Friday, 28 September 2012

Drag and drop game review 1: Terrorats


 

 

This game is an app for the iPhone and android.

It is a very colourful game with a bright cartoon style to it.


Gameplay:

This game plays like a sorting game that’s sometimes featured as a mini game ir many versions of the standard one. Basically you sort out rats into different police cars. You drag the red rats into the red police car and the blue rats into the blue police car. However you have to be fast, otherwise the rat will blow itself up if left for too long, which is indicated when they have an exclamation mark above their heads.

The rats will start out on the screen as grey. As the rats turn blue or red you have to quickly drag them to the police car that’s the same colour as them.



screenshot of Terrorats 2

 

As you put rats in a police car it will quickly become full. You can empty it at any time. The fatter rats will take up more room than the smaller ones so you have to choose yourself when the best time to empty it is. The police car is emptied by dragging it off the side of the screen. The more rats inside the police car, the more points will be earned. Additional combo bonus points can be earned by dragging multiple rats to the same police car.

 

Power ups

It is possible to obtain and use power ups as they appear on the screen. There are multiple power ups with their own effect that help benefit the gameplay.

Ø  Slow Motion: makes the rats move slower to make it easier to catch them.

Ø  Extra Seats: extends the amount of room available in the police car to 8 rats per car

Ø  Disarm: converts any terrorat on the screen into a friendly grey rat.

Ø  Starvation: forces the terrorats to decrease in size through starving them so that you can fit more of them into a police car.

However this game features power downs. This are dished out every so often if you have a high score to pace the game out to not make it too easy.

Power Downs:

Ø  Steroids: rats on steroids, move faster and have a quicker destination timer.

Ø  Infiltration: any power up at the time will be taken away, no matter how many of them you have.

Ø  Riot: rats will arm themselves and unite against you.

Ø  Cheese: rats will eat this in order to become larger. Doing so will mean you can’t fit as many into the police cars.

Ø  Confusion: makes it harder to put the rats I the police car of their colour.

 
Summary

I feel that this games focus on power ups make it allot more fun than if the game didn’t have the power ups in it. You also have to keep an eye on the rat’s randomly changing colour to protect against potential explosions. I also like the way the game trains your eye coordination and finger reflexes, which are used to discard power downs from the screen, which adds intensity to it.

Wednesday, 26 September 2012

Task 1: Identify and analyse current employment opportunities part 2

job 1: Middle weight digital flash designer/developer

Middle weight digital flash designer/developer
Company: Purple
Location: Central London
Contract Type: temp to perm
Rate: £250 to £300 per day
Duration: N/A
Start Date: ASAP
Posted on: 17 September 2012
Closing date : 24 September 2012

Description:
This varied agency works with some outstanding clients within the UK and prides itself on being Innovative. Clients of this diverse digital agency include automotive and cosmetic giants. This innovative agency is also based in central London and the middle weight digital flash designer/developer will be part of a large design team. The middle weight digital flash designer/developer will be expected to create banners, mpu's, and rich media and flash design. This will be working on a cosmetic project and could be a regular contract.
Furthermore the middle weight digital flash designer will be required to work to a brief In the first instance and this role Is for two weeks.
The middle weight digital flash designer/developer will have vast experience of designing banners, mpu's, rich media and flash design. It is also vital that the middle weight digital flash designer/developer has an online portfolio filled with agency or retail experience and has 3 years’ experience.
Don't miss out! Apply now with your CV and FOLIO for this Freelance digital flash designer/developer role.
Please note due to exceptional high levels of response we are only able to get back to those applicants who have been successful.


