovative interactivity.
Submissions are free and close on July 31st
Awarding ceremony takes place on November 3rd
More information about submitting and the PLAY festival can be found at – https://playfestival.de/en/
The creators of the video game documentary Moleman 4 – Longplay have organised a ‘ask me anything’ series on Reddit.com with renowned game developers and producers.
The AMA is intended for developers and fans and the line-up of guests consists of:
****Chris Taylor, Founder of Gas Powered Games and Lead Designer of games like Total Annihilation, Dungeon Siege, and Supreme Commander.
****Robert Stein, Founder of Andromeda Software.
****Dominic Wheatley, Founder of Domark Software (Eidos plc).
****David Bishop, Designer and Producers on games such as Jungle Book, Disney’s Aladdin, Bombuzal, and Dune.
Registration for the AMA is free and can be done through the following link – https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/
For the links to the Reddit posts and for more information visit https://moleman4.com/ama
Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board announced recently that they had appointed Gareth Lee to the role of Manager of Screen Training Ireland. Gareth will be responsible for the roll out of a new plan of action for the development of skills across the whole screen sector being Film, TV Drama, Animation, Television production, VFX, Games and VR / AR. Gareth will also work with the skills sub-committee of the Irish Film Board with regard to the roll out of the recent Crowe Horwath report on the Audiovisual Sector.
Gd.ie readers will know Gareth from his work at Ballyfermot College of Further Education where he ran the Animation degree programme and most recently the diploma programme in 3D & Visual Effects. Gareth was also central in the Animation Skillnet which included placing graduates with games companies.
Good luck in your new role!
The 8th Irish Conference on Game-Based Learning (iGBL) will take place at the Clayton hotel in Cork City from June 28th – 29th.
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. The conference includes a mix of academic presentations, practical workshops, and digital and non-digital games demos.
****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 programme contains over 42 authors (teachers, researchers, professionals, and students) who will be presenting their work and developments on games and learning through 29 presentations (e.g., workshops, game demos, and research and practitioners’ presentations).
Standard tickets are priced at E99
Student tickets are priced at E55
To register and purchase tickets visit… http://www.igbl-conference.com/registration/
For more information about iGBL visit… http://www.igbl-conference.com/
The Irish Interfirms Gaming League (IIGL) is an Irish video-gaming community and league where companies can compete in various different eSports games. The community is run by volunteers and aims to promote gaming.
The initiative is in the early stages of development and organisers are actively looking for interested parties and participants to join the community. The IIGL will use the Battlefy eSports tournament platform to organise and implement the gaming league.
For more information about the Irish Interfirms Gaming League visit – https://irishinterfirmsgaming.ie
The School of Media at the Dublin Institute of Technology have announced two Assistant Lecturer posts.
**** Assistant Lecturer in Game Design (Permanent Wholetime)
This role will involve delivering education in game conception, design, and development as well as undertaking research activities in Game Design.
A masters degree or above and a minimum of three years experience subsequent to obtaining a primary honours degree in a relevant discipline are required.
**** Assistant Lecturer in Quest Design (5 hours per week/ 3-year post)
This role will involve working within the School of Media to design, develop, and implement the games courses offered at DIT. The candidate will also be expected to contribute to research activities within the institute.
A masters degree or above and a minimum of three years experience subsequent to obtaining a primary honours degree in a relevant discipline are required. Substantial relevant industry/professional experience with a track record in quest design and strong fantasy and science fiction writing skills are desired.
For more information about the two positions visit… http://www.dit.ie/hr/resourcing/resourcingandrecruitment/vacancies/
Animation Skillnet, in association with Boulder Media, are running an animation bootcamp (using Toon Boom Harmony) from Monday 18th of June to Friday 22nd of June.
The week-long bootcamp will take place from 9:00am – 5:00pm and will be delivered by Graham Tormey, Animation Supervisor at Boulder Media.
The bootcamp will include practical work and portfolio advice, each participant will finish the week with new work to add to their portfolio. For those who complete the bootcamp, there will be an opportunity to submit an animation test to Boulder Media who are offering an internal internship for the successful completion of the test.
Boulder Media have also noted that they are currently recruiting animators so this could be a good opportunity to gain some valuable experience which may lead to work.
The cost for the bootcamp is E100 and places are limited to 16. For further information visit – http://animationskillnet.ie/animation-bootcamp-2018-toonboom-harmony-with-boulder-media/
The closing date for application is Wednesday June 6th.
