Task 7 - Employment

Define
Give 2 examples
good / bad between the two
how its gonna help
CV
Career spreadsheet
portfolio
business card

CV -

A CV (stands for Curriculum Vitae) is a document that is commonly asked for by employers, it holds information about you that an employer can use to decide if they want to hire you or not, things like interests, what you've studded and most importantly work experience. The CV of someone can be as short or as long as they want, there are plenty of CV templates on the internet but there aren't really any rules on what should and shouldn't be included. The writing of a CV can take a long time to complete, there is a lot of planning and work put into it, from achievements to charisma, a CV has to have enough to impress, be memorable and also keep the attention of the reader. My personal experiences with CVs have been limiting, I've found it difficult to create a CV while answering all questions and creating an engaging read simultaneously.

Career Spreadsheet -

A Career Spreadsheet (also goes by the names of Job Application Tracker, Resume Submission, Job Tracking Spreadsheet and others) is a spreadsheet document that keeps track of and aids with the goal of employment. It informs you of your dream job, what qualifications you need to get it, what's the ideal course you need to take and what job you need to start with. It gives you several jobs in case you can't make or have lost interest in one of them, its a very informative and helpful document that is good to have on hand and can also be shown as proof of professionalism. Personally, this document has helped me create a loose plan for my future and has helped me find out places where I can continue my studies.

The document I have given as an example can be seen below; this document was made by myself. It's aid is what has pushed me to improve and work harder on my studies while also presenting me with many careers I can aspire to. One thing that needs improving is a description of the jobs/courses. without any explanation it leaves people guessing at what this job/course will entail, not a very wanted effect.

Portfolio -

A Portfolio is a collection of your work and creations, this document is normally presented when a job requires evidence of past experience, work or otherwise. Portfolios can be many things, a collection of illustrations, a website displaying your work, a folder of past experiences, anything that can give someone an idea of the work you've done is considered a portfolio. The positives of owning/making a portfolio are; easier time finding and squiring a job, makes you look more presentable and high-class and many other situations that can be easily solved by having one. On the other hand, some jobs don't seek out a portfolio, don't bother spending weeks on it if you're going to apply for a fast food restaurant job.

Business Card -

Business cards are a great way to quickly give an interested employer/commissioner information on how to contact you, while also looking dapper and elegant as you do so. Business cards are small paper cards, printed with details such as your name, your occupation, ways of contacting you and any company or added detail you can cram to look more important and memorable. The card below is my own, I've fashioned it after a classic popcorn box do appear more memorable and also stand out against the more bleak of business cards, one thing that needs improving would be the back of the card, the text is a bit hard to read and may cause eye strain, perhaps a background with the colours seen on the front would be easier on the eyes.

Sources -
https://www.prospects.ac.uk/careers-advice/cvs-and-cover-letters/how-to-write-a-cv
https://www.monster.co.uk/career-advice/article/what-is-a-cv
https://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/cv.htm
http://www.forbes.com/forbes/welcome/?toURL=http://www.forbes.com/sites/dailymuse/2014/06/10/how-a-simple-spreadsheet-and-some-friends-helped-me-land-my-dream-job/&refURL=https://www.google.co.uk/&referrer=https://www.google.co.uk/
http://idealistcareers.org/6-free-downloads-to-help-you-find-a-job-and-advance-your-career/
http://www.thecareercoach.co.uk/job-search-templates.php
https://www.thebalance.com/organize-your-job-search-2060710

Task 6 - Documents & Contracts

Using project management techniques

Documents are an integral part of the entertainment businesses, without the proper documentation a small studio can be needlessly crippled. There are plenty of documents with plenty of uses, some are there to inform staff and enlighten them on what actions they are required to follow, other documents are here to protect a business from being sued and wasting valuables.

Recce Report -

One such document is the Recce Report, it is a report that discusses the good and bad things about a filming location when pandering to the script and budget (along with other more minor factors) it reports on the positive things, things like the natural lighting fitting with the mood, or safe pathways so less accidents occur, while also keeping in mind the stuff like needing to pay to film or bad weather, these bad factors would also be considered and may end up warding off the director and requiring a switch in filming location. I've used this document to consider where I will do the recording for my project, I've thought about the equipment supplied to me, the chances of being interrupted and other factors that may slow down or entirely halt the production.Recce Reports help you manage your time and budget, decide on what positives a set can provide, aid you in figuring out how to deal with complications and positively empowering the staff. On the other hand it could lead to no major improvements, along with ending up a big waste of time.

Below is my own Recce Report for my project. As you can see I had a choice between working on the project at school or at home, with this document I was able to identify the good things about each location, the flaws that might slow production and also the things that needed to be dealt with before the project was started. A good way to improve this was to add an extra collum detailing how to deal with the obsticles and which obsticles would be more troublesome than others.