Comments:

  1. Do you think this job is entry / mid or high level within the industry? This job in particular is a mid-range job in terms of skill.
  2. Is this the kind of job you could see yourself applying for at some stage in your career? This is the kind of job that I would defiantly apply to do as I like designing.
  3. What do you think of the pay and conditions? I think that the payment conditions for this job are good for the job of its type.
  4. What additional resources do you think you might need to perform this role effectively? To perform this role effectively I will have to learn flash AS 3, and also practise more in both Photoshop and Illustrator. I would also need experience creating advertisement banners in flash along with at least 3 years of agency/retail experience.
  5. Are there any special legal / H & S considerations? None specified
  6. Are there any opportunities for CPD, and if not, how could you develop professionally? There are technically opportunities for CPD as if the project designed as part of the job is good enough, then you can get offered a full time place there, which could potentially add more experience with creating flash banners and such.

Job 2: Flash Developer: Action Script, AS2, AS3, Double click, Banners
Company: Creative Recruitment
Location: Central London
Contract:
Perm
Rate: £25,000 to £35,000 p/a
Duration: N/a
Start Date: ASAP
Closing Date:29 September 2012
 
Flash Developer (Action Script, AS2, AS3, Double Click, Banners, Emails, Mobile, Apps)
DG4969

A Flash Developer is urgently required by a leading creative Agency to join the digital team to work together to create exceptional solutions for clients.

You will need to be a confident Developer with strong Action Script skills and a portfolio of commercial samples that showcase your creations, e.g. Websites or Banners, Emails, Mobile, Apps etc.

This is a fantastic opportunity for a talented Web Designer to join a highly successful agency that has continued to expand and develop; this position has arisen due to their growth.
Core Skills required:-
Flash, AS2, AS3
Double Click
Desirable skills/exposure:-
- Coding emails for mobile
- Coding sites for mobile
- Mobile app builds
- Responsive web design
- Wordpress, Drupal or other open source CMS
- Exposure to Social APIs (e.g. Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter campaigns)

Applications should include a portfolio of samples ideally with examples of flash banner ads, emails and websites.
Comments:
  1. Do you think this job is entry / mid or high level within the industry? I think that this job is a higher level one as you need to have strong Action Script skills
  2. Is this the kind of job you could see yourself applying for at some stage in your career? No as I’m not interested in web development as a career choice.
  3. What do you think of the pay and conditions? Although I wouldn’t apply for the job i do really like the payment conditions for this job.
  4. What additional resources do you think you might need to perform this role effectively? in order to effectively perform this role I would need skills in:
- Coding emails for mobile
- Coding sites for mobile
- Mobile app builds
- Responsive web design
- Wordpress, Drupal or other open source CMS
- Exposure to Social APIs (e.g. Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter campaigns)


Job 3: Flash Designers / Developers
Company: Become
Location: Central London
Contract:
Temp
Rate: Excellent (
Duration: N/A
Start Date: ASAP
Closing Date: 12th October 2012
Specialist Entertainment agency seeking both Flash designers and developers.
You must have experience designing and constructing games, microsites and working across online campaigns.
A passion and appetite for films would be advantageous
Comments:
  1. Do you think this job is entry / mid or high level within the industry? Most likely an entry level level job
  2. Is this the kind of job you could see yourself applying for at some stage in your career? There is too little information given about the job tp even bother applying for it .
  3. What do you think of the pay and conditions? The payment information is limited and the term ‘excellent’ could mean anything.
  4. What additional resources do you think you might need to perform this role effectively? experience in flash game development
  5. Are there any special legal / H & S considerations? None specified
  6. Are there any opportunities for CPD, and if not, how could you develop professionally? No as it is only a once off temporary job. However i could be able to develop proffesionally anyway as I could get experience form working on a project







Job 4: digital designer who can code for feast
Company: Feast Creative Ltd.
Location: Central London
Contract:
Perm
Rate: DOE
Duration: N/A
Start Date: ASAP
Closing Date: 4th October 2012
Feast Creative is a London based agency specialising in graphic & web design for theatre and the arts. We are looking for a talented designer with a great understanding of design, layout and typography for websites and digital projects.We are currently seeking a full time Digital Designer (we will also consider freelancers, but no agencies please).
Duties will include (but are not limited to):
  • Website design & creation
  • Assisting on creative ideas and concepts
  • Creation of online ads and email campaigns
  • Implementation of HTML/CSS to visualise designs
  • General assistance to the digital dept.
The successful applicant must have/be:
  • Strong design skills including typographic and layout skills
  • A sound working knowledge of Photoshop, Dreamweaver, HTML5/CSS3
  • Thorough with excellent attention to detail
  • A confident communicator
  • Capable of working calmly under pressure and on your own initiative, ensuring deadlines are met
  • A sociable team player