To apply for the bootcamp visit – http://animationskillnet.ie/event-registration/?ee=210
Futurescope 2018 will take place at the Convention Centre in Dublin on Thursday May 31st.
The event is designed around four themed stages – Insights, Collaboration, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship, breakout sessions, and a creativity meets tech session.
Animation Ireland and Animation Skillnet have organised the creativity meets tech programme which focuses on the future of content creation and production for games, animation, VFX, and AR/VR. Some of the companies involved include Pink Kong Studios, Epic Games, Unreal, JAM Media, Utility AR, Boulder Media, Brown Bag Films, StoryToys, and Black Shamrock Games.
Tickets are priced at E170 – see…http://www.futurescope.ie/tickets/
For more information about the event programme visit – http://www.futurescope.ie/2018-programme/#anc_creativity
Writers Game is an event aiming to bring writers together to collaborate from gaming, film, publishing, and virtual reality. The event will take place at ODEON Point Village on November 17th and 18th.
The two day conference will be organised around a series of masterclasses by successful writers and storytellers such as Jessica Sliwinski (Lead narrative designer and writer at Disruptor Beam), Jeff Miller (Film maker and Founder of Interrogate.com), Glenn Meade (NY Times Best Selling Author), and Toiya Kristen Finley (Game writer, author and editor, Co-founder of Game Writing tutorial at GDC).
A Writers Game pitch competition has been organised in which novelists can enter draft narratives. The winner of the contest will receive mentoring from author Glenn Meade, who will assist in the development of the winners draft story.
For the event schedule see...https://writersgame.media/schedule/
Event ticket prices are TBD
Pitch-competition entry fee: E52.69 (closing date July 1st)
State of Play 2018 is an Irish Independent Game Maker event hosted by the School of Media in the Dublin Institute of Technology, in association with the Irish Game Makers Association – IMIRT.
The event will take place on Friday, May 4th at DIT Aungier St and will be primarily organised around an open expo, game-based learning seminar, and keynote talks by national and international speakers.
The expo is an excellent opportunity for developers, students, researchers, garage or aspiring game developers to showcase their work to their peers and to industry professionals. The game-based learning seminar is new to the 2018 programme and will take place at 11AM in room 4-027, the seminar will provide a forum for interested parties in exchanging their methods, projects, and best practice in the area of the use of games for educational purposes in an Irish Context.
Some of the 2018 speakers include Jean-François (Jeff) Gagné (Senior Game Designer with DICE), Tyler Sigman (Co-founder and design director at Red Hook Studios), Vikki Ruttle (Feature Owner & ScrumMaster at DIGIT game studio), Llaura McGee (Founder of Dreamfeel studio, artist, designer, and game maker), Dave McCabe (Freelance Writer and Games Designer), and Dr. Bryan Duggan (Computer Science Lecturer at DIT and VR enthusiast).
The event will be followed by an after party in Alfie Byrne’s on Earlsford terrace, Dublin 2 (map).
For more information on this year’s line-up visit...https://www.stateofplay.ie/
The ADAPT Research Centre is a digital innovation and research organisation developing next generation digital technologies and research.
On July 5th and 6th, the centre will hold a two-day interactive workshop entitled “Ethics in Research and Innovation: Methods and Practice”.
The ADAPT website provides information on their latest research initiatives – https://www.adaptcentre.ie/
Animation Skillnet, in collaboration with Animation Ireland, will be organising a room on the theme of “Creativity Meets Technology” at Futurescope 2018, which takes place at the Convention Centre on the 31st May.
Irish and international industry experts will be presenting on the day, including Epic Games (Unreal Engine), The Foundry, JAM Media, Cartoon Saloon, Warducks, 3D4 Medical, Brown Bag Films, StoryToys/TouchPress, Artomatix, Boulder Media, Black Shamrock Games and many more…There will also be a keynote address from Intellectual Property specialist, Rob Hudnut, who was formally the Head of Mattel’s entertainment division.
Other topics to be explored on the day include:
***IP development for a changing distribution and consumer landscape
***The future of interactive medical education
***Creative AI for virtual worlds
***Closing the content gap for VR and AR
***Real-time production and changing production pipelines
The event will also host an Animation and AR/VR showcase area featuring exhibitions, demos and targeted networking for attendees.
For further information on the services Animation Skillnet have to offer see… http://animationskillnet.ie/
Lots of other interesting presentations, demos and panels will also take place at FutureScope 2018. So keep an eye on http://www.futurescope.ie/ over the coming weeks for updates on the schedule and speaker announcements.
AeonSpark Events have organised a new gaming industry conference – Dublin Games Summit.