Risk Assessment -

The Risk Assessment document is a document used to test and insure the safety of staff and make sure no accidents or distractions end up slowing down staff or halting their progress. This document talks about a location and what problems come with it, for example a filming location set in a forest may be dangerous as the camera man may end up tripping over a tree root and breaking the camera. I've used this report to ensure my equipment and work is safe from any damage that could occur in a hazardous environment, I've also made sure to create backups of any data that is integral to the project, data that I cannot afford to lose.

My Risk Assessment sheet can be seen below, I've listed all the hazzards that I could predict, from accidents to conflicts, situations that may arrise and halt production. I've made sure to list an importance scale to make sure everything goes acording to plan. The bad thing about this document is that I might have missed vital risks, this could have been avoided by working together with someone else and/or spending more time one this document.

Game Design Document -

A Game Design Document or GDD is an in-depth description of a video game, everything seen in a game (along with elements that didn't make it into the game itself) come from a GDD, the characters, story-line, game progression, gameplay, music, everything is detailed in this document, this document is referred to during the development of the game, it is designed to serve as the ultimate reference for everything that appears in the game, in the case of a publisher commissioning a development team to make their game the document ends up being written by the publishers instead of the developers. I have a similar book of ideas for a game I'm working on in my spare time, it helps me sort my ideas out into coherent and tangible points that I can then consider for the project. Without the Game Design Document I would forget some ideas or not be able to express them as I wished. This document has proven to be very useful to someone as scatterbrained as myself and would be used in any future projects. Sadly this should only be reserved for more grand games as in all actuality the work and ideas put in this document would likely not end up in the final game due to many varying factors.

Ambiguous Gaming Contracts -

Along with these contracts there are other more ambiguous contracts, detailing deals between companies, from Cease and Desist documents to copyright purchases, these deals are made so companies can produce entertainment based on what is in demand while staying clear of any lawsuits that may arise. these documents can be very useful as they can protect you from getting sued, in my experience owning a document that proves your ownership of an asset can be a great help in development and/or publishing.

Sources -

http://thejohnfisherschoola2mediastudies.weebly.com/recce-report.html
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kiLoM9784MvpA03apojSad2n8Ce2md7LBK1HmRAKjDg/edit
https://www.arrse.co.uk/community/threads/recce-reports.65056/
http://www.slideshare.net/ryan-noble/recce-report
https://worksmart.org.uk/health-advice/health-and-safety/hazards-and-risks/what-are-five-steps-risk-assessment
http://www.hse.gov.uk/risk/controlling-risks.htm
http://www.healthyworkinglives.com/advice/Legislation-and-policy/Workplace-Health-and-Safety/risk-assessment
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_design_document
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/131632/creating_a_great_design_document.php
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/131791/the_anatomy_of_a_design_document_.php

Task 5 - Professional Bodies Supporting the Industry

Explain and illustrate the professional bodies supporting the functions within the games industry. Produce a profile for each of the following:
You are aiming to comprehensively explain the professional bodies within the games industry with reference to elucidated examples. You should be using subject terminology consistently and correctly.

{-Professional Bodies -}

IGDA

IGDA stands for International Game Developers Association, they are a non profit international organization that exists as a global network. They are comprised from people all over the gaming industry, from story writers, artists, level designers or coders. They focus on keeping people happy and healthy, while insuring the future generation is interested in perusing game design. IGDA relies of volunteer work to keep functioning.

UKIE

UKIE stands for United Kingdom Interactive Entertainment, they are the only interactive  entertainment and gaming trade body specifically for the UK. They represent UK developers from big and small businesses that work on all manners of entertainment, mobile, consoles, and other parts of gaming.  UKIE offer support, collective voice and advise if you join their network. Their personal mission is to make the UK the number 1 best place for game development.

Women In Games

Women in Games is an organisation focusing on gaming development, education and research, specifically centred around women and their experiences in the gaming industry. They hold conferences and events centred on gaming, support research of gaming culture, industry and trends, support women (and men) unfamiliar to the industry and other things.

BAFTA

BAFTA stands for The British Academy of Film and Television Arts. They support, develop and promote forms of entertainment such as movies or video games. They are an independent charity that strives to inspire and benefit the public. They offer scholarships, workshops, lessons, connections and tons of other help for people of the arts.

MEF

MEF is a a USA registered association that works with and improves third network services. They offer memberships on hardware and software solution providers, they will give you an advanced visibility of future developments, the ability to have your word influence standards helping you to align with corporate objectives and other great benefits.

Task 4 - Contracts, Legal, and Ethical Obligations

Explain and illustrate the contract, legal and ethical obligations within the games industry. Produce a profile for each of the following:
You are aiming to comprehensively explain contract, legal and ethical obligations in the games industry with reference to elucidated examples. You should be using subject terminology consistently and correctly.

