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Resume reveals Griptonite working on 'Shinobi' for 3DS
It's been quite some time since Sega's arcade-born ninja series Shinobi sliced up fools on consoles, but a recently discovered resume listing indicates that he may be making a return on Nintendo's 3DS. Griptonite Games environmental artist Branden Brushett explains his work on the unannounced title in detail, noting he "created whole levels for 'Shinobi' on the Nintendo 3DS, including many props for use in a variety of environments." Unfortunately, aside from the news of the game existing, not much else is known -- the publishing rights holder, Sega, has yet to respond to a request for comment, nor had Mr. Brushett. And other than the news that the game will likely feature "hand painted and photo referenced textures," the resume doesn't illuminate anything else about the game. You might say that information about Shinobi 3DS is hiding in the shadows, like a ninja, waiting to strike. And considering how strong our ninja detecting skills are, we'd wager E3 is a likely time for that strike. The "strike," likely, will just be a press release, so don't worry. Update: Sega told us it isn't offering a comment at this time.
Breakfast Topic: Would you list WoW leadership on your real-life resume?
This Breakfast Topic has been brought to you by Seed, the AOL guest writer program that brings your words to WoW Insider's pages. I've been to a few resumé workshops in my time, and as a professional writing tutor, I've sometimes been the one helping people with their resumés or CVs. Beyond the listings of education and job history, the section that seems most relevant to employers is that of job skills. Most of us have a number of special skills and talents gleaned from experiences outside of our day jobs, whether in church, volunteer work, coaching a local sports team -- or in my case, in Azeroth. I run a guild in World of Warcraft, and like every leader in every type of community, be it virtual or actual, I've realized that it takes a lot of skill, attention, and balance to do it right. I have to coordinate events, scout and recruit new members, evaluate the performance of current members both individually and as a team, keep the lines of communication open, and treat everyone diplomatically and with respect. These skills, honed in the virtual world, are extremely relevant to many real-world jobs. The question is, how do I list them on my resume? Should I? Would potential employers be scared away by the knowledge that a job candidate plays World of Warcraft?
Hulu Plus for iOS updated to v2.3, resumes resuming
Sure, Hulu Plus is on the Xbox 360 now, but that's not the only platform getting some love this week as the app for iOS was updated yesterday. New tweaks in v2.3 include tabbed search results, a dedicated menu for the Criterion Collection plus improvements for the iPad 2 and other minor tweaks. If you were missing the "resume" button take heart - it's back now. Hit the app store for the updated version of the free app and put that $7.99 per month subscription to work.
Hitman 5 mentioned on a few IO Interactive resumes
If you were unsatisfied by voice actor David Bateson's kind-of-but-not-really confirmation that a new installment of the Hitman franchise was in the works, perhaps you'll be won over by some additional, recently uncovered evidence. IO Interactive's Rasmus Hoejengaard, Damien Simper and Theo Engell-Nielsen all listed Hitman 5 on their LinkedIn resumes, the latter of which includes a 2011 launch window for the unannounced title. We're not sure what stronger evidence we could find for the project's existence, aside from, like, time traveling into the future and bringing back a finished copy of the game. Can anyone get on that?
Breakfast Topic: Would you list WoW experience on your resume?
This Breakfast Topic has been brought to you by Seed, the Aol guest writer program that brings your words to our pages. I was updating my resumé recently, and when it came to including my volunteer experience, I instantly thought about the time and effort I put into playing WoW. I'm a relatively new WoW gamer, having only played for less than a year. (I have played other mostly free RPGs for a few years and numerous console games.) I have three level 80 characters who have played each aspect of a raid group, DPS, tank and heals. I wish I could include my WoW accomplishments in my skill set on my resume. No, I don't mean listing Champion of the Frozen Wastes on my work titles, but I mean naming the skills I've gained by playing RPGs. Leading a raid, assembling a PUG, organizing an arena team, even tanking a random heroic require strong leadership skills that are beneficial when applied in the real world. Think about the financial savvy it takes to play the auction house and to successfully navigate the economy. What about being a good guild master? The GM sets the tone of the guild and leads members either to implosive destruction or to Lich-King-downing success (or somewhere in between). GMs are confidantes, mediators, presidents, friends, leaders -- or they can be ineffective, stale and stoic dictators. It may be an unspoken observation, but if a guild has a poor GM or a raid has a bad leader, it will fail. Playing a game with live people on the other end of the avatars can enhance your communication and interpersonal skills. These traits are ones that employers would readily seek in qualified applicants. Can these be learned and developed in game? Too bad we can't actually list those achievements on a real-life resumé ... or can we? What traits and qualifications have you gained playing WoW that you'd list on a real-life resumé?
Dev resume hints at Xbox 360 version of Final Fantasy XIV
According to a purported Square Enix employee résumé, Final Fantasy XIV could follow the multiplatform trajectory of its older MMO sibling, Final Fantasy XI. Before being removed mere hours ago (following the proliferation of the apparent reveal within), the supposed LinkedIn profile of lighting designer Yuuki Akama referenced work on Final Fantasy XIV for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360. Only the PC and PS3 platforms have been officially confirmed for the company's upcoming online RPG. While a "Yuuki Akama" has been credited with previous Square Enix work, specifically, lighting work for Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, we can't currently confirm whether or not the pulled profile was authentic. We've contacted Square Enix for an explanation as to why the Akama profile was pulled (and not simply "adjusted") and for comment on the possible Xbox 360 version of Final Fantasy XIV.
Actor's resume lists Rocksteady-developed 'Hitman5'
According to the resume of actor Mark Sloan, Rocksteady Studios – the London-based developer behind Batman: Arkham Asylum – is bringing its British sensibilities to the next Hitman game, titled, well, Hitman5. Sloan's resume indicates that he performed motion capture work for the game. Both of Rocksteady's other games, Urban Chaos: Riot Response and Batman: Arkham Asylum, have been for publisher (and partial owner) Eidos, so it isn't much of a stretch to believe that the developer would get a crack at a major Eidos property like Hitman. Presumably, series developer IO Interactive has its hands full with the Kane & Lynch sequel and Mini Ninjas. What's harder to believe is that the same Mark Sloan is responsible for the "Soft Mark," "Pushy Mark," "Chatty Mark," and "Menacing Mark" audio performances in the resume. Such range! [Thanks, Garret!]
Thursday iPhone App Potpourri
Much to the chagrin of many of our iPhone-less readers, TUAW receives a huge amount of mail every day from iPhone developers who are releasing new software or updates. Here are a few of the apps that have made their way to our mailbox in the last day or two:Walt Disney World Notescast (click opens iTunes) -- Any readers taking a summer vacation to the Walt Disney World Resort should look at this reference app from TimeStream Software. The US$0.99, 17.7 MB app features over 200 pages of detailed and updated info that can make planning and enjoying your vacation as simple as reaching for your iPhone. My personal favorite? The Hidden Mickey tours.iBonsai (click opens iTunes) -- Bonsai is the Japanese art of growing miniature trees in small pots, shaping and pruning them to create small, living works of art. iBonsai uses a proprietary algorithm to produce beautiful and completely unique trees in just 30 seconds. This US$0.99 app is one of the most unique apps I've found in the entire App Store.
Resumes hint at (probably canceled) DJ game from Harmonix
Everyone and their mother is throwing their hat into to DJ-based rhythm gaming ring, attempting to exploit a few untapped veins of lucrative ludo-musical ore. With Activision, Scratch, Deep Silver and ... some guy all working on turntable-centric titles, some might be wondering where Harmonix's record-spinning offering is. If a couple of resumes recently dug up by superannuation are any indication, said offering does exist -- but is stuck in some sort of time vortex, forever imprisoned in 2005.Said resumes belong to Laura Smith, whose experience include modeling for a 2005 Harmonix project titled "Hip Hop DJ," and Kim Simeone, a Motion Capture Director for Harmonix's "M2 Hip Hop," also supposedly developed in 2005. We doubt these two entries are a coincidence, and have contacted Harmonix to find out whether they did indeed plan on trying their hand at Mix Mastering back in aught-five. [Image]
MMOs as team building exercise?
It's not the first time we've heard that MMO gamers might be a force in the workplace, but the American Society of Training and Development's webzine, Training + Development, has added to the viability of the MMO gamer in the workforce.Their article, "Slash, Burn, and Learn", focuses on how MMOs closely mimic team building exercises through their game design. Players are encouraged to progress through the game by solving challenges, only to be presented with harder challenges to solve as the game continues onwards. Certainly rewards provide incentive to keep plugging away at hard challenges, but players also learn how to manage personnel and look for diversity in the team to make sure all aspects of combat are accounted for. Players even submit to optional performance reviews just to see how much they've improved over time.The article provides an interesting read and shows many of the parallels between raid management and workplace skills. While not every MMO player will gain all of these benefits, it is amusing to see how much our games sometimes parallel our lives in more ways than one.
Kojima wants to make games until he dies
During an appearance at an Apple Store in Ginza, Tokyo, Metal Gear maven Hideo Kojima was questioned by a concerned, rabid fan as to just how long he planned to remain in the industry. Kojima proudly displayed a mock resume, which contained the answer to the aforementioned question: "I'd like to continue being on the scene making games until I die." The MGS fans within us certainly hope his life will be as long as his cutscenes, relatively speaking. He went on to explain that the only thing that could lure him away from the world of game development is, of course, space travel. Oh, aeronautical exploration! Does your temptation know no bounds?
Ubisoft programmer lists 'Rabbids Go Home' on (raving) resume
Back in October, a trademark appeared in the US trademark database for a piece of "game software" called Rabbids Go Home. According to the résumé of programmer Julien Delezenne, it's -- surprise! -- a Wii game from Ubisoft. Apparently, it's also still in the works, at least as of whenever this document was compiled: Delezenne has been working on it from "November 2007 - Present." Delezenne describes his duties on the title as relating to the "Engine and Tools on the LyN technology ... " Now here's where it gets a bit interesting. He said that he works on that technology "for Rabbids Go Home (Wii) and Beyond Good & Evil 2 (360/PS3)." Shared technology between a super-silly Wii minigame sequel and the high-profile 360/PS3 adventure title? It's promising for the state of Ubisoft's budgets, but also kind of hilarious.
Officers' Quarters: Allow me to rebut
Every Monday Scott Andrews contributes Officers' Quarters, a column about the ins and outs of guild leadership.There's only so much a blogger can take before he has to set the record straight! Two of my August columns -- and, oddly enough, even some columns I wrote back in January -- all managed to stir up a bit of controversy last month. Some of my readers made very good points, some were flat out wrong, and some grossly misunderstood my intent. I'd like to address them one by one. First up is Auz from the excellent blog ChickGM.com. She respectfully disagreed -- albeit vehemently! -- about my columns from early in the year about what to look for in a potential officer and what types of people to avoid promoting. Here's what she had to say about my criteria in a nutshell:Don't create strict rules or boxes for your leadership. Some of the best leadership is done outside of conventional thinking and wisdom. To quote myself; "If you do what everyone else is doing, you'll end up where everyone else is."
Officers' Quarters: Padding your resume
Every Monday Scott Andrews contributes Officers' Quarters, a column about the ins and outs of guild leadership.I'm not sure how, because I usually avoid the topic around "civilians," but the subject of Warcraft came up a few weeks ago as I was speaking with a co-worker in my department. I don't mean my glamorous position blogging for WoW Insider that has made me a globally recognized household name -- in this case, I'm talking about my corporate, Clark Kent job. When you talk about the Lich King there, people think it's some kind of organic fast-food restaurant.During this conversation I started talking about my role as a guild leader. While I was explaining it, I realized just how much of this role I've applied to situations in my office life. Wouldn't a company value this type of training? The author of this week's e-mail asks just how to present your guild leadership experience to a potential employer.It's not easy to be the GM/officer/leader in a successful guild, regardless of how you define 'successful.' We work hard to keep drama at a minimum, create an environment where our members are comfortable and having fun, recruit new folks, 'fire' bad seeds among many other duties and obligations. All while developing our own toons, often to be on par with the best of the rest. To me, that sounds like a great resume builder for the real world. Employers are looking for that kind of leadership, discipline, and knowledge.
