Tell us a bit of information about your experience/career background?
I have just graduated from Falmouth University, completing the Computing for Games course. Throughout my time there I enjoyed learning both C++ and C#, with Unity and OpenGL.
During my final year, I had an amazing time developing my team game project. This was because everyone was so enthusiastic about the project, but also because I could fill the game with as much programming as I wanted. On top of this, I also pushed myself technically, completing a dissertation comparing rendering performances of a fluid-dynamic smoke simulation, in C++ and OpenGL.
This position at d3t will be my first professional programming role, and I’m very excited to get started.
Why d3t?
There are many reasons why I chose d3t, their impressive portfolio definitely caught my eye, but a further look into the studio’s culture and general atmosphere really convinced me. Everyone I’ve spoken to up to this point was incredibly nice, and passionate, which is exactly the kind of people I want to be working with. I feel that I can learn so much from working at d3t, and also contribute my share as well.
What do you love about games?
I love the creativity of games; you have the ultimate freedom to tell any story and create any experience for the player. And as a programmer, I really enjoy developing those unique and interesting mechanics which push the creative boundaries.
Another aspect that I love about games is the fun you can have with others, either as part of a team developing them or with friends playing them. Some of my best memories of games are with others, whether playing gang beast with my mates or developing Penguin Village with my Uni team, games are great fun together.
What games are you currently playing, and what is your favourite game?
I like to slowly play through large open-world games, taking my time to explore the map and complete most side quests, currently it’s Assassins Creed Valhalla. But the best game I’ve played like this has to be Red Dead Redemption 2 – an absolute marvel.
I also have a love for strategy games and often play Civilisation VI, mostly on an easier difficulty in an attempt to relax, though for something more exciting I will play a real-time strategy game, my favourite being Warcraft III.
Do you have any fun facts or hobbies?
I love watching sports, mainly football, usually catching a couple of Premier League games a week, and I always look forward to getting out my England shirt for the Lions and Lionesses. I also try to follow F1 and cricket as much as I can.
Other than sports I enjoy going for walks, playing a bit of chess, and watching old movies.
d3t is delighted to be one of the founding members of the Game Changers initiative launching today (21st September 2023).
Working alongside other Liverpool based games studios and in partnership with the Liverpool City Region Careers Hub and All About Futures, we are proud to be committing to help develop and support local games talent within our region.
Speaking on the announcement, Head of Engineering at d3t, Phil Owen, said: “Across our region, so many institutions, organisations, and games studios are doing such great work to help nurture and develop the next generation of games developers. However, this initiative brings together all our efforts together, which will allow us to only improve our support and the quality of employment opportunities that up-and-coming talent can receive.
“I look forward to seeing other organisations, whether it be educational, or industry side, join us and the founding studios in taking the pledge, so that we can continue to support the future of the games industry across the Liverpool City Region.”
To find out more about the initiative, click here.
This July, our Technical Director, Lyndon Jones reached a monumental landmark of being at d3t for ten years! To mark this achievement, we caught up with Lyndon to talk about his time at the d3t studio.
How did your career begin and how did you get your job at d3t?
After completing my Masters degree in Physics, I was at a crossroads of deciding between entering the workforce or continuing academia and getting a PhD in Nuclear Physics. I saw an advert for a small start-up studio named d3t and realised that my STEM background had a lot of crossover with games programming. I was interviewed by the whole studio (all 4 people at the time!) and started working right after my graduation.
How has d3t changed during your time at the studio?
Our fundamental offering has not changed, we continue to work with clients on their games and assist them to deliver their vision. d3t has grown enormously over the last ten years, from 5 members of the team to now over 200 in my 10 years here. Initially we as a studio focused on Engineering, but we have now grown to also include Production, Art, Design and QA. In doing so this has allowed us to get involved with larger projects with the biggest named IPs in the industry.
