One Day, One Job » video games

Launchpad Toys

Willy Franzen — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 15:34:51 +0000

Make my birthday awesome. Help me help more people find awesome jobs. If you have a blog, website, Facebook account, or Twitter account, post a link to One Day, One Job today. If you really want to make my day special, call or e-mail your college’s Career Services office, tell them about what we do, and ask them to add a link to us from their website.

My girlfriend has been telling people that she finally figured out how to find birthday gifts for me. She claims that she goes to Amazon.com and uses the Preteen Boys Gift Guide (Ages 8-12), but I’m pretty sure that she’s fibbing. I’m way more interested in the toys for 12-15 year olds, which includes all kinds of remote control helicopters. I’m totally a kid at heart, which is why I wanted to write about Launchpad Toys on my birthday. They’re a San Francisco, CA based company that builds “digital toys and tools that empower kids to create, learn, and share their ideas through play.” These “toys” are actually software–only on the iPad for now–and they are apparently the modern day versions of things like LEGOs, Erectors Sets, Shrinky Dinks, and Play-Doh (all things that I would still play with if I had them in my house).

A Launchpad for Your Career

It’s fitting that I’m writing about Launchpad Toys today not only because it’s my birthday, but also because of Steve Jobs’ passing yesterday. They are a perfect example of how Steve’s vision has enabled all of us to do amazing things. And what’s so cool about Launchpad is that they’re making toys that empower young children to build things. There’s a good chance that the next great technological visionary will have been influenced by something like Launchpad Toys’ Toontastic. You can see what it looks like in action below (e-mail readers will have to click through):

I guess I’m still running with the “making stuff” theme. It’s just so important. I love what Launchpad Toys is doing, and I can’t wait to see where they go with their next product. If you want to be a part of their future, check out their Jobs page. They don’t list specific openings, but they’re mostly looking for Software Developers. However, don’t be afraid to reach out to them if you have other skills that you think might be useful at Launchpad Toys. And be sure to tell them your favorite flavor of ice cream.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you played with Toontastic?

Curse

Willy Franzen — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 16:27:54 +0000

A lot of people think of gamers as anti-social, but that’s pretty far from the truth. Some of the most vibrant online communities are focused on video games. The great thing about these communities is that they’re much easier to monetize than other communities since gamers are a great group to advertise to. Curse is one of these communities. They’re a company based on San Francisco, CA and Huntsville, AL that “offers editorial features, video, databases, wikis, forums, add-ons, and a desktop applications that helps gamers find and install gaming plug-ins.” They’re yet another Inc. 5000 company, and they’ve seen 839% three-year growth to $5.4 million in revenue. Guess they’ve figured out how to monetize their 14 million monthly unique visitors across the 31 video game related websites that they own.

Curse Your Job Search

Curse focuses on all kinds of games. Some of the big names that they cover are World of Warcraft, Starcraft 2, and Call of Duty: Black Ops. If you want to get a feel for the kind of content that Curse offers, just head over to Curse.com and start browsing around. You won’t find much info on Curse itself, but if you’re a gamer, you should be able to read between the lines and start to understand more about the company. If you dig their content, then you should head over to their Jobs page. There a bunch of Web Development positions in the Huntsville office, and there are Design, Web Development, Customer Service, and Editorial positions open in the San Francisco office. Check them out and see if anything is a good fit. Being a gamer who is active in online communities will be a huge help (tell that to your parents!).

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you visit any of Curse’s properties?

Intergi

Willy Franzen — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 16:12:16 +0000

A few years ago during the beginning of the recession, I featured a bunch of jobs in the video games industry. All those people who lost their jobs were buying video games, and business was booming. Things have slowed since. I’m not sure if it has to do with the economy, but I do know that gaming on phones and tablets is really biting into video game industry sales. One video game related company that is continuing to grow is Intergi. They’re a Deerfield Beach, FL based company that “partners with the foremost gaming web publishers to provide advertisers with targeted ad placements.” They’re another Inc. 5000 company, and they’ve seen 2,383% three-year growth from $253,818 in revenue to $6.3 million in revenue.

Game On

Intergi is in the business of “site representation,” but a better explanation might be that they monetize gaming related traffic. They’ve built out a significant network of publishers and advertisers that enables them to offer a ton of value to both sides. You can read about their offerings for publishers here and their offering for advertisers here. Integri not only works with publishers, but they also are a publisher. GameZone.com is their major property, but I suspect that there might be a few more sites. I couldn’t find a list of Intergi’s publishers, but they do have a Client List. If you’re interested in the video game media business, then Intergi would be a great place to work. They’ve bee growing their headcount, and they have a bunch of entry level jobs posted on their Careers page. These include Online Editor, Web Designer, Book Keeper, Junior Account Executive, and Account Coordinator. The weird thing is that I can’t figure out how you’re supposed to apply for these positions. There’s no link, button, or e-mail address. WHOOPS! I guess you should use their Contact page to apply.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Are you a gamer?

Heyzap

Willy Franzen — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 14:46:07 +0000

There’s one reason that I’m not a “social gamer.” If my friends found out how much time I spent playing games like Fruit Ninja and Angry Birds, I’d be totally embarrassed. If only we all could admit to each other that we’re compulsive gamers and start talking openly about it. That’s what Heyzap is all about. They’re a San Francisco, CA based “social discovery platform for mobile and online games and the largest social network for mobile gamers.” Through “check-in” functionality much like that of Foursquare they let you tell your friends what games you’re playing and show off to them about how skilled you are. Don’t you wish you had a similar social network for your job search? “Hey everyone! Look! I applied for this job and I got rejected in a record time! 2 minutes flat.”

Zap Your Way to the Top

Believe it or not, mobile and social gaming are serious business. There are millions of dollars being made, and Heyzap has positioned itself extremely well in the market. By being the place that gamers go to learn about new games, they are able to offer exceptional advertising opportunities to game developers. From what I’ve read, it looks like Heyzap works mostly on a CPI or “cost per install” model. That means that they only get compensated when people actually download the games that are being advertised. It puts everybody’s incentives in the right place. If you’re intrigued by what Heyzap is doing, you have to check out their Jobs page. They have a number of opportunities that are perfect for new grads including Community Manager, Mobile Games Sales/Business Development, Web Designer, Graphic Designer, Mobile Designer, Mobile (iOS/Android) Engineer, and Rails Software Engineer. Just make sure you do tell them how much time you spend playing games.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you use Heyzap?

ngmoco

Willy Franzen — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 16:31:56 +0000

While I’m not a serious gamer, I definitely enjoy playing casual games on my iPhone and iPad. Although the App Store does offer recommendations, I find that it’s still hard to find good games. Instead I rely on getting recommendations from people I know–namely my girlfriend’s 10 year old sister. I watch what she’s playing, and if it looks fun, I buy the app. Then I can try to top her score and talk smack even though I can’t come close. Games are inherently social (even though gaming can become super anti-social), so it’s no surprise that gaming companies are bringing mobile and social gaming together. One of the big players in the industry is ngmoco. They’re based in San Francisco, CA, and their name is pronounced “en-gee mo-ko” (apparently it’s an acronym for Next Generation Mobile Company). ngmoco is all about building a social entertainment company in a time when “there will be more iOS/Android devices shipped than PCs/notebooks.” It makes sense.

