Mention “Ultimo” and “video games” together and your first thoughts go immediately to Team Bondi, the now-defunct developer behind 2011’s LA Noire. But that’s the past. In the present, we’re associating them with the ABC and the game designer role it’s looking to fill. The ABC? Making games? Interesting indeed.
Yesterday, a job advert for a game designer was posted on Tsumea, its source the commercial arm of the Australian Broadcasting Company. Here’s the intro:
ABC Commercial is building an exciting new online games platform and we’re looking for an enthusiastic and skilled Games Designer to join our team. Based in the ABC’s Ultimo offices, you’ll be working with the rest of the project team to envision, scope, script, test, and deliver brain-training games for a compelling service addressing cognition.
The position description asks for an “already-established designer”, but it also mentions that it would be a “great opportunity” for a “recently graduated Games student”. Entry-level game designer positions are (very) far and few between, especially in post-2007 Australia — this is about as close as you’re going to get to “no experience required”.
The ad mentions the work would involving making games for a “major new ABC initiative”, flagged with a 2013 release and clearly related to exercising one’s mental muscles. The job itself is a five-month contract, so the project could see the light of day sometime around June-August.
My take? If I was a freshly-minted games design student, I wouldn’t be particularly picky about what I was working on, as long as I was getting excellent experience and the correct remuneration. If this sounds like you and you live in Sydney (or are prepared to move), you might want to sort out a resume.
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