Posts by Furyo

If he still thinks he's one of these small companies he's not fooling anyone. Truth is any money Valve gets is taken from 2K, who in turn may cut it short with GBX, but that's hardly Steam's fault. You don't hear publishers complain, you hear 1 3rd party developer.

What to present?

I'd say anything that's finished first and foremost. No one cares that you started 10 maps and never finished anything. You want to get hired you produce polished levels that are playable and available for testing. And yes that can be anything and everything.

My first gig I got with my very first map, a FPS one, to work on a sandbox adventure game that turned into a mini games compilation. Clearly you can't anticipate everything but it doesn't matter, let the companies do that thinking.

As far as documentation is concerned, I'd say just about none. As long as you can produce some when you actually get the job that'll be fine. What's important is your ability to EXPLAIN your designs YOURSELF. Most companies are not going to read through every single document you submit. A simple glance over the actual maps will tell them all they need to know. The next part will be about being able to explain your decisions during the interview. Remember these guys are pros, they are used to analyzing levels as they play them. That's what we're all paid for.

The day I can hire my own team you're the first person I'll ever contact.

HAHAHAH "I shit more pixels than this"

To bank on some people still on the edge of purchasing it that will get it on the 360 or the PS3 early on instead of being able to play a pirated version on the PC before making their choice.

And yes there are a lot more people inclined to do that than you may think. This is a very solid and sound anti piracy measure.

OMG OMG OMG (yes I'm excited )

Alright now, october is going to get me broke. I need to get Fifa 10, Brutal Legend AND Borderlands. Thank God I don't have a PS3 or I'd have to get Uncharted 2 as well.

Great move Mike, hope you destroy them all come play time

Yeah that's a common mistake many people do when they start, thinking they need to fill every gap in so it's more beefy. Truth is it hurts you a lot more than you may think.

Also, hello Neji, glad to see you here I still need to test your L4D campaign one of these days with you and the crew

Latest story trailer straight from TGS: http://www.gametrailers.com/video/tgs-0 ... reed/56626

Warning: This reveals the backstory of Ezio and why he becomes an assassin

I do, and selling copies is exactly the reason the game got made in the first place, so on that front I hope it doesn't disappoint

Yeah major kudos to the guy who did this, even if according to a twitter post he also got fired....

In this thread, you can find direct links to all portfolios posted on Mapcore, by alphabetical order. If anyone has been forgotten please let me know. This thread will become useful once older threads start moving onto other pages.

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

>George Hulm - Level Designer

I
None so far

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q
None so far

R

S

T

U

V
None so far

W

X
None so far

Y

Z

Cam Footage of PAX Demo, played by Patrice Desilets: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0azTwMTH5s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ipOk7sGgFY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uE3ZuO1xt6c

Their E3 demo had me a lot more convinced. This looked nothing special even if well put together, and there was nothing there that justified having a bluray disc either (unlike Killzone 2 or MGS). Of course they've only had two years to make it but the overall look and feel makes me doubt the game's quality is consistent throughout the game. Their facial animations from the previous cutscenes were a lot more impressive, and art wise the look of some of these assets is a tad too much on the cartoony side (vegetation at the beginning for instance) which sends me a different vibe than their e3 demo.

Here is the first gameplay trailer

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/visio ... reed/55401

That's actually what it is, they're working on the graphics and probably will add some post processing to make the games look better than on the PS2. At least that's what I got from the Kotaku article

The things I'm advocating really are the way I do things, even outside the industry back when I was working in marketing. So anyone can pick and choose too, as this is hardly a comprehensive list. I'm just tired of seeing guys sending absolutely disastrous applications when they should know better but no one ever told them.

So back to the topic at hand. A phone call can work too, but in my opinion and experience it should be the last resort. Like after the second email. Because you risk reaching the person at a bad time, and that would make your chances even slimmer. Let's face it you're going to have a lucky day if you can call someone who right at that moment has 5 minutes of completely spare time to give to you. And again, why would he/she do that?

As far as Ubisoft is concerned:

It is mandatory to use the corporate website for people that don't know any better. As for any company, there has to be a corporate page for recruitment and careers but that doesn't mean these applications are the main pool from which we hire people. If you're smart about your application you can find two dozens recruiters names in this industry in a matter of seconds. That'll get you somewhere a lot faster.