Not required but desirable:
  • Experience building websites for dynamic/content managed sites
  • PHP / MySQL knowledge
  • An understanding of JavaScript / JQuery
  • Flash (Action Script, 2 & 3)
  • Design for iOS/Android
At least one year’s experience in a similar role is essential and an interest in the Theatre and the Arts is desirable. The salary will be according to experience. Please include a full CV with covering letter stating current salary and links to examples of recent work. Please provide details of two referees (they will not be contacted until a firm job offer has been made).
Comments:
  1. Do you think this job is entry / mid or high level within the industry? this job dosent make it too obvious whether it’s a high-end or a low-end job. It’s hard to tell because its states the pay rate as DOE (depending on Experience) as the pay rate is an easy way to tell when a job is either high or low end.
  2. Is this the kind of job you could see yourself applying for at some stage in your career? I would go for this kind of job, however it wold depend on the location.
  3. What do you think of the pay and conditions? The pay rate of this job depends on the experience before you actually start.
  4. What additional resources do you think you might need to perform this role effectively? in order to fulfil this role effectively I would need un understanding of JavaScript, PHP and MySQL, more experience in app creation for iphone and android, and Action Script 2&3
  5. Are there any special legal / H & S considerations?
  6. Are there any opportunities for CPD, and if not, how could you develop professionally? For this job, I would be able to develop professionally by remaining within the company for a time and work my nway up through it.

Job 5: Flash developer
Company: Blue Skies Marketing Recruitment
Location: Warwickshire
Contract:
perm
Rate: £22,000 to 28,000 p/a
Duration: n/a
Start Date: 22nd August 2012
Closing Date: 19th September 2012
Flash/Actionscript Developer, Agency, Leamington Spa, £25,000

My client, a fresh and exciting agency is for a full time kick ass Flash Developer to join their elite team. The ideal candidate will have a love of web technologies, a keen eye on current trends and a passion for best coding practices. You will be working on some of the most exciting releases that the computer games industry has to offer and will be involved in projects from the initial idea generation stage right through to coding, testing and deployment. The ideal candidate will have some commercial experience, examples of sites they have worked on and will be able to demonstrate their basic web development skills. A keen interest in computer games is desirable but not essential.

To be considered for this role you must have:

• Excellent communication skills.
• A high level of attention to detail a must.
• You must be flexible, highly motivated and approachable.
• Ability to work under pressure and to tight deadlines.
• Superior knowledge of current web development trends and techniques.
• Excellent ActionScript, 3 and 2 skills.
• A high understanding of OOP.
• Experience of third party ActionScript frameworks and libraries.

It would also be desirable if you have the experience of the following:

• Knowledge of related skills, XHTML, HTML5, Unity, Objective C.
• Experience of MVC patterns and frameworks.
• Experience with third party API and SDKs, Facebook, Twitter, Apple Developer.
• Server Administration.
• Version control software Git, SVN etc.
• Practical Photoshop and other Adobe Creative Suite programmes experience.
• Experience of working with ad serving platforms including Mediamind, Doubleclick and Flash
• Experience in a similar role, either agency or client side.
• Server side languages PHP, ASP, .NET.
• Database and web server administration skills, MYSQL, Apache.

If you feel you have what it takes to make a real difference and push boundaries with the work you produce, please send me your CV ASAP.