The event has been designed as an industry expo and networking opportunity, primarily aimed at developers, publishers, and retailers.
DGS will host a number of industry experts and speakers such as Steven Collins (Co-Founder at Havok), Jen Carey (Board member of IMIRT and founder of fickle games), Sam Watts (Director of Immersive Technologies at Make Real), Travis George (Previous producer on League of Legends), David Yarnton (Co-Chair at Ukie), Sophie Sampson (Director of Matheson Marcault) and more.
The summit will consist of 2 rooms holding over 12 different topics from industry professionals. The schedule will be organised into keynotes, panels, 1-1 meetups, a networking lunch and evening event, and more.
Early-bird tickets – 120e
Standard tickets – 185e
For ticket sales see… https://dublingamessummit.ie/tickets/
For further info on DGS visit… https://dublingamessummit.ie/
For more gaming events from AeonSpark visit… https://aeonspark.com/
StoryToys have released a new app in the Hungry Caterpillar series inspired by Eric Carle’s classic children’s picture book.
Following the success of the ‘My Very Hungry Caterpillar App’ in 2015 when it was awarded the Bologna Ragazzi Digital Award for excellence in children’s digital publishing, StoryToys have developed an educational app for preschool children.
The ‘Hungry Caterpillar Play School’ app uses internationally recognised early-learning goals designed to help children develop skills in math, spelling, reading, writing, science, and nature whilst practicing creative arts and interactive crafts.
The app is available for download from the app store
**Note: the app offers a free trial but is a subscription app that requires the user to sign up
The 5th annual ARVR Innovate conference will take place on May 10th between 8:30 am – 5:30 pm at the RDS Concert Hall, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4.
The event is one of Europe’s most recognised augmented reality and virtual reality conferences, hosting over 40 national and international speakers, and an expo of 30 AR and VR exhibitions featuring the latest technologies.
Industry speakers will provide case studies of the varying ways in which the technologies are being incorporated into industries such as gaming, tourism, and marketing. This years speakers and exhibitors include Dutch/Irish entrepreneur and author Ron Immink, Alibaba’s Jian Gu, Dave Lorenzini of youAR and formerly of Keyhole which became Google Earth, Audi’s Jan Pfluger, Philip Nagele of Wikitude, and a showreel of the award winning Pink Kong Studios’ Aurora.
ARVR Innovate showcases the work of startup business’ in the AR and VR sectors. This years conference will host a new ‘Startup Zone’, an entirely new section of the exhibition area to highlight startups from Ireland, the UK, Europe, USA, and Russia. The Startup Zone will allow business’ to display their work to guests and speakers.
10 of the startup companies will be given the opportunity to present their business, technology, and aims to the crowd on the ‘Startup Stage’. The presentations will take place during the main stage intervals and will be assessed by the ARVR Innovate judges who will decide which startup will be awarded the ARVR Innovate Startup Award 2018.
For more information about the 2018 line-up see – http://arvrinnovate.com/#speakers
For more information about the Startup Zone see – http://arvrinnovate.com/startup-zone-to-feature-at-arvr-innovate/
Early-bird tickets – 195e [until the 3rd of May]
Academic tickets – 95e
See Eventbrite for tickets – https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/arvr-innovate-conference-and-expo-2018-tickets-44867107727
Trinity College Dublin is recruiting for an iOS software developer with previous experience of smartphone app & game development for a high-impact research project. The positions starts as soon as possible and runs for one year.
The research project involves developing a gamified cognitive test, in the form of an app, to detect risk for Alzheimer’s Disease in healthy individuals, around the world and at scale.
*Software development of a smartphone app for longitudinal cognitive neuroscience research in brain health
*‘Gamification’ of well validated cognitive tests
*Work collaboratively as part of an academic team
*Applicants should have a minimum of 3 years’ industry experience in iOS app development, preferably having worked on at least one game. *Note that candidates with 2 years’ experience may also be considered, but they must have demonstrate extremely high performance during that time.
*The candidate must be proficient in iOS development (Essential)
*React Native – experience building mobile apps using Javascript and React and/or Android development experience (Highly Desirable)
*Experience with large datasets, analytics and logistically complex projects (Desirable)
*The ideal candidate will have an active interest in cognition and brain health (Desirable)
*The ideal candidate will be reliable, highly motivated and productive, and enjoy working collaboratively (Essential)
Contract: Fixed term contract – 1 year full time
Start date: as soon as possible.
Location: TCD, Dublin, Ireland.