To me sending an application straight to the right person is the BEST chance you can have. Some may not like the idea, but no one would ever reject an application on that fact alone. As far as France is concerned, there is to my knowledge two different HR persons for our studios, then again I've been out of the loop for a while there. I know the ones I did know have moved on since then. You can also try AFJV, as my former lead in Montpellier had originally posted his LD position offer straight there himself. If you can bypass the original HR screening and be an interesting candidate to your future manager, that will go a very long way too. But Moroes would have more info on what goes on in France.

As for Ubisoft Montreal, my first intuition would be to contact Dan Tememe straight away. Dan is a senior recruiter here in Montreal and was quick to join our own LinkedIn group and post occasionally in our recruitment forum. He may be able to help you even more.

Here's my take on what one should do to gain a design position. Some things may apply to many more fields, even outside the industry but some are more specific. Most of this should really be common sense, then again not everyone shares that. I tried to be as thorough as possible but I know there will be other things I'll add later on.

What one should do before even applying :

1) Work on yourself before presenting yourself or your work:

- Make sure your work is the best you can make it. Doesn't have to be world class unseen before material, but it has to be pushed as far as you can. Finished, polished work only.

- Do your homework. Search the company(ies) you want to work for. What they did before, what they're working on, what engine they use. Play their games, and if possible try and toy around with their tech, see if you can grasp its philosophy.

- Work on your presentation skills. Practice your phone answering skills, cover letter writing skills. If you are subject to stress, the more training you get done now the easier it'll be when the interviews begin. For overseas interviews, be prepared to talk pro-grade English. Your language skills don't have to be perfect, but there is no question you need to both be understood and understand. As you would in a face to face conversation

2) Work on the presentation you are going to give:

- The application you are going to send is the passport of your own personality and yourself. It represents you, and until there is a second contact, this may be the only link between you and the company.

- Make it clean, respectful of your work, yourself and the person you're sending it to. Realize that the number 1 reason for anyone to do anything is their will. Make the recipient want to contact you back.

- Present key items and information from the get go, don't make anyone go look for it in an obscure email or web page. Your contact info should be the easiest info to find in your application.

3) Work on your network

- The more contacts you have in a given field, the better. Learn even more about the companies you're applying to, and start building a network of recruiters BEFORE you actually are ready to send applications around. This takes time, time you won't have when hard pressed to find a job.

- Use social networking sites such as LinkedIn, this industry is extremely young of age and spirit and you will find tons of people willing to help you out.

What one should do when applying:

1) First contact

- FIRST OF ALL, search the individuals you'll be sending your application to. Time to get personal. No need for over the top stalker like precision, but knowing how to pronounce and write the recipient's name goes a long way in earning their respect, and a simple allusion to one of their hobbies if you share the same never hurts either. Reason I say this is the first thing you should do is you may very well get a phone call minutes after sending your application. Prepare notes, know who you're talking to. In a business relationship, this would be common sense, so time to realize you're selling yourself out there.

- Send one email, to as many different recruiters within the same company as you know. No CC, no BCC, but maximize the effect of your email. Know that they will receive 200+ each day in some cases, and you want yours to stick in the crowd.

- Never copy and paste the same email to multiple companies or recipients. Make each email personable, and you won't ever forget to replace X for Y when sending the email to company or person Y.

- Always include your NAME and the job description you're applying for in the SUBJECT header. It's a lot easier to find again in a huge stack of applications

- Keep the email short and sweet. Make sure they know why you're sending this, so be clear too. You always want to copy all applicable contact info at the end of that email too. Don't hesitate to put your phone number and hours of the day you can be reached. Don't forget international area codes if you are applying overseas. Don't make the recipient go look for that info, again make it easy for him/her to contact you back. Don't overdo it with lots of details, you want to make sure the important info is there, and assure the recipient that you remain available for any question they might have.

- The email address you're using should be easy to access and professional sounding. Create a new one if you have to, but your MSN address is probably not the wisest choice. Again under the same principle as having your name in the subject header, your email address should be easily recognizable and remembered. Best would be to create one under the same domain as your own website/portfolio

2) Second contact

- In case no one has answered your application, even with a no, wait for about a week before sending a second one

- Second email should simply ask whether the first one was received. As much as you've been waiting for a reply, don't get emotional. Give the recipient an easy way out instead of making them feel bad they haven't replied yet. In most cases this will get you a reply right away.