Flash/Actionscript Developer, Agency, Leamington Spa, £25,000

Comments:
For the job descriptions that are listed so far this is one of the better job descriptions on the website. There is a huge amount of information given about this job, separated into lots of sections. This include a ‘must have skills/quality’s section, along with a ‘not essential, but desirable section which lists other skills that arent a must but still helpful to the job. the description also has an slightly informal, but still professional feel to it
  1. Do you think this job is entry / mid or high level within the industry? I think this job is mid-range.
  2. Is this the kind of job you could see yourself applying for at some stage in your career? Yes, I would defiantly apply to do this type of job.
  3. What do you think of the pay and conditions? The conditions for the job seem very friendly, according to the job description and I also really like the pa
  4. What additional resources do you think you might need to perform this role effectively? For this job role in particular, there are plenty of skills and resources that I would need in order to fulfil this job role. Skills I need include various coding languages, such as HTML5 , various software such as the Adobe suite, and like most of them, experience with Action Script 2 and 3.
  5. Are there any special legal / H & S considerations? None specifiedAre there any 6. opportunities for CPD, and if not, how could you develop professionally? There are plenty of opportunities to develop professionally in this job role.

Job 6: Flash Designer/Developer – Global campaigns

Company: Nakama
Location: Central London
Contract:
perm
Rate: £25,000 to 28,000 p/a
Duration: n/a
Start Date: 15/09/2012
Closing Date: 29 September 2012
We are currently working on behalf of a leading London agency to find a talented Flash Designer/Developer to join their team. You will be helping to craft rich media campaigns for a range of global clients.
Ideally you will bring both creative and technical skills to the table, and be able to take a campaign from story boards to production.
REQUIREMENTS:
Fluency in Adobe Creative Suites
Proven design experience and a strong online portfolio
A particular interest in Flash, with strong animation skills
Intermediate to strong skills in Actionscript 2 and 3
Ideally you will be familiar with ad servers including Mediamind, Doubleclick and Flash Talking
Strong communication skills
This is a great opportunity for someone; please apply with CV and work examples via the button below.
Comments
  1. Do you think this job is entry / mid or high level within the industry? this job seems to be mid-level in the industry
  2. Is this the kind of job you could see yourself applying for at some stage in your career? Probably not as this job role is more within advertising rather than games or even web design
  3. What do you think of the pay and conditions? i like the payment conditions for this job
  4. What additional resources do you think you might need to perform this role effectively? similar to the skills mention in the above job descriptions, mainly in flash Action script 2 and 3.
  5. Are there any special legal / H & S considerations? None specified.
  6. Are there any opportunities for CPD, and if not, how could you develop professionally? As it’s a permanent job position, there would be plenty of opportunities acquire relevant skills.

Job 7: Web Developer (Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash)

Company: Instinct Resoursing LTD
Location: Cheshire
Contract:
Temp
Rate: £15 to 20 /h
Duration: N/a
Start Date: ASAP
Closing Date:18th September 2012 (Date expired)
Web Designer (Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash) // Cheshire // Short term contract £20 p/h (possible extension)
Cheshire based organisation require a Web Designer (Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash) for an initial 4 week contract.
Instincts client are at the forefront of their market, providing travel solutions worldwide
The Web Designer (Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash) will be required to design email campaigns, Flash banners etc
The core requirements for the Web Designer (Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash) to possess:
// Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash
Any experience with CSS and HTML would be highly desirable
(Job removed from website, creativepool.co.uk, as the time for the position has expired.)
Comments
  1. Do you think this job is entry / mid or high level within the industry? I think that this job is probably mid-level, as the company would want a flash developer with competent and adaptable abilities.
  2. Is this the kind of job you could see yourself applying for at some stage in your career? I would do for this job as although its only a temporary position, there is also a possible extension for this one
  3. What do you think of the pay and conditions? the payment conditions for this job is excellent for its type.
  4. What additional resources do you think you might need to perform this role effectively? more experience in the rellevent programs would be usefull for this job and others like it.
  5. Are there any special legal / H & S considerations? None Specified
  6. Are there any opportunities for CPD, and if not, how could you develop professionally? There are opportunities for CPD in this one as you can get experience with making different kinds of websites such as business, travel, etc.