Be a Mofo!

I’ve heard of companies calling their employees ninjas, rockstars, geniuses, and a bunch of other endearing terms. Until I came across ngmoco, I’d never heard the term “mofo” used for an employee (at least one that was still employed by the company). But that’s exactly what ngmoco will call you if you work for them. There’s an explanation here, and I think you’ll like what they have to say. Now, ngmoco has an amazing Careers site, but before you jump into that, you should probably get familiar with their games and read through their blog. Then you can visit their Careers page and see how awesome they make working for them look. You can browse through all of the positions here, and you should not that there are plenty of jobs for both techies and non-techies. Here’s what seems most appropriate for new grads:

There appear to be some amazing opportunities at ngmoco, so you better act on them now. Otherwise, you’ll never be a mofo.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What games do you play?

Complex Media Network

Willy Franzen — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 16:22:09 +0000

I like to consider myself an “influential 20-something male consumer,” but maybe I’m wrong. I don’t read Complex.com or visit any of the sites in the Complex Media Network, and they say that they are “the premier online destination for the most influential 20-something male consumers.” They’re getting nearly a million unique visitors a day across their network, so they’re certainly influential, and I have to think their audience is too. Complex, which is based in New York, NY caters to an audience that is “driven by style, sports, music, games, gear and girls,” and they’re experts at creating content for and delivering advertising to this audience. Complex.com is their main property, but the network extends to dozens of sites that zero in on niches within the niches.

It’s Complex

I had heard about Complex before from some internship postings that I came across, but I only really took another look at them after a reader e-mailed me to tell me that he had landed an internship with Complex Media Network. After taking a closer look, I realized that Complex has done something really impressive. They took a magazine (which always has two covers–one male celebrity and one female celebrity) that was started in Mark Ecko in 2002 and used it to launch a much larger network. By getting publishers who cover similar topics to join they’re network, they’re able to sell advertising on a much larger scale while still staying true to their target demographic. Here are some case studies to give you a better idea of how Complex Media actually leverages their network. If you’re a true “influential 20-something male consumer” or you want work in a business that focuses them, check out jobs at Complex Media Network. While they don’t have any positions posted for new grads, I’ve heard that both applying through their General Inquiries form and tweeting at Complex employees can deliver good results.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you read Complex?

Orbotix

Willy Franzen — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 15:53:40 +0000

I love Pi Day. It’s a geeky holiday that comes with an awesome way to celebrate (eating pie). I’ve never been able to find a pie company with solid entry level opportunities, but in past years we’ve looked at Pi Media and The Mathematical Association of America for pi-related jobs. I had forgotten that today was Pi Day, and I was already going to write about Orbotix, and then I realized that they couldn’t be more perfect for the holiday. They’re a Boulder, CO based company that I came across when I was reading Feld Thoughts, and they’ve revolutionized the simplest and best toy ever created–the ball. Their product is called Sphero, and it’s a robotic ball that you can control with your smartphone. I think it could be the next big Christmas blockbuster toy, but even if it’s just relegated to geeks and cat owners, it should sell a ton.

4/3 π r Cubed

There’s no better way to learn how Orbotix has harnessed the power of pi in Sphero than by watching a video of Sphero in action (e-mail readers should click through).

I’m sure some of you aren’t impressed by a video of a ball rolling around, but I am. It’s impressive technology, and it’s only the beginning for Orbotix. They say that they work “with consumer electronics companies and developers to bring phone controlled open devices to market,” so it looks like there will be plenty of other devices in the future–especially if Sphero is successful. Now, Sphero isn’t on the market yet, but they do have a reservation list. They expect to release Sphero in late 2011, and now it looks like they’re working on growing their team as they near launch. Their Jobs page lists some amazing perks along with some really great opportunities. These include Social Media & Marketing Manger, Electrical Engineer (Controls/Firmware), Game Designer, iPhone Game Developer, and Android Game Developer. Orbotix has some exciting times ahead, and they really look like a cool place to work, so give them a closer look if you’re excited about their balls. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the best part, Orbotix employees get to make balls jokes all day.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Would you buy a Sphero?

38 Studios

Willy Franzen — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 17:19:17 +0000

A few days ago I saw a retweet from Peter Gammons’ account about some job opportunities. That seemed a bit odd to me since Peter Gammons is a baseball reporter and analyst, and the jobs didn’t seem to have anything to do with baseball. I made a note of it and went back to what I was doing. Today I went to check out 38 Studios, and I realized that Gammons was retweeting Curt Schilling, the former Phillies and Diamondbacks pitcher (he may have also played for the evil Red Sox, which is probably why Gammons, the biggest Red Sox homer ever, was retweeting him). Anyway, Curt Schilling is the founder of 38 Studios, which is “an entertainment and IP creation company in development on a broad range of products, including online and console video games, toys, novels, comics, film, TV, and other forms of digital media.” I’m not sure how I’d describe the stuff that they’re putting out, but if I had to pick one word it would be fantasy. Like I said, nothing to do with baseball. 38 Studios was previously based in Boston, MA, but they’re in the process of moving to Providence, RI, and that’s where most of their jobs are now.

No Bloody Socks Here

38 Studios currently has two products: Copernicus and Kingdoms of Amalur. Both are games, but I assume that novels, comics, toys, etc. will be spun out of these games. Curt Schilling’s partners in 38 Studios are Todd McFarlane and R.A. Salvatore and the company bought out Big Huge Games, so they have a ton of creative firepower. If you want to learn more about 38 Studios, the best way to do that is to check out their products and get a feel for how they’re “combining the ages-old art of the story with 21st century interactive entertainment.” If you like what you see, then you’ll have to check out jobs at 38 Studios. Current opportunities that might be suitable for new grads include Administrative Assistant, Cinematics Illustrator, Content Designer, Front Desk Coordinator, Quality Assurance Tester (Baltimore, MD), Recruiting Coordinator, Software Engineer – Platform, Tools Software Engineer, and User Experience Designer. There’s lots of cool stuff here, so take a closer look. Also, this article mentions that they’re aiming to hire 280 people after they complete their move, so don’t be discouraged if you don’t see anything that suits you. There are more jobs coming soon.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you play any of 38 Studios’ games?

