Game Job Hunter

[freelance] Social Game Designer – Sports Focused – Freelance at accuscore

2010-08-24 18:31:41

Location: Los Angeles, California
Description:

A small sports content company is moving quickly into gaming. We are seeking an experienced Social Game Designer to do freelance work at the beginning stages of our transformation into Gaming. This ideal person will have experience in designing social games and have good knowledge of sports, teams, and leagues. The initial step for the right candidate is to help create the initial game design docs, story boards, and concepts. We envision this process to take about 2-3 months in our Los Angeles office. Depending on the direction of the game and the speed at which the game gets funding, this could lead to a full-time employment opportunity.

The right candidate will have excellent insight into how game design decisions will affect the player community, viral coefficient, player retention, and monetization of the game. You should be an excellent verbal and written communicator as we will be communicating with Board members who are not knowledgeable in the space.

Job Responsibilities
• Work 10 hours per week in the office
• Run/participate in team brainstorms
• Research sports arena for social games and recommend starting points for sports, types, etc
• Write specs/game design documents that adhere to company goals
• Design game content and content strategy
• Storyboard the game(s) for pitches and strategy
• Hire graphic designers for initial take on the graphics (on our dime)
• Define future phases (once project has launched)
• Define success metrics and identify important data to track
• Bring great ideas
• Inspire the team
• Know your stuff
• Be an excellent communicator

Qualifications
• Honest, almost to the point of brutal
• Be prepared to be start from scratch
• Self-starter, directed, and can work towards a goal
• 3+ years in game design
• Los Angeles, CA local

Please apply online through this site.

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[full-time] Senior Level Designer at Demiurge Studios

2010-08-17 15:50:53

Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts
URL: http://www.demiurgestudios.com

Description:

Are you a visionary level designer with an uncanny ability to craft genre-defining play spaces? Are you looking for a team that shares your passion for innovation, collaboration and quality?

Demiurge Studios is looking for experienced level design talent to join our growing team. The right candidate has a firm grasp of what makes a level fun and immersive, the artistic instincts to make it visually compelling, and the technical chops to make it real.

Responsibilities:

Build and maintain levels in an iterative, highly collaborative environment
Drive levels through the full development process, from concept to ship
Write and maintain level design documentation
Work with artists and game designers to create striking environments that complement and elevate game mechanics

Inspire, innovate, exceed, push the limits… revise, optimize, streamline, perfect

Qualifications:

3+ years professional experience with 2+ shipped titles in a level design capacity
Strong artistic sensibility and command of visual design
Proficient with 3ds Max or equivalent art package
Self starter with reliable scheduling/time management abilities
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Strong portfolio of level and encounter design

College degree

Preference to applicants with:

Experience with Unreal
Scripting experience
Rapid prototyping experience
Multiplayer design experience
Art background and/or environment art experience

Outside interests!

Please email your cover letter, work samples and resume to: jobs@demiurgestudios.com.

Demiurge Studios is an independent, bootstrapped video game development house – that means no outside funding, ever. We are spontaneous. We are indie. We are… professional. We’re licensed for all next-gen consoles and work on some of the most notable games in the industry, like Bioshock, Brothers in Arms and Mass Effect. Our resume sounds pretty impressive, but we think that our team is even better. And we take pride in taking care of our team.

Demiurge is located in the heart of Cambridge, Massachusetts, minutes away from downtown Boston. We are stable, employee-oriented, and employee-owned. We focused on quality of life and smart development practices – before it was cool to talk about it. We maintain a creative, energetic atmosphere where individual input matters. We offer competitive salaries, benefits, and sane working hours. Sound too good to be true? That’s just the beginning.

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[full-time] Senior Game Designer at World Golf Tour

2010-08-16 22:04:54

Location: San Francisco, California
URL: http://www.wgt.com/

Description:

Senior Game Designer
World Golf Tour

Job Overview:

Duties will include overseeing general game design, rules systems, play balance, interface design, story, and team design meetings. The ideal candidate will have proven experience in game design, outstanding "people" skills, and a longstanding passion for playing games of multiple genres and platforms. This is not a visual UI or art designer position.

Job Responsibilities:

Design leveling systems
Itemization balancing
Design achievement and reward systems
Create orientation and tutorial systems
Write design docs and specs
Design collaborative play systems

Analyze Data and feedback changes in to the designs

You will be working closely with the development, marketing, and production teams.

