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January Hub Newsletter now available
We have just released the latest issue of the Hub Newsletter, featuring stories from Auroch Digital and Ndemic.
You can subscribe to the newsletter and have it delivered directly to your inbox, by signing up here.
Bristol Games Hub December newsletter
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Bristol Games Hub Newsletter Nov 18
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Bristol Games Hub October Newsletter
Bristol Games Hub Newsletter
All the latest updates from the Hub, news from Bristol & SW developers, jobs, opportunities & events.
Bristol Games Hub is a non-profit space for games and play. We run this newsletter, host events, and also rent desk space at cost price with no strings attached so you can get on with creating amazing games. Contact Nina at aurochdigital.com for more information.
To have your news, events and / or job opportunities featured in the monthly newsletter, you can contact Sarah at info@bristolgameshub.com. The deadline for entries is 10th November.
SW Freelancer/Company Dev Directory – If you’re looking for people to help on a project, or you are available for work, put your details in. Please only list info you’re happy to have in the public domain: http://bit.ly/bghdirectory
SW Game Dev Jobs Facebook page – Find roles and post new openings here…
Games Hub News
The regular developer’s board game night is back! See Events Diary for more details.
Next Games Hub Anti-Social: 25th October, 19.30
This month we will feature a “round table” discussion about developing for Nintendo Switch, featuring a panel of developers who have experience developing on the platform. So whether you’re already developing for Switch, looking to do so in the future, or are simply interested in the people who are, then bring along yourself and your best questions for an open and honest (as open and honest as NDAs will allow) conversation about creating games for everyone’s new favourite hand held/console hybrid (And probably try out the games, too!)
We’re at 77 Stokes Croft on the 3rd Floor. The entrance is off Thomas Street, just up from the junction of Thomas St/Stokes Croft, opposite the Canteen.
Dev Scene News
Auroch Digital
We’ve been busy releasing a game! Achtung! Cthulhu Tactics is now live on Steam and we’re really proud of it. The game sees you take on the role of defeating Nazi terror and battle an immortal evil in a turn-based tactical strategy game set in the award-winning Achtung! Cthulhu universe. It’ll also be coming out on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch in the near future. Finally, we are at the very early stages of development in a brand new project, and we’d love your thoughts! It’s currently called Project: War Strider and we’d love to hear from you to help shape it’s direction. Any help you can give is greatly appreciated!
Ground Shatter
Ground Shatter is pleased to announce the Nintendo Switch edition of their high-rise platform brawler SkyScrappers. Developed in the Bristol Games Hub and featuring the incredible artwork of friend-of-the-hub Tom Waterhouse, the game features the complete package of single player story modes and 2-4 player couch multiplayer from the original game as well as a brand new arcade-inspired, vertical screen mode exclusive to Switch. The game will be available to pre-order on the Switch store from Monday October 15th, and released on Monday 29th. For more information visit.
Ndemic Creations
Ndemic Creations was recently honoured to welcome Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent to our office. His Royal Highness presented us with The Queen’s Award for Enterprise, the UK’s most prestigious business award. We took lots of photos of the occasion, which you can check out on our social media channels and our blog.
Plague Inc. Mutation 16 spreads to Android:This month also saw Plague Inc.’s most recent ‘Royal Update’ – Mutation 16, come to Android, after launching on iOS and PC earlier in the year. Expect news of further infections across Plague Inc: Evolved on consoles soon!
Jobs & Opportunities
SGS College
SGS College,Filton, Bristol are looking for a Games Design Lecturer, see this link for more details.
The role requires some experience in game development, with some experience using Unreal Engine including blueprint scripting. Knowledge on Game Design Theory, UI/UX Design would be beneficial.
Fundamentally Games
We’re looking for a graduate/someone looking to break into the industry, to join us! Here are the Job spec.
Antimatter Games
Antimatter Games are seeking a Senior Gameplay Programmer. Come work with us in wonderful Cornwall!
Audience of the Future
UK businesses can apply for a share of up to £8 million for research and development projects to create faster, more efficient immersing content. This funding is from the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund. Closes Wednesday 28 November 2018 12:00 – this can including gamic content. See site for more details.
Events Diary
Free games design sessions for girls 13+, 13.00 to 15.00 Saturday 13th, 20th, 27th October @ Acta Community Theatre.
