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Apple commits to making new media apps for Windows
It seems that Apple is finally turning its attention to its Windows users. A new Apple job listing reveals that the company is hiring software engineers to build "the next generation of media apps for Windows," with the blurb suggesting the company could be looking to introduce Windows apps akin to those already offered on Mac.
Uber Eats might start showing ads, too
You might soon see ads while you're looking for dinner in Uber Eats. The company recently posted a job listing, first spotted by TechCrunch, for an Uber Eats Ads Lead, and a spokesperson confirmed that Uber is exploring bringing relevant ads to Eats. So, while you're deciding where to order from, Uber could be tossing a few paid suggestions at you.
Job listings point to next-gen open world Star Wars game
Recent job listings posted by Electronic Arts indicate that an open-world Star Wars game is in development. One of the listings, seeking an animation director for EA Canada, is for "a major new next gen open world action game" in the beloved sci-fi property. The same description is listed for an executive producer position and a lead combat designer position at the studio, which was linked to the Star Wars property by a former recruiter for the publisher on Twitter. The concept of an open-world Star Wars game isn't new, as Just Cause developer Avalanche Studios nearly signed with LucasArts to develop one sometime between 2005 and 2009. Likewise, LucasArts' Star Wars 1313 was reportedly being developed as an open-world game before Disney closed the developer and halted the game's development in April. EA obtained the exclusive rights to develop and publish Star Wars games in May, later announcing a new DICE-developed Star Wars: Battlefront game at E3, expected to arrive in mid-2015. The publisher also recently claimed that it will not pursue any games based on the new movies in the series.
Blizzard LFM: eSports Director needed for Blizzard All-Stars
When I say Blizzard, you say MOBA! OK, chances are that's not the first thing you think of -- or even the fifth. That's understandable; it's been a long time since any news has come out about Blizzard All-Stars. In fact, the last we heard was just that the game was in "active development," and that was back in January! What's changed since then? While the official site has nothing new to offer, 2P.com found a recruitment listing for a director to handle Blizzard's entire eSports program. This listing specifically mentions the upcoming MOBA, showing that the game has not been completely abandoned. This should give fans some hope that the game might still see the light of day sometime. And perhaps when director is found, we'll hear even more news on the progress of the game. [Thanks to Dengar for the tip!]
Former DJ Hero devs exploring IPTV for multi-platform project
DJ Hero developer FreeStyle Games is hiring a producer for IPTV gaming, according to a job listing on LinkedIn. The position will lead "the development of new multi-platform games with specific emphasis on online infrastructure-heavy video applications." "IPTV" could mean any number of platforms, including set-top boxes such as Apple TV and Roku. The job listing noted that the developer is working on a "new ground-breaking multi-platform and mobile project." FreeStyle Games posted a number of jobs to LinkedIn in the last week, including one for a mobile gaming producer role that will "develop strategies to leverage mobile enabled business models including free-to-play and freemium." That person would also be in charge of creating "features to bridge online, console and mobile games to create a connected product." FreeStyle Games' most recent efforts were seen in Sing Party for Wii U, so the Activision-owned developer hasn't strayed too far from music-based games. Whether its next multi-platform and potentially free-to-play project falls in line with that genre remains to be seen.
Apple seeking engineers for 'next generation' Apple TV development
A new job posting on Apple's website shows that the company is seeking a software engineering manager to "help deliver the next-generation features for Apple TV." Alright, sure, they probably didn't need that article in there. But still -- Apple is clearly trying to put together a team to build up the software on the Apple TV, and it even asks applicants for the job to have experience managing several "high-priority projects." "High-priority" isn't how Apple has described its TV unit in the past, but if they're assembling a new team for a new era, we can probably expect to see some changes in the future around Apple's living room device. A job listing is of course just a job listing -- this just means it's a position that Apple wants to fill at some point in the future, not that Apple's halfway done with all of the R&D it wants to do. But I think it is fair to say that the Apple TV has a long future in Cupertino, and that we'll definitely see it move up on the priority scale over there very soon. [via 9to5Mac]
Ubisoft Reflections hiring for Watch Dogs [update]
Are you a hacker, able to remotely ID people you see and change traffic lights at will? Then you're ... in Ubisoft's Watch Dogs. However, if you're not quite that adept, but still quite good with a computer, and you're in the UK, there's room for you on the team making Watch Dogs.Ubisoft Reflections general manager Giselle Stewart told Develop that the team is adding "over 40 permanent roles at our Newcastle office." Reflections is collaborating with Ubisoft Montreal to create the open world hacking/shooting game. "Our goal is to attract senior and experienced programmers, game designers and artists to work at Reflections, bringing our team to around 200 developers," Stewart said. Just one warning: you might end up working on Just Dance as well.Update: We've been informed the job openings for Watch Dogs are "worldwide."
