
Teaser
BlogsContent Type
News
07/10/2019
Summary
.suzes-btn { width: auto; padding: 10px 7px; border: 2px solid #ec6b01; border-radius: 5px; background: #ec6b01; color: #ffff !important; font-family: 'Proxima Nova W01'; font-weight: 700; margin: 2px; display: inline-block; } .suzes-btn:hover { background: #ffff; color: #ec6b01 !important; } What special skills do employers look for when hiring for roles on VR projects and how risky is it to skill up in those areas considering the longevity of VR is still unknown? The global VR & AR market was valued at around $3 billion in 2016 and in just one year it grew to $7 billion. The demand for VR & AR skills has followed this upward trend and will continue to as the industry grows to a projected of value of $92 billion by 2025. There is an entrepreneurial spirit in the space with many industry vets channelling their experience into setting up new VR & AR ventures. VR has been on the scene longer than AR but there is space for both to exist. A UK study found that 50% of respondents thought owning a VR device was fairly or very appealing. A virtual reality headset presents many uses – training for the military, treating PTSD, and helping sportsmen and women refine their techniques. And the needs that VR cannot meet are where AR comes in. With the ability to overlay virtual objects on the real-world environment, augmented reality has strong prospects for meeting navigation needs and propelling immersive learning in the classroom. On the surface of it, new skills do not appear necessary, core VR code- base is built on the most in-demand areas such as C+, C# and Unity. Art assets and environments created using Physics Based Rendering are also not unique to VR, but we are now seeing demand for candidates who have gained VR experience, either through employment or at University. Employers are starting to look for the context of deployment rather than skills alone – so effectively VR itself is becoming a skill. It’s early days and many specialist abilities needed to address the unique challenges of VR are still in formation. So what are employers looking for when hiring for gameplay jobs today? PROBLEM SOLVING A key ingredient is problem solving skills. Candidates with a leaning toward methodical, mathematical or experimental thought processes are of great interest to studios facing new challenges. The enhanced physicality of the gameplay interaction and multitude of visual configurations makes rendering images without blurring a major challenge. Achieving sufficient speed for a seamless VR experience increases demand both from an artistic and a technical perspective and optimising the efficiency of the code base is of critical importance. These features point to an evolving trend that the disciplines of creative and tech are growing closer together when it comes to VR. This new level of granularity in the interdependence of image and code has led to employers demanding stronger visual evidence in portfolios when hiring. Programming jobseekers can typically evidence their skills by showing source code excerpts, however when it comes to VR, studios want to see the impact of the code on the in-game visuals. On the art side, managers not only want to see the right quality models and artwork but how artists have technically integrated their assets into the game engine. Portfolios need to be comprehensive enough to demonstrate these fully rounded skills, showing an understanding of how they will cope with the additional demands of VR. SENSE SHIFTING As a game experience becomes more immersive, so the role of the senses shifts from the everyday. The VR headset reframes vision and removes real world touch so that the compensatory instincts kick in, particularly hearing. This means that audio, which has always played a key role in games, has an even deeper level of contribution to make to the VR experience. We have seen an increase in the demand for audio programmers in particular. Now that a player can turn toward or away from the source of a sound, the impact of even the smallest nuance in ambient sound will play a major role in sustaining the level of immersion. Once again a solid portfolio and showreel should demonstrate the level of detail and finesse VR requires and hirers seek standards above the ordinary. Another focus area is UI skills. The traditional thumb oriented handset is not available in VR and while this rewrites the design rulebook on menu access and selections, user interaction requires a higher level of intuitiveness to avoid confusion. Getting lost in virtual menus or physically knocking things over in reality is a no-no. Gameplay interactions have a new dimension of consequence – in fact pretty much every consideration in a ‘2D’ game is amplified exponentially in VR. To a large extent, the level of specialism a hirer is looking for depends on the size of the studio and what scope of project they’re working on. Some are looking for knowledge of a specific headset, others are happy with art or coding generalists, and some need the aforementioned tech- creative hybrid to bridge the two. DURABILITY OF VR One of the threats to growth that have been levelled at VR is that the level of immersion could potentially cut-out any interactions beyond the headset, making the VR experience an engaging but lonely pursuit. This has already been countered by the likes of vTime, developer of a VR social network that allows anyone, anywhere to spend quality time with family and friends in virtual reality. For vTime, VR has social connection at the core, aiming for participants to enhance people’s experiences of their relationships. In recent years the market has seen a continued rise in demand for VR skills both in and outside of games. This is reflected in the growth in VR titles being brought to market, but it’s worth noting that this has been a steady stream of releases rather than an explosion. Whatever the reason, if there is no ‘bubble’ to burst and market confidence grows gradually, the outlook from the commercial bedrock of VR looks strong. There is an entrepreneurial spirit in the space with many industry veterans channeling their experience into setting up new VR ventures. Despite the inevitable naysayers it remains an exciting, innovative space for a career in games. FIND A GAMES PROGRAMMER ROLE WITH AMIQUS Do you have a passion for games development? Whether you’re currently working in the industry or are curious about where a job in games development could take you, we’re here to help. Take a look at our latest job vacancies or sign up to receive personalised job alerts so that you don’t miss out on any of our great opportunities.