During my time, d3t has also had four different offices, from a small, single room to our current state-of-the-art three storey building with hybrid working capabilities. The results of which has created quite a different working environment compared to 10 years ago. Since 2020 we’ve embraced remote/hybrid working, which has honestly been a fantastic addition to everyone’s work-life balance.
What is it like working at d3t?
d3t is such an amazing place to work. A lot of people have talked previously about the great benefits such as flexitime and clubs/activities, but as a Technical Director I’m much more persuaded by working on interesting projects, which we certainly have and is the main reason as to why I have been here ten years!
Work-for-hire means that we aren’t tied in to a single franchise or genre. Whether it’s Puzzle, Racing, FPS or RPG, we get to be involved with all types of projects!
What has been your most memorable moment working at the studio?
For me it was the first time d3t held a studio garden party since Covid. It was excellent to see so many people face-to-face for the first time in two years!
What was the first game that you worked on?
Lemmings Touch
What’s your favourite game to date that you’ve played/worked on?
Burnout Paradise Remastered or The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
How has the wider games industry changed during your time at d3t?
A lot has changed in the ten years. We were at the tail end of the PS3/Xbox 360 generation with exclusively boxed products, now we are in the digital and XSX/PS5 generation…the rise and fall of Stadia, the resurgence of portable gaming via Switch/Steamdeck, VR, Raytracing, Live Service/Battlepasses…a lot of change!
Do you have any tips for people looking to get into the games industry?
Be Curious! Whatever your discipline, keep on top of industry trends/news, demonstrate your passion in an area, play games from a game developers’ viewpoint, pick a studio that allows you to thrive, and get your foot in the door!
The awards ceremony which took place on Friday 16th June 2023 at the DCBL Widnes Stadium, saw businesses from across the borough of Halton come together to celebrate organisational success and exceptional business performance.
This is the third consecutive time that d3t has been announced as Employer of the Year, which recognises that the studio excels in offering the most comprehensive work environment, through the implementation of a strong learning, development and inclusive culture, staff incentive schemes, recognition/remuneration and retention packages, along with a growing list of health and wellbeing initiatives.
Speaking on the award, Richard Badger, Head of Studio at d3t, said: “We are extremely humbled to have been announced as Employer of the Year. Our team are at the core of what we do, and we focus our primary efforts on growth, retention, and job satisfaction.
“Since d3t’s inception, the studio has been built on creating an atmosphere in which people feel valued, and without the overshadowing cloud of ‘crunch’ that the industry is renowned for. It is this focus that has seen d3t win multiple Employer of the Year awards, not only from our colleagues within the games industry, but also from our peers outside the industry. Both of whom have recognised the long lasting and supportive commitment that d3t has towards its team.
“We know however, that we cannot rest and that we have to continuing improving. This is why we are investing further into our studio’s facilities, as well as our team’s benefits, so that we can continue meet their needs and ensure that a healthy work-life balance is struck.”
Now a team of 190+ talented developers, d3t has also been a recent winner of the GamesIndustry.biz Best Places to Work Award for 2022 and has been recognised for its commitment to its studio culture and wellbeing.
Want to work at d3t?
Want to find out more about working with our award-winning team? We are regularly looking candidates across a wide range of roles. Take a look here to find out more!
d3t and our sister studio Coconut Lizard are delighted to announce that we have been awarded with silver in Mind’s Workplace Wellbeing Index for 2022/23.
The Index, which is a benchmark of best policy and practice, is designed to celebrate the good work that employers do to promote and support positive mental health, and to provide key recommendations on the specific areas where there is room for improvement.
This year’s silver award builds on the success of last year’s bronze recognition, which was the first time that d3t had entered the Workplace Wellbeing Index.
Speaking on the announcement, Senior Producer at d3t, Jane Mcloughlin said: “d3t and Coconut Lizard continue to be companies that put the wellbeing of its team at the forefront of what they do. What I find incredibly pleasing is that this is a sentiment that is also echoed by our teams, based on the results of the staff survey carried out by Mind.
