Aoife Stroughair joined the d3t team as a Junior Programmer on 5th March 2018. Aoife tells us a bit more about themselves…
Tell us about your background and experience prior to d3t?
I graduated from Trinity College Dublin in Autumn 2017 with a Computer Science MSc. in Interactive Entertainment Technology.
Why d3t?
I was browsing LinkedIn for developer jobs and the job description caught my eye. I checked out the company website and when I realised that the job would allow me to work within all facets of game development, I was very eager to apply.
What was the recruitment process like?
The first step was a programming test, which was sent to me via email, to be completed within 24-hours. Not only was it genuinely enjoyable to work on, but the longer time limit compared to most other programming tests I had completed meant that I could take regular breaks, and work without getting overly stressed about how much time I had left.
The next step was a Skype interview with Andy Booth (Technical Director) and Lyndon Jones (Programming Lead). They were friendly and happy to answer any questions I had about the job, which made the whole process quite enjoyable and allowed me to answer their own questions with a much higher degree of ease.
I was quite surprised, and very happy, to receive an email an hour after I’d put the phone down to tell me they wanted to take me on! Along with the job offer, I was also given the opportunity to visit the office and meet the team before I eventually started, giving me the opportunity to get to know some of the people I’d be working with.
Tell us some interesting facts about yourself.
When applying for college courses, I initially had Dentistry as my top choice. When I narrowly missed out on it, I was forced into my second choice, Computer Engineering. Of course, when I realised that this meant that I could develop games for a living, I was more than relieved at this twist of fate.
As for playing games, I got a Gameboy Pocket with a copy of Pokémon Blue when was in primary school. While I’m ashamed to say that I only managed recently to become a true Pokémon Master and catch all 151 of them, I promise that I’ve put the time in the interim to good use with other games and other platforms. Nintendo however has always been near and dear to my heart.
If you want to join our talented team, why not check out our vacancies?
d3t is extremely proud to have provided collaborative engineering support to Stellar Entertainment in pursuit of remastering EA’s 2008 ground-breaking racing title Burnout Paradise on to Xbox One and PS4. Stellar Entertainment have been an outstanding client to work with, and we look forward to more collaborations in the future.
We understand the importance of engaging with our student community. We have recently launched an internship programme, we visit universities on a regular basis and as a result, have recruited a number of graduates to our team.
We know from experience the creative dividends that a diverse team brings to a studio including fresh ideas and a range of perspectives drawn from different life experiences. The industry is also recognising the importance of an inclusive environment and working to address the diversity deficit and skills shortage.
So, when a primary school in our region announced ‘STEM Fortnight’, we decided to reach out to our youngest audience yet. Jamie Campbell, Commercial Director and co-founder of d3t visited Sandiway Primary School, Cheshire to let pupils know that there are great opportunities open to them within the industry, and to deliver the important message ‘You can work in games’.
It was our first time presenting to the 9-11 age group and as we have team members who attended Sandiway and now their children do, it was the perfect place to start. The level of enthusiasm, creativity and interest we found has left us in no doubt that engaging with our younger children is a vital element in creating the industry stars of the future.
We used a combination of presentation, role play and open forum to explain that it takes a whole team of people with a wide range of skills to make games and that the industry needs managers, designers, artists, QA and programmers to make it tick. The role plays were used to emphasise the importance of team work, offering support to each other and solving problems as a group, which is the model we use at d3t.
Each role play group had Designers tasked with filling in the blanks of a story. Artists had to draw the pictures of what the Designers had written. QA Testers had to check the correct tag was given to each image and Coders had to put them in place on a gridded flip chart – they were given co-ordinates for each image. QA & Managers then reviewed everything to ensure it had all gone to plan. You can see the creative output in the gallery below.
There is a recognised skills shortage in the industry and our visit to Sandiway Primary School has shown us that the next generation of talent just need to be offered the right guidance and encouragement to join the industry.