Job 8: Flash Designer/Developer - Global Campaigns
Company: Nakama
Location: Central London
Contract:
Perm
Rate: £25,000 to 28,000 p/a
Duration: n/a
Start Date: 15th September 2012
Closing Date: 29 September 2012
We are currently working on behalf of a leading London agency to find a talented Flash Designer/Developer to join their team. You will be helping to craft rich media campaigns for a range of global clients.
Ideally you will bring both creative and technical skills to the table, and be able to take a campaign from story boards to production.
REQUIREMENTS:
Fluency in Adobe Creative Suites
Proven design experience and a strong online portfolio
A particular interest in Flash, with strong animation skills
Intermediate to strong skills in Actionscript 2 and 3
Ideally you will be familiar with ad servers including Mediamind, Doubleclick and Flash Talking
Strong communication skills
This is a great opportunity for someone; please apply with CV and work examples via the button below.








Comments:
  1. Do you think this job is entry / mid or high level within the industry? this job is at around mid level, based on the payment per year.
  2. Is this the kind of job you could see yourself applying for at some stage in your career? Not really as im not particually interested in creating adverts as a career path
  3. What do you think of the pay and conditions? average for the job of its kind
  4. What additional resources do you think you might need to perform this role effectively? leaning Action script 3 and becoming mor comfortable with other software would be helpful fot this job role.
  5. Are there any special legal / H & S considerations? None spesified
  6. Are there any opportunities for CPD, and if not, how could you develop professionally? Making different aplications using the same platform such as flash.





Job 9:
Company: Bazaar voice
Location: Central London
Contract:
Perm
Rate: £30,000 to £40,000 p/a
Duration: n/a
Start Date: ASAP
Closing Date: 4th October 2012
About Bazaarvoice:
Bazaarvoice is a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) company that enables consumers to engage with retailers and manufacturers by posting reviews, asking / answering questions, and sharing their stories. Our software is integrated into 1000+ of the biggest brand sites on the web, including Argos, P&G, Boots, Panasonic, and many more. We have millions of reviews in our databases, and power over 10 billion page views per month. We're only 7 years old, and have been growing rapidly in employees, clients and new product opportunities. With our HQ in Austin and growing offices in New York, San Francisco, London, Munich, Paris and Sydney we are truly a global company with huge aspirations.
The culture of our company is very important to us and our core values that underpin this are:
Passion:
We excite with possibilities. We celebrate success. We love what we do.
Performance:
We act with purpose. We are decisive. We exceed expectations.
Innovation:
We believe there is power in change. We have the courage to act. We lead.
Openness:
We listen. We seek the truth. We act with authenticity.
Respect:
We are a company of equals. We value difference. We are people first, roles second. Teamwork:
We play to one another’s strengths. We trust each other. We are stronger and smarter together.
Generosity:
We share. We give without expectations. We are connected to our community.
Who We Want:
We are looking for a creative and clever full-time UI Designer who is comfortable designing for the most well-known brands in the world. The UI Designer will be responsible for designing how our products are integrated into our client’s sites, providing the end-user with the best possible experience on their purchase journey. Applicants must have strong front-end skills, be able to do brilliant things with CSS, be a bit technical, and be confident to speak to "business minds" to sell designs to clients.
A Day in the Life of a UI Designer:
Styling and coding user-generated interfaces from flexible HTML templates to match the brand guidelines of an online retailer. Liaising with other UI Designers in the US, UK, and Australia to discuss UI and UX best practices for our products. Presenting and speaking intelligently about interface design to top agencies and in-house design teams. Conducting design reviews of another designer’s work, keeping up-to-date and participating in discussions of what’s new in the Design field.
Requirements
  • Good visual design ability with a focus on user-centred design
  • Proven experience working directly with high-touch brands
  • Organizational skills and ability to balance multiple projects at once
  • Ability to produce flawless work in a fast-paced environment
  • Desire to create innovative designