Month: February 2024

Workshop de Godot (no Porto)

“O NCGM convida-te a participar no workshop a realizar-se dia 28 de Fevereiro às 15h na sala … na FEUP.
Neste workshop, direcionado para iniciantes em Godot, iremos criar em conjunto um jogo! Pelo que irás explorar todo o processo para a criação de um pequeno jogo desde programação, VFX e UI.
O objetivo deste workshop é ganhares bases para te orientares sozinho com o software.
Inscrições abertas até dia 27 de Fevereiro.”

+infos(oficial): https://linktr.ee/ncgm

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GameMaker grátis até ser um projeto comercial

Tenho uma relação estranha com o motor GameMaker, o meu primeiro contacto foi quando no site humblebundle.com surgiu um pack em que este motor ficava com uma licença bem simpática. Contudo e após a campanha no humblebundle terminar sai uma nova versão do GameMaker, com uma interface e mecanismos novos, o que implicou que quem como eu comprou a licença anterior foi forçado a comprar uma nova para poder usar a nova versão..

Ainda assim, o GameMaker foi comprado pela malta do Browser Opera e uma das decisões foi mesmo a a de libertar este software para qualquer pessoa usar. O limite é o produto final não ser comercial nem ter como destino as consolas. E para quem quer continuar a usar basta pagar uma única vez 99 dólares.

+infos(oficial): LINK

 

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Uma palestra de Casey O’Donnell

Uma palestra interessante sobre Making Games Differently

+infos(video): LINK

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Aprender Godot..

Para quem, como eu, que anda a adiar para aprender a usar Godot, fica aqui um video tutorial pelo Heartbeast, em que explica o desenvolvimento de um Space Shooter nesta plataforma.

+infos(oficial): LINK

E também encontrei este web site que é um repositório de ferramentas para trabalhar com o Godot e existe também uma comunidade :)

+infos(oficial): https://chickensoft.games/

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O ano de 2023 em números, diz a GamesIndustry.biz

O site GamesIndustry.biz publicou recentemente os seus números relativos ao ano de 2023 e produziu um infográfico todo catita para mostrar esses números:

o que se destaca aqui é aumento de receitas relacionado com a venda de videojogos, que jogos como Call of Duty, Diablo, Mortal Kombat, Madden NFL, continuam a ser best sellers nos Estados Unidos, e que até o Brazil aparece nos top5 dos países que mais downloads de videojogos fazem. Também é dada relevância ao aparecimento dos videojogos nas redes sociais.

+infos(oficial): LINK

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Livros interessantes… (e que gostava de ter acesso)

Já é possivel aceder gratuitamente (18 março de 2004) a este livro intitulado “StarCraft: Legacy of the Real-Time Strategy” de Simon Dor. O conteúdo passa pelas secções:
1. Decoding and Foreseeing
2. A Distinct Purity of Form
3. No rush
4. Path Of ascension
5. A distinct Purity of Essence

E ainda como texto de apresentação surge:
“StarCraft (Blizzard Entertainment, 1998) is a real-time strategy video game, placing the player in command of three extraterrestrial races fighting against each other for strategic control of resources, terrain, and power. Simon Dor examines the game’s unanticipated effect by delving into the history of the game and the two core competencies it encouraged: decoding and foreseeing. Although StarCraft was not designed as an e-sport, its role in developing foreseeing skills helped give rise to one of the earliest e-sport communities in South Korea.

Apart from the game’s clear landmark status, StarCraft offers a unique insight into changes in gaming culture and, more broadly, the marketability and profit of previously niche areas of interest. The book places StarCraft in the history of real-time strategy games in the 1990s—Dune II, Command & Conquer, Age of Empires—in terms of visual style, narrative tropes, and control. It shows how design decisions, technological infrastructures, and a strong contribution from its gaming community through Battle.net and its campaign editor were necessary conditions for the flexibility it needed to grow its success. In exploring the fanatic clusters of competitive players who formed the first tournaments and professionalized gaming, StarCraft shows that the game was key to the transition towards foreseeing play and essential to competitive gaming and e-sports.”

+infos(oficial): LINK

Também encontrei este livro, “Assassin’s Creed in the Classroom History’s Playground or a Stab in the Dark?” dos editores Erik Champion e Juan Francisco Hiriart Vera. Do texto de apresentação surge:
“The open world role-playing Assassin’s Creed video game series is one of the most successful series of all time, praised for its in-depth use of historical characters and events, compelling graphics, and addictive gameplay. Assassin’s Creed games offer up the possibility of exploring history, mythology, and heritage immersively, graphically, and imaginatively. This collection of essays by architects archaeologists and historiansexplores the learning opportunities of playing, modifying, and extending the games in the classroom, on location, in the architectural studio, and in a museum.”

O livro tem também os seguintes contributos:
Introduction: History’s Playground or a Stab in the Dark?
Chapter 1 Historical Video Games and Teaching Practices
Chapter 2 Discovery Tour Curriculum Guides to Improve Teachers’ Adoption of Serious Gaming
Chapter 3 Christian Vikings Storming Templar Castles: Anachronism as a Teaching Tool
Chapter 4 Ludoforming the Past: Mediation of Play and Mediation of History through Videogame Design
Chapter 5 Exploring History through Depictions of Historical Characters in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
Chapter 6 Empathy and Historical Learning in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Discovery Tour
Chapter 7 The Discovery Tour as a Mediated Tool for Teaching and Learning History
Chapter 8 Discovering the Past as a Virtual Foreign Country: Assassin’s Creed as Historical Tourism
Chapter 9 Classical Creations in a Modern Medium: Using Story Creator Mode in a University Assignment
Chapter 10 Assassin’s Creed @ The Carlos: Merging Games and Gallery in the Museum
Chapter 11 From the Sketchbook to Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: An Experiment in Architectural Education
Chapter 12 Assassin’s Creed As Immersive and Interactive Architectural History