We would like to thank all the pupils for their exemplary behaviour, excellent teamwork and for working so hard during the (difficult!) task and many thanks to the staff for their warm welcome.
d3t’s STEM Presentation at Sandiway Primary School
Phil Welsch joined the d3t team as a Junior Core Tech Programmer on 15th January 2018. Meet Phil…
Tell us about your background and experience prior to d3t?
After finishing my BSc at the University of Applied Sciences Salzburg I originally planned on continuing with an MSc in Computer Science. I had spent 6 months working as an Intern Game Programmer at an Austrian company called Polycular as part of my studies and had also spent most of my last semester working on our final project ‘Major League Gladiators’.
From those experiences I learned that I enjoyed working on projects for longer periods of time, with a dedicated team. So I decided that I would rather gain some more experience in the industry at this point, which led to my job search and ultimately this new position at d3t.
Why d3t?
I personally enjoy the technical parts of game development most, so I like that d3t focuses on technical excellence.
The responsibilities of my position align very well with what I’m good at and would like to specialise in. The more I learned about d3t, its history of projects and its company culture, that confidence only grew. Once I got the offer from d3t, accepting it was a no-brainer for me.
What was the recruitment process like?
I applied for a position as a Junior Developer. Liam, a recruiter from Amiqus helped me through the process.
I then completed a programming test, which I found very interesting as it focused on issues very relevant to practical game development.
After that I took part in a Skype interview with Andy, the Technical Director, and Lyndon, the Programming Lead at d3t. Soon afterwards I was offered the position.
Tell us some interesting facts about yourself.
I am generally interested in Computer Science, but chose Game Development as my path to pursue for two reasons. For one, I’ve been a lifelong gamer, so that sparked my original interest in learning to program when I was fourteen.
Once I started University and learned more about other aspects of Computer Science I realised that I most enjoyed working close to the hardware and building efficient software, so I’d been on the right path with games all along!
If you want to join our talented team, why not check out our vacancies?
Riccardo Loggini joined the d3t team as a Junior Programmer on 8th January 2018. Riccardo tells us a bit more about himself…
Tell us about your background and experience prior to d3t?
I am a software engineer. Born and raised in Italy, I spent the last two years in Denmark doing a
MSc degree in Digital Media Engineering in Copenhagen (Denmark) where I specialised in real-time computer graphics.
Why d3t?
I was choosing from different job opportunities from all over Europe but working in games has always been a dream since when I was 8. I got in contact with Liam, a recruiter from Amiqus who proposed me an interview for d3t. I was attracted by the variety of projects to be involved in each year. It will be a great opportunity to extend my knowledge in games programming.
I was finally convinced after talking with Andy (Technical Director) and Lyndon (Programming Lead). Their attitude was really inspiring and I am looking for people like them to work with.
What was the recruitment process like?
I had a programming test which I was asked to complete and return in 24 hours. It consisted of adding features to a game. It was good since you can get creative and show your best skills. After passing that I got a Skype interview with Andy and Lyndon.
Tell us some interesting facts about yourself.
I see computer graphics as a tool to make dreams come to reality and that particularly happens when games are made. I have huge experience as a gamer. Just to give you an idea, at the age of 17 I was leading an Italian esport team of 30 active members playing Battlefield. Gaming became an addiction and I eventually changed myself from a gamer to a game maker engineer. This is my way to stay with games and still make a living out of it.
Apart from games, I like travelling (of course) and going to dinner with friends, tasting any kind of food and have very big laughs together.
If you want to join our talented team, why not check out our vacancies?
Ffion Hughes joined the d3t team as Business Admin Apprentice on 2nd January 2018. Here Ffion tells us a bit more about herself…
Where did you work prior to d3t?
d3t is my first job. Before I worked here I was in high school where my favourite subjects were business and ICT. I enjoyed these the most because they were the subjects that I excelled in.
Why d3t?
Initially this role was brought to my attention by a local college. After researching into the company I learned that d3t work mostly on the development of games and app software. Gaming is a personal hobby of mine so this was a big part of what pushed me to apply.
What was the recruitment process like?