Requirements:

3+ years game design experience including Senior or Lead Design experience on a shipped product.
Must be a proven game designer, having already designed high-quality and (preferably) successful social and/or mobile games
Production and product management experience
Technical understanding
Strong mathematical skills
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Absolute Passion for playing and making computer games.

Ability to work well in a team environment

Pluses:

Sports Experience and Knowledge
Bachelors Degree or equivalent experience

Non-design development experience (as an artist, sound designer, programmer, etc).

About World Golf Tour:

World Golf Tour is an innovative, top tier venture-funded company whose mission is to be the leading online sports game company. We offer the world’s most photo-realistic online golf experience, which is designed for both casual gamers and golf enthusiasts. World Golf Tour’s category leading product has unsurpassed HD visual quality; the game play and features of a multi-player console game; the interaction and community of a social network; and it features competitive tournaments with real-life prizes. We are creating a new genre of gaming, one that has vast opportunities in multiple market verticals.

World Golf Tour was founded in 2006 with the backing of leading venture capital firms Battery Ventures and Panorama Capital, as well as prominent individual investors. World Golf Tour’s executive team has an accomplished track record at other successful companies, including Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS) and WagerWorks (NYSE: IGT). Our business partners include some of the top media companies, advertisers, golf courses, and sponsors in the world.

http://www.wgt.com/

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[full-time] Design Director at Volition, Inc.

2010-08-11 22:56:01

Location: Champaign, Illinois
URL: http://www.volition-inc.com

Description:

Volition is searching for a Design Director for a new action role-playing game. We are collaborating with a high-powered creative talent in the entertainment industry to develop this original, unannounced franchise. The successful candidate will have a proven track record leading design teams and creating AAA-quality player experiences.

Volition is one of THQ’s premier internal game development studios. We are the creators of such franchises as Saints Row, Red Faction, and the Descent/FreeSpace series. We most recently released the critically acclaimed titles Saints Row 2 and Red Faction Guerrilla. We offer a casual work environment and comprehensive benefits package. We are located in Champaign, Illinois, a friendly, progressive university town two hours south of Chicago. Check out our website at www.volition-inc.com to learn more about our long history, creative atmosphere, and all our area has to offer.
Responsibilities

Establish and communicate a strategic overview of the product design. Ensure that the player experience fulfills the vision of the game.
Help foster a design culture committed to quality, collaboration, innovation, craft, and fun.
Ensure that design elements meet criteria for completeness, quality, balance, vision, and player emotion.
Evangelize for the needs of the player. Work with user experience researchers to define goals for player testing and data gathering.
Delegate areas of ownership to members of the design team. Help plan schedules and validate progress towards project goals.
Mentor the design team and encourage professional development. Conduct regular critiques and reviews.
Identify staffing needs and assist with the hiring of new designers.
Drive an on-going competitive analysis to assess the quality and scope of gameplay features against those of the competition.

Collaborate with external creative team to implement a shared vision for the game.

Qualifications

At least five years of professional industry experience with at least one product cycle as a lead designer. Proven track record with AAA console products.
Exceptional leadership qualities. Ability to motivate and inspire others to achieve their best work.
Positive, professional attitude. Disciplined and self-motivated with a strong work ethic.
Ability to think creatively and analytically. An in-depth understanding of how gameplay works and how to create fun, meaningful experiences for the player.
Excellent communication and organizational skills. Ability to multitask and be flexible about changing role requirements.

Passion for games and ability to articulate that passion clearly and analytically. A broad knowledge base of console games and RPGs.

Other information

Sample Work Required

Please provide samples of your design work. Downloadable and playable levels are preferred, but other samples may be acceptable (e.g., videos or instructions for viewing levels shipped in retail products).

Any supplemental materials demonstrating skills relevant to this position are also encouraged.

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[full-time] Senior MMO Game Designer at Petroglyph Games

2010-08-05 19:02:23

Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
URL: http://www.petroglyphgames.com

Description:

This is a fantastic opportunity to become part of the ground breaking MMORTS End of Nations.

We are looking for a senior MMO with previous experience working as a leader on a AAA MMO title.

The Senior MMO Game Designer is responsible for is responsible for leading a team of designers in understanding, refining, maintaining, and disseminating the game design vision, game design, mission building, gameplay balancing, and game proposal development of a Massive Multiplayer Online Game.