+infos(oficial): LINK

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Ofertas de trabalho (em fevereiro)

Procura-se um Lighting Artist (hibrido ou presencial, em Lisboa), em que:

We are looking for you to have:
Minimum 3 years coof mmercial production experience in a lighting or technical art role
Strong understanding of latest games art fundamentals of real-time lighting, physically based rendering, materials, and post-processing
Portfolio or demo reel that demonstrates a keen eye for detail, knowledge of color theory and the ability to use light, shadow and color to create a variety of tones and moods
Working knowledge of Photoshop and 3ds Max or equivalent
Great communication, ability to follow creative direction, self-driven organization, and time management skills
Bachelor/Undergraduate degree or equivalent

In addition, ideally, you might also have:
Extensive UE5 knowledge, with project examples
Keen interest in playing games and game development beyond art
Prior experience with helping mentor your colleagues

+infos(oficial): https://www.funcom.com/funcom-zpx/

Procura-se um Lead Games Designer (hibrido ou presencial, em Lisboa), em que:

We are looking for you to have:
A bachelor’s degree
5+ years of experience in the game industry working in a game design capacity
2+ years of experience leading/managing a team
Shipped titles in a professional capacity
Extensive understanding of design processes including NPC design, feature design, level design, content design, as well as experience implementing features and content
Passion for leadership and mentoring
Clear, effective communication skills across teams and cultures
Motivation and drive to collaborate and advance positive change in a studio environment
The ability to work diligently while thinking critically and resolving complex issues

In addition, ideally, you might also have:
Experience working on survival or MMO games
Worked on games in a live environment
Enjoys playing survival games
Familiarity with Dune and the Dune IP

+infos(oficial): https://www.funcom.com/funcom-zpx/

A Saber em Gaia procura um Multiplayer Programmer

+infos(oficial): LINK

Procura-se um Level Designer (Almada/Portugal) pela Kwalee, no modo híbrido, em que:
“Responsibilities
Collaborate with the creative team to develop and execute captivating interactive narratives for our game.
Utilise your strong understanding of cinematography and movie directing techniques to craft cinematic moments within the game.
Develop and maintain a deep understanding of the game’s narrative structure, characters, and world.
Script compelling dialogues, cutscenes, and interactive sequences that enhance the overall player experience.
Collaborate with other designers, artists, and programmers to ensure a seamless integration of storytelling elements into gameplay mechanics.
Conduct playtesting and iterate on the game’s storytelling elements based on feedback and player experience.
Stay up-to-date with the latest trends and advancements in interactive storytelling, cinematography, and game design to push the boundaries of our games

Requirements
Proven experience (minimum 3 years) in game development, with a focus on interactive storytelling and game design.
Strong scripting skills using industry-standard tools and languages.
Working knowledge of the Unity engine is a must.
Knowledge and understanding of cinematography principles, camera work, and movie directing techniques.
Excellent creative and storytelling abilities, with a keen eye for detail and an understanding of narrative structure.
Ability to effectively collaborate with multidisciplinary teams and communicate ideas clearly.
Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to adapt to changing project requirements.
Positive attitude, self driven and able to work alone or as part of a team.
Passion for video games, storytelling, and a deep understanding of player engagement.
Based in one of our office hubs, following our hybrid model with 3 days per week on-site.”
+infos(oficial): LINK

Procura-se um Game Economy Designer (Almada/Portugal) pela Kwalee, no modo híbrido, em que:
“Responsibilities
Working closely with designers and the analytics team to develop the right inputs, and measurements for evaluating a game’s economic patterns.
Creating models for various interpretations of the game economy and forecasting player behaviours to find the right global maxima approach.
Collaborate with the Art Leads to find the right information hierarchy and UI conventions to get information across to the user in a tone and style appropriate to each game.
Working with the analytics department to understand the results of your work and the impact it has on player behaviour.
From paper to playable you will be able to visualise the desired UX, both in UX tools or in Unity.
Providing feedback based on your expertise on a wide range of games.

Requirements
A minimum of 2 years experience in an economy design or balancing role within gaming.
Can create models in industry standard tools to model player behaviours and the resultant economy impacts of those.
Can devise the parameters and measurements for effective AB testing of game economy variations.
Experience of mobile game live ops, A/B testing and analytics.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to work creatively in a demanding team environment.
Absolute passion for playing and making video games, especially mobile games.
Strong creative ideas and imagination, able to entertain players with challenges, humour, surprises and fun.
Positive attitude, self driven and able to work alone or as part of a team.”
+infos(oficial): LINK

Procura-se um Senior Game Designer (Almada/Portugal) pela Kwalee, no modo híbrido, em que:
“Responsibilities
Working as part of the design team and working closely with them to make our games as fun as they can be.
Taking responsibility for multiple mobile game projects, creating game design documents, diagrams and flowcharts.
Designing compelling game mechanics using modern mobile design principles.
Creating, balancing and tuning game mechanics, game difficulty and UI flow.
Creating levels and additional content using Unity, for new and existing games.
Evolving and adapting game designs based on play testing, feedback and live metrics.
Driving long term player engagement by understanding mobile players needs and motivations.

Requirements
A minimum of 5 years experience in a game design role with at least one published relevant game.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Knowledge of mobile free-to-play game monetisation and advertising techniques.
Ability to work creatively in a demanding team environment.
Absolute passion for playing and making video games, especially mobile games.
Strong creative ideas and imagination, able to entertain players with challenges, humour, surprises and fun.
Positive attitude, self driven, able to work alone or as part of a team.”
+infos(oficial): LINK

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