Do you like-drawing/ writing stories/recording silly sounds/playing games/ sharing ideas…?
Come and have a go at designing your own games.
Games 4EU People Vote March 11.45 -14.45 Saturday 20th October at Serpentine Bar and Kitchen. London.
We will be joining the march in an attempt to help secure a final say on the Brexit deal for the general public and the video games industry.
Games Hub Anti-Social: 25th October, 19.30.
See games hub news.
Bristol Games Hub Board Game Night, Tuesday, 6th November, 2018 at 19.00 at the PM Studio
The regular developer’s board game night is back! Come play a game or bring an offering to tempt others to try! Free, but you do need a ticket…
Quick Links
- The Games industry contributes 47,620 jobs and £2.87bn to UK economy
- An example of a 2,000-year-old board game was found in a secret passage in a Medieval castle
- Years In the Making: How Kitfox Games played the long game with Boyfriend Dungeon hype
- Indie Marketing – It’s Never Too Soon
September 18 Newsletter
News from Anti social, Large Visible Machine,Twice Circled and much more…
All the latest updates from the Hub, news from Bristol & SW developers, jobs, opportunities & events.
Bristol Games Hub is a non-profit space for games and play. We run this newsletter, host events, and also rent desk space at cost price with no strings attached so you can get on with creating amazing games. Contact Nina at aurochdigital.com for more information.
To have your news, events and / or job opportunities featured in the monthly newsletter, you can contact Sarah info@bristolgameshub.com. The deadline for entries is 10th October.
SW Freelancer/Company Dev Directory – If you’re looking for people to help on a project, or you are available for work – put your details in. Please only list info you’re happy to have in the public domain: http://bit.ly/bghdirectory
SW Game Dev Jobs Facebook page – Find roles and post new openings here…
Games Hub News
Next Games Hub Anti-Social: Thurs 27th September, 19.30
Yes! The Anti-Social is back after a Summer hiatus! This month we are joined by representatives from Game Workers Unite as well as local indie dev phenomenon Tim Wicksteed.
Game Workers Unite
Game Workers Unite is an organisation seeking to unionise the games industry on an international scale. For this talk, several members of the UK chapter will be coming along to discuss with you what unionising means for game developers and the industry as a whole, how we can help improve conditions for workers in the games industry, what actions we are taking and, should you wish to, how you can get involved.
My Best Friend: Tim Wicksteed
In this inaugural installment of a new series of fireside chats, Games Hub director Nils Hellberg will sit down with Twice Circled’s Tim Wicksteed to talk about his latest release Megaquarium, a theme park management tycoon game with an aquatic twist. How did the launch go? Any lessons learnt? Which is the biggest/most adorable fish in the world? Join us to find out!
We’re at 77 Stokes Croft on the 3rd Floor. The entrance is off Thomas Street, just up from the junction of Thomas St/Stokes Croft, opposite the Canteen.
Dev Scene News
Large Visible Machine
The Gromit Unleashed 2 VR Experience
Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Appeal has partnered with the University of Bristol and Large Visible Machine to bring virtual reality into Bristol Children’s Hospital, helping patients unable to leave the hospital experience Gromit Unleashed 2 – the latest arts trail featuring 67 giant sculptures across Bristol and the surrounding area.
While some patients and their families staying at the hospital were able to go out and about sculpture hunting, patients with complex needs or those undergoing intense treatments, such as Bone Marrow Transplants, are unable to leave the hospital. Using headsets donated by the University of Bristol, patients are transported to the streets of Bristol to see the sculptures up close and personal in a live setting with the use of 360 videos.
Twice Circled
Megaquarium – the public aquarium tycoon game – arrives on Thursday 13th September. Here’s the link:
Inspired by classic theme park management games, it revolves around two main tasks. Firstly, building and laying out your tanks, filled with fish and decorations you have unlocked and powered by expensive filtration systems. The second part is the management of your team of aquarists as they go about your aquarium and keep everything running smoothly and at a profit – harder than it sounds in a large aquarium!
The game is the culmination of 2 and a half years of hard work and I’m very proud of it! Wish me luck!
Ndemic Creations
Plague Inc: Evolved for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One will soon receive a hearty new update! Five Official Scenarios – including Ultimate Board Games and Mad Cow Disease – are set to infect consoles, each of which requires a completely new strategy to win.