United Talent Agency

Willy Franzen — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 17:02:27 +0000

When I chose to pursue a degree in Labor Relations, a big part of my decision was based on the fact that I wanted to be a sports agent (me and every other 18 year old sports loving guy). I eventually realized that I wasn’t interested in that kind of lifestyle, but I’m still fascinated by the profession (I’d kill to read an in-depth biography of Scott Boras). If you’re like me, but haven’t given up the dream–and you’re more interested in Hollywood than professional sports, then you’ll want to check out United Talent Agency. They’re a Beverly Hills, CA based talent and literary agency. They were founded in 1991, and they have “more than 100 agents representing actors, writers, directors, producers, recording artists, below the line talent, IP rights holders, emerging technology companies and corporate brands in a variety of practice areas including film, television, music, digital media, intellectual property, computer and video games, commercials, voiceovers, endorsements, branding & licensing, corporate consulting and entertainment marketing” according to Wikipedia. Their clients include Johnny Depp, Harrison Ford, Owen Wilson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Lopez, Patrick Dempsey, Ice Cube, Tracy Morgan, and plenty of other huge names, so you know they’re for real.

Do You Have the Talent?

United Talent Agency doesn’t provide much information about anything on their site, but their About page does give a brief rundown of what each of their divisions do. The company’s Wikipedia page is a much better source of information. The most in-depth section on UTA’s website is actually focused on their Agent Training Program. It’s an entry level rotation program that can put you on the path to a career as a Talent Agent at one of the world’s top talent agencies. The idea of getting your start in the mailroom seems a little outdated, but apparently that’s how it still works at United Talent Agency and quite a few others in the industry. If you do a good job there, then you’ll get assigned to be the Assistant for one of UTA’s agents. If you keep excelling, there’s a good chance that you’ll get promoted to agent status. UTA accepts applications on an ongoing basis, so take a look at all of the details here.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you want to be a talent agent?

Wikia

Willy Franzen — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 16:49:35 +0000

Yesterday our e-mail provider failed to send out our daily e-mail about Organic Motion. You can find that post here. We’re working on changing providers to make sure this doesn’t happen again.

If you’re not spending at least 15 minutes a week reading Wikipedia articles, you’re selling yourself short. As a job seeker you need to be constantly learning about new stuff. Wikipedia is an amazing, free resource for learning about general concepts, but what if you are seeking more specific knowledge? The Wiki format is great, but that’s not what Wikipedia is about. Luckily, there are all kinds of Wiki-powered communities that cover niche topics “ranging from video games, TV shows and movies to food, fashion, and environmental sustainability.” Wikia is a San Francisco, CA based company that provides the platform for many of these Wiki-based communities. The company was founded by Jimmy Wales, who also founded Wikipedia (he’s the creepy guy who stares at you and asks for donations on all of their pages). Both sites use very similar technology, but Wikia is a place for more focused communities that may or may not have a commercial purpose.

Wiki Wiki

There are a ton of cool communities built on Wikia, many of them are officially sanctioned. For instance in TV shows there are Mad Men and NCIS, in movies there are Harry Potter and Avatar, and in games there are Call of Duty and World of Warcraft. To get a feel for it, you should browse around Wikia—they do a great job of spotlighting their top wikis. The video below will give you a quick overview of how Wikia works (e-mail readers should click through).

Now, you’re probably wondering how Wikia makes money. It’s a combination of advertising and “partner programs.” You can get a look behind the curtains by looking at Wikia’s Media Kit. The network of Wikia sites gets a ton of traffic, and they must be monetizing it well. Wikia doesn’t appear to have received any new funding in over 4 years, yet their Jobs page shows quite a few openings. The ones that seem most suitable for new or recent grads include UI Designer, Junior Designer, Sales/Sponsored Links Coordinator, Online Advertising Account Executive, Community Manager, German Gaming Helper, German Entertainment Helper, and Italian Speaking Helpers. There’s a good mix of opportunities, so check them out.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Are you a member of any Wikia communities?

Mindspark

Willy Franzen — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 16:59:37 +0000

There’s been a big uproar in the startup community because I Can Has Cheezburger just took on $30 million in venture capital funding. Now, I’m not qualified to determine whether that’s a smart investment, but I’m wary of people who are too quick to judge it. A lot of people have trouble differentiating between serious businesses and businesses that sell serious products. There’s a lot of room for fun on the Internet, and there are lots of companies that are profiting by providing fun. One of them is Mindspark, which is an IAC company. Mindspark is based in White Plains, NY with additional offices in New York City and Ra’anana, Israel. They manage a number of social and entertainment web properties including Zwinky, and Zwinky Cuties, IWON, Retrogamer, MyWebFace, and GirlSense. Mindspark also offers interactive communication products like Webfetti, My Fun Cards, SmileyCentral, Smiley Creator, Cursor Mania, Popular Screensavers and Kazulah. Additionally, Mindspark also runs Excite and DailyBurn. As you can tell by the names, this isn’t the most serious collection of sites.

A Spark for Your Job Search

Now, I know that you never thought that visiting Zwinky Cuties would be part of your job search, but if you want to land a job at Mindspark, you’re going to have to check out all of their sites. You should be able to run through each of their sites and identify the target audience, the ways in which the sites engage their audiences, and how Mindspark is monetizing the attention from those audiences. That’s the kind of analysis that you should be doing on any company that you want to work for—it’s just going to be a little more fun for Mindspark. Once you have a handle on that, you should check out Mindspark’s Careers page and Job postings. They have a ton of jobs posted (so you have to think that they’re doing well), and a number of them seem appropriate for new or recent grads. Unfortunately, the system that they use to post the jobs, Jobvite, won’t let me link directly to the job descriptions. The positions that you’ll want to look out for include Business Development Coordinator (Ask Partner Network – Oakland, CA), Product Support Specialist/Tester (White Plains, NY), Technical Customer Support Specialist (DailyBurn – New York, NY), Online Fitness Trainer (DailyBurn – New York, NY), Flash Game Developer (Virtual Worlds – Los Angeles, CA and White Plains, NY), Web Developer (Ask Partner Network – Oakland, CA), Web Developer (IWON – New York, NY), and Web Developer (Webfetti – White Plains, NY). You can also find DailyBurn’s technical positions posted here. There’s a lot of variety here, so hopefully something will catch your eye.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you visited any of Mindspark’s properties?

Sifteo

Willy Franzen — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 16:10:47 +0000

Today marks the official start of CES or the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. It’s a big deal for tech and gadget junkies, as companies big and small, new and old make major announcements at the show. In past years we’ve seen game changing products like the Compact Disc, HDTV, the Nintendo Entertainment System, the DVR, Blu-Ray Discs, and lots more introduced at CES. One of the early announcements that caught my attention came yesterday from Sifteo, a San Francisco, CA based gaming company (I originally heard about them from Brad Feld’s Blog—he’s a Venture Capitalist invested in Sifteo). They’ve finally opened up an “Early Access” program (it’s already sold out) for their “alternative game system.” We’ve seen iPhones, iPads, and other touch-based mobile devices open up gaming to the masses, while we’ve also see products like the Wii, Xbox Kinect, and Playstation Move change the way that we interact with console-based games. Sifteo has taken a little from both sides and created a completely new way to game that you’ll have to see to fully comprehend.