{-Legal-}

Copyright-

Copyright of songs, art and code (as it can be considered literature) lasts the life of the creator plus 70 years (different countries have different laws).Copyright is still not clear as different countries have different copyright laws meaning that in some countries you can renew a copyright early. You can assign your content to a company and after 35 years you can take the contract back if you please. Reproduction is a violation of copyright law, for example a reviewer using a picture from a game but fair use says in certain instances a person can use a small portion of the work for purposes of criticism, education or parody.

Trademark-
While Copyright protects images, music and literature Trademark protects things like logos, slogans and anything else that may define a company. Without having a Trademark anyone can rip off your slogans or logos, things that make your company recognisable, they can them masquerade as you and make money off people who don't know any better.

Patent-
A patent is a protection for your idea/invention so that nobody can steal that idea and make money off your work. Companies have many patents, they create ideas and patent them just in case they turn out to make them lots of money, a famous example of a patent is McDonalds' interactive TV patent, to end an advertisement quicker the viewer would have to interact with the advert, ether by saying "McDonalds" or by making your "perfect burger" by dragging ingredients to the burger. Another patent is Sega's 'driving game camera transitions', this patent stops developers from implementing a live camera transition, so if you switch from 1st to 3rd person the camera can't move into the car, it must cut out and pop back into the car. The most important thing about patents to remember is that video game consoles need a patent, not copywright.

Registered Designs-

by registering a design you earn the copyright to that design and you get to choose what happens to it who can use it.There are some rules as to what design you can register, you cant register a design that has already been registered, published anywhere or is similar to an already existing design.
Along with these, there are some basic stuff that you would expect, no discriminatory or offensive content.

Credits-
Copyright:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright
https://www.gov.uk/copyright/overview
https://www.copyrightservice.co.uk/
http://www.wipo.int/copyright/en/activities/video_games.html
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3546/hey_thats_my_game_intellectual_.php?print=1

Trademark:
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/differences-between-copyright-trademark-3218.html
http://www.lawmart.com/forms/difference.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trademark
https://www.gov.uk/topic/intellectual-property/trade-marks

Patent:
https://www.gov.uk/intellectual-property-an-overview
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patent
https://www.gov.uk/patent-your-invention/what-you-can-patent

Registered Designs:
http://www.ipos.gov.sg/AboutIP/TypesofIPWhatisIntellectualProperty/Whatisaregistereddesign.aspx
https://www.tmdn.org/tmdsview-web/welcome.html
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/intellectual-property-office

https://www.gov.uk/register-a-design/check-if-you-can-register-your-design

{-Ethical-}

Violence-
Violence and video games seem to go hand in hand these days, from shooting out demon's brains in doom to ripping people into pieces in Mortal Kombat, it's no surprise we've become so desensitised to it. It gets worse when you learn about how much of an advertisement "going too far" is, if a game presents disturbing scenes and/or events that most people may be shocked at then the game would get more publicity, this means that a lot more games have been created more shocking just so it can get more sales.

Rating-
The rating system is there to help people know the type of content the game includes and the age you need to be to play it, the ESRB (Entertainment Software Ratings Board) rating system was created when the parents of America became concerned about children playing a bloody and disturbing game like Mortal Kombat.  There is normally a rating telling you the age someone should be to consume this media on the front of the cover, if you look on the back you'll notice certain themes that help you understand what and why the movie is rated this way, for example a movie that is rated 18 would probably have labels depicting drugs, sex and/or violence.

Education-
A good educational game: The Logical Journey of the Zoombinis
This game offers a challenge to both young and old players, it has many unique and fun logic puzzles that are randomly generated every time you play, it offers young kids and entertaining way to develop their knowledge and creative thinking.

A bad educational game: I. M. Meen
This forgettable game attempts to teach children but fails horribly, the education and entertainment are so dislocated you could mistake them for different games, the game tries to lure kids in with a poorly coded doom-like part of the game where you must traverse a maze and fight monsters so you can move onto the next quiz/puzzle.

Stereotyping-
Sadly stereotyping is a big part of video games, the amount of shooters that give the enemy a Russian or middle-eastern origin is offputing to say the least. The worst stereotype of them all is one women have hat to deal with from the beginnings of video game and that is being seen as sex objects. Most developers target their games to the straight white male demographic because that's the stereotypical gamer even though there's been many studies that say otherwise, stereotypes are there because story writers are too lazy to give characters unique and captivation storylines and goals so they revert back to basic and easy to understand ideas like a street thug, or a sexualized and lustful woman. This needs to and has been declining, and it's a good thing too, studies show that if a person is exposed to segregation and discriminatory language they become desensitised to it and may even start to go along with the hate speech.

Addiction-
Video game addiction is the state of feeling depressed, sick or angry at not playing a game in a while, this happens when a person becomes dependant on having video games be the source of their relaxation. Two main types of games tend to play off this addiction and try to get people to spend their money, the first one is mmorpgs (mass multiplayer online role playing games) these games rely on the player's impatience to buy the rare items instead of spending days searching for them and grinding at enemies, the second are mobile games and their in-app purchases, similarly to the mmorpgs they rely on the lack of patience on the player's behalf to earn money, they also spy on mentally unstable people and make them feel special and pretend to be their friend as they take their money.