E-mail a resum, work for SOE
Sony Online Entertainment is hiring for a few positions, and is soliciting resumés on its game forums.Specifically, it's looking for customer support representatives to work with knowledge base articles for Free Realms and Vanguard. The job descriptions note that SOE's knowledge base articles are extremely important because they're the first and most common point of contact for customers. The CSRs will be responsible for producing, reviewing, and regionalizing knowledge base content.The jobs appear to be entry level -- only a couple of years of gaming experience and a high school diploma are required. So if you know your MMO stuff, you live in or near San Diego (or are willing to move there, presumably), and you're out of work, e-mail SOE your resumé. You never know; it might be good.
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Working Worlds brings real jobs to Second Life
When the interviewer frowned at our resumes with raiding experience as a category, accepting the job may not have been a good idea. As each day goes by, smashing gnomes over the head, podding miners, or living a life of drunken combat all remain daydreams as we waste away in the cubicle. Luckily, there is hope! Gax Technologies of Second Life will be affording players a chance to find a real world job so that visiting the Stonefire Tavern for an ale might be a viable lunch break option.The best part of job hunting through Gax Technologies' Working Worlds Career Fair is that you do not need to get up, put on a tie, and drive through traffic that rivals Jita on a good day. Just take a double shot of soda, grab your laptop, fire up Second Life, and start job searching! The employers will be logging in for the virtual career fair so that you can easily meet and greet some of the top employers from Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. Check it out and be sure to find the perfect job that allows you to work hard and play harder.
Player vs. Everything: Putting raiding on your resume
Ten years ago, the idea of putting something like being an officer in a hardcore raiding guild on your resume would have been laughable. When trying to sell yourself to a prospective employer, you want to put your best foot forward. The last thing you'd want them to know is that you spend upwards of 20 hours per week frittering your time away on something as silly as a videogame. Businesses want employees who are punctual, intelligent, analytical, and driven -- problem solvers and team players. What's funny, however, is that those are exactly the same qualities which a guild looks for in its raiders. Good luck trying to explain that to a non-gamer, though. Fortunately, gaming is slowly becoming a mainstream activity. As the generation of gamers that pioneered the online gaming craze begin to climb into their 30s and 40s, a younger generation of gamers is just starting to graduate from college and enter the mainstream workforce for the first time. Unlike their older peers, these young men and women face a business world where their boss is as likely to enjoy playing World of Warcraft in his free time as golf. For the first time, it's possible that your hiring manager might actually view your dedication to your guild as a reason to hire you, rather than a reason to dismiss you. Does that mean that it's time to start putting your MMOG experience on your resume?
Azeroth Interrupted: Introducing a column about balancing life in Azeroth with life on Earth
Each week, Robin Torres contributes Azeroth Interrupted, a column about balancing real life with WoW.My husband, who plays WoW 5 to 6 hours a day at a minimum, informed me the other day that playing video games in general and WoW in particular was very unproductive. Most people would give him the Captain Obvious award, but I consider the timing of the statement a bit odd, considering WoW Insider just hired me to write a regular column (yay!) about balancing real life with WoW. Certainly, playing WoW can range from being a very pleasant escape to ruining your life, but that is actually the case with any hobby or recreational activity. The fact is that, with a little effort and planning and lots of learning from mistakes, you can successfully balance real life with WoW and even use WoW to make real life better. There are many examples of WoW players using their hobby for being productive, and I am not even talking about the despised and pitiable gold farmers. I'm also not talking about the Blizzard employees, because anyone in the video game biz can tell you that working on a video game can not only ruin your fun in that game, it can make you not want to play any video game at all for a while. But there are people who use the social aspects of WoW for professional networking, there are the professionally sponsored arena teams and there are people who actually put their WoW playtime on their resumes. Of course, there is more to life than just making money and WoW can help there, too.