Salary: Appointment will be made on the Level 2 Research Fellow salary scale at point 8 (€44,643 per annum), which is in line with
Government Pay Policy
Deadline: apply as soon as possible
Further information on the role can be found by accessing: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pcqrKa_F3ZUVnbqhYV4Oo1dcrTun0pNw/view?usp=sharing
To apply please send a cover letter with a brief description of past accomplishments as well as future research interests and career goals together with a full curriculum vitae (CV) to include the names and contact details of 2 referees (email addresses if possible) to:
Dr. Andrew Pringle, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Gillan Lab, email: pringlea@tcd.ie
Posted: 16th April, 2018.
We are going on tour with our Network in Play Workshops!
In April 2018 Network in Play and our partners are running three workshops for beginners in Galway which are female friendly and inclusive. This follows on from our diversity workshops in Dublin in the summer of 2016.
This is part of the ReFig: Network in Play project that Aphra Kerr and Vicky Twomey-Lee are involved in – http://gamedevelopers.ie/diversity/
When: Sat Apr 7/14/28 2018
Duration: 11-4 with lunch provided.
Where: PorterShed (1st two workshops, 7 & 14 April) / (note change of venue) Galway Technology Centre, Galway (3rd workshop, 28th April).
The three workshops are:-
***Apr 7 – Charlene Putney – an interactive fiction/game narrative workshop
***Apr 14 – Robin O’Keefe – a board-game design workshop
***Apr 28 – Tracey McCabe – an intro to games development with Unity3D
Level: These workshops are aimed at over 18s who are complete beginners with no prior experience of game development. We are particularly keen to attract women, people from diverse creative backgrounds, people who are unemployed and people of colour.
Price of workshops start from €10 (incl. lunch), with deductions for unemployed, students and attendance at more than one workshop.
Any left over proceeds will be donated to COPE Galway.
All materials and technology provided. Just bring yourselves.
To sign up go to to https://ti.to/refig-nip/galway-diversity-in-games-workshop/
We have developed our own Code of Conduct within inputs from our network partners. See here. Comments and suggestions welcome. This is a work in progress.
Our colleagues in our ‘parent’ Refiguring Innovation in Games Network have developed a Safer Space policy. We will be adopting this also for our events. See here.
Our partners include the people from Coding Grace who have a lot of experience running diversity friendly events in Ireland. Their Code of Conduct can be found here.
Want to let us know about other useful approaches, codes and policies?
Drop us an email here.
IEEE Games Entertainment & Media conference, will be held in Galway, Ireland 15th-17th August. The IEEE GEM 2018 conference aims to bring together researchers, developers,industry & government partners working on gaming technologies, entertainment, multimedia, Virtual & Augmented reality,IoT, Artificial intelligence & interdisciplinary areas.
GEM encompasses all aspects of gaming and interactive digital media ranging from theoretical advances in algorithmic and mathematical techniques, to new enabling technologies, advanced consumer electronics systems, novel sensing technologies, to socio-economic impacts and unique and original uses and applications of these technologies.
GEM is for scientists, engineers, psychologists, sociologists, mathematicians, programmers and games researchers of all disciplines, united in their interest and enthusiasm for digital games, interactive entertainment & media and the significant uses and impacts these technologies have on our lives.
GEM delegates are encouraged to submit original research works on the above areas. The submission deadline is the 31st of March and this article covers some of the main technology tracks for presenting your research work at the conference.
Track 02 – Mobile& Wearable Technologies: This track has a focus on new mobile & wearable technologies. There have been some really interesting developments in this sector, especially with some of the efforts to develop low-cost augmented reality support for today’s smartphones from DIY cardboard mounting systems to advanced Augmented Reality development frameworks. And we also had killer gaming experiences such as Pokemon-Go which redefined the nature of mobile gaming!
But this track is broader in scope as it encompasses all of the new technologies that are rapidly evolving in the smartphone and wearable sectors, including advanced motion sensing, camera and connectivity technologies. Research into new gaming related applications and use cases are also encouraged.
Have you been developing some research using one of these technologies – please consider sharing your experience with us at IEEE GEM 2018.
Track 03 – Augmented& Virtual Reality: This is a field were exciting new technologies are beginning to democratise the adoption of AR/VR and most recently mixed-reality where a combination of sound, visual cues, haptics and other sensory stimulations are combined to create new compelling gaming experiences.
Several of our keynotes will address related topics, but we also want to gain insights from your research and application experiences with these new technologies.
Have you developed some cool new applications or use cases for the Hollolens? Or perhaps you’ve been working on a new immersive VR simulation? Do consider sharing your work and experiences with us in Galway this Summer.