Duties include:

• Responsible for leading the design team to produce a AAA groundbreaking MMO title.
• Responsible for designing and developing the vision of the project story lines, including writing proposals, treatments, levels and scenarios.
• Works with the team to define the creative vision and fun factor, as well as product content and schedule.
• Writes and maintains design documents for the MMO project.
• Works closely with members of the production team to execute design and work though design revisions as needed.
• Creates game and AI scripts using LUA, or similar C/C ++ structured languages.

Qualifications:

• Minimum of 3 years as a senior MMO game designer with a design credit on at least one major AAA MMO game title.
• Must have exceptional leadership skills and experience leading an MMO design team.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience.
• Exceptional organization, communication, and writing skills.
• Expert knowledge of game design trends.
• Self-directed, detail oriented, problem solver with a burning desire to contribute to a uniquely creative environment.
• Knowledge of scripting languages such as LUA and C++ structured scripting languages.
• Experience and a thorough knowledge of how the major game design elements all work together.
• Proven success in creating compelling game-play, scenarios, activities, and encounters.
• Ability to both conceptualize and implement game ideas using various tools and technology.
• An avid gamer with strong interest in pushing the MMO industry forward creatively.

We offer a very competitive salary and excellent benefits and for the right person for this position.

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[full-time] Game Designer (Naughty Dog) at Naughty Dog

2010-08-04 01:27:43

Location: Los Angeles, California
URL: http://www.naughtydog.com

Description:

Game Designer (Naughty Dog)

Naughty Dog is hiring! We are the creators of Crash Bandicoot, Jak & Daxter, and Uncharted. We have multiple openings at our beautiful location in Santa Monica, California.

GAME DESIGNER

Responsibilities:
• Responsible for the planning, level layout, setup and tuning of single-player levels, from high concept to object placement and scripting.
• Responsible for designing and producing engaging and fun third-person action gameplay and levels.
• Act as producer for levels you design, as well as other parts of the game, collaborating across disciplines to get work done and clear dependencies, ensuring deadlines are met, and championing aspects of the gameplay.
• Work directly with artists, programmers, animators and other game designers to contribute to the vision of the game.
• Responsible for level layout by creating simplified level geometry and performing extensive play-testing and iteration.
• Work with programmers to develop tools on an ongoing basis.

Requirements and Skills:
• Experience designing single-player levels for console games
• Minimum 3 to 5 years of games industry experience
• Strong methodology and problem solving ability and with a focus on creative, fun and innovative solutions
• Strong and effective communication skills
• Exceptional team player with the ability to collaborate without losing sight of the gameplay vision
• Willingness to take design direction when offered
• Experience playing 3rd person action games
• Very good working knowledge of Maya, 3DS Max or similar 3D package
• Experience of developing third-person action games a bonus
• Experience of scripting set-up for action games a bonus
• Desire to be a part of the Naughty Dog team

Please send your resume and portfolio to candace_walker@naughtydog.com Best of luck!

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[full-time] Editor at ZeniMax Online Studios

2010-07-30 15:50:35

Location: Hunt Valley, MD
URL: http://www.zenimaxonline.com

Description:

We are seeking an editor to be responsible for maintaining quality across our content and consistency in our writing style. The editor will also be responsible for proofing all of our quests, in-game conversations, and all scripts for voiceover.

Responsibilities:

Responsible for revising game content in engine for quality and consistency
Writes, proofs and edits game scripts, instruction manuals, package copy and game summaries
Tests and evaluates game content and makes recommendations regarding design and content
Makes decisions and recommendations regarding text content for the game, manuals and other copy

Requirements:

Strong creative writing skills
Strong analytical skills
Ability to identify design and content issues
Ability to work in a highly confidential environment
Copywriting/copyediting experience
Effective verbal and interpersonal skills
One to three years experience in creative writing
Prior employment in the game industry
MMO experience as a developer or player
A strong portfolio

Education:

Undergraduate degree in English, creative writing, or a related field, or equivalent

How to Apply:
For the positions listed above, send your resume and any requested materials (web links preferred for portfolios/materials) via email. We will not return any materials.

