Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts or Chicago, Illinois
Disbelief is a game development studio focusing on contracting and consulting services. We’ve worked with both AAA and independent studios to help their projects ship. Notable projects we’ve worked on include Gears of War 4, Borderlands: The Handsome Collection, and Perception.
At Disbelief we value work-life balance, and want to create an alternative to the crunch-culture prevalent in game development. We also believe strongly in investing in our talent and our team. Disbelief is a place to puzzle out the solutions to cutting-edge problems in graphics and engine programming, but also a place where people can grow their careers and skill sets as valued members of a stable and close knit team.
Currently, we’re looking for a senior programmer. This opportunity is for a full-time position in Cambridge, MA or Chicago, IL. Senior programmers at Disbelief are leaders and developers in their project. You should be comfortable working independently and with a team to develop, test and integrate software into a larger codebase. A key responsibility is mentoring and guiding fellow programmers to improve.
We believe a diverse team is a stronger team, and we encourage marginalized programmers to apply.
Key Responsibilities
Clearly communicate your work to others
Mentor fellow programmers in and out of your team
Communicate with clients on team progress and problems as they arise
Debug code with precision
Estimate your and others work
Assess impact of issues on schedule
Diagnose and solve performance issues
Document your code
Study version histories and code documentation to solve present problems
Implement features in innovative ways
Skills and Requirements
BA/BS or MS Degree in Computer Science, or equivalent experience
Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written
3-5 years of experience in writing software in C++
5+ years in game development, or 10+ in a related industry
Experience working on a large code base
Experience with version control with P4, git, or equivalent
Experience with multi-threaded systems
Remote: No, but we do enjoy working from home up to two days a week, when project constraints allow.
Visa Sponsorship: No
Technologies:
Most of our work is C++ of varying standards with a sprinkling of other languages as needed for tooling. We do a lot of graphics programming work, using shader languages and platform graphics APIs. Since we often are debugging the lower levels of systems, being able to read x64 or ARM assembly is useful. Primarily we work with Unreal Engine 4, but we also work with Unity and custom game engines. Our work uses rendering, physics, audio, VR, AR, and other APIs frequently. Our primary platforms are PC, Xbox One, PS4, Switch, and VR/AR devices.
Whether you’re just starting out, looking for something new, or just seeing what’s out there, the Gamasutra Job Board is the place where game developers move ahead in their careers.
Gamasutra’s Job Board is the most diverse, most active, and most established board of its kind in the video game industry, serving companies of all sizes, from indie to triple-A.
Call Of Duty Mobile's 100-Player Battle Royale Mode Revealed
This year's mainline Call of Duty title is rumored to be a new Modern Warfare, but it's not the only Call of Duty game coming this year. Activision is also releasing Call of Duty Mobile, and the company has now revealed the title's Battle Royale mode. In a blog post, Activision said the mode is similar in structure to Black Ops 4's Blackout mode and other battle royale games in that players are dropped onto a "colossal map" and must fight until only one player--or one team--remains alive.
It does share some similarities with Blackout, but it stands alone with its own unique elements as well, Activision said. It's referred to specifically as battle royale, rather than Blackout. The key points are as following:
Up to 100 players supported
Solo, Duo, and four-player teams are being tested currently
There are six classes, each with their own unique ability and skill
You can revive teammates, who drop back into the map from a cargo plane after healing
You can play in first- or third-person, though this is locked in before a match begins, and players will be matched together with those using the same camera perspective.
The map features locations from past CoD games including Modern Warfare, Modern Warfare 2, Black Ops, and Black Ops II.
Vehicles are supported, including ATV, Light Helicopter, SUV, and Tactical Raft.
Call of Duty Mobile is only still in the "early" stages of development and testing, so things could change. That being said, Activision released some work-in-progress images; see them in the gallery below.
Defender: With the ability to place a deformable Transform Shield, this class also is Reinforced, raising resistance to all damage except bullets.
