Crystal Dynamics, a part of the Square-Enix family and the studio behind the award-winning Tomb Raider game franchise, is constantly on the hunt to add even more top-tier gaming talent worldwide to our family. We pride ourselves on attracting and developing the best of the best to craft the most exciting projects in gaming. Our 25 years of development experience, as well as our studio members’ combined AAA game industry pedigree, has established us as one of the premier studios in the world today. Come and make us even better! Crystal Dynamics is headquartered in sunny Redwood City, CA, just south of San Francisco and north of San Jose
Join the studio as an External Lead Designer helping shape a new project! Benefits for this full-time position include a competitive salary, 100% employer-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance options and 20 days of paid time-off. You also receive free access to a well-appointed 50,000 foot athletic club (complete with a rock climbing wall and pool!), an impressive on-site cafeteria with food options for every palate, and a gorgeous natural campus by San Francisco Bay.
Position Summary:
The Lead Designer works with external partners to ensure they deliver at a high standard of playability and fun. While this is generally a hands-off role, we are looking for a person with execution experience who can work in engine with external partners. They should have a high level of expertise in formalized 3D world building processes, from planning and paper maps to 3D software implementation in a proprietary engine. A successful Lead Designer will be a hands-on individual contributor with a strong understanding of everything from the fundamentals of game balance and tuning to the social implications of shared gameplay. They will have experience leading other developers to build engaging various game modes and campaigns. They must be able to iterate and refine their level given many different development challenges. The person filling the position should be comfortable with scripting in a visual-based scripting language. The ideal candidate should display strong collaborative skills when working with multiple disciplines including Narrative, Environment art, systems design and engineering.
Essential Duties & Responsibilities:
Concept, design and implement fun and engaging game levels from the ground up.
Guide, mentor, and lead the design and development of cutting-edge online experiences.
Document design decisions clearly and communicate to key stake holders.
Broad based understanding about what makes levels and systems fun.
Ability to design and develop level design from concept to finished product.
Strong math and balancing skills.
Excellent knowledge of game design theory and game development concepts.
Experience documenting and tuning game systems.
An understanding of contemporary game design and the competitive landscape.
A great passion and enthusiasm for designing and playing games
Requirements:
7+ years of Level Design experience.
Must have at least one AAA game shipped as a Level Designer, ideally in a Senior or Lead capacity.
Experience working on levels for highly rated (AAA) action-adventure titles or 3rd person shooter titles.
Experience developing levels for online experiences.
Leadership experience in guiding design teams.
Strong understanding of the competitive landscape.
A passion for playing and developing games.
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in a game development program or similar
Experience with 3D level design tools (Unity, Maya, and Unreal). Unity being a must.
Experience working with proprietary development tools utilizing modular development for 3D assets in a prototype methodology for world building.
Experience building large open worlds with a keen eye for system design concepts a plus
Great working knowledge of game design theory and game development methodologies including level design theory and practice
Can easily break down core level design elements and use them when for creating combat, puzzle and traversal sections of a level
Must display evidence of work in portfolio style during interview (level design layouts, block mesh layouts, paper maps, etc)
Mid to advanced experience with common game scripting languages Unreal script, C#, Python / Lua
A deep passion and enthusiasm for making and playing action/adventure games
A good understanding of the competitive landscape in the console world
Must be able to work in both a collaborative and “get it done” environment
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.
New Preview Delta & Omega Ring 1806 System Update – 7/29/18
Starting at 2:00 p.m. PDT today, members of the Xbox One Preview Delta and Omega Rings will begin receiving the latest Xbox One system update (1806.180726-1758). Read on for more about the fixes and known issues in the latest 1806 system update.
Fixes:
My Games and Apps
Users should no longer experience Various Games and Apps failing to launch which required a title uninstall and reinstall. This fix will resolve the issue when you launch the title.