The recruitment process was a lot quicker than I expected. I came in for my first interview where I answered a short questionnaire and was introduced to Keri Booth and Sarah Wenham who made my interview a lot less nerve wracking. After this interview I was asked to come in a second time to meet the General Manager Richard Badger and answer a few more quick questions. On my way home from the second interview I received a call off Sarah who told me that I had got the job.
Tell us some interesting facts about yourself.
I spend most of my spare time on the Xbox playing either FIFA or Black Ops III. I also enjoy listening to music as I feel like it motivates me.
If you want to join our talented team, why not check out our vacancies?
One of our latest recruits, Adam Saxton joined the d3t team as a Junior Artist on 20th November 2017. Adam tells us a bit more about himself…
Where did you work prior to d3t?
I previously worked in admin for Hyde Central Services, which is an engineering company specialising in design and manufacture solutions.
I also went to a UCLAN campus in Manchester called Futureworks and picked up a Game Art degree.
Why d3t?
I was drawn to the wide array of work that they did, I saw it as a huge opportunity to add to my set of skills and develop myself as an artist.
What was the recruitment process like?
I applied after seeing the job advertised on social media and submitted my CV. The whole process was really good, they kept in contact with me throughout.
Tell us some interesting facts about yourself.
Drawing and digital sculpting are my hobbies, so I consider myself quite lucky to be able to do them for a living. I’m hoping sometime in the future I can become a respected member of the industry.
My driving force is coffee.
If you want to join our talented team, why not check out our vacancies?
Ally Noble became the latest addition to the d3t team when she joined us as a Project Manager on 13th November 2017. Ally tells us a bit more about herself…
Where did you work prior to d3t?
Companies include Imagine Software, my own company Denton Designs, Rage Software, iFone Ltd and Distinctive Developments.
I started as an artist, then set up my own company with some team members after Imagine folded. Our best moment was knocking ourselves off the number one spot in the Gallop charts.
I enjoy the process of game making and have worked at all levels and in all sizes of companies throughout my career.
Why d3t?
People with a known track record, good products and a professional business-minded outlook.
What was the recruitment process like?
Direct and very personal, a good experience!
Tell us some interesting facts about yourself.
After I stopped being a computer artist for a living, I looked for another hands-on creative outlet.
I discovered fused glass and now design and make items for shops around the UK. I also attend artisan events to sell direct. Additionally I am a student on a silversmithing course.
If you want to join our talented team, why not check out our vacancies?
We are pleased to announce that d3t has become a Patron of Grads in Games.Launched eight years ago by industry recruiters Aardvark Swift, Grads in Games runs a programme of events, competitions and resources to equip students with all they need to make the leap from student to the professional work environment.
Grads in Games runs the ‘Get in the Game’ tour which offers a series of comprehensive workshops, while the ‘Search for a Star’/’Rising Star’ competitions enable students to showcase their talent, with exclusive job and internships on offer to the winners and finalists.
As a Grads in Games patron, d3t now has the opportunity to get more involved in workshops, competition judging and mentoring. We are passionate about the calibre of graduate coming through our universities, we look forward to meeting all the emerging talent and nurturing the next generation of industry leaders.
“We see Search for a Star as a great way of drawing attention to the most promising people, and we urge other studios to get involved in cultivating the young talent that this country produces. It’s a great opportunity for students to bolster their portfolios, developing something that allows them to express their creativity, and hopefully also get some experience in a technical-interview situation. The finals day is an awesome way to network and make some connections for the time when the job hunt is on!”
We are a growing studio and our recent acquisition by Keywords Studios means we have more opportunities opening up to us, so we are actively recruiting. We have also been named a GamesIndustry.biz ‘Best Place to Work’ which is awarded partly based on feedback from anonymous staff questionnaires.
We are excited to become a Patron and be able to play our part in developing individuals as they embark upon their careers in this exciting industry.
Search For A Star
We had an amazing day on 6thApril 2018 when we headed off to Sheffield Hallam University to help judge this year’s Search For A Star competition. d3t’s Scott Bevin was on hand to judge and couldn’t have been more impressed by the calibre of entrants.
Congratulations to all the winners and to everyone who took part.
