Fabiene MacMillan

1. Fabiene MacMillan 3rd Year Games Design and Production Management student

2. What if you tried to explain Sonic to someone who didn’t know about videogames?

3. They’d probably think of this

4. Job climate • Recession proof? • The UK saw a 17.9% decrease in year over year according to date from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association • http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/26699/UK_Game_Industry_Revenue_Dropped_18_In_2009.php • [Accessed 30/03/10] • Recession proof? • The UK saw a 17.9% decrease in year over year according to date from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association • http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/26699/UK_Game_Industry_Revenue_Dropped_18_In_2009.php • [Accessed 30/03/10] • The UK game development sector’s global ranking has slipped from 3rd to 5th , coming behind from Canada and South Korea • http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/video-games/7244438/Peter-Molyneux-calls-on-Government-to-back-UK-games-industry.html • [Accessed 30/03/10]

5. Job climateIt ain’t all bad • Announced 24th of March, the UK government said that its 2010 budget will include tax breaks for VGD • Providing that the product passes a “Cultural Test” • Yet if it conforms with TIGA’s proposed Games Tax Relief, the industry will cease to shrink by 2010 • It will then grow by 2% in 2011, then 4% for 3 years • http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/27798/UK_Government_Promises_Tax_Breaks_For_Games_After_Cultural_Test.php • [Accessed on 30/03/10]

6. Short Term Goals • Use what time is left in University to build a portfolio via: • Group Projects • Independent work • Building an online presence • Applying for summer internship

7. Group projects • 3rd Year CGT Group – “uRPeGuRTS” • Working with programmers and artists to make an RTS combines the best of RTS and RPG genres • BBC Prototype • Work with professionals to make quick technical demos of concept briefs given by the BBC • Projects: BBC-Beat and Toy-box • 4th Year Dare to Be Digital

8. Initial Factionconcepts

9. Independent Work Develop art skills through life drawing and self-study

10. Independent Work • 3rd Year UDK Project – Developing a level • Using a Game engine to develop a short tech demo featuring key aspects of the game’s design • Narrative based game that re-invigorates and modernises classic fairy-tales in an urban survival horror setting. • Carry on design into the summer and learn more how use game engines

11. Online Presence Tribulations of a Gamer: www.tribulationsofagamer.wordpress.com • A blog to record all my current projects, idea/concepts and artwork • Talks about current project progress • My experiences in getting into the industry • Publishing chapters of various short stories • My opinion on news and games • Working with TBR Clan community and engaging in community management

12. I can always be a lumberjack for summer

13. Ideal Careers • Games Designer: • Writer (Working with world setting and/or characters) • Level Designer • Game-play Designer • Community Manager/Public Relations: • Working with the community • Video-game Journalist

14. Studios • Dream studios • Valve • Bioware (Canada) • Lionhead • Dundee based studios • Proper-games • Denki • Real time worlds • Ruffian • Tag • Cohort

15. Long term Goals • Make use of previous experiences for CV/Job Interviews • BBC Prototype • Society President and regular society member • TPLD Bug Testing • Clan Membership • Work at entry level position and gain experience • Use portfolio • Hopefully get a Junior/Associate Designer/Producer Job • (More probable) Get a QA position and work up from there