Credits-
Violence:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_game_controversies
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-33960075
http://www.video-game-addiction.org/violence.html

Rating:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWlrJq8yi2w
https://www.esrb.org/ratings/ratings_guide.aspx
http://www.esrb.org/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entertainment_Software_Rating_Board

Education:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Educational_entertainment
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bobby-george/education-vs-edutainment_b_8491136.html
http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/edutainment

Stereotyping:
https://msu.edu/~pengwei/Mou%20Peng.pdf
http://uk.complex.com/pop-culture/2012/05/the-15-most-stereotypical-characters-in-video-games/
http://blerds.atlantablackstar.com/2014/12/10/5-offensive-stereotypes-reinforced-by-video-games-that-need-to-end/
http://www.grunge.com/9912/offensive-stereotypes-video-games/

Addiction:
http://www.psychguides.com/guides/video-game-addiction-symptoms-causes-and-effects/
http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/features/video-game-addiction-no-fun
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_game_addiction
http://venturebeat.com/2013/03/14/whales-and-why-social-gamers-are-just-gamers/
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/195806/chasing_the_whale_examining_the_.php?print=1

{-Contractual-}

Employment-
An employment contract is the most common contract and one you'll probably encounter most often, the purpose of this contract is to set rules and regulations that need to followed by both the company and the person being employed, the contract is there to cover the backs of both the company and the person being employed so both can get on with work as fast as possible. Some high-end companies offer bonuses like health care, free meals and vacations that can help the person be in a fine psysical and mental state for work. The document explains stuff you won't be alowed to talk about or do, and the fines that would come along with such behaviour.

Development-
Development contracts are issued by game publishers to game developers, the contract explains the type of game the developer must create, what their budget and estimated release date is, and also alot of other rules to cover the backs of the game publishers just in case the developer comes back years later demanding the rights to his work r something of a similar caliber.

License-
If you hear music while shopping at a shopping centre its a safe bet to asume the company behind the business pays thousands (depends on song) a year for a licence permiting them to play the song, another example of licensing is when you hear music while on hold with company while on the phone. A licensing contract should specify exactly what the business is getting the right to use, where in the world they are allowed to use it, if they are alowed to use it for future projects and other specifications.

NDA-
The Non-Disclosure Agreement is a very simple contract, for a person to do business with another person they may need to disclose secret information, a NDA needs to be signed so the participants who learn of this confidential information don't go on to sell them for money. They're yet another way for companies to cover their back, some are pretty basic while others can go into detail to make sure no loop hole is found and abused.

Collaboration-
A collaboration agreement is an agreement that people in indie studios should consider signing as it keeps order of who needs to do what, how much they need to get payed and other questions that may arise and be taken to court just because nobody expected in-fighting. Most indie studios end up failing because of not signing a collaboration agreement, the struggle with documents and lawyers is worth being free from such a threat and leaves the indie studio organised and set on their jobs.

Credits-
Employment:
https://spark.adobe.com/page/9fF5C/
http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1577
https://www.gov.uk/employment-contracts-and-conditions/overview
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/work/rights-at-work/basic-rights-and-contracts/contracts-of-employment/

Development:
https://spark.adobe.com/page/9fF5C/
http://www.website-contracts.co.uk/software-development-contracts.html
http://www.out-law.com/page-418
http://www.sdclimited.co.uk/

License:
https://spark.adobe.com/page/9fF5C/
http://contracts.onecle.com/type/32.shtml
http://www.inc.com/encyclopedia/licensing-agreements.html
http://www.inbrief.co.uk/property-law/proprietary-licences/

NDA:
https://spark.adobe.com/page/9fF5C/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-disclosure_agreement
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/non-disclosure-agreements

Collaboration:
https://spark.adobe.com/page/9fF5C/
http://contracts.onecle.com/type/90.shtml
https://www.epsrc.ac.uk/funding/managing/collabagreements/
https://www.rocketlawyer.com/document/collaboration-agreement.rl#/

Task 3 - Financial, Industry and Market Trends.

{-Finance-}

Preorder Bonuses

The gaming industry relies on different way to finance itself, from selling stocks to licensing there are many financing trends. Some of these have been with the industry from the start of gaming. An example of a financial trend is preorder bonuses, they are special editions of games that come with extra content, memorabilia and/or exclusive character skins. They don't cost much to produce and they give eager fans a reward for preordering the game. 

A good example of a preorder bonus is the ones in Overwatch and Watch_Dogs, Overwatch offered an exclusive statue of Winston that has taken time and money to produce while Watch_Dogs offers the player exclusive items and clothing along with a brand new mission. These bonus items are specifically made to target the player's interest. If the player preordered Overwatch then there's a high chance they did so due to the characters and story, it makes sense that the bonus they get would be one of the characters from the game, on the other hand the type of person who preorders Watch_Dogs is probably interested in the hacking mechanic, the gameplay and the aesthetics so i'd make sense if the player gets extra content in the shape of a mission and extra apparel.

A bad example of a Preorder bonus is the Street Fighter IV Thumb Fighters. They were literally badly made, little cheap finger puppets, nothing else. Capcom seems to have covered up their existence pretty well but the original promotion trailer is still up. Not only is this unamusing and a vile marketing technique but it gives the idea of preorder bonuses a bad name. In this industry it's easy to see companies ruining franchises, ideas and trends just so it can make a quick buck, the worst part about this is that if more companies continue to do this then we might see the demise of preorder bonuses as they might get such a bad name that the sales of  game end up being affected negatively, this is one of the issues facing the gaming industry, game producers think that gamers are young children that can be cheated out of money with cheap toys. 

Credits-
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre-order#In_video_gaming
http://www.gottabemobile.com/2016/05/20/341840/
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-dogs-preorder-bonuses/1100-6417493/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ErWAt8MLpY

{-Industry-}
VR

Industry trends are trends that focus on bringing new waves of innovation and technology into the video game industry. One example of an industry trend is VR/Virtual Reality, this type of trend is one where the idea was been there for a long time, its just what technology has just caught up enough for that idea to be realised.

A good example of VR is the Samsung VR Headset make for their rage of android phones, the decision of having a VR headset on a smartphone is brilliant because almost everyone interested in new technology like the VR owns a smartphone meaning that lots of quick money can be made, along with a new market for VR games on the Android play store. The two competitors of the Samsung VR Headset are both held down by problems that lie in the foundation of their design and purpose, the PlayStation VR is limited to people who own both a PlayStation 4 and the VR games while the Oculus has the disadvantage of being way too expensive for the average non-gamer to want to spend any money on it, the Samsung VR Headset though has both these problems dealt with due to its fundamental design of being on a smartphone, having tons of indie and experimental developers putting free VR demos on the PlayStore and having the unit be affordable and easy to use.

A bad example of VR is the Nintendo Virtual Boy, one of the early attempts at VR. It was one of Nintendo's first commercial failures and its no surprise. It was released in 1995 and was quickly shunned for its cause of dizziness, eye strain and sickness in less than an hour of gameplay. The technology inside the unit was lacklustre as well, it was only able to output one colour, red. It's price tag was also absurd for the time, in today's USD it would have cost 265.63 Dollars! Considering all this it was no surprise that even the die-hard of fans steered far away from the Virtual Boy, it would have been silly to spend all this money when the Nintendo 64 was releasing just next year of 1996. And so the Virtual Boy failed to sell and had half its planned library cut in half due to the lack of interest leaving the console with a measly 20 games. This is another reason why financial planning is so important, if Nintendo took the time to think they would realise how much of a commercial failure the Virtual Boy would have been and they would have not wasted they money to develop it, especially with the Nintendo 64 so close to its release. 

Credits-

http://www.samsung.com/global/galaxy/gear-vr/

https://www.playstation.com/en-gb/explore/playstation-vr/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_reality

http://stats.areppim.com/calc/calc_usdlrxdeflator.php

https://www.oculus.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_Boy

http://nintendo.wikia.com/wiki/Virtual_Boy

{-Market-}
Motion Controls

Market trends are based on supply and demand, if the public shows interest in an idea then it's probably going to be a good move to invest money and create the supply needed for that demand. One example of a market trend is motion controls. By using Bluetooth and motion sensing technology you have a new way to control a video game that has never been done before.

A good example of market trends and motion controls is the Wii. When Nintendo announced the Wii they were smart and targeted it towards the general public, it was presented as a fun toy that the whole family can enjoy instead of a gaming console, due to this clever marketing the Wii sold over 100 million units and became Nintendo's best selling home console. Not only that but after it's release motion controls became a big hit, with PlayStation making their own version called 'The PlayStation Move' that seems very 'inspired' by the Wii.

A bad example of a market trend and motion controls is the Kinnect. To boost sales for the Xbox Microsoft decided to create something more evolutionary than the Wii so that more people purchase the Xbox, they thought that by removing the remote and by having the console track the player then they could beat Nintendo at their own game. The Kinnect was met with poor sales and lacklustre games as online reviewers complained about the unresponsive tracking and the boring games. The Kinnect had a big flaw in its financial planning and the marketing, while the Wii was targeted towards family fun, the Kinnect was advertised just like any other gaming console meaning that a gimmicky console was shown to hardcore gamers, obviously this did not turn out well as it was ignored.