New Kids on the Block

Instead of focusing on developing software for other platforms or building a single gaming console, Sifteo has developed a gaming system that consists of multiple cubes—”1.5 inch computers with full-color displays that sense their motion, sense each other, and wirelessly connect to your computer.” You need to see it, so watch the video below to see Sifteo cubes in action (e-mail readers click through).

It’s super cool hardware technology, and it’s only going to get better as more software developers start to develop for the platform. Beyond looking really fun, Sifteo cubes will also be amazing educational tools. Who knows if Sifteo cubes will ever catch on, but right now they’re at a point where they’re about to ship their first products and the opportunities seem endless. If you’d like to be a part of Sifteo’s most exciting stage, check out their Jobs page. Right now they’re looking for an Office Assistant, Software Developers, and Game Designers, but I’m sure they’d love to hear from you if you think there’s something else you can add to the company.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you think that Sifteo will be a hit?

Tagged

Willy Franzen — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 16:17:35 +0000

Because my business is almost entirely online, I’m always meeting new people through e-mail and social networks. Eventually, I end up meeting many of these people in real life. I guess that’s becoming more and more normal, but I know that plenty of people are still weirded out by people who meet online. Not the people who use Tagged, which is “social network where the focus is on meeting new people.” The company is based in San Francisco, CA, and they made the Inc. 500 with 637% three-year growth and $22.7 million in revenue. It may not be Facebook, but Tagged has 100 million users and gets 4 million daily unique visitors. By offering features like “social games, friend suggestions, browsing profiles, group interests and much more,” Tagged has created a unique online environment for making new friends. It seems to be paying off for them.

Get Tagged

Tagged was started by two best friends who met in 7th grade, and I imagine it’s created lots of new friendships since it launched in 2004. The company has been profitable since 2007, and it probably has to do with their decision to stand out by focusing on introducing new people. To learn more about the business, watch this video interview with Tagged co-founder Greg Tseng (e-mail readers need to click through to see the video).

I should also note that Tagged has a separate corporate site at About-Tagged.com, and it’s truly outstanding—filled with information and beautifully design. If you like what you see at Tagged, you’ll probably also like what you see on their Jobs page. They have a ton of positions posted, and may are suitable for new or recent grads. These include Associate Product Manager, Junior Game Designer, Office/Facilities Assistant, Customer Service Representative, Interaction/Visual Designer, Software Engineer, and Entry Level Systems Administrator. Check out the positions, and if you like what you see, you can meet some new people at Tagged.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you use Tagged?

GameDesk

Willy Franzen — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 13:00:40 +0000

I don’t think there’s a gamer out there who hasn’t been hounded by a parent to turn off the video gaming system of choice and do his or her homework. I’m sure some gamers get the last laugh when they start a high-paying career in game development, but most parents still fail to see the educational value of video games. Maybe if they hear about GameDesk, they’ll change their tune. It’s a Los Angeles, CA based “non-profit research and outreach organization designed to help close the achievement gap and improve academic outcomes by reshaping models for learning through game-play and game development.” Yes, it may be hard to believe for some, but critical math, english, and science concepts can be tough through games.

Playing Against the Achievement Gap

GameDesk originally came out of the University of Southern California’s Integrated Media Systems program, and it’s now been around for more than two years. GameDesk works directly with teachers, scholars, game-designers, and school administrators to bring the organization’s methodology (which you can read about here) to more and more students in the Los Angeles school system. In fact, GameDesk is currently in the process of working with The Gates Foundation to launch “a games-based charter school” in Los Angeles in 2012. How cool is that? Now, GameDesk doesn’t have any job opportunities posted on their Idealist page at this moment, but you have to think that some will be coming as the launch of the school gets closer. For now you should check out their volunteer opportunities and internships in Charter School Research, Math and Science, Unity and GameMaker Programming, and Writing/Editing. Or you could just reach out to them and see if they have anything full-time.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Are you a gamer?

SCVNGR

Willy Franzen — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:52:17 +0000

I’m a big fan of location based networks. I’ve been using Foursquare since last July, but I have to admit that I’m getting a little bored of it. Facebook Places seems somewhat interesting, but it’s more because most of your friends already have accounts. If I’m going to be motivated to keep checking into places, I need an incentive. Foursquare occasionally gets me something for free, but the gaming element of the service seems like an afterthought. That’s why I was excited to check out SCVNGR when a reader recommended them as a company to feature. They’re based in Boston, MA, and their focus is on getting people to do challenges at specific places and share what they’ve done with friends. Their go to example is making tin-foil origami out of the wrapper from a burrito place and then uploading a picture of it, but I’ll bet that it can get way more interesting than that. For instance, anyone can build a set of challenges and treks with rewards on SCVNGR—I could take the Cornell Daily Sun’s list of 161 Things Every Cornellian Should Do and turn it into a SCVNGR trek. Maybe I could even team up with a sponsor to reward people who knock off certain items on the list. SCVNGR seems like a really fun way to learn about cool things to do and then share what you’re doing with friends. I can definitely see this taking off—maybe I’ll make a trek for getting a job.

SCVNG for a Job

SCVNGR is certainly in its early stages, but they’re already working with big names like The Smithsonian, The New England Patriots, and Princeton University. You can see a full list of their clients here. They’re funded by some really well respected names, including Google Ventures, so you know that they’re serious about location based gaming. They have a small team of only about 20 60 people so far, but they’re already looking to add to it. If you check out their Rockstars page, you’ll see short profiles of all of their employees along with job postings for positions in Software Development and Sales. I can’t imagine what kind of challenges are included in their hiring process, but hopefully their app is at least part of it. That’d be pretty cool.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you use SCVNGR?

Lucasfilm

Willy Franzen — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 13:00:28 +0000

Let me preface this post by saying that there is no way that I am going to do the topic justice. There’s just no way that I can properly bring to life the story of Lucasfilm when I’m just not all that into Star Wars. I’ve seen the trilogy, and I even saw the one or two of the movies from the prequel trilogy, but I’m not a fanatic. With that said, there are plenty of fanatical Star Wars fans and fans of George Lucas’ work. What he was able to do with late 70s/early 80s technology in the Star Wars movies is incredible, but what’s even more incredible is the excitement that Lucasfilm has been able to build around its franchises—mainly Star Wars and Indiana Jones. Lucasfilm is located in San Rafael, CA, while they also have a large presence in Singapore. They’re a monster name in the film and entertainment industry, and they also have businesses including Industrial Lights & Magic, Lucasarts, Lucasfilm Animation, Lucas Licensing, Lucas Online, and Skywalker Sound.

