Sarah Newell joined the d3t team as a Senior Programmer in September 2018. Sarah tells us a bit more about herself…
Tell us about your background and experience prior to d3t?
I started my career about 15 years ago as an intern programmer on a little-known brand called Harry Potter at EA. I then moved over to Criterion to work on an FPS before moving ‘up north’ in the UK to EA Warrington. Since then I’ve been mostly working on driving and racing games at EA, THQ, SONY Liverpool, Evolution and Codemasters.
Why d3t?
I’d been closely watching d3t grow since the start as I previously worked with the guys that set it up and the chance to work on such a variety of projects for a successful, award-winning team is really exciting.
What was the recruitment process like?
It was very smooth I came in for an informal interview and not long after was offered a job.
Tell us some interesting facts about yourself.
I have a young child so my hobbies these days are usually playing with Duplo, toy cars, watching cartoons, going to the park and failing to get enough sleep.
When I do get a bit of spare time I enjoy a good film or boxset and do manage to get out for a bit of pilates and a weekly pub quiz (not at the same time). On a very rare occasion I go karting and snowboarding. If you want to join our talented team, why not check out our vacancies?
Here at d3t we are celebrating a landmark in our evolution as our 50th team member is recruited.
Gualtiero Vercellotti has been named as our official 50thmember of staff and he couldn’t be happier.
“I’m really proud to work for d3t and have already learned so much since I started. The team is very supportive and while we are all encouraged to strive for excellence in our work, we are also encouraged to take time away from our desks, have proper breaks and to actually enjoy coming to work.
“To be told I am officially d3t’s 50th team member is amazing. I’m very proud and I really feel as though we’re making history in delivering our service and launching globally recognised projects.”
Starting with just 3 people back in 2011, with a very clear mission to provide premium outsourced software engineering, our purely revenue grown company has expanded year on year to our current headcount of 50.
When co-founders Steve Powell and Jamie Campbell launched the company, they knew that a reliable, confidential work for hire service was needed in the sector. They also knew that building, and retaining, an exceptional team would be the way to deliver the service. Moving to bigger offices 4 times since 2011, we remain in the heart of Cheshire and are actively recruiting, rapidly filling our current office.
Many of our projects remain under wraps, with little publicity to advertise the great work taking place. Despite this, we have developed a reputation for being a great place to work, where creativity is appreciated, talent is rewarded and a supportive, inclusive ethos provides an environment where people want to work. Opportunities to work on a wide range of projects and to receive mentoring from some of the brightest minds in the industry have made us a go-to company for ambitious, enthusiastic coders and ‘behind the scenes’ staff alike.
In 2017, we were acquired by Keywords Studios, making us part of a global network delivering excellence in technical services and providing the catalyst for further sustained growth, from our HQ in the North West of England.
Congratulations to Gualtiero on becoming our 50th employee. And in true d3t style, we will ensure there is plenty of cake on offer so we can all celebrate d3t coming so far – and we can toast the future…
Here’s to our next 50 team members!
If you want join our awesome, growing team to work on interesting, challenging and diverse projects, why not check out our current vacancies?
Gareth Cheshire joined the d3t team as a QA Tester on 3rd September 2018. Gareth tells us a bit more about himself…
Tell us about your background and experience prior to d3t?
I have over 14 years’ experience working in varying Quality Assurance roles within Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe across every console within the PlayStation® family. From working on big AAA games to small indie ones before they go off for release.
Why d3t?
d3t have a proven track record of quality and a growing portfolio of console releases and when the opportunity arose I decided to go for it!
What was the recruitment process like?
Excellent. I had one interview (which was more like an easy-going conversation) and was offered the position soon afterwards.
Tell us some interesting facts about yourself.
I have a seven-year-old who loves Rayman and an 18-month-old who’s just discovering who Super Mario is. It’s great seeing games through the eyes of youngsters and it makes our job even more worthwhile when you see how much fun they have playing or enjoying the art and sounds that make these memory making experiences so special. If you want to join our talented team, why not check out our vacancies?
Alex Stopher joined our awesome team as a Junior Programmer on 3rd September 2018 and here he tells us a bit more about himself…
Tell us about your background and experience prior to d3t?
Before I even knew how to make a simple if statement I worked for British American Tobacco as a service executive, dealing with the logistics and customs of shipping cigarettes throughout Africa. While at the company I had a realisation that what I wanted to do was make fun things, not bad things, so I threw caution to the wind and signed up to Southampton Solent University to learn how to make games and program.
Why d3t?
Having known of d3t through the Grads in Games and the work they have done I was eager to apply the moment a suitable position opened up. Having asked around I knew that they were a company who looked after their staff and were very dedicated to investing in the future programmers fresh out of university.
What was the recruitment process like?
After sending my portfolio to d3t I was sent a response asking me to complete a small programming test over 24 hours, starting when I gave the okay to send me it.