Credits-
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_controller
http://kotaku.com/motion-controls-the-most-popular-and-most-broken-idea-1445766816
https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Wii/Wii-94559.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wii
http://www.xbox.com/en-GB/xbox-one/accessories/kinect-for-xbox-one
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinect
http://uk.businessinsider.com/why-microsoft-xbox-kinect-didnt-take-off-2015-9?r=US&IR=T
http://www.techradar.com/news/gaming/consoles/5-ways-xbox-one-kinect-failed-microsoft-and-stiffed-early-adopters-1248505

Task 2 - Job Roles

{-Creative Development-}

Creative Development is the section of developers that handles the look and sound of a game, they work together to make a game look visually appealing and immerse the player in the world. The people who work in the creative department are -

Game Designers -

Game designers are people who define how a game feels and the designs/ideas that go into it, they work together with the rest of the team to design a living, breathing world that a player can get lost in and play in. They are the bridge between all the people in the creative department, they take the work that artists, musicians and animators do and stitch it together to check if it all works and fits perfectly, they would then take the parts that don't work out as expected and work with their team to fix it.

An example of a great game designer is Shigeru Miyamoto, this legend is not only one of the most famous and influential people in gaming but his popularity is not undeserved, helping to bring platforming and adventure games into the mainstream audience after the video game crash of '83 when gaming was shunned and almost considered taboo. His brilliant and revolutionary ideas brought about consoles like the Wii and DS that sold countless units. (10 of the 22 best selling game consoles are Nintendo's)

Level Editors -

Level Editors (Also known as "Mappers") are people who work to design a land that a player can explore and play in. The things a mapper does in role playing/adventure games are: place items for the player to find, make sure the player cant glitch out of the map, present challenge in traversing the map (when needed), have interesting and engaging visuals, spread out content in such a way that larger pieces of content are placed far away from each other while using smaller pieces of content to fill in empty space in the map.

On the other hand a level editor working on a platforming game would do things as: create engaging and interesting levels, make challenging but fair level design, spread out and give power ups when needed, slowly rank up challenge as the game progresses, create hidden or hard to reach areas with power ups and lives that reward players for putting in hard work and other things.

A famous level designer is Richard "Levelord" Gray, he is famous for his work in 3D shooters like Duke Nukem 3D and SiN. Not only is he a great level designer with an impressive selection of skills but it is obvious from his work tat he loves his job, if he worked on a game it was a safe bet you'd find some Easter eggs and secrets for those interested in looking. He quit his job to establish his own company which was later brought out by MumboJumbo.

Lead Artists -

A lead artist work on and are responsible for the overall look of the game, they make the decisions on what art style would best fit the game and how the worlds and lands the player explores would feel and look. They act as the manager of all artistic parts of the game, they work together with artists and animators to build a living breathing world that stands out from other game's and is done with the team's budget and schedule.

Technical Artists -

Technical artists are the people that act as a bridge between the designers and the programmers, they work with both and learn the limitations and strengths of both sides and help relay this information so a game can look and play its best. They work closely with the game designers and lead artists to make sure no friction happens between the design department and the programming department.

Artists -

Game artists work together with the lead artist to create the visuals of a game, they don't have much control over the overall look and art style of the game but they work with and influence the lead artist when creating textures, models of characters and objects, scenery and more that come together to make the visuals of a game. In large studios a handful of artists work together so all the work doesn't fall on one person.

Animators -

Animators work with artists handling models to give objects and characters life and movement, they need to have the skills to make natural movements that look realistic and do not take the player out of the world, they also need to know how to use tools that can motion capture. They are responsible for giving movement to they entire world, from the sway of some grass to the run cycle of the main protagonist. They must not only handle animating character actions like attacking, running or jumping but they must also make transition animations that bridge the gap between the normal animations and create flow for the body parts.

Audio Engineers -

Audio engineers are responsible for working on the audio part of the game, this includes music, sound effects, voice acting and atmospheric sounds. An audio engineer has to have great knowledge of one or more of these topics while maintaining a basic understanding of the rest: composition of music, understanding of new sound related tools and software, have the ability to create saturated and lush audio that gives the game a sense of life, be able to use leitmotifs to your advantage and many other skills.

Credits -

Game Designers-
http://www.gamedesigning.org/career/famous-video-game-designers/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_design#Video_games
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_Entertainment_System
https://www.statista.com/statistics/268966/total-number-of-game-consoles-sold-worldwide-by-console-type/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shigeru_Miyamoto

Level Editors-
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platform_game
http://creativeskillset.org/job_roles/334_level_editor
http://www.deborahteramischristian.com/gaming/rpg-world-building-pieces1/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Gray_(game_designer)

Lead Artists-
http://creativeskillset.org/job_roles/332_lead_artist_games
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/131524/common_methodologies_for_lead_.php

Technical Artists-
http://creativeskillset.org/job_roles/339_technical_artist_games
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/130074/the_codeart_divide_how_technical_.php
http://careers.ea.com/technical-artist