Cowly Owl
Somerset based indie Cowly Owl re-brands with a new focus on games that the family can play together. With a first new game Sizzle & Stew, a two player cooking game for mobile & tablet
Force Of Habit
We participated in Ludum Dare 42 – a 48/72 hour game jam competition organised online – back at the beginning of August. We created an upgrade-driven arcade/action fire-’em-up game called Deep Heat:
“Don your flamethrower, your CO2 canisters, your dancing shoes – fire & flounce your way through the deepest, darkest, hottest, hungriest underground bunker in history.”
* 10 floors of mayhem – with 6 unique enemy types.
* 15 upgrades – including sprinklers, big sacks, hot feet and night vision.
* Money, money, money! Fire! Money!
After a few weeks of community judging, the results of the competition were announced. Deep Heat scored 6th place in Graphics, 7th place in Audio, and 42nd place Overall. That’s all out of a total of 1056 entries — so pretty amazing!
Anyway, the game is playable in the browser here, and you can check out the other games here. Maybe see you at the next jam?
Jobs & Opportunities
Aardman
Are you passionate about games and have a meticulous attention to detail? We’re looking for a ‘QA Tester’ to join our Interactive team. For more details, please go to:
Events Diary
IGLAB 06
Thur 20 Sept, 18:45, Pervasive Media Studio
Join IGLAB for the final edition of six events produced by our friends at Free Ice Cream. IGLAB is a place to test and play games – games that are played in the real world rather than via a console or screen, games that are social, definitely fun, and possibly a little bit absurd. It’s a testing ground for those who have a game idea they want to try out on people, and it’s also a place for people who want to play new games.
Fuse Jam #2 – “Sounds of the Emocean”
Fri 28th Sept and Sun 30th Sept 18.00, At dBs Bristol.
This time we will also be hosting micro talks before the jam and finish the whole thing on a high note with a chip tune gig! If you fancy creating some games in a cosy atmosphere you can get your tickets here
Quick Links
Thanks all!
August 18 Newsletter – Updates from Auroch Digital, Toxic Games, Ndemic Creations and more!
All the latest updates from the Hub, news from Bristol & SW developers, jobs, opportunities & events.
Bristol Games Hub is a non-profit space for games and play. We run this newsletter, host events, and also rent desk space at cost price with no strings attached so you can get on with creating amazing games. Contact nina@aurochdigital.com for more information.
To have your news, events and / or job opportunities featured in the monthly newsletter, contact info@bristolgameshub.com. The deadline for entries is 10th September.
SW Freelancer/Company Dev Directory – If you’re looking for people to help on a project, or you are available for work – put your details in. Please only list info you’re happy to have in the public domain: http://bit.ly/bghdirectory
SW Game Dev Jobs Facebook page – Find roles and post new openings here…
Dev Scene News
Toxic Games
After the release of Q.U.B.E. 2, our first-person puzzle game and sequel, in March 2018, we’re set to release a DLC Puzzle Pack called Lost Orbit on 19th August on PC.
Lost Orbit features 10 additional puzzle rooms plus a master puzzle room, 32 collectibles in hidden areas, an open game structure and a space theme. It is notably more difficult than the main game.
You can find the trailer here.
You can find the full details and features of the Puzzle Pack and Season Pass here.
Auroch Digital
The Steam page for Achtung! Cthulhu Tactics is now live (with a stylish new teaser trailer!), and we’ve been releasing more content from behind -the-scenes as development speeds onward. You can now wishlist the game on Steam which is really helpful to us, and keeps you updated with release information, sale info and more.
Lead designer Adam Carter-Groves streamed the first level of the game, showing off early gameplay and visuals (all pre-alpha!) and talking about the development. As part of the buildup to release, we’ve also been podcasting the development experience, which you can find on our Podcasts page.
Our August blog post goes into more detail about these points and more, including some brand new Dark Future: Blood Red States content!
Ndemic Creations
Plague Inc: Evolved has mutated! Mutation 16, AKA “The Royal Update” is now live on Steam. This update includes two brand new scenarios; ‘Science Denial’ imagines a world in which faith in scientists is at its lowest ebb, while ‘Ultimate Board Games’ pits the player as a tabletop game designer! Mutation 16 has now launched across iOS and Steam, and is due to spread to other formats soon.
Plague Inc: The Board Game is out of stock in the US. We’re working hard to complete the third production run of Plague Inc: The Board Game, even more so now that Amazon US has completely run out of stock! A fresh batch of copies is due to land on American shores soon.
Ben Byford
Full Colour Tiles, the first game by Ben Byford, is now available on Steam!
Thanks to everyone who has played the game on mobile and supported me, including BGH. Please let me know what you think about it. Also, big thanks to Fraser McCormick for getting me over the line with uploading multiple build formats to Steam. I’m currently working on several new prototypes for my next project and looking for level design and AI Ethics work.
Jobs & Opportunities
PM Studio & Watershed
Immersion New Talent Fellowships – A ten-month, flexible programme with a £15,000 bursary for New Talent to develop ideas and leadership roles in the field, as part of The South West Creative Technology Network.
Virtual Realities – Immersive Documentary Encounters commissions – In partnership with UWE Bristol, University of Bristol and University of Bath, PM Studio are excited to invite bold and distinctive proposals to create nonfiction experiences in virtual reality. They are seeking to commission three original works, each receiving a £50k production budget and support from the commissioning and research teams.
Creative Producing MA – UWE Bristol and Watershed’s Pervasive Media Studio run an MA/MFA course in Creative Producing. The next cohort starts in September 2018.
UWE – Games Technology Lecturer
Our team at UWE is looking for a full time, fixed term maternity cover Game Technology lecturer for 12 months on our TIGA accredited course!
If you are interested in teaching the next generation game dev your programming skills and developing your presentation skills, you can apply here.
DTM Global – Unity3D Junior Developer
Full time employment, salary of £22-£25k near Exeter.
We are not a game development studio but we work in serious large scale simulation using Unity3D.
Events Diary
VR The News Hackathon (24th-26th August @ Bristol VR Lab, Leadworks, Anchor Square Bristol BS1 5DB)
The goal of the VR The News Hackathon is to explore how immersive tech can be used to tell current affairs stories! Contestants will be exposed to new ideas, collaborate and build something that’s never been built before. We are looking for original AR|VR|MR projects that might have a witty twist on current events or rethink the way in which the news is presented. Humour is encouraged but not essential.
All who are interested in immersive technology and current events are welcome! Designers, developers, engineers, artists and creatives—all who want to deepen their understanding of immersive technology through this fun VR The News Hackathon should apply here.
Tech Play Fridays (Every Friday in August @ Bristol VR Lab)
On every Friday each week until the end of August, anyone aged 18 or over who would like to come to the lab to use our equipment is welcome to do so. All we ask is that participants respect our residents and work at a reasonable volume.
If you would like to take part in a Tech Play Friday simply turn up on the day at 2pm. If you have any questions please get in touch at hello@bristolvrlab.com.
Each week will give participants the chance to experiment with a different piece of kit owned by the lab. Full info on what is on when can be found here.
Quick Links
- UK Industry campaign to remain in EU launches
- Fortnite mobile breaks 100m downloads
- Can games change people’s minds?
- Discord begin selling games
Thanks all!
July 18 Newsletter
All the latest updates from the Hub, news from Bristol & SW developers, jobs, opportunities & events.
Bristol Games Hub is a non-profit space for games and play. We run this newsletter, host events, and also rent desk space at cost price with no strings attached so you can get on with creating amazing games. Contact nina at aurochdigital.com for more information.
To have your news, events and / or job opportunities featured in the monthly newsletter, you can contact jake@aurochdigital.com. The deadline for entries is 10th August.
SW Freelancer/Company Dev Directory – If you’re looking for people to help on a project, or you are available for work – put your details in. Please only list info you’re happy to have in the public domain: http://bit.ly/bghdirectory
SW Game Dev Jobs Facebook page – Find roles and post new openings here…
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Dev Scene News
Opposable Games
Bristol VR Lab have recently launched a jobs page gathering together local VR and AR on their website here. It’s updated regularly as new positions arise so do keep checking back to it! See the Jobs section for their current posting.
Auroch Digital
We sent two of our fittest and finest down to Develop: Brighton this week! Our Design and Production Director, Tomas Rawlings, gave a talk on ‘Surviving the Steampocalypse‘ and our own Nina Adams gave a talk titled ‘How to Make People Love You, Or at Least Love Working With You‘! Both talks were a great success. Did you manage to get down to Develop this year? Let us know your thoughts and if you have any further questions, feel free to let us know.
Our Mars Horizon podcast episode 3 is now live, and features a guest appearance from Andrew Kuh of the UK Space Agency! It was a fascinating experience talking to him about how real world ideas will feature in the game, and you can check it out on Apple Podcasts or our website.
Finally, our GameTheNews initiative has been fully absorbed into Auroch Digital. You can read more about this in our final blog post as Tomas talks about newsgaming in general, summarises on the initiative as a whole, and our plans to incorporate it into Auroch Digital projects in the future.
Ndemic Creations
Plague Inc. infects Buckingham Palace – Ndemic founder and Plague Inc. creator James Vaughan took a trip to London to visit the Queen (well, Prince Charles), and to receive in person the Queen’s Award For Innovation. He had to scrub up, of course, but didn’t neglect to represent the company with his trusty pair of Plague Inc. socks.
Plague Inc. Mutation 16 is live on iOS! – the latest, most Royal update to Plague Inc. brings with it a big UI overhaul and two brand new scenarios. ‘Ultimate Board Games’ tasks you with designing, producing and selling your own infectious tabletop game, while ‘Science Denial’ imagines a world in which faith in scientists is at its lowest ebb. Mutation 16, AKA ‘The Royal Update’, is free to download on iOS now and is due to spread to other formats soon.
SPECTRUM 48
SPECTRUM48 are looking for beta testers to help test their upcoming mobile game OCO. There’s a very rough video and game details here: www.oco-game.com
If you’re interested please get in touch with Philip: philip@spectrum48.com
Jobs & Opportunities
Opposable Games
Opposable Games are soon going to be needing testers for their new R&D project – a sci-fi local multiplayer VR arcade game complete with tracked Nerf guns and backpack PCs (read: “no” wires). If you’re interested in testing the game then you can sign up here. The tests won’t be taking place for a little while but Opposable will let you know when they have a date.
Ndemic Creations
Ndemic Creations is looking for a new tech/programming intern!
A slot has opened up for a tech/programming internship (paid) at Ndemic Creations starting in the next month or so. Follow the link for more info and how to apply: https://bit.ly/2JexWUk
Auroch Digital
At Auroch Digital we’re hoping to add an Unreal Developer and Marketing & Community Manager to our award-winning team. The Marketing & Community Manager is a combined marketing and community role with a primary focus on marketing and selling our products and developing and building our audience of fans. The Unreal developer role is for a programmer who will be working on a groundbreaking Unreal Engine 4 project. You’ll be an integral part of our coding team, working alongside a talented group on a very special, high visibility project with a major tech partner. For more information or to apply, email admin@aurochdigital.com.
Events Diary
Super Hamlet 64 (Wednesday 25th – Saturday 28th July @ The Arma Tavern, BS8 2HY)
3 years ago poetry slam winner Edward/Edalia Day set about rewriting Hamlet using only videogame quotes. 400 hours of playing later they’ve come up with the wildest Shakespeare experience you’re ever likely to see. Combining classical text with modern poetry, the show also dissects modern ideas of
privilege, gender and mortality. You can check out the trailer here!
“Day never ceased to impress…like a man possessed at times, effortlessly switching
between characters…for me, the best original play I have seen.”
★★★★★ Theatre Bath
Suffragette Landmarks (Multiple dates and venues throughout July)
This is a government-funded project initiated by Bristol Women’s Voice. It’s a games-making project working with young women and girls aged 13-18 that has several aims;
- raise awareness of histories of Bristol Suffragettes and explore their relevance today
- use those Bristol Suffragette stories to inspire the young women and girls to design and build computer games
- create opportunities for participants to find out more about careers in the games industry through meeting people working in the sector and visiting different creative industry spaces
- create real world markers on the city landscape to draw public attention to both the games and associated stories
The dates these workshops will be running are as follows;
- Mondays in Knowle West Media Centre 16/23/30 July & 6th August
- Tuesdays at Docklands Youth Centre in St Pauls 17/24/31 July & 7th August
- Wednesdays at The Vench in Lockleaze 18/25th July & 1/8th August
Get in touch with constance@grrrlgames.org for more information.