The test was really fun! I found myself spending time on it not just because it was a programming test but because the problems that I was asked to solve required me to think and design rather than remember efficient algorithms or cookie cutter test questions. Having a 24 hour time period instead of a 1 hour test allowed me to go away and properly design solutions for the exam project and not stress minutes away in a panic.
Tell us some interesting facts about yourself.
In my spare time I compete in fighting games as well as helping organising one of the bigger majors in Europe, Revolution. Through this I have been lucky enough to work officially commentating games both around Europe and America (whenever I visit). What little spare time I have left after all of that, I cook to wind down.If you want to join our talented team, why not check out our vacancies?
Following Richard Badger’s presentation at last year’s event, this niche external development summit has become a key event in the d3t calendar. XDS champions the key values: Knowledge Sharing, Collaboration, B2B Networking and Industry Stewardship. The focus is on thought leadership, education and building strong, positive relationships across the industry. The agenda boasts an impressive line-up of industry luminaries, including Keywords Studios CEO, Andrew Day.
Different in tone to many ‘games events’, XDS attracts visitors from within the industry; from developers to vendors and middleware providers.
As a strong B2B event, we focussed on networking with new contacts and reinforcing links with existing partners. Thought provoking presentations covered a diverse range of topics from co-development, business strategy and feedback processes to UI, UX and IP.
An invaluable resource for external development engineers like d3t, we are looking forward to 2019.
Following the much anticipated launch of Shenmue on 21st August 2018, we decided to host a Shenmue launch party.
So, at the end of the working day on a Friday afternoon, to acknowledge our team and their continuing hard work and dedication to the amazing Shenmue project, we took a little time out to celebrate all things Shenmue. Families were also welcome to help us celebrate!
And, of course, no Shenmue party would be complete without a whole host of Shenmue themed activities including forklift truck racing, “street fighting” (in the form of giant sumo wrestling suits) and darts!
Our delicious party food was, as you’d expect, supplied by Bob’s Pizzeria and Yamaji Soba Noodles, and we even had a Tomato Convenience Store pop-up!
Our dedicated Shenmue team are still working hard on feedback to continue bringing updates to the game. So, if you have any feedback, please share it via http://www.sega.co.uk/support and we’ll keep working on it.
This year saw Gamescom celebrating 10 years and as one of our must-attend games events, it didn’t disappoint. Gamescom is a fusion of industry premieres, conferences, networking, news, music, food and attracts visitors from around the world.Gamescom has reported that this year saw a record numbers of visitors, a staggering 370,000 and a record number of participating countries, 114. It also reported that the UK, along with Austria and the Netherlands, has demonstrated the strongest growth and this is heartening news. We arranged as many meetings as possible with friends old and new and explored as much of the event as possible. And we even managed to catch up with our #KWSfamily colleagues at the Keywords Studios stand in Hall 2.
Highlights included the cosplay village and we look forward to the release of some superbly crafted games. This year’s ‘Light it Up’ illumination spectacular was incredible and a fitting tribute to 10 years of the event. And not forgetting the fantastic beach party hosted by Keywords Studios for clients on the banks of the Rhine.
Guest speakers from the political arena highlighted the gravitas of the event and the importance of the games industry to the economy.
A truly immersive event, Gamescom offers a multi-faceted insight into the industry and provides a leading business platform. It is also huge fun! We are already looking forward to 20 August 2019. Gamescom, you are on our calendar.
Michael Sweeney joined the d3t team as a Junior QA Tester on 6th August 2018. Find out more about Michael…
Tell us about your background and experience prior to d3t?
I studied for my BSc in Games Design at The University of Bolton and graduated with First Class Honours.
After my degree I did some freelance programming work for a couple of clients and then decided to return to university to do my MA in Games Development which I’m about to graduate from.
Why d3t?
I discovered d3t when Hal Sandbach came and gave a talk at my university as a guest lecturer.
After researching the company and seeing all the projects they worked on I knew it was the type of company I wanted to join, and having heard good things about the company and the people who work there from a close friend who also worked at d3t, it confirmed to me that I wanted to join d3t.
What was the recruitment process like?
I applied for the Junior QA Tester position and was given a QA test, after that I was invited for an interview and was able to discuss my prior games experience and interests within games.
Within a few days after my interview I was offered the role and was able to start straight after finishing my MA degree which was perfect for me.
Tell us some interesting facts about yourself.
I’m a big gamer with a particular preference for MMORPG’s like World of Warcraft. I’m also pretty technical and I have great interest programming with a current emphasis on gameplay/AI programming. As for a fun fact, I’m semi-fluent in Polish. If you want to join our talented team, why not check out our vacancies?
d3t is in a period of growth, with new premises and a headcount of 50. The company currently has 15 vacancies for programmers at all levels and we are very excited for the future.We really enjoy working with the student community to encourage interest in the games industry. Our recruitment team makes regular visits to universities, have worked with our local college and thoroughly enjoyed delivering a STEM talk to our youngest audience yet: 9 – 11 year olds.