Raven job listings suggest next-gen game in the works
The last shooter Raven Software shipped was 2010's Singularity and since then the outfit has mostly helped out on Call of Duty DLC. But some job listings over on the developer's site suggest a new game is in the works, potentially for next-generation consoles.Raven is looking for a senior lighting artist and senior environment artist to help out on "an exciting next generation title," the developer's job listing section shows. Another open job mentions an established team working on a first-person shooter right now, though there's no indication that these two projects are related in any way.
Visceral Games may be working on a MOBA game
Visceral Games, best known for the Dead Space series, just might be working on a free-to-play multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) title, according to recent job listings discovered by IGN. Perhaps most telling is the listing for a Global Community Manager, who will work in the Play4Free division (EA's team focused on free-to-play titles) and is expected to have "an unhealthy passion for MOBA games."The studio is also seeking a character designer with experience in "MOBA, Action RTS, Action RPG, or Related Genres." Finally, Visceral is looking for a character concept artist for "an upcoming PC action title." Alongside the portfolio requirement, it's noted that "highly stylized pieces with exaggerated proportions" are considered a plus. Given the typically larger number of playable characters in a MOBA, and the need to identify them from a distance, such exaggerated proportions are common among MOBA character designs.Is Visceral developing a full-on MOBA? Given its recent history with Dead Space, it's possible the studio is working on a shooter with MOBA elements, perhaps something akin to Super Monday Night Combat (though probably much darker in design).A third, much less likely but still tantalizing possibility: a Jack the Ripper MOBA.
Kojima Productions LA hiring gameplay programmer
Kojima Productions is moving forward on its California studio, according to a job listing posted by Konami. Originally mentioned in February as a tentative plan "if we can find the right people," the LA location is now actively seeking said people, including a "gameplay programmer" to work on the "core foundation of a 3D action game."If you've ever wanted to join Kojima Productions, but never wanted to move to Japan, this is your opportunity. We suggest bolstering your resume with some really nicely photographed lunches on your Twitter feed.
CD Projekt's multiplayer job listing is research-oriented
The "Multiplayer Programmer" job being filled by CD Projekt Red shouldn't necessarily be taken as evidence of multiplayer, CDP marketing head Michal Platkow-Gilewski told Eurogamer. "We want to bring to the team someone experienced in this field to evaluate our concepts and ideas," he said. "He will be one of backbone elements of our R&D."Platkow-Gilewski said the multiplayer programmer is part of CDP's desire to "explore all possible directions, check what would be cool, what's feasible and - always the most important for us - what suits our games the best."In other words, the multiplayer programmer is there to help CD Projekt Red determine whether multiplayer would work in any upcoming games. We hope, for the sake of the person hired for that position, that it ends up working in at least one.
CD Projekt Red hiring multiplayer programmer for two upcoming RPGs
A job listing for a Multiplayer Programmer over on CD Projekt Red's official site implies that at least one both of the developer's upcoming RPGs (one cyberpunk, the other dark fantasy) may support multiplayer in some capacity or another.The person hired, in addition to be gaining health care, 26 days of annual paid vacation and relocation assistance to Warsaw, will also be responsible for designing and implementing networking and multiplayer capabilities into CD Projekt Red's proprietary Red Engine, which powers both of its upcoming games. The first to be announced thus far is Cyberpunk, a nonlinear game based on the pen-and-paper RPG of the same name.
Darksiders studio hiring devs with FPS experience
Vigil Games, the THQ-owned developer of the Darksiders games and the now single-player Warhammer 40,000 Dark Millennium, is hiring a "senior gameplay programmer," "senior or principal designer," and other positions with an eye toward FPS experience.The gameplay programmer position seeks someone who "Has previously held a senior programming position on at least one shipped AAA console or PC title (preferably an FPS)," and the principal designer listing looks for "An avid FPS gamer with strong interest in pushing the genre forward creatively." The same listing looks for "Experience designing fighting and/or action adventure games for PS3 or Xbox 360 with at least 2 shipped AAA titles."The primary takeaway from these job listings is that Vigil is likely working on an unnannounced first-person shooter – probably on consoles, and with adventure elements. But we'd also like to point out that this is an opportunity for some of our game developer readers to come live in lovely Austin, Texas.
id Software hiring for next-generation console game
id Software is preparing to create something on next generation consoles – something with a user interface, which narrows it down to any software of any kind. Luckily, the UI Programmer job listing that reveals this information also states id is specifically working on "an unannounced game on future-generation consoles."As superannuation (who spotted the listing) points out, the listing calls for "Familiarity with id Software games, characters, brands and universes," which suggests the new game may be part of one of id's existing franchises: Wolfenstein, Doom, Quake, Rage, or ... Commander Keen. Probably not that one.