Mechanic: Able to call an EMP Drone to create electro-magnetic interference on hostile forces, this class also features the Engineer ability, granting augmented sight to vehicles, hostile traps, and other equipment.
Scout: Utilizing the Sensor Dart that can view hostile positions in the immediate area of the radar map, this class also benefits from the Tracker ability; allowing you to see fresh footprints of hostiles.
Clown: A master of distraction and friend of the undead, this class has a Toy Bomb to detonate, summoning zombies that only attack hostiles near to them; due in part to the Clown having the Anti-Zombieability, which reduces the zombies’ aggression distance.
Medic: This class can place a Medical Station that continuously heals the Medic and associated allies in the immediate vicinity. In addition, the Master Healer ability allows a Medic to heal more quickly, and reduces the time it takes to revive teammates.
Ninja: Lastly, this clandestine class has a Grapple Gun that fires a hook, allowing you to propel yourself up and onto target buildings or across the landscape at speed. Movement is quiet too, due to this class having the Dead Silence ability.
In terms of reviving, players who die drop a dog tag. Players can pick up the dog tag and press a button to revive their fallen teammate. It takes some time, and it must be completed fully before a player gets respawned via a cargo plane drop.
The full blog post has all the important details you need to know, so head to Activision's website to read all about Call of Duty Mobile's battle royale mode.
Call of Duty Mobile is developed by Tencent's Timi studio. It will release around the world, and the first, small-scale beta recently began in India. Another beta is coming to Australia "soon," with more regions to be supported later on.
Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (May 25th)
Once again, we’ve made it all the way to the end of a busy week. We’ve had all the leaked images and info for Mario Kart Tour and a controversial Pokémon competition to keep an eye on over the last few days, but now it’s time to sit down and chat about the games we’ll be playing over the weekend. Several Team Nintendo Life members have done just that below, and we’d love for you to join in via the poll and comment sections below. Enjoy!
Austin Voigt, contributing writer
This weekend is Memorial Weekend in the States, so my family will be spending it together at our lake home, where my brothers and I will likely be pulling out the old Sega Genesis and Wii that we have stashed there. Some good old Sonic, Ristar, and Wii Sports are in order – all played on a classic 1990s-era television set. Ah, the memories.
Gavin Lane, staff writer
This weekend I shall be mostly trying to play the games I didn’t get round to last weekend. Although I did manage to unlock the Game Boy skin in Tetris 99 and play a little Overcooked 2, both Windjammers and Capcom Beat ‘Em Up Bundle fell by the wayside when the codes for three Resident Evil‘s arrived in my inbox Friday evening. So I’ll be catching up on last weekend’s plans. I’ve got a little money sitting in my eShop balance, too, so I might peruse the sale one last time to see if anything jumps out at me. My backlog’s so big, one or two more won’t hurt.
Gonçalo Lopes, contributing writer
Further adventures await me in Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen along with some Spanish 101 lessons from Resident Evil 4. Sure, I will enter this weekend’s ARMS Party Crash Bash but its a mere formality: Ninjara already won this one and will move onto the final round, 100% guaranteed. Wonder Boy Returns Remix is a delicious hardcore throwback to my Famicom days and the perfect lazy weekend game. None of these games are Turrican 4, but…
Gunlord X (my game of the week) is, in everything but name. It took me all these years to finally be able to play NG:DEV.Team’s glorious Euro run’n’gun masterpiece and it immediately brought me back to far simpler times of my Commodore Amiga years. Don’t even get me started on that glorious soundtrack!
Liam Doolan, news reporter
I used to make fun of the fastest hedgehog alive requiring a car to go fast, yet somehow I’ve grown increasingly fond of the blue blur’s modern racing outings over the years.
How I feel about Team Sonic Racing is no different. If anything, I think I’ve enjoyed it more than the 2012 release, Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed. Despite the overall quality of the game, I feel as if Sega and Sumo Digital’s racing line is honestly better off without the existing “all-star” cast featuring a number of characters who don’t appear to be making a comeback in the near future.