“Achieving this silver recognition is a great achievement for both studios and is also fitting that the award has been provided to us during our Wellbeing Week – a week designed to promote mental and physical wellbeing amongst our team.
“However, I know that we can’t rest on our laurels as there is always more that we can do to improve our mental health policies and practices. I look forward to seeing where both studios are in 12 months’ time and how these improvements will be reflected within the next Mind Workplace Wellbeing Index.
For further details on the Workplace Wellbeing Index, click here.
d3t is a games studio that not only works to create the best games possible, but also to develop the best talent too. At the core of the business is a focus on people, growth, and retention, and this all stems from the founders’ desire of wanting to create a games studio whereby people feel valued, and without the overshadowing cloud of ‘crunch’ that the industry was renowned for.
It is this focus that has seen the organisation win multiple Employer of the Year awards not only within the games industry, but also from the wider business community too.
But what truly separates d3t from many others, is its focus on nurturing the next generation of games developers, such as through the studios work with Abertay University in Dundee, where d3t has helped to support the DES310 Professional Project module in which students are set the aim of developing a game within the time span of the course.
This year, d3t worked as a client to an eight student-led team under the name of Fruitcake Studios, briefing the team to create an open-ended minimalistic 3D style game.
With the project spanning across 14 weeks, Fruitcake Studios, first had the job of assigning roles to each team member, before then importantly coming up with the game concept that they would be taking forward.
For Fruitcake Studios, their answer to the brief was to create a minimalist 3D isometric game that would take place within a colourful world, which would then be populated by stylised cartoonish assets all under the name of Ray. Key features of Ray included it being targeted towards 12–18-year-olds, alongside the implementation of a unique mechanic that would lead to more complex level design.
The project saw the team working on their game for three days across each of the 14 weeks, with d3t providing support in the way of bi-weekly feedback sessions, where 15 members of the d3t team across Art, Design, Production, Programming and QA would come together with the students, to cover aspects such as what the team should address, and how the team should plan elements across a production-cycle.
Alongside the bi-weekly meetings, the introduction of breakout rooms were also set-up to great effect. This enabled the team at Fruitcake Studios to have more focused 1-2-1 sessions with specific teams at d3t (e.g., Art, Production, Programming etc.), so that department specific issues could be raised and addressed, with focused feedback then being provided to the students.
This was extremely valuable in particular from QA aspect, whereby d3t’s QA team helped to address a variety of bugs that the game was experiencing through the high-level feedback that was passed on.
However, with bugs fixed and feedback received, it is safe to say that the final product that Fruitcake Studios created, met the initial brief and the results of the game speak for themselves.
The neon visuals worked extremely well, and the professional manner in which the team conducted themselves was exemplary.
Talking on the project, Stuart Pentelow, ex-graduate from Abertay University, and now Associate Programmer at d3t said: “d3t is full of compassionate and helpful individuals who want to make games education and industry a better place. Our involvement in the module showcases how much we care for the games education space.
“The DES310 module teaches students the realities of game development as most AAA games are not made by singular people. It also helps hone communication and teamwork skills that are essential in the games industry.
“We encourage healthy working practices such as no crunch, and proper schedules/estimations of work to mitigate crunch for the students. If required, we would suggest descoping the project to ensure that the students are able to achieve a healthy working experience at university.
“Ultimately, everything came together. Fruitcake succeeded in producing a beautiful portfolio piece which we sincerely hope will help them land roles in what we all know to be a highly competitive industry.”
Martin Lynagh, Lecturer in Game Production at Abertay University, also commented on the project, stating that: “It was a pleasure to work with d3t as client to Fruitcake Studios, one of our student project teams. The resultant game Ray is a beautiful piece of work and a testament to the effort and sensitivity they exercised when mentoring our students.
“The opportunity to work with talent from such an experienced and respected studio is one that both staff and students from Abertay relish, and we look forward to collaborating with d3t again next year.”