Join the Force

The truth is that Lucasfilm has a ton of fanatics. There are people dressing up for movie premieres and devoting big portions of their lives to their fandom. This means that Lucasfilm is a dream employer for many, and if you’re not insanely fanatical, you’re probably not going to be a great fit (unless you’re just really good). If you are fanatical, then I probably don’t need to tell you anything more about Lucasfilm. There is an expansive list of jobs posted on Lucasfilm’s Jobs sites—90 of them right now. The job titles are a bit misleading, since Coordinator and Assistant type positions may require 6 years of experience, but here are some positions that seem best suited for new or recent college grads: 2nd Assistant Editor, Assistant Technical Director, Associate Editor, Accounts Payable Clerk, CG Department Coordinator / Administrative Assistant, Creature ATD, Concept Designer (Feature), Junior Production Engineer, Junior Software Engineer, Layout / Matchmove Artist, Production Coordinator, PROJECT Recruiting Coordinator, Resource Assistant, Technical Assistant, and Technical Assistant – Animation Tools. A lot of the jobs obviously require a high level of technical experience, so you’re really better off browsing through all of the postings yourself.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What’s your famous Lucasfilm production?

IGT

Willy Franzen — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 11:38:01 +0000

My family is in Colorado Springs this week, and we’re staying at an amazing ranch on top of a mountain in the middle of nowhere. Yesterday we went back to civilization for the first time, and we decided to visit Cripple Creek—an old mining town that was home to “the last great Colorado gold rush” and more than half a billion dollars in gold ore. Unfortunately gold mining can only last so long, and Cripple Creek eventually became a ghost town. In 1991 voters legalized gambling in Cripple Creek, and the city was reinvigorated, albeit with most of the storefronts inhabited with gaming establishments. Our visit was interrupted by a massive hail storm, so we waited in the car until it let up a bit and ran into the first restaurant we could find. Turns out that it was a restaurant inside of a casino, and we had to walk past a bunch of slots and other machines to get a bite to eat. Of course, I couldn’t make it past the Game King video poker machine without playing, and luckily I came away from “lunch” 90 bucks richer. That gave me the idea to take a look at IGT (International Game Technology), the Reno, NV based gaming company that designs and manufactures the Game King machine among many other casino machines.

A Jackpot for Your Job Search

IGT calls itself “the leading company specializing in design, development, manufacturing, distribution and sales of computerized gaming equipment, software and network systems worldwide.” And that seems fair considering how ubiquitous their machines seem to be on casino floors. I guess that’s why they just won 16 awards from Casino Player Magazine’s Best of Gaming Reader Poll—the most of any manufacturer. IGT’s success spans across types of gaming machines; however, some of their biggest successes have come with cobranded machines like the Wheel of Fortune slots. The only issue with IGT seems to be that they’re extremely sensitive to the recession, as any player in the gaming or hospitality industry will be. Judging from both their Job postings and LinkedIn, it appears that they haven’t been doing much hiring of late. However, IGT just named a new VP of HR, so that may get things going again.

IGT is really big on campus recruiting, and they seem to put a lot of effort into their University Relations presence for both entry level hires and internships (they’ve since merged this into their regular Careers page). You can get an overview of the types of opportunities available at IGT here, and they include positions in Accounting & Finance, Administrative Services, Casino Services/Casino Support & Training, Corporate Strategy, Engineering, Facilities & Security, Game Design/Art, Human Resources, Information Systems/ERP, Legal/Compliance, Manufacturing & Operations, Marketing, Product Management, Sales & Business Development, and Technical Documentation/Drafting. You can also take a look at ~~IGT’s Employee Profiles~~ (since deleted) to get a better feel for the positions that you might be interested in (most of which are located in Reno and Las Vegas, but they also have opportunities in nearly any area where gambling is big). Unfortunately, IGT doesn’t seem to provide an HR contact on their website, and their applicant tracking system is terrible. To apply for an unlisted position (since it’s off cycle for college recruiting right now), I recommend that you try reaching out to them at Careers@IGT.com.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you played any IGT games?

Lolapps

Willy Franzen — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 15:03:30 +0000

I don’t play Facebook games with one exception—a game that a friend built. I guess this makes me unusual (I do play iPhone games though) because the stats on Facebook games are crazy. It’s hard to believe that anybody gets work done these days. If only there was a Facebook game where winning meant you’d landed a job. That’s not going to happen, so if you insist on Facebook gaming your way through the job search, then you better be looking to work for a company like Lolapps. They’re based in San Francisco, and they make Facebook games. They actually started with a user-generated quiz business, then they moved on to building games for well-known brands. Now, they’re focused on becoming their own gaming brand. Their current products include games like Garden Life, Band of Heroes, Diva Life, Yakuza Lords, and a few more. I’m sure they’re working on plenty more as they try to grow their name in the ultra-competitive world of Facebook games.

Laugh Out Loud and Apply

I know it seems crazy that people are getting rich off of Facebook games, but it’s really happening. It’s the right platform at the right time. It’s also not all based on advertising either. Yes, ads are a bigger driver of revenue for many Facebook gaming companies, but in game purchases are also huge. Yes, people actually spend money—sometimes more than they’d spend on a console game—to improve the experience of their favorite Facebook games. With 180 million users and 5 million daily active users, Lolapps is in great position to be a leader in the space. If you’d like to join them, then you should check out their Jobs page. Right now they have entry level opportunities for Flash Engineers, Web Developers, and UI/UX Designers. Everything requires some technical background, but there’s always the chance that they’ll have some non-technical positions as they grow. If you want to get to know the company better, you should be sure to check out their Flickr stream and their blog where they occasionally spotlight their employees.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you play any of LOLapps’ games?

Watercooler

Willy Franzen — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 13:41:03 +0000

Early in the recession it seemed as though the video game industry would never be affected. Traditional game publishers were busy selling their wares to the unemployed and hiring to keep churning out games—so there were plenty of entry level jobs in video games. Things seem to have slowed down over the past year, but I think it’s more about a change in the games that people play than macroeconomic conditions. Facebook and the iPhone have created new markets for cheap and free (ad-supported) games to gain a lot of traction. There are a ton of gaming upstarts entering the market, and traditional publishers are changing the platforms that they develop on. One of the upstarts is Watercooler, a Redwood City, CA based social games developer that has already reached “over 25 million application installations.” The company started as a network of online fan communities focused on sports and TV, but they’ve switched focus and used their “social product expertise to create innovative and engaging social games.”