by
Liz Prince

Teaser
BlogsContent Type
Blog
19/09/2016
Summary
Many of us have dreamed of becoming our own boss at some stage in our career, and the transition from permanent worker to freelance contractor is an exciting journey to make.Our Contracts Manager, Simon Pittam, spoke to us about moving into the contracting world of the games industry. The industry is increasingly seeking out contractors to help fill skills gaps and meet deadlines ahead of new releases. The games industry is very project-driven and more companies than ever are coming to us and asking for freelancers to cover specific work for periods where they’re short-staffed or to help meet an urgent milestone. They typically want to add a skilled resource for a specific period of time - which can be anything from a day to up to 12 months - without adding them to the permanent headcount.Getting started To break through in the contracting world, you need some experience, skills, a strong CV and an even better portfolio. Whether you’re an artist, animator or a coder, you need to be able to showcase your best work to clients in order to stand out and show what you can bring.There’s nothing to hold you back from becoming a contractor in games. If you’re already experienced and working in a permanent position then you can certainly move into a contracting role where there is market demand. It’s all about finding the right opportunity, so shop around for something that really appeals.What to expect Contractors are informed of the start and end date of a project before taking on the work but we do find some companies extend contracts beyond this. As with any job application your agency with speak to you about your skills, what you are looking for and give you information about the role and studio before submitting your CV to the client. Don’t be surprised if after a couple of Skype interviews you are asked to start on Monday! The turnaround from application to starting can be very fast.Let's talk about money The pay rate is typically daily for contractors as opposed to an annual salary so you’ll want to do some maths around what you need. Also bear in mind as a contractor you won’t get paid for holidays, so some of this higher rate is to reflect this.As you’re not on the payroll of the employer directly you can choose to operate as your own limited company or be paid via an umbrella company. Here at Amiqus we can talk to you about how this works. The work you do is submitted via a timesheet on a weekly basis and the hours and days soon add up. What makes contracting so attractive? From a client perspective, contractors are brilliant for creating a flexible team, meeting short-term hiring needs, staying agile as a business and of course experienced contractors can often come in and hit the ground running with minimal training. For candidates, contracting is a great career-option for many within the industry offering huge flexibility in roles and allowing you to pick and choose the projects you work on. It can give you exposure to a large number of companies and games and allows you to really take charge of where your career heads. It’s also brilliant for picking up new skills across different platforms or emerging tech such as virtual reality. If you’re looking for variety, contracting could be a perfect fit.How can Amiqus help? Amiqus began supplying contractors to the games industry back in 2007 and since then we’ve seen significant growth in this business model. We work closely with studios to help them appreciate the benefits of hiring contractors, and the processes we have in place to make things as simple as possible for everyone involved from interview to getting paid.We’re on-hand for advice throughout your contract too, getting to know many of our contractors well and placing them time after time into new opportunities throughout their careers. We’re always looking for talented contractors to place in some of the world’s leading games companies. If you’re ready to make the move or simply want to speak more about the opportunities available, get in touch with us.
by
Liz Prince

Teaser
BlogsContent Type
News
04/08/2016
Summary
Digital distribution means games now have a bigger audience than ever before, and the industry is only going to get bigger. With more growth predicted this year and new technology creating exciting new developments for games, it’s an incredible time to get involved. So how do you start your career in the industry? While there are universities offering specific games courses and qualifications, programming experience is always going to be a great starting point for developers. There are various tools you can use to hone your craft (GameMaker and Unity are just two), but if you’re committed to making games, there’s no better way to test your skills than by trying to put together a game yourself. Even if you’re hoping to work in a more creative part of the games industry, learning the basics of coding can be invaluable in helping to understand the nuances of the industry and will allow you to communicate with your coder peers. If you’re not a creative or a coder, other ways into the industry exist in areas as diverse as QA and test, production, community management, marketing, localisation or customer support. The broader reach of games means there are many supporting roles that help bring these games to market in new ways. Getting that first break into the industry can be a challenge, but you can demonstrate your passion and commitment to the industry through social media involvement, blogs and contribution to forums. Game developers love to see candidates who are dedicated to the games industry in their own time. For those who are looking to work in graphics and imaging, get a handle on Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash, HTML5 and any other programmes you might need to have in your arsenal. Make sure all of these skills and examples of work shine through in your portfolio – and then come talk to us to help get the ball rolling!
by
Liz Prince