Moving on to my gaming plans for this weekend, if you hadn’t already guessed, most of my time will be spent mastering each track in Team Sonic Racing – overlooking the technical issues, online hiccups and even the opening cinematic missing from the Switch version of the game. As you can probably tell by now I have a bit of a soft spot for Sonic’s new racing game, meaning nothing is going to stop me from playing it as much as possible!
Which games are you playing this weekend? (239 votes)
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 05-26-2019, 06:18 AM - Forum: Lounge
- No Replies
E3 2019: Halo Infinite -- What We Know And What We Want
E3 2019 is right around the corner. One of the biggest games at the show is Halo: Infinite, which is Microsoft's ambitious new instalment in its long-running sci-fi blockbuster series.
It's been almost four years since the release of Halo 5: Guardians, so it is high time that Microsoft begins to talk about and show off the next entry in the popular shooter series. Here's what we know about the Xbox One and PC game, as well as what we'd hope to see from an E3 reveal.
What We Know So Far
Halo Infinite was officially announced a year ago at Microsoft's E3 2018 briefing. Microsoft showcased an impressing-looking trailer not for the game itself, but rather, its brand-new engine, Slipspace. While it didn't contain any gameplay, and we know nothing about the story, the trailer got Halo fans hyped for the long-awaited sequel to 2015's Halo 5: Guardians.
While story details are being kept under wraps for now, Microsoft did confirm that Halo Infinite will tell a story that focuses more on Master Chief than Halo 5 did. As fans may recall, that title strayed from the franchise's hero with a storyline that touched on another character, Agent Locke, and even had players fight as him for some parts of the campaign.
Putting more of an emphasis on Master Chief is the smart call by Microsoft, demonstrating a commitment to getting the story right this time around with Halo Infinite. Microsoft has acknowledged that Halo 5's story was a letdown, so fans will be eager to see how the story grows and improves this time. For what it's worth, Microsoft is telling fans to think of Halo Infinite as Halo 6 instead of some other kind of spin-off or other form of franchise extension beyond the main storyline. It is a "spiritual reboot" of the franchise, according to 343 studio boss Bonnie Ross.
Halo is best known for its multiplayer mode, but unfortunately no details are available at this stage beyond the news from years ago that it will feature local split-screen (huzzah!). Microsoft has said the new Slipspace Engine is capable of supporting numerous different modes, including battle royale (though that mode is not currently in development). You can expect Halo Infinite to bring back its classic team-based multiplayer, but with the Halo franchise generally understood to not as popular or strong as it once was, Microsoft will need to deliver something new and compelling in the multiplayer department to reignite interest in the aging series. Halo 5's massive-scale, MOBA-style Warzone mode was a refreshing take on the Halo formula, and fans will be looking to see Halo Infinite innovate even further on the multiplayer side.
Another big thing to know about Halo Infinite is that it is coming to Xbox One (or the Xbox One family of consoles; more on that later) as well as PC. That's notable because the Halo FPS series hasn't been on PC since 2004's Halo 2. Halo: The Master Chief Collection is coming this year to PC, so PC players are getting a double-dose of Halo goodness after all the years.
It is also worth noting that Halo Infinite isn't being developed by 343 Industries alone. The studio has recruited SkyBox labs to help; the Vancouver-based studio also worked on Halo 5: Forge for Windows 10 and did the work on Halo 5's Xbox One X enhancements.
Last year's trailer for the Slipspace Engine was an exciting first look at what Halo Infinite could be, but Microsoft has yet to share any details on what the game actually is or what it looks like. It is time, at E3 2019, for Microsoft to release new details and gameplay footage for Halo Infinite. What's the story going to be? What will multiplayer offer? How will the team expand on Forge? What is the big new hook to get people excited to return to the aging sci-fi series? We are hoping Microsoft answers these questions and more, even if the company is only willing to talk at a high level.
There is also the matter of the rumored next-generation Xbox and what Halo's place is on it. The latest rumor is that Halo Infinite will be a launch title for the new Xbox in 2020, while also supporting the current model as well as a cross-generation title. No Halo game since Halo 1 has released as a launch title for a new Xbox, so it would be a big deal, and it makes sense for Microsoft to release Halo Infinite as a launch title for the next Xbox to help sales start strong.