Artists-
http://creativeskillset.org/job_roles/330_games_artist
http://www.game-artist.net/forums/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_artist

Animators-
http://creativeskillset.org/job_roles/325_animator_games
http://blog.digitaltutors.com/how-animation-for-games-is-different-from-animation-for-movies/
http://blog.digitaltutors.com/80s-now-evolution-animation-video-games/
http://www.cgmeetup.net/home/how-to-animate-for-video-games/

Audio Engineers-
http://creativeskillset.org/job_roles/327_audio_engineer
http://www.gameindustrycareerguide.com/video-game-audio-engineer/
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Leitmotif/VideoGames

{-Technical Development-}

Technical Development is the section of developers that handles the gameplay and features of a game, they work together to make the gameplay fun and immerse the player in the action. The people who work in the technical department are -

Game Programmers -

A game programmer is a person who uses a computer and its software to create/program a video game, these games can be as simple as pong or as complex as an entire living breathing world, the game developer handles the coding of the game by using programming languages and different tools  to code features and gameplay for the game. The skills needed to be a game programmer are: know several programming languages, be organised and strategic, have great communication skills, knowledge of efficiency and other skills related to mathematics and problem solving.

A famous game programmer is Sid Meier, his most popular game series is his "Civilization" games, a micro managing game that focuses on the real world and the different ways history could have played out. He stared out making games on his own and slowly acquired a team as his popularity grew, when more game programmers were introduced to his team he upgraded to lead game programmer. Now with the 6th Civilization game coming out this October his fame doesn't seem like it'll fade for many years.

Lead Game Programmers -

The lead game programmer works with the other programmers to make sure that everything is going according to schedule and that nobody's coding is lagging behind. (both physically and metaphorically) The lead game programmer must have excellent knowledge of many different coding languages and incredible skill at problem solving, the leader must also be approachable and helpful towards the other game programmers. As the lead of the programming department they would need to have an excellent set of verbal and communicatory skills that help when needing to present their ideas to their department and that of the designers. The lives of lead programmers is tough, they get put through lots of pressure and stress, if they don't have the skills to remain calm and work efficiently under stress then they might not make enough of a profit to counteract the investments put into the project in the first place.

Credits -

Game Programmers-
http://creativeskillset.org/job_roles/336_game_programmer
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_programmer
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_programming
http://www.wikihow.com/Become-a-Video-Game-Programmer
http://steamcommunity.com/games/289070/announcements/detail/892100538370620761
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sid_Meier

Lead Game Programmers-
http://creativeskillset.org/job_roles/333_lead_programmer_games
http://www.projectpixelpress.com/work-with-us-lead-game-developer/
http://www.pixeltoys.com/senior-lead-game-programmer/

{-Project Implementation-}

Project implementation is the stage of game creation where ideas and plans get to be realized. The planning and sketches are going to be turned into actual gameplay and visuals, this stage requires planning of release dates, budgets and teams. The people responsible for working on these decisions are -

Project Managers/Producers -

the project manager is the individual in general charge of the arranging and execution of a specific task, in this case a video game. Their main responsibility is making sure a game gets released on time and within budget. To do this they have to constantly check on the development team and make sure everyone on the team  has no problems that may lead to less work being done. They need to have may skills like: having good knowledge of the gaming industry, knowledge on relevant health and safety regulations, passion for micromanaging and problem solving, management skills on schedules, budgets, requirements, meetings and many other things.

A famous project manager is Steve McConnell, starting off as a software engineer, his work earned himself enough fame and money to put together a team of software engineers, start writing books on coding and teaching classes. With a master's degree in software engineering from Seattle University and a Bachelor's degree from Whitman College his work earns him quite the small fortune.

Assistant Producers -

Assistant Producers tend to have the same core skills and understanding as the lead manager but tend to not be as  experienced, their job is the help and accompany the lead project manager, they are there to take some of the burden that falls onto the project manager and help them do their job. A person working as an assistant is normally doing it for work experience and is trying to get a job as a project manager. Their requirements are very similar to the ones of a project manager, they just lack the experience.

External Producers -

An external producer (also known as an executive producer) is a producer normally supplied by the publishing company that has invested money into the game, their job is to make sure the developers are doing work and not putting money to waste, they are identical to a project manager but they work externally from the team and watch progress from afar.

Creative Directors -

Creative Directors are people who handle the same problems and difficulties as normal project managers but they work mainly with the creative department and the people responsible for advertisements and trailers. They also work together with the lead artist to design the overall look of the game and its art style. They need to be there for artists when they fell uncreative, they must understand artistry and have great knowledge in digital art and the software used to create it.