Track 06 – Emerging Technologies: This track encompasses a broad range of technologies that provide potential gateways to new gaming experiences. New user interface techniques and technologies will fit into this track as can motion or location-sensing and location aware technologies or use cases.
Techniques and applications involving touch & haptics or advances optical displays or sensing methods and advanced motion capture or body-aware technologies are also relevant. In fact any technology that can enable or enhance the gaming or media experience for the user is of interest. We need your contributions at IEEE GEM.
Track 10 – Augmented Spaces: This track takes its lead from our conference theme: “Augmented Spaces and Virtual Worlds”. As consumer electronics technologies continue to evolve with smart speakers moving into our homes, OLED TV panels creating dynamic, photorealistic viewing experiences and advanced soundbars bringing immersive surround sound our living room is turning into an augmented entertainment space. But it can become more – a gateway into new, Virtual Worlds with associated entertainment & gaming experiences that we have yet to imagine.
GEM isn’t limited to technology tracks, and more information is coming on other conference tracks, from societal impacts, to serious gaming and esports.
You can find information on all of the conference tracks here or liaise with individual track chairs here, and if you are ready to submit a paper via EDAS you can go here.
Countdown to the deadline of the 31st of March.
As if you need another excuse to go to Dingle! Sign up by Fri. 16th of March.
Animation Skillnet are teaming up with Animation Dingle to offer the master classes outlined below at Animation Dingle 2018 (with support from Skillnets, Screen Training Ireland and the BAI).
Please note that places on each of these master classes are limited and will be allocated on a first come first served basis. To enable the maximum number of people to attend at least one master class please select the one master class from the three advertised that you’d most like to attend when registering. If we can’t register you for your chosen masterclass we’ll aim to register you for one of the other masterclasses.
Registration for these master classes is only open to those who have already bought Animation Dingle festival passes.
Please register here: http://animationskillnet.ie/event-registration/?ee=183
The deadline for registrations is Friday 16th March.
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Masterclass 1 – Dan Katcher – Friday 23rd March 10am-12.30pm – Beehive Theatre
Biography: Dan Katcher is a renowned Los Angeles-based creature designer for television, games, and film. He is best known for his design of the dragons on HBO’s hit, Game of Thrones, which earned him Emmy recognition for three straight seasons. In addition to Game of Thrones, Dan is currently at work on creatures for a number of DC Comic productions, including The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, and Supergirl. See more here: https://www.dankatcher.com/
Master Class Title: Making Monsters in Zbrush (How to Make a Dragon – An Anatomical Approach). Dan will talk through the importance of understanding of physiology and anatomy while creating creatures using Zbrush.
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Masterclass 2 – Ryan Woodward – Saturday 24th March 10am-12.30pm – Beehive Theatre
Biography: Ryan Woodward has worked in the film, animation and gaming industry in various roles such as animator, storyboard artist and director for 23 years. He began his career in 1995 as an animator on the film Space Jam. Since then, he has gone on to work on the following films: The Iron Giant, Spider-Man 2 and 3, Cowboys and Aliens, Where The Wild Things Are, Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, the Avengers and many more. He currently works at Riot Games on the development of future projects. See more here: http://ryanwoodwardart.com/
Master Class Title: 2D Animation – Ugly Drawings Moving Beautifully. Ryan will go through his theories and approach to animation and the value of understanding the depth of characters and story structure.
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Masterclass 3 – Keith Sintay – Saturday 24th March 2pm-4.30pm – Beehive Theatre
Biography: Keith Sintay has been a professional animator for over 23 years. Having worked as a traditional paper and pencil animator, an all-digital character animator to VFX blockbuster animator and supervisor, he offers a unique perspective on the industry. He began his career at Disney Feature Animation in Florida as a traditional animation artist on the Disney film Pocahontas and from there worked on such films as: The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Mulan, Tarzan, Spirit: Stallion of the Cimmaron, and Sinbad (Dreamworks). …After working for 10 years in Feature Animation, he made the transition into VFX animation while still at Sony, and went on to work on I Am Legend. … He is currently working as Animation Supervisor for DC’s Legends of Tomorrow on the Warner Brother’s CW network. See more here: http://www.animationmentor.com/mentors/keith-sintay/
Master Class Title: Tips and Tricks for Character Animation and VFX Animation. In his Master Class Keith will be discussing his methodology and workflow that has allowed him to be successful and efficient throughout his digital career. He will offer Tips and Tricks for approaching both VFX Animation and Character Animation.