Hang at the Watercooler

Watercooler’s games include Kingdoms of Camelot, Fantasy Football, $20K Football Challenge, 2010 Bracket Challenge, and Epic Goal. I haven’t played any of them, but they certainly look like they could be pretty addictive (and that’s exactly what social gaming companies want). Watercooler has already raised $9.5 million in venture capital, so they’re certainly in a growth stage. This is also becomes evident when you look at their Jobs page. They have a ton of positions open, and there are plenty that might be appropriate for new or recent grads. These include 2D Game Artist, Flash Animator, UI/Visual Designer, Analytics Engineer, Back-end Developer, Flash Developer, Front-end Developer, Online Marketing Analyst, and Player Experience Jack-Jill of All Trades (indicated as entry level). Lots of opportunities, so check them out!

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you played any Watercooler games.

BigDoor Media

Willy Franzen — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 14:50:07 +0000

The most common question that I get asked is “Where do you find all of the companies that you write about?” There’s no simple response to that; however, I consume a ton of information every day, and it usually leads me to some interesting companies—and often those companies are hiring. It’s funny because I was terrible at finding companies when I was a job seeker, and now I do it every day. One of my favorite sources for new ideas is blogs, and specifically blogs of venture capitalists (since it’s their job to identify and fund exciting new companies). The ones that I read most often are Brad Feld’s blog and Fred Wilson’s blog. Yesterday I learned about BigDoor Media from Brad Feld’s blog since his firm just gave them $5 million. They’re a Seattle, WA based startup that allows web publishers to add game-like mechanics and virtual currencies to their websites to promote loyalty.

Go Through the BigDoor

I’m toying with the idea of integrating BigDoor Media’s platform into One Day, One Job. I’m not sure how it would work, but it would be cool to find a way to make the job search a little more fun for all of you. One idea is that you could gain points for every time that you visit the One Day, One Job home page to view the day’s company. After accruing a certain number of points, you might be rewarded with a special article or insider info on some really cool job opportunities. The idea is half-baked at this point, but I’ve already signed up for BigDoor Media’s beta to investigate it further. We’ve seen how successful social gaming companies like Zynga have been, and we know that virtual economies are the future. Now it’s just a matter of making it happen, and BigDoor Media has the platform to do it. They don’t even have a Jobs page yet, but with $5 million in new funding, they’re almost certainly going to be hiring soon. It’s hard to say whether those will only be software development type positions or if there might be marketing, customer service, business development, or social media type positions as well. If you want to find out, you should reach out to the folks at BigDoor Media.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you think about adding game dynamics to One Day, One Job?

DreamBox Learning

Willy Franzen — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 15:41:36 +0000

Yesterday I came across a New York Times article about how Reed Hastings, the founder of Netflix, recently donated money to a non-profit called Charter School Growth Fund so that they could acquire online education startup DreamBox Learning, which creates web-based games to teach elementary school students math skills. As far as I can tell, the Bellevue, WA based startup will remain a for-profit entity even though it will be owned by a non-profit fund. Along with the donation Reed Hastings also invested $10 million into DreamBox to help them expand the number of subjects that they cover and to reach more schools with their software. You have to think that a large portion of that investment will be spent on hiring new people in the not so distant future.

Join the Dream Team

I love the online education market. I think it’s going to be an extremely exciting and profitable place to work for at least the next decade, and that’s why I’m part of it (have you seen Found Your Career?). What DreamBox Learning is doing reminds me a lot of Reasoning Mind, which is a non-profit that develops online math learning software and curricula. There’s plenty of room in the market for both, and I imagine there’s room for even more considering the level of math education in our country these days. It’s awesome to see someone with the track record of Reed Hastings putting so much into such an important project, and if you want to join him, you should check out Jobs at DreamBox Learning. Right now they have half a dozen positions posted, and I expect that number to increase as they push for more growth. The jobs most suitable for you, my readers, are probably Customer Service Representative, Flash Production Artist, and Web Developer. You can apply for any of the positions by sending a cover letter and résumé with the name of the position in the subject line to jobs@dreambox.com.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What’s your feeling about online education?

Riot Games

Willy Franzen — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 14:56:51 +0000

Apparently my parents and sister have engaged in a never-ending series of online Scrabble games played via iPhone. I’m with my parents in Florida right now, and every five minutes they’re bugging each other to make the next move. It’s crazy. Free online gaming has hit the masses, and it isn’t pretty. There are tons of new online gaming companies, and while some are focusing on bringing new gamers to the market, others are more focused on gaining ground with serious gamers. Culver City, CA based Riot Games is a perfect example of the latter. They are behind League of Legends, a free online role-playing game that is set in an imaginative world. The game has been downloaded more than a million times, and Riot Games has received $20 million in venture capital investment based on the game. $8 million of that investment came from a Chinese gaming company that has a huge user base, so this is very much an international play.

Incite a Riot

The interesting thing about Riot Games and League of Legends is that the game is essentially console quality. It’s the type of game that serious gamer would pay to play, but it’s free. Riot Games’ business model is more akin to that of Zynga than that of Blizzard. What that means is that Riot Games makes League of Legends free to play, but they charge for in-game item purchases. It seems like a smart idea, and if it works, they’re going to have a huge leg up on the game makers who charge an upfront cost for their games. With all of the recent investment, Riot Games is growing its headcount rapidly. A quick look at their Jobs page will show you that they have nearly two dozen full-time openings. Not all of them are geared towards entry level candidates, but enough are. Riot Games’ current openings are in Art, Programming, Design, Production, QA Operations, Customer Service, and Web, so check them out and see if you find something that fits your interests. If you do, you can apply e-mail and hopefully land a job where you’ll enjoy perks like ninja nerf gun battles, full expense trips to the bathroom, and stock advice.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you played League of Legends?

Telltale Games

Willy Franzen — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 15:55:23 +0000

As a kid I wasn’t a total video/computer game junkie, but I certainly spent my fair share of time sitting in front of a screen playing games. One of my favorites was a game that I played on my Mac called The Secret of Monkey Island. I figured that the game series had been discontinued long ago, but it appears that a relatively new company called Telltale Games has resurrected the series while also developing some new story-based games. Telltale Games is based in San Rafael, CA, and, as they put it, they are “the first and only studio to release interactive episodic content on a monthly schedule.” They seem to have found an interesting niche in the gaming industry, and they’re having success across platforms that include Wii, Xbox360, and the PC.

Tell a Tale, Get a Job

Telltale Games seems well positioned for the future of gaming, as their episodic approach to games is based on digital distribution. Not only have they created their own direct sales distribution channel, but they’ve also “partnered with leading distributors (Time Warner / Turner Entertainment (GameTap); Yahoo Games; Steam; IGN; Big Fish; JoWooD Group; Trymedia; Wild Tangent).” I guess the days of going to a store to buy a game are coming to an end. Score one for instant gratification. And if you want instant gratification when it comes to jobs at Telltale Games, you better have some serious game development skills. While they do have some non-technical positions shown on their Staff page, Telltale’s job openings include titles like Build Engineer, Cinematic Artist, and Tester. Those are the kinds of jobs that require a lot of hard work building skills and gaining experience, so hopefully you’ve been doing that throughout college. You can find specific application instruction on each job posting.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you played any games from Telltale Games?