Credits -

Project Manager/Producers-
http://creativeskillset.org/job_roles/337_project_manager_producer_games
http://jobs.gamasutra.com/job/project-manager-producer-games-san-francisco-california-27553
http://www.creativeheads.net/job/12961/video-game-project-manager-producer-in-toronto
http://www.stevemcconnell.com/bio.htm

Assistant Producers-
http://creativeskillset.org/job_roles/326_assistant_producer_games
https://app.hiive.co.uk/job-roles/games/production/assistant-producer-games/
http://www.creativeheads.net/job/17313/assistant-producer-temp-in-chicago

External Producers -
http://creativeskillset.org/job_roles/329_external_producer
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_producer#Video_games
http://www.media-match.com/usa/media/jobtypes/executive-producer-jobs-405700.php

Creative Directors -
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_director
http://creativeskillset.org/job_roles/328_creative_director_games
http://creativeskillset.org/job_roles/4272_creative_director
http://www.creativebloq.com/career/how-become-creative-director-11121363

{-Quality Assurance-}

Quality Assurance (QA for short) is the stage of game design where the beta work done by the developers and artists is given to a team of testers to check for faults and errors. Without the QA games would end up released with many more glitches and oversights.

QA Testers -

A QA Tester's job is to spent time playing through a game and looking for any errors that have been missed by the developers, they also need to suggest ways to fix them. They must have great knowledge of many game genres along with understanding what makes them fun. To be a QA tester you need to have sertain skills, these being: a close attention to detail, have great patience, be persistent, be able to play for hours, have a great interest and respect for video games and other simmilar skills.

Credits -

QA Testers-
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quality_assurance
http://www.qaa.ac.uk/en
http://searchsoftwarequality.techtarget.com/definition/quality-assurance
http://creativeskillset.org/job_roles/338_qa_tester
https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/lt12r/ive_been_video_game_quality_assurance_for_ten/
https://www.activision.com/careers/teams-and-roles/quality-assurance

{-Business Development-}

Business Development helps to raise the value of a company by investing in long term relationships with customers, markets and other businesses. Without Business Development a company would fade into obscurity. By building relationships the company gets more fans, better deals with publishers and also more opportunities to work with famous game developers to earn more money.

Public Relation Managers -

A public relation manager is responsible for the communications between the public and the game developers, they work to bring the public information that gets them interested, they are the people who hold events and decide what things need to be hidden or shown to the people. This job requires skills like: bachelor's degree in marketing and communication, knowledge o several common languages, great knowledge and understanding of the company you are going to work for.

A famous public relation worker is Guto Harri, he was appointed communications director to the mayor of London in 2008. After working with to bring information to the public he quit his job on 2012 because of the re-election of Johnson as mayor. Born on 1966, he begun his studies at Tonyrefail and Bryntaf schools, he went to the Ysgol Gyfun Llanhari and the Queen's College in Oxford where he studied Politics, philosophy and economics which he used to earn his job as a broadcaster and then later on a Communications Director.

Product Managers -

A product manager should be there to aid in the implementation of marketing campaigns that can help raise the sales of games and maximize the profit. To get this job the most important part you'll need is experience along with a stiff and calculative personality. The skills needed for this job are: having strong nerves, being able to work great under stress, great knowledge of marketing and the economy, great communication skills.

Marketing Executives -

Marketing executives take care of the market research, promotions and advertisements by working with marketing managers, they analyse data to help in advertisements and also work on growing the popularity of a game or company. They require skills like: Great understanding of audiences, an orderly mind and the power to quickly and efficiently relay information.

Marketing Managers -

Marketing managers like assistants to the marketing executive, they do the same work as the executive but their rank is lower meaning they get told what work to prioritize. The skills they need to work this job are identical to the executive's, the only thing stopping them from getting a job as one is experience, again like an assistant.

Credits -

Public Relation Managers-
http://www.truity.com/career-profile/public-relations-manager
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/jobs/by-category/public-relations
http://www.riotgames.com/careers/94099
http://www.indeed.com/q-Game-PR-jobs.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guto_Harri

Product Managers-
http://www.aha.io/roadmapping/guide/product-management/what-is-the-role-of-a-product-manager
http://www.mindtheproduct.com/2011/10/what-exactly-is-a-product-manager/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Product_manager
http://creativeskillset.org/job_roles/335_product_manager

Marketing Executives-
http://jobview.monster.co.uk/v2/job/View?JobID=172436259&WT.mc_n=olm_sk_feed_indeed_UK
http://www.totaljobs.com/job/affiliate-executive/red-recruitment-job66735299?entryUrl=%2Fjobs%2Fmarketing-executive%2366735299
https://targetjobs.co.uk/careers-advice/job-descriptions/276073-marketing-executive-job-description

Marketing Managers-
https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/advice/planning/jobprofiles/Pages/Marketingmanager.aspx
http://www.indeed.co.uk/viewjob?jk=6835b52adb340b79&q=Gaming+Marketing+Manager&tk=1atqqslor9u5f8mu&from=web
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/jobs/datascope/uk-and-europe/senior-marketing-manager-paris-amazing-role-id87560