Story and Macro Design Masterclass July 7th (Galway)

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 Conference January 10 – 11, 2019 (Call for Papers)

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/

 

Technical Game Internship at Simteractive, Dublin (4-12 months)

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/

Creative Gaming Award 2018

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/

 

Reddit AMA with Game Developers and Producers

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

 

New Head at Screen Training Ireland

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!

8th Irish Conference on Game-Based Learning 28th – 29th June (Cork)

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/

Irish Interfirms Gaming League Community

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

Assistant Lecturers in Game Design and Quest Design, DIT (Dublin)

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/