Users should no longer experience an issue with the Store app erroring out with the (0x80070bfa) error when browsing/launching the Store.
Networking
Fixes to resolve the issue with Wireless and Wired networks failing to be detected when the console wakes from Instant on/connected standby.
Known Issues:
Groups
You may see issues with Groups if you frequently switch between your non-Preview console and your Preview console. Workaround: Reset your Groups locally on the Preview console through “My games & apps” > Groups, then using the “Delete all groups” button at the bottom of the page to resync from the service.
Profile Color
Sometimes users may encounter an incorrect Profile color when powering on the console.
The 2D-platformer is a genre that has stood the test of time and, with just a few simple changes, it’s still possible to make it feel fresh and exciting. Whether it’s the power to reverse time, the ability to swap perspectives, or some gravitational tweaks to mix things up. 6180 the mooncasts the Moon itself as our protagonist, showing that, with the right gameplay, even controlling astronomical bodies can feel elegant and precise.
Originally releasing on the Wii U eShop, our lovely lunar friend has made the jump to Switch, bringing the same, relaxing, minimalist journey we enjoyed so much in our original review. You control the Moon as it dances through the stars, venturing from planet to planet trying to find out why the Sun has vanished. It’s an adventure to the heart of the solar system, punctuated by charming, whimsical dialogue from an undeniably unique cast of characters. While the plot itself might not be anything remarkable, it’s presented to the player with such sincerity and heart that it becomes compelling, and the fact that each planet has its own personality makes you want to press on to see the next interaction.
Controlling the moon is as simple as pressing ‘A’ to jump and moving left or right to guide yourself around the series of 5 areas, each of which contains 10 levels. Some of these can be completed in less than a minute, while some trickier challenges can stretch this out over multiple attempts. While new ideas are steadily introduced, your bright orb of light is generally tasked with jumping from platform to platform, dodging spikes and other obstacles to make it to the goal. There are no lives or any kind of ‘Game Over’ screens, so you’re free to keep trying as much as you like, and even unlock checkpoints along the way. It’s simple, straightforward fun delivered in small, rapid chunks of gameplay – making this perfect for the Switch’s portable mode.
Unfortunately, what is arguably the game’s most defining feature has been impacted somewhat by the jump from one eShop to another. Whenever you jump off the screen, either from the top or bottom, you appear immediately on the other side, looping the area in a number of gravity-bending ways. Reaching a higher platform can be achieved by dropping down for example, and moving forward so you end up falling from the top of the screen. On Wii U, this actually took place across two screens, making delightful use of the GamePad by forcing the player to split their attention across both the television and the smaller screen as the moon moved between both. On Switch, everything is contained on the one screen, so the mechanic absolutely remains but is a little less interesting as a result. On other platforms, such as PC, this was always the case, so it isn’t an outright disaster by any means, but this astral phenomenon does lose some of its shine nonetheless.
That being said, the game still looks gorgeous on Switch whether in handheld mode or docked, with its distinctive palette of stark backgrounds and gleaming white abstractions of the Universe. It’s not going to stun with its variety of open environments by any means, but its artistic direction is clear and it carries a mysterious, whimsical mood that’s only elevated by the excellent soundtrack. Each movement frequently adds another note or delicate chime to the soundscape, lending a dynamic quality to the drifting piano pieces and quiet moments. The fact that the musical score follows you from one level to the next helps smooth over how quickly some of them go by, helping it feel more like a single, cohesive journey.
It isn’t a game that relies on punishing difficulty either, which may be seen as a flaw by some seasoned platformers, but helps make this accessible to anyone. In fact, you could fairly handily complete the entire game in about 2 – 3 hours total, and despite an integrated achievement system and unlockable mirror-mode, there isn’t a huge amount of content here outside of the main adventure. For its budget price, though, we still feel it’s absolutely worth it if you’re looking for a more relaxed experience, with a gradual increase in challenge as you progress helping its cause nicely.
Conclusion
6180 the moon is a dreamlike journey through the stars, where every individual component of its delicate soundtrack, minimalist visuals and graceful gameplay mechanics work together to form an extremely compelling experience. Rather than an intense challenge, it offers up a short but memorable adventure that’s easily broken up into smaller sessions, or enjoyed all at once in a single lazy afternoon. While the Wii U version provided a unique perspective through its use of the GamePad, we’d still absolutely recommend this solar trip on Switch for anyone who missed out on it before – there’s still plenty of time to catch the sunrise.
Random: Here’s How Animal Crossing Characters Read Your Lovingly-Crafted Mail
When you’re not casually shopping for new pieces of furniture, or worrying about the ever-growing potential of hefty mortgage debt, one of the features available to players in Animal Crossing allows you to send completely customised letters to your favourite animalistic chums. From there, you’ll then receive a reply which somehow seems to register certain elements of what you said and give you a gift in the process. But how on Earth does this actually work?
Well, James Chambers, a software security researcher, has been digging into the game’s files and coding to try and find out. The results make a lot of sense, but are surprising at the same time – essentially, the game reads the characters inputted by the player and gives that letter a score based on a number of factors. These factors include things such as correct use of punctuation, whether or not someone has spammed the same letter over and over again, and several more.
When all of these points are totalled up, the overall score determines the response you’ll receive from the NPC. If you score over 100 points, your reply will be positive and have a random chance of receiving a gift, but any scores below 50 will receive a negative reply.
The score also reportedly affects the number of friendship points you earn with the recipient; a bad letter has a base score of -1, while good letters have a base score of 3. Attaching a present boosts the score by 3, however, so you can actually get at least 1 point with a letter made up of complete nonsense.
It’s certainly an interesting find, although it does take away a little bit of the magic somewhat. Either way, at least now you know that those little critters in your games console aren’t coming to life to read your mail…
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 08-08-2018, 09:30 AM - Forum: Lounge
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Xbox One Adds Three New Backwards Compatible Games
Microsoft's steady drip feed of backwards compatible games continues, as three more Xbox 360 titles are now playable on Xbox One. Bucking the trend of recent weeks, the latest additions to the BC library are all taken from a different series and encompass a range of genres.
First is Prince of Persia, the 2008 reboot of Ubisoft's acrobatic platforming series. It is joined by the Xbox 360 version of Sine Mora, the acclaimed side-scrolling shoot-'em-up by Suda 51's studio, Grasshopper Manufacture. Rounding out the batch is the third-person shooter Earth Defense Force 2025.
Prince of Persia
If you still own a physical copy of any title, you can begin playing it on your Xbox One simply by popping the disc into the console. Conversely, if you've previously purchased any of the games digitally, they will appear automatically in the Ready to Download area of the My Games and Apps menu. If you don't already own the titles, they are also available to download from the Microsoft Store.
More than 400 Xbox 360 games--as well as more than 30 original Xbox titles--have been made backwards compatible with Xbox One since the feature was introduced in 2015. You can see all of them in our full list of backwards compatible games. You can also check out our gallery of the best Xbox One backwards compatible games for recommendations on which classic titles are worth playing.
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 08-08-2018, 03:23 AM - Forum: Lounge
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Some Great Xbox One Game Deals This Week
This week's Xbox One game sale is now live on the Microsoft Store, giving players an impressive set of deals on downloadable titles between now and August 13. Several of the best discounts are on games that have sequels coming up, so if you haven't played them, now is a great time to catch up. Note that some of the deals require an Xbox Live Gold membership (noted with an asterisk below). Let's dig in.
With Fallout 76 landing on digital and physical store shelves on November 14, you can pick up Fallout 4 for $15 / £10 right now. It introduces some of the ideas this year's installment will expand upon, like building settlements. And if you want all the DLC, you can grab Game of the Year Edition for $30 / £25.
Lara Croft's next adventure kicks off with the release of Shadow of the Tomb Raider on September 14. Xbox Live Gold members can pick up her previous outing, Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration, for $15 / £11.25. One of the later games coming this year is Just Cause 4, releasing on December 4. To get a head start on the outrageous action it's sure to offer, you can grab Just Cause 3 for just $6 / £5. Other series have numerous games on sale, including Dishonored, Wolfenstein, and The Evil Within. You can find pricing for those games in the list below.
If you've been enjoying Forza Horizon 2 this month (it's free for Xbox Live Gold members until August 31), you can pick up the DLC at a massive discount. The Storm Island expansion, which introduces a new area and extreme weather conditions, is on sale for $5 / £4. And if you want to add 31 new cars to your game, you can pick up the Car Pass for the same price.
You can find these and more highlights listed below, or click over to Major Nelson's blog to see the full list of Xbox One and Xbox 360 games and add-ons that are on sale this week.
Pokemon Go Trading Event Going On Now For A Limited Time
A new in-game event is underway in Pokemon Go. Following the recent rollout of Lucky Pokemon, developer Niantic has kicked off a special trading-focused event that nets players extra Candy, XP, and other bonuses when they trade Pokemon with friends.
The event runs from now until 9 PM PT on August 19 (12 AM ET on August 20). During that time, all trades with friends--even those who you've only recently added--will cost 25% less Stardust than they normally do. This applies to both standard and Special trades, the latter of which are for Legendary or Shiny Pokemon.
As a further incentive to trade Pokemon with friends, you'll be able to earn more Candy than before--up to six Candies during every trade, according to Niantic. If you receive a Pokemon that wasn't previously registered in your Pokedex, you'll also net triple the usual amount of XP, making this a good opportunity to fill out any blank spaces in your collection.
The event is also especially handy if you're looking to get your hands on a Lucky Pokemon. These special variants can only be received through trades. They're denoted on the collection screen by a sparkling background and require less Stardust to power up than typical Pokemon. According to Niantic, the longer a Pokemon has been sitting in a player's storage, the higher its likelihood is of becoming a Lucky Pokemon when traded to another player.
Beyond the trading event, Pokemon Go players have a couple of other activities to look forward to in August. First is this month's Community Day, which takes place across two days--August 11 and 12--and features Eevee. Then, from August 29 - September 2, Niantic will host a special Safari Zone event in Yokosuka, Japan. Even if you can't attend in-person, you'll be able to take part in a series of Global Challenges during the event for a chance to unlock a special global reward.
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 08-07-2018, 09:23 PM - Forum: Windows
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Nominate your school for Microsoft’s showcase program
School leaders committed to improving student outcomes benefit when they share best practices with one another. Over my time working in education, I’ve continued to be inspired by school leaders who push the boundaries of innovation and strive to set new benchmarks for what’s possible. It’s clear that the most important part of the journey is about people. The role of the school leader in making positive change to the school, community and for students, is critical to ongoing, sustained success.
Above: Hardenhuish School
The Microsoft Showcase Schools program provides an opportunity for diverse yet like-minded leaders to learn from and support one another’s journey through transformation. It’s designed to support innovative school leaders who commit to bringing their vision to life – through the development of a growth mindset in their educators, students, parents, local community, and in themselves. I’ve had the great opportunity to engage with many of these school leaders and to visit their schools over recent years. I am always impressed by the energy, commitment and undeniable passion they have to make their schools incredible places to learn.
While no two Showcase Schools look the same, many share similar challenges. In the Showcase Schools program, success and best practices are shared and amplified through a global network of school leaders. These innovative leaders work together to solve transformation’s toughest conundrums and celebrate momentum and successes as they reflect, grow and develop along the way.
School Leaders love the opportunity to engage directly with Microsoft through the Showcase Schools program, not to mention how easily the program helps develop deep connections with education thought leaders around the world.
If you are a school leader committed to transforming your school and increasing student outcomes, Microsoft encourages you to nominate your school for consideration in the Showcase Schools program. If accepted into the program, you will join a community of passionate and knowledgeable school leaders, innovate alongside Microsoft product teams and partners, and amplify your school’s success through tours and events. Other school leaders will look to you to provide them with an education transformation vision for tomorrow – today.
“The work we are doing at Renton Prep is disruptive. That means there are challenges, roadblocks along the way, and it’s hard work,” says Michelle Zimmerman, Director Renton Prep in Renton, Washington, USA. “But the reward of being a member of the Showcase Schools community, knowing that other educators are going through the same thing, makes it worth it because we can tackle some of those challenges together and find solutions we wouldn’t have alone.”
Microsoft is looking for schools whose leaders are innovative agents of change and who meet the following criteria:
Innovative use of technology, using Microsoft solutions, to drive positive impact and student success with 21st century skills.
The school leader demonstrates:
Innovation, as evidenced through the actions and attitudes of a growth mindset and commitment to the K-12 Education Transformation Framework Journey.
Empowerment of educators and students to innovate and exercise a growth mindset.
Willingness to drive efforts to connect with educators locally practices.
If the above criteria describe your school and your leadership style, follow these three easy steps to nominate your school for consideration in Microsoft’s Showcase Schools Program for 2018 and 2019.
1.Join the Microsoft Educator Community and complete your profile. You will need to submit the URL to your public profile as part of the nomination process. You can find your URL under Edit Profile -> Basic Information.
2.On your nomination form, provide the public URLs for any additional social media profiles you may have (LinkedIn, Twitter, etc).
3.Create a two-minute video or Swayin which you share your story of innovative educational transformation. Remember to use these prompts to guide your story:
This is what we thought about educational transformation before we engaged with Microsoft . . .
This is what we learned about educational transformation since working with Microsoft . . .
This is what we are doing next . . .
This is what we are keeping in mind . . .
These are our current blockers and challenges . . .
Nominations are open on a rolling basis, although some regions and countries’ nomination dates may vary based on local academic schedules. Your local Microsoft team will provide you with details once your completed nomination form is submitted.
We look forward to reviewing your school’s nomination.
Epic have released Patch 5.20 for Battle Royale sensation Fortnite. As we’re well into Season 5, this isn’t a game-changing update although the double-barrelled shotgun is now a thing. Reading through the patch-notes, there’s a mobile-specific section that’ll be relevant to you guys:
Customizable fire mode selection screen added to mix and match fire modes.
Added FPS (frames per second) mode setting for mobile devices.
Added another individual quickbar button to the HUD layout tool.
Added mobile Elimination Feed.
Separated Quickbar buttons are more visible in the HUD Layout tool.
Harvest tool will now alternate between itself and the previously selected item when tapped.
Bug Fixes
Completed or expired Challenges are now cleared while navigating between Challenges.
Ramps will no longer be built through other ramps.
Shooting when interacting with objects no longer occurs.
Fixed inconsistency with mobile low power mode support.
As Collin has pointed out in our building guide, building is less prevalent in the iOS meta because of the fiddly controls. Fixing the ramp issues will mean you may have to pay more attention to what you’re doing if you’re trying to throw down some elevation in a hurry.
Also, did you hear? Fortnite’s Android version is by-passing the Google Play store. Whenever it releases, you’ll need to download the game’s APK directly from Epic Games’ website, and then do an ‘unknown source’ install. It’s not as scary as it sounds; on my Galaxy S6 it takes you straight to the relevant security setting when you’re trying to install something outside of the Google Play store. It also gives you the option to only grant an exception for that specific install, leaving you secure against anything you might accidentally download that will try and install itself.
We’re going to put together a proper guide for Android users, including installation instructions, so that you guys can get up-to-speed with the iOS crowd as quickly as possible.