Former Rare Developer Shares New Details About Conker’s Cancelled Sequel
Conker’s Bad Fur Day designer Chris Seavor has once again taken to Twitter to share new details about the sequel that never saw the light of day. Well before the open-world multiplayer game Sea of Thieves, Rare had plans for a direct follow-up to Conker’s original and mature-themed outing on the Nintendo 64.
According to the design documents, Conker’s Other Bad Day was meant to pick up from where the first game ended. The idea was to divide it into four separate parts, with three sub-plots and a storyline concerning Berri.
The starting point intended to display a miserable-looking Conker acknowledging himself as the Emperor of the Known Universe, before the opening chapter revisited an earlier period in time, prior to the first game’s post-credits ending. The second chapter would continue on with the return of the Panther King, who would do a deal with Death and swap bodies with Conker in order to return to the land of the living as a much darker squirrel.
In the third chapter, Conker ends up escaping from The Basement, after killing off Death with a bunch of cats and banishing the Panther King. From here, Conker returns to his throne and begins planning for a royal wedding with his new love-interest, Bunni the rabbit. As the end credits start to roll, the castle begins to shake and Conker yells out at the programmers to “stop the credits” as he rushes over to the window to investigate.
Apart from this, Seavor also shared a bunch of design documents detailing the many different worlds in the game, including an illustration of Conker’s new lady friend. Last of all was an upload of the basic structure of the game and a bit more information about how most levels would have been parodies of movies, cult television shows and video game themes.
So, now that you know how Conker’s Other Bad Day would have played out, what are your thoughts? Tell us below.
Today GitHub just announced GitHub Sponsors, a new funding model that just may change the way a lot of open source projects get funded. Instead of relying on third party services such as Patreon to fund open source development projects, GitHub sponsors will enable users to financially support their favourite open source projects directly on GitHub.
Open source is the heart of GitHub. The developers who build our shared digital infrastructure are what make this community so strong. As a thank you for these valuable contributions, GitHub Sponsors charges zero platform fees when you support the work of other developers. We’ll also cover payment processing fees for the first 12 months of the program to celebrate the launch. 100% percent of your sponsorship goes to the developer.
A global team
GitHub Sponsors supports payouts all around the world, in every country where GitHub does business. We are all part of a global software team. Expanding opportunities to participate on that team is at the core of our mission, so we’re proud to make this new tool available to developers worldwide.
All contributors welcome
Many contributions that are crucial to a well-functioning project are not visible in code review. GitHub Sponsors is built for funding all types of work that advance open source software. Anyone who contributes to open source—whether through code, documentation, leadership, mentorship, design, and beyond—is eligible for sponsorship.
One more way to contribute
GitHub Sponsors is one more way to contribute to open source: financially supporting the people who build and maintain it. Funding individuals helps them keep doing important work, expands opportunities to participate, and gives developers the recognition they deserve. Starting today, any GitHub user can sponsor an open source developer in the program.
Native to your GitHub workflow
You can now sponsor developers as a seamless part of your familiar workflow. When a contributor answers your question, triages your issue, or merges your code, you can head to their profile—or simply hover over their username—to sponsor their work.
Currently the system is launching on a waiting list system, you can join the wait list here (GitHub login required).
To supercharge community funding, GitHub created the GitHub Sponsors Matching Fund, which matches up to $5000 per sponsored developer in their first year of sponsorship. In the first year, GitHub will not charge any fees, so 100% of sponsorships will go to the sponsored developer. In the future, we may charge a nominal processing fee.
With direct GitHub integration, global support and zero fees (at least for the first year), I imagine quite a few projects will transition over from a Patreon funding model.
French indie studio Motion Twin is celebrating the release of Dead Cells' new free DLC in a hilarious new trailer. Promoting the game's Rise of the Giant DLC, we see the protagonist effortlessly incinerated by the end of the one-minute trailer.