WMS Gaming

Willy Franzen — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:53:35 +0000

Usually when I’m talking about jobs in gaming, I’m talking about jobs in the video game industry, but today “gaming” means something a little different. We’re going to take a look at WMS Gaming, a Chicago based company that produces the machines that you find in casinos. I found out about them from Brill Street’s list of Top 50 Gen-Y Employers in Chicago (which is surprisingly light on companies with entry level jobs available—I think the #1 thing a company can do to be “Gen-Y friendly” is hire new grads). WMS was founded in 1943 by Harry Williams, a Stanford engineer, who invented the tilt mechanism for pinball machines (which prevents cheating and damaging the machine). Luckily for WMS Gaming, the decline of the pinball industry coincided with the rise of the casino industry, so their transition to focusing solely on slot machines went pretty easily in 1999. I guess people would rather win—err lose—real money than “points.”

Make a Bet on WMS Gaming

WMS Gaming’s business has really matured over the last decade. They started out focused on video slots, but now their games seem to include everything that you’ll find in a casino beyond table games. WMS is heavily focused on improving the user experience for gamblers (or “gamers” as they like to call them), so they’re always looking for new ways to make their games more exciting. Whether it’s Sensory Immersion Gaming or themed games like their co-branded Monopoly slots, they always seem to be on the cutting edge of the business. They’re also a pretty cool place to work for young people, at least according to Brill Street.

I’m more concerned with the fact that they have what look to be some excellent job opportunities available for new grads. They provide a good deal of relevant information in the Working at WMS section of their website, which says that they’re always looking for top talent in the areas of Accounting, Administrative, Computer Animation and Sound, Human Resources, Information Systems, Manufacturing, Marketing & Sales, Engineering, Operations, Product Game, Development, and Software Engineering. You can search for specific positions by using their job search function, where you’ll find positions like Gaming Software Engineer, Submission Coordinator I, and a bunch of field positions in cities with casinos. You can apply online, and you may also want to try reaching out to WMS Gaming through e-mail at hr@wmsgaming.com to see what other entry level positions they have available

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Slide

Willy Franzen — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:39:03 +0000

It looks like Yahoo! Finance has taken a page out of my book and used Fortune’s 40 Under 40 list to highlight some companies that are hiring. I found the link on Twitter, and was pleased to see that I had already featured a number of the companies. One that I haven’t yet featured (and don’t remember hearing about before) is Slide. They’re a San Francisco based startup that claims to be “the world’s leading social entertainment company.” I think that’s a bit of a stretch, but they do make social networks more fun for hundreds of millions of people. Their 40 Under 40 CEO is Max Levchin, who co-founded PayPal (which was sold for $1.5 billion to eBay). He is apparently well on his way to having built another billion dollar company, considering the fact that Slide was valued at $550 million last time that they took money.

Slide into a New Job

The basic premise behind slide is that social networks are better when you can bring outside content in—whether it’s sharing something that you’ve made like a slideshow or using an application that allows you to throw sheep. People want customization, yet they don’t have the web development skills to do it on their own. They need help, and that’s where Slide comes in. Monetizing social network traffic isn’t necessarily easy, but Slide seems to be heading in the right direction when it comes to turning their massive traffic into revenue. Not only do their investors believe in them, but so do advertisers like Starbucks, Sunkist, Activision, AT&T Wireless, Discovery Channel, Estee Lauder, McDonald’s, Lionsgate Films, Universal Pictures, and Paramount Pictures. I guess 5 million sheep thrown a day is worth more than I thought it was. Slide is very clearly growing, and as I mentioned in the opening of this post, they’re hiring. Their Jobs page shows more than a dozen open positions, and a bunch of those are suitable for new grads. These include Product Manager, Community Manager, Flash Animator/Illustrator, Flash Social Game Engineer, Graphic Designer, Junior QA Engineer, Linux Server Engineer, OO Javascript/Front-end Engineer, Python Web Developer, and Community Support Representative. You can apply online directly from these links, so give Slide a look.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you use Slide?

Rockstar Games

Willy Franzen — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 14:22:44 +0000

After a second company used the term “rockstar” in their job postings, it became clichéd. I know that I’ve said this before, but no matter how good your coding skills (or whatever other rockstar skills employers look for) are, you’re never going to be a rockstar. Unless, of course, you land a job at Rockstar Games. If you work there, at least you’ll be a rockstar in name. You may not have a guitar, but you’ll be working for the company behind video game series like Grand Theft Auto, Max Payne, and Manhunt. And for those of you who have a different taste in games, they’ve got Table Tennis for the Wii. I keep harping on the fact that the video game industry is doing well, but it’s just so impressive. Other content producers like newspapers, magazines, record labels, and move producers are struggling with changes in how we consume content, but video game companies keep humming along—and Rockstar Games is no exception.

Grand Theft Entry Level Job

I first found out about the fact that Rockstar Games is hiring when I watched this YouTube video from the Art Institutes’ Career Services team (this video actually comes first in the series). It was cool to see such in-depth content on what it takes to get a job at Rockstar Games, and it obviously got me looking to find where they post their job opportunities. Their website is entirely in Flash, which is a total pain in the butt, and the main navigation for the site only shows up if you put your mouse over it. And even if you do put your cursor in the right place, you won’t find a link to their Jobs page (at least I couldn’t).

Luckily a Google search turned up Rockstar Games’ Jobs page. It’s loaded with opportunities (and not all of them are in Software Development), so it’s kind of like a hidden treasure. We can’t link to specific postings (stupid Flash), but I can tell you that they have Game Programming and Animation jobs in Vancouver, British Columbia; a Game Content Creator position and all kinds of Game Programmer positions for RAGE in San Diego, CA; Game Programmer and Character Artist positions in Toronto, Ontario; Junior Web Developer and Marketing Coordinator in New York City; and Gameplay Generalist/Programmer in Andover, MA. Additionally, Rockstar Games has a ton of open position at their 4 locations in the United Kingdom. It’s amazing how many job openings Rockstar Games has, so whether you’re an artist, programmer, or marketer, there’s probably something for you. You can apply online for any of the positions.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Which of Rockstar Games’ titles is your favorite?

Mochi Media

Willy Franzen — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 14:30:49 +0000

Have you ever tried mochi? It’s delicious, right? If you don’t know what I’m talking about, mochi is “a Japanese rice cake made of glutinous rice pounded into paste and molded into shape.” Ok, so that doesn’t make it sound good, but when it comes filled with ice cream it’s extraordinary. Now, I’m not sure why Mochi Media chose to name their company after a delicious Japanese treat, but it seems to be working for them. They’re a San Francisco based company that happens to run the largest ad network for online Flash games—they reach over 100 million gamers.

Try Some Mochi

There’s no dispute that Flash games are fun, but they often seem like time wasters. I try to avoid these types of games, because if I start playing one, it usually ends up 3 hours later and I still can’t beat it. I’m sure you’ve had similar experiences. Because of the nature of Flash games, I’d imagine that they’re pretty hard to monetize; however, Mochi Media seems to have figured it out. They’re enabling game developers to actually make money off of something that the developers used to do just for fun. Additionally, Mochi Media is also building a pretty solid business off of their network of free games. If you want to work somewhere where getting caught playing games on your work computer isn’t going to result in your getting fired, then you should check out jobs at Mochi Media on Startuply. Right now they have two design positions posted—one in CSS/XHTML Design and one in UI/Visual Design. Mochi Media used to have their own Careers page, but it doesn’t seem to be active since they redesigned their site. You’ll need a strong portfolio to land one of these jobs, so be sure to include a link when you apply online.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever tried mochi?

JamLegend

Willy Franzen — Thu, 28 May 2009 14:08:44 +0000

I’ve already written posts on Activision (Guitar Hero), Harmonix (Rock Band), and Tapulous (Tap Tap Revenge), but can you ever really get enough of the music playing video game genre? Of course not! That’s why we’re looking at JamLegend today. How are they different from the other game makers that I just mentioned? First, JamLegend is free. Second, it offers more songs. Third, you can use your computer keyboard as a guitar. Fourth and most importantly, it’s social! You can play your friends, you can play the world, and you can even enter tournaments to win prizes. JamLegend isn’t just the name of the game, it’s also the name of the company, a small startup based out of San Francisco.

These Jobs Are Your Jam

If you’re a music loving video game junkie who is fascinated by the social web, then you really couldn’t find a better fit than JamLegend. Beyond that, it’s a good career choice. The video game industry continues to thrive through the recession, and social gaming appears to be the next big thing. That’s why you need to check out Jobs with JamLegend. You won’t find any specific postings on their Jobs page, but that’s ok because I love their philosophy. They say, “Our belief is that we should hire gifted people even before we need them, so send us an e-mail (jobs@jamlegend.com) and tell us why you are interesting.” That’s about it. Awesome. JamLegend does have some positions posted on Startuply for a Flex / AS3 Developer and a Facebook Connect / Social-Web Developer, but it’s unclear whether these are internships or full-time jobs. It really doesn’t matter though, just reach out to them and tell them how you can help them. Don’t constrain yourself by applying for a specific position.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you played JamLegend?

Bungie

Willy Franzen — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 14:50:56 +0000

It’s been almost 6 months since I first started talking about how the video game industry is a good place to find a job during a recession, yet I continue to be amazed by how aggressively some gaming companies are hiring. I don’t know if it’s a result of the fact that people buy video games when they’re unemployed or it’s that hard to find people to fill these jobs, but I’m shocked to see a company like Bungie with 21 job openings – many of which appear to be suitable for new grads. Now, Bungie and I go way back. I’ve been using Macs since the early 90s, and Bungie was one of the premier game creators for Macs. Although I was never a serious gamer, I definitely have fond memories of Bungie’s first huge success – Marathon. Then they hit it big with Halo. Microsoft bought them out, and they picked up shop and moved (all of their employees chose to follow the company) to Kirkland, WA.

Take a Bungie Jump

Bungie may have been bought out by the evil empire (they were the premier Mac game publisher), but they’ve remained true to their roots. Here’s the Bungie Creed:

Bungie is a studio built first and foremost on the strengths and abilities of its people. We use the best technology and the best talent in the industry, assembled together in the best place, to create compelling games, stories and worlds.

With all these pieces in place, Bungie can concentrate on its ultimate goal:

7 Steps to World Domination.

1. Start independent gaming software company.
2. Dominate Mac platform: Launch assault on Windows platform.
3. Announce killer gaming title.
4. Acquire strangely addictive Chinese food company.
5. Recover Ling Ling’s head.
6. Stage bloody coup of new parent company.
7. Take over World. Shoot enemies into sun with giant slingshot.

If you’re interested in world domination, then you need to check out Bungie’s Jobs page. Their job listings are easy enough to browse that I don’t need to repeat them for you, but I will tell you that most of the opportunities are in Art and Engineering/Software Development. There are also positions in Production, Design, and Testing. You can apply by sending resumes (along with demo reels, portfolios, sample code, and anything else that demonstrates your skills) to jobs@bungie.com, and you really should dive deep into their website. It’s one of the best corporate websites that I’ve seen, and it’s loaded with information that potential employees will find fascinating.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Did you ever play Marathon back in the day?

Raptr

Willy Franzen — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 14:32:24 +0000

One of the cool things about all of the social technologies that we have these days is that it removes a lot of social inefficiency. What do I mean by social inefficiency? How about the fact that you’re sitting in an airport waiting for a delayed flight even though your friend is 3 gates away and you have no idea. You’re probably not going to call that friend randomly, but a Facebook or Twitter update might alert you to the fact that you have someone to hang out with for the next hour or two. There are a million examples like this, and Raptr, a Mountain View, CA based startup, has created some technology to address one inefficiency in particular – gaming alone. Ok, so they’re not going to invite your friends over to play video games with you, but they will allow you to find out which of your friends are playing what video games when, so that you can link up and play together. Social gaming is huge, but it’s happening mostly on non-gaming platforms like Facebook. Raptr is trying to bring this technology to more traditional gaming systems and aggregate your information across the social networks that you already use.

Don’t Fear the Raptr

Now, if you’re ashamed of your excessive gaming, then maybe Raptr isn’t the service for you; however, if you are always looking for someone to play against, then it should be a pretty good addition to your gaming repertoire. Apparently Raptr is as easy as setting up a few accounts, so I can’t imagine why a serious gamer wouldn’t want to use it (unless of course they’re one of those people I described in the first sentence of this paragraph). I think Raptr is a pretty cool idea, and I’m excited to see more startups that address social inefficiencies. If you’re excited about both video games and social networking, then you might also want to check out Raptr’s Job Opportunities. Right now there’s only one opening, but it’s perfect for a new grad. Raptr is looking to hire a Community Manager to help them develop and interact with their online community. It sounds like an awesome job, and there’s a ton of information about Raptr on their website. You can apply for the job by sending a resume and cover letter to jobs@raptr.com (and make sure that you paste it into the body of the e-mail – no attachments).

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you tried Raptr yet?