This year d3t will be ramping up recruitment activities to include even more student engagement. We feel a strong responsibility to spread the word about working within the industry and encouraging the next generation of coders to think ‘we CAN work in games’.
When Steve Powell and Jamie Campbell first started d3t, they wanted to create a great place to work with the emphasis on building and retaining a highly skilled and happy team. They developed a bespoke recruitment methodology and fostered an inclusive, supportive working environment. Those elements are still key to d3t’s operation. Our ethos of inclusivity got us thinking about diversity. We don’t think one can exist within the workplace without the other.
Encouraging more women in games is important to us and it’s not on every studio’s agenda! Our experience has demonstrated to us that a more diverse workforce leads to a more creative and vibrant team culture, so d3t remains laser-focused on broadening the diversity profile of its team at every opportunity.
So, as we are planning our autumn student engagement activities and delivering our message of ‘you CAN work in games’ we want to turn the spotlight on the women at d3t who have helped us get to where we are today.
Here are the d3t women in games and women behind the games…
Irina Hristescu
As part of our engagement programme, we visited the University of Manchester where we met student Irina Hristescu. Irina has always been interested in a career in games and applied for a Junior Programmer internship with us. Irina has been with us since June this year.
Jane McLoughlin
Project Manager Jane Mcloughlin joined d3t in March 2016. Jane is one of our Project Managers and is responsible for delivery on a number of projects at any given time. Day to day Jane can be moving between sprint planning, organising new project setups, working with the leadership team to organise resourcing on all projects and communicating with clients both electronically and on calls. Jane admits there is always something new to learn and no day is ever the same!
Shariqua Wahid
QA Tester and Designer Shariqua Wahid also joined our team in 2016. Shariqua has been proactive in engaging with the student community and is passionate about spreading the word about her own positive experiences within the industry, encouraging students and graduates to consider a career in games. Shariqua is also a passionate gamer in her spare time.
Ally Noble
Project Manager Ally Noble joined us in November 2017 to continue her game making career in our production team. Ally’s main responsibilities involve managing a project’s lifecycle regarding budget and time, running planning meetings, ensuring milestones are met, liaising with clients and collaborating internal and externally with QA.
Sarah Wenham
Our Operations Manager is Sarah Wenham who joined us from a corporate banking background. Originally our Office Manager, Sarah has played a huge role in continuing the development of our corporate infrastructure. Sarah manages our admin team and is responsible for the recruitment process, facilities management and working with the development director to generate and monitor our studio KPIs. A gamer in her spare time, Sarah says she’s found her dream job, combining her extensive corporate experience with her favourite hobby.
Keri Booth
Keri Booth joined our team as Admin Assistant, progressing to her current split role as Admin and Marketing Coordinator. She is instrumental in shaping our marketing activity. Key responsibilities include maintaining effective comms between the admin and marketing departments and liaising with internal and external departments. Keri is one of the studio communications champions with KWS and is a key contact to several external partners. Working in the games industry is something she has always wanted to do, being an avid gamer in her spare time.
Jenna Hoyles
Jenna Hoyles joined the admin team in July 2018 as Office Support. She is a valued member of the team and helps to keep the department and the office running smoothly. Key responsibilities include ensuring day to day stock levels are sufficient and topping up where necessary, acting as our main receptionist and first point of call for all visitors, data management and input.
Ffion Hughes
Ffion Hughes is our Office Junior and is an apprentice, undertaking an NVQ Level 2 in Business Administration. Ffion provides support to the internal infrastructure and works closely with Office Support to ensure all aspects of the admin department and main office continue running effectively. Her responsibilities include data input and formatting, filing and processing paperwork.
Helen Powell
Helen Powell is one of our Marketing Co-ordinators working closely with Keri Booth. Helen has been in a supportive role with d3t from its founding days, then officially took on the role of Business Support followed later by a move to Marketing in 2016. She has been hugely influential in getting d3t ‘out there’ and continues to apply her passion for marketing in the games industry.
Susan Campbell
Susan Campbell began assisting d3t in the very early days with general financial support. Since 2016 Susan has been at the helm of d3t’s day-to-day internal finances. Working closely with both our Studio Head and external finance consultant, Susan helps manage the studio’s finances and provides a vital interface between our group company KWS and d3t HQ.Looking to d3t’s future, we will be striving to encourage those who have never considered a career in games to think again. This is a great industry, with the scope to work with brand new technologies, exercising creativity and tackling daily challenges. The technology sector is in the midst of a skills shortage, and d3t is looking to engage with all those interested in joining this creative industry. d3t has a mentoring and anti-crunch mentality which sets us apart from many in the games community. This along with a professional yet friendly environment, means d3t is attractive to many entering the industry for the first time, as well as those with existing industry experience.
If you want to work for a growing, forward thinking and inclusive company, why not take a look at our vacancies? We look forward to hearing from you.