E-mail:
Jobs@zenimaxonline.com
(Include position name in the Subject line)

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[full-time] Content Designer at ZeniMax Online Studios

2010-07-30 15:49:26

Location: Hunt Valley, MD
URL: http://www.zenimaxonline.com

Description:

Design layouts, quests, and scenarios for our next-generation MMO. This position will work on creating content in specific environments to create a fun and exciting game experience for an innovative and high-profile next generation MMO.

Activities/Responsibilities:

Responsible for design of encounters and scenarios around a particular section of the world.
Work with content leads and story leads to integrate missions into larger scenarios and storylines.
Balance and tune scenarios and rewards.
Work with content leads to develop and implement behaviors for monsters and bosses.
Prototype and iterate on new game environments and develop new ones.
Collaborate with art and programming to develop and refine content.
Design and implement large amounts of game assets.
Conceptualize, create and maintain detailed game design documentation throughout the project cycle.

Requirements:

Minimum of 3 years professional experience in content design, preferably for MMOs
Passion for playing and making computer games, particularly RPGs
Excellent verbal and written communication skills; communicates with impact
Strong organizational skills, the ability to multi-task, a keen attention to detail
Understanding of content creation pipelines and tools
Demonstrates high standards of excellence in work
How to Apply:
For the positions listed above, send your resume and any requested materials (web links preferred for portfolios/materials) via email. We will not return any materials.

E-mail:
Jobs@zenimaxonline.com
(Include position name in the Subject line)

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[part-time] Game Production Internship at Codename

2010-07-29 22:54:08

Location: Los Angeles, California
Description:

Game Production Internship
Codename Games is seeking a motivated, production-minded student to assist with all aspects of our internal and external development efforts. You will be assisting with scheduling, task tracking, external team wrangling, platform support, and more for several projects in various stages of development. This is an excellent learning opportunity for anyone interested in a career in production and project management, or anyone who would like to get a close look at how game development works outside the classroom. This is an unpaid internship, but you will receive course credit and will be credited as an Assistant Producer on any games you work on. You will also be free to use projects you work on in your personal portfolio.

Requirements:

* Pursuing games-related degree (Interactive Media, Interactive Entertainment, etc) * Strong ability to multitask * Experience with Open Office, Google Docs, and Google Apps * Project portfolio demonstrating time management skills and taking a game development project from concept to completion

Huge Bonus Points:

* Some engineering/programming background * Some game design experience * Some 2D or 3D art skills

About Codename Games
Codename Games is an independent games label developing small, innovative, independent projects for consoles and the web. Borrowing ideas from the best maverick, artist-focused entertainment enterprises, Codename works with small independent developers worldwide, internally and externally to develop smart, new indie games.

We are located in downtown Los Angeles.
To Apply
Please submit a cover letter, resume, and link to an online portfolio or reel to jasmine@codenamegames.com.

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[full-time] MMO Game Designer at Petroglyph Games

2010-07-27 18:52:36

Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
URL: http://www.petroglyphgames.com

Description:

The MMO Game Designer is responsible for understanding, refining, maintaining, and disseminating the game design vision, game design, mission building, gameplay balancing, and game proposal development of a Massive Multiplayer Online Game. The MMO Game Designer reports to Lead/Senior Designer.

Duties include:

• Responsible for designing and developing project story lines, including writing proposals, treatments, levels and scenarios on a console project.
• Develops concepts and treatments for products.
• Creates game and AI scripts using LUA, or similar C/C ++ structured languages.
• Works with the team to define the creative vision and fun factor, as well as product content and schedule.
• Writes and maintains design documents for the MMO project.
• Works closely with members of the production team to execute design and work though design revisions as needed.

Qualifications:

• Minimum of 3 years game design experience in the game industry, with design credit on at least one shipped on successful MMO game title.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience.
• Exceptional organization, communication, and writing skills.
• Expert knowledge of game design trends.
• Self-directed, detail oriented, problem solver with a burning desire to contribute to a uniquely creative environment.
• Knowledge of scripting languages such as LUA and C++ structured scripting languages.
• Experience and a thorough knowledge of how the major game design elements all work together.
• Proven success in creating compelling game-play, scenarios, activities, and encounters.
• Strong organizational skills: ability to keep track of minute details as well as the big picture while multitasking.
• Ability to both conceptualize and implement game ideas using various tools and technology.
• An avid gamer with strong interest in pushing the industry forward creatively.

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