Why not also take a look at the final build of Ray by Fruitcake Studios, by clicking here, alongside viewing the overall showcase here.
Key to note is that whilst involved in this project, d3t did not take the rights to the project and allows the students to still retain their intellectual property at the end of the course. The goal is solely to give back to education.
Tell us a bit of information about your experience/career background?
I have 15 years in the games industry working as a C++ programmer. However, prior to working in games, I spent eight years working on embedded systems’ software, mainly in C.
Why d3t?
I have heard so many positive comments about the project variation, quality, and culture, from people who’ve moved to studio, and after hearing their response, I was extremely keen to work at d3t.
What do you love about games?
Mainly the nostalgia – my favourite games (Outrun, R-Type, Sonic, Streets of Rage II) remind me of long ago (when I had no responsibilities!).
What games are you currently playing, and what is your favourite game?
I’m currently playing Hogwarts Legacy and GTA V on PC at the moment. However, my favourite game has to be the sit-down arcade version of Outrun – I just love everything about that game!
Do you have any fun facts or hobbies?
I’ll get back to you about fun facts, but hobbies include playing cricket, playing guitar, and playing chess. “Could do better” describes my ability at all three!
I’m also a bit of a coffee enthusiast as well, which often leads me to watching insanely nerdy “how to make espresso properly” YouTube channels.
d3t are delighted to announce that we were selected as Remedy Entertainment’s chosen development partner to bring the remaster of the original, ground-breaking title Alan Wake, to Nintendo Switch.
Launching this October 20th, it is time to step back once again into the shoes of the best-selling thriller novelist Alan Wake, as you uncover the mystery behind his wife’s disappearance.
Discussing the announcement, Producers Joe Borley and Tamsyn Hastings said: “After establishing such a great relationship with Remedy to release Alan Wake Remastered last year, d3t are very proud to have been afforded the opportunity to continue this and help bring Alan Wake to a whole new audience of gamers. This has been an amazing challenge and a great experience for us. We are extremely excited for people to discover what makes Alan Wake such a brilliant story on the Nintendo Switch.”
As big fans of the original game, d3t were privileged to once again be given the opportunity to continue to bring the Alan Wake experience to new audiences and platforms.
For more information about the launch of Alan Wake Remastered on the Nintendo Switch, check out the official page here, or view the full trailer below.
Speaking on the announcement, Head of Engineering at d3t, Phil Owen, said: “Across our region, so many institutions, organisations, and games studios are doing such great work to help nurture and develop the next generation of games developers. However, this initiative brings together all our efforts together, which will allow us to only improve our support and the quality of employment opportunities that up-and-coming talent can receive.
After completing my Masters degree in Physics, I was at a crossroads of deciding between entering the workforce or continuing academia and getting a PhD in Nuclear Physics. I saw an advert for a small start-up studio named d3t and realised that my STEM background had a lot of crossover with games programming. I was interviewed by the whole studio (all 4 people at the time!) and started working right after my graduation.
“Since d3t’s inception, the studio has been built on creating an atmosphere in which people feel valued, and without the overshadowing cloud of ‘crunch’ that the industry is renowned for. It is this focus that has seen d3t win multiple Employer of the Year awards, not only from our colleagues within the games industry, but also from our peers outside the industry. Both of whom have recognised the long lasting and supportive commitment that d3t has towards its team.
Speaking on the announcement, Senior Producer at d3t, Jane Mcloughlin said: “d3t and Coconut Lizard continue to be companies that put the wellbeing of its team at the forefront of what they do. What I find incredibly pleasing is that this is a sentiment that is also echoed by our teams, based on the results of the staff survey carried out by Mind.
For Fruitcake Studios, their answer to the brief was to create a minimalist 3D isometric game that would take place within a colourful world, which would then be populated by stylised cartoonish assets all under the name of Ray. Key features of Ray included it being targeted towards 12–18-year-olds, alongside the implementation of a unique mechanic that would lead to more complex level design.