The trailer starts with the character walking into a cave before tumbling Emperor's New Groove-style into a pit overrun with monsters who seamlessly take all of the protagonist's weapons. As he flees, he climbs up the bones of a giant, who reanimates itself and cheekily burns our protagonist to a crisp with eye lasers. Seems the giant doesn't mess around. You can check out the trailer above.
In marking the Rise of Giant DLC's release, Motion Twin has announced that the critically-acclaimed indie title sold more than two million copies. The DLC is available everywhere (Nintendo Switch, PC, and PS4) except Xbox One because, as the team has discovered, there was "a last minute bug in the Certification process." Xbox players will see the update a bit later, Motion Twin explained.
Motion Twin also announced earlier this month that Dead Cells will make the jump from consoles and PC to mobile devices, with iOS releasing first and Android following shortly thereafter. There's no exact release date as of yet, but the title is expected to drop "soon."
In our Dead Cells review, we said that "Dead Cells is a phenomenal effort to blend together some very disparate genres into a tight, cohesive whole. It's one of the better examples of how to remix ideas without losing their individual strengths."
Review: Gunlord X – Top-Notch Old-School Blasting Action
The Switch has become home to an absolute smorgasbord of retro-inspired games. Whilst a lot of these may rarely be worth a second glance, a select few – such as Dead Cells and Undertale – might very well become some of your all-time favourites.
Gunlord X likely won’t be on your radar at all, but it really should be. Its very existence is a bit of an anomaly in itself: initially releasing simply as Gunlord back in 2012 for the SNK Neo-Geo, it’s arguably not technically old enough to be considered truly retro, despite clearly gunning for that particular aesthetic. It’s also entirely possible, if not outright guaranteed, that very few Switch owners have ever experienced it before, despite it getting a little-known Dreamcast release. But by masterfully combining exploration gameplay with fluid, engaging combat (and a few surprises), this is a game that you won’t want to pass up.
If you happen to be familiar with the classic ‘Eurostyle’ action series Turrican, you’ll have a good idea of what to expect with Gunlord X. For everyone else, it’s a 2D run ‘n’ gun action adventure elevated by a dollop of ‘Metroidvania’ sauce and a sprinkling of R-Type seasoning. Across nine sprawling stages you’ll traverse a range of gorgeous locales, from moonlit castles complete with hulking gargoyles to dark dystopian facilities littered with deadly lasers. You’ll spend your time seeking out secret pathways and collectables whilst gunning down everything in your path before finding your way to the spectacular end-of-stage boss.
Developer NG:DEV.TEAM has done a remarkable job in making the stages incredibly vast and expansive whilst ensuring you never stray too far from the intended path. This is partly thanks to some handily-placed markers that point you in the right direction, but these aren’t generally required. Chances are that if you can navigate down a particular pathway, you can be sure that it will eventually lead you to the end of the stage. Along the way, you’ll come across dozens of enemies big and small, all of which are fully capable of taking you down. Make no mistake, Gunlord X isn’t easy, but we found that it always felt fair, providing you with ample opportunity to recover health where needed.
By default, you start off each level with a basic automatic spread shot. This is more than adequate for dealing with most enemies, but if you find yourself in want of something a bit meatier, the game generously doles out new weapons via boxes throughout the stages. These can be shot at to unveil several options to select from, including everything from powerful missiles to a bounce shot that ricochets around the walls in spectacular fashion. In addition to the basic weaponry, you’ll also have command of the ‘dragon whip’, a powerful beam that you can control with the right analogue stick, giving you full 360-degree range to vanquish enemies and even deflect hostile projectiles. Keep in mind, however, that it will easily deplete with use and only refill over time, so be sure to use it sparingly.
Alongside the standard run ‘n’ gun stages, NG:DEV.TEAM throws a delightful spanner in the works with the game’s second stage. Here, you’ll take to the skies in a straight up side-scrolling shooter, complete with a monstrous boss that fans of R-Type will absolutely adore. We’d have liked this stage to be a little bit longer, as it’s a bit short in comparison to the regular stages, but nevertheless, its a very welcome change of pace.
As is so often the case with games that imitate ’80s and ’90s design, Gunlord X can be beaten in just over an hour if you’re a skilled player and know exactly what you’re doing. Getting to the stage where you’re so familiar with the game that you can achieve this kind of completion time is obviously not easy, and will take several days of committed repeat play. Still, once the end credits roll there’s little reason to return, and that certainly counts against the game. While it lasts it’s engaging and thrilling, though, which does raise a valid argument: is it best to have a game which artificially stretches its challenge over many hours or one which offers tightly-focused entertainment in a shorter space of time? If you’re already a fan of this genre, then we suspect the answer is obvious.
Gunlord X looks absolutely stunning whether you play it docked or in handheld mode. Colours pop from the screen and it runs at a rock solid 60FPS with no noticeable dips. Should you choose to, you can also alter the display settings to suit your own preferences. Scanlines can be added for a more authentic CRT look, and you can stretch out the action to fit the entirety of the Switch’s screen, if you so wish. This doesn’t look quite as bad as you might expect, but rest assured you’ll have a decent selection of frames (or no frame at all) to choose from if you wish to keep the game at its intended display.
We’d be remiss not to mention the game’s soundtrack, which is – in a word – astonishing. Composed by Rafael Dyll, it’s the kind of soundtrack you’ll want to download immediately after playing the game – it’s that good. Each track is fully suited to its respective stage, and manages to make the action feel even more epic and frantic. We’ve had the music stuck in our heads hours after putting the game down.
Conclusion
If you’re a fan of classic run ‘n’ gun action games, then Gunlord X is an absolute pleasure to play from start to finish. It joins the ranks of must-own retro-inspired titles for the Switch, delivering blistering action, stunning visuals and an absolutely stellar soundtrack. It could be argued that there’s little originality on offer and the longevity of the game is also questionable thanks to the fact that it’s ‘built’ like an old-school coin-op release, but honestly, when the experience is this good, it seems churlish to grumble.
Windows 10 now offers a game-focused Xbox Game Bar overlay
An update to Windows 10 has introduced the Xbox Game Bar, a quick access overlay that lets Windows users access music, capture tools, and Xbox Live friends while playing almost any game.
The new offering is similar to features that PC game clients like Valve and Origin have offered for years, though the Windows 10 spin isn’t tied to any specific storefront. Instead, it gives PC-minded players an easily accessible way to use features of a few Microsoft-owned tools on the fly.
Xbox’s page detailing the Game Bar’s offerings specifically calls out that the overlay supports both voice and text chat across Xbox One, PC and mobile apps.
Video: Cultivating and caring for great AI behavior trees
In this 2017 GDC talk, Bobby Anguelov, Mika Vehkala, and Ben Weber outline core principles to get the most out of your behavior trees while avoiding common issues.
It’s a useful deep dive into an important topic for today’s game devs. Since its introduction over 10 years ago, the behavior tree has been a staple of game AI, and there are a whole host of different ways to implement them.
This talk outlines what some professional AI devs view to be some core principles for getting the most out of your behavior trees while avoiding common issues. It’s a great talk with lots of practical takeaways for game devs, especially AI programmers, and it’s now available to watch for free via the official GDC YouTube channel!
In addition to this presentation, the GDC Vault and its accompanying YouTube channel offers numerous other free videos, audio recordings, and slides from many of the recent Game Developers Conference events, and the service offers even more members-only content for GDC Vault subscribers.
Those who purchased All Access passes to recent events like GDC or VRDC already have full access to GDC Vault, and interested parties can apply for the individual subscription via a GDC Vault subscription page. Group subscriptions are also available: game-related schools and development studios who sign up for GDC Vault Studio Subscriptions can receive access for their entire office or company by contacting staff via the GDC Vault group subscription page. Finally, current subscribers with access issues can contact GDC Vault technical support.