Microsoft job posting hints at Connected Car strategy: Azure, Kinect and WP8
Redmond seems to have more grandiose ideas for Connected Car than it's let on before, judging from a recent help wanted ad on its site. Reading more like PR for its car-based plans, the job notice waxes poetically about using "the full power of the Microsoft ecosystem" in an upcoming auto platform with tech such as Kinect, Azure, Windows 8 and Windows Phone. Those products would use face-tracking, speech and gestures to learn your driving habits and safely guide or entertain you on the road, according to the software engineer listing. It also hints that everything would be tied together using Azure's cloud platform, so that your favorite music or shortcuts would follow you around, even if you're not piloting your own rig. All that makes its original Connected Car plans from 2009 seem a bit laughable -- check the original video for yourself after the break.
Rumor: Harmonix prepping 'unique motion-gaming IP' ... with storylines
We thought Harmonix had its hands full with Rock Band Blitz, but the Cambridge-based developer may also be preparing a new IP – and for the next generation of consoles. According to several different job listings, the developer is looking for narrative, content and level designers, and one software engineer to help out with "a unique motion-gaming IP.""Harmonix seeks an accomplished Narrative Designer to incorporate creative story lines into gameplay on a unique motion-gaming IP," reads just one of the positions discovered by Supererogatory. This particular gig is a 12-month contract position, while the others make mention of a "music-based motion-gaming IP" and seem to be for more established positions.A narrative-driven, rhythm-based motion game? Sounds a lot like one of our favorite games ever. [Wait, surely you meant this? - Ed.]
Valve job listing points to hardware plans for 'whole new gaming experiences'
Yes, there are employees at Valve right now who are working on some form of gaming hardware. What that gaming hardware is, however, remains to be seen. A job listing discovered by Engadget this week offers more clues as to what that hardware could be, specifically pointing to job skills like "hardware design, prototyping, testing, and production across a wide range of platforms."Getting more direct, the "electronics engineer" position entails working "with the hardware team to conceive, design, evaluate, and produce new types of input, output, and platform hardware." Wait, platform hardware? That sounds an awful lot like the Steam Box rumors we heard earlier this year (rumors that were later semi-shut down).But don't get your hopes up just yet – just because Valve is experimenting with different types of hardware doesn't mean that it's looking to produce a piece of consumer hardware any time soon. We've reached out to Valve for further clarity, but aren't expecting much beyond silence.
Canonical prepping to launch Ubuntu as smartphone OS?
Crawling the job posting boards over at Canonical turns up a pretty interesting position, one for a Business Development Manager (Ubuntu Phone OS). Now, we're not quite ready to jump to any conclusions here, but the wording of the listing is quite intriguing. The group is looking for a "business development lead to engage and develop strong relationships with industry partners in the run up to the launch of Ubuntu as a smartphone operating system," with the goal of "establish[ing] a commercial ecosystem around Ubuntu as a smartphone OS." Does this mean that Ubuntu is preparing to take on Android and iOS in the battle for smartphone supremacy (or, more likely, take on Windows Phone in a competition of also rans)? Honestly, we're not sure. The wording is quite vague, and it could simply be the company is referring to Ubuntu for Android. We've contacted Canonical for comment and we'll update if we get any clarification.[Thanks, Mo]
Microsoft seeks executive producer for 'AAAA' Xbox title
Microsoft is apparently no longer satisfied with creating pedestrian, run-of-the-mill "AAA" games and has upgraded to "AAAA" titles, according to this want-ad for an Executive Producer. We honestly thought that was a typo at first, but sure enough the "AAAA" designation is used no fewer than three times to describe the type of project Microsoft Studios will be constructing.An executive producer's responsibilities sound pretty intense on a "AAAA" title, they've got to "deliver the end-to-end AAAA title experience" while they "maintain high-level relationships with external developers" and "represent and ensure that the project is aligned internally," all while traveling domestically and internationally.That means that, basically, the only person qualified for this position is Commander Shepard. That works out though, because a fictional person is the perfect candidate to work on something as made up as an "AAAA" title.
Bethesda hiring 'Future Generation Console Programmers'
Bethesda Game Studios is looking toward the future, hiring for "Future Generation Console Programmer" positions. We should be clear: these jobs are for working on "an unannounced game on future-generation consoles." They're not for future generations of people. In fact, you need 5 years of development experience, so not being born yet is actually a big disadvantage.The listing doesn't give much of a clue as to the technology Bethesda is targeting with its future Elder Scrolls or Fallout or whatever -- applicants need experience programming for PS3 and Xbox, and DirectX 11 experience is "a plus."