- In case the answer is no, reply back with an invitation to remain in contact and to add you to their network, LinkedIn or otherwise. Make sure they know you remain available for future opportunities

- In case you get a phone call, know that this is where the process starts. Remain polite and don't interrupt the person on the end of the line, always ask a few questions at the end of the phone call if applicable, just to show you really are eager to go in more details about this. Nothing too specific the person wouldn't know. The most important thing you want to leave this convo with is a firm opportunity for a second phone interview, or even an on site one. At the very least both sides should understand what the next step is going to be. Don't hang up until this is clear on both sides. If you do, you may still never hear back from that person again.

3) Phone or on site interview

- Prepare yourself again, be ready to explain to great lengths your design process, how you work and why you took certain design choices.

- Learn who you'll be talking to. In most cases you'll get an invitation to take part in that phone interview, so you can prepare yourself. Know in advance who will be participating too, and as in the case of the first contact, learn more about them, their past work, and what they would be in relations to you in the company.

- Let the pros do the talking. Be clear you know your stuff, but don't overdo it trying to impress anyone, there will be time for that when you get the job.

- Be a teamplayer. In this industry more than in others, no position you may have would have no effect on any other's work. This is a prime quality to show, and make sure everyone knows you can work under a tight schedule and with this in mind. If you are reading this post and trying to break in, these two things are the ONLY things required of you as a newcomer.

- Make sure to ask early on when you present yourself whether you should ask questions at any time or only at the end. This helps tremendously as no one feels obligated to cut it short. Most seasoned recruiters and managers will actually make this point clear from the get go.

- As in the first phone call you have had, make sure to know what the next step is. You may have to do a test, in which case ask as much info as possible about this. Deadline, work required, etc. That way you won't have to wait for any recap email that may not even come with the details to that test, and you can start as soon as you hang up the phone

4) Interview aftermath...

- If the company isn't confident you're the best person for the role, never hesitate to ask feedback on your own application. What was missing, what can you work on to improve on your own skills.

- If the company wants to do even more interviews, remain at their disposal but don't put yourself in a tough situation either.

- If the company wants to hire you on the spot, the negotiations can start. Of course remember you are likely a newcomer so there isn't much room for bargaining, but don't undersell yourself.

- If multiple companies are interested, this is where you are left with negotiating power. Don't hesitate to place each company in charge of your own destiny and make them want to have you even more. However be very careful. This industry is relatively small and turnover is quite high. There aren't many studios without ties to other companies out there, and the last thing you want is to burn bridges with either one.

That's as far as getting a job is concerned. I'll try and post the second part of this post later, regarding how to behave and work once you're in, to keep your job.

http://www.gametrailers.com/episode/bonusround/307

They briefly touch on the subject.

Yes I could play it on the PC, in a clan. My former DoD clan moved on to MW when it was released. Back then my ties with the DoDS community, not to mention Valve, made me stay there. Plus I was concerned that I would get in a very different ball game. Activision releases a new CoD every year, whereas I had been playing DoD for the past 5. If I have to buy the new game each year to be part of an online group, that's where I draw the line.

Besides, every game I've played MP on was a Valve game. I just have all the fun I need with them and the friends I made in the community.

I understand they're going after the 1 million unique daily Halo 3 players with their MP again, but that's lost on me as I don't ever want to pay for Xbox Live, nor do I plan to play with a random internet crowd anytime soon. CoD always was about SP for me, from the very first one and MoHAA before that. As such, given the vast amount of copies available everywhere around me whenever one of these games come out, I also plan to continue not buying my own copy.

On the other hand, knowing I could get Batman Arkham Asylum for 40 bucks on release day, I picked it up straight away. That's a price I can live with for an awesome SP experience (like CoD) and the extra challenges.

Which really makes me think again about this point in the latest Bonus Round. Will we ever see games with different components sold separately? There are extra costs associated with this, at least as long as brick and mortar dominates the industry, but I would buy so many more games if I could just get their SP part as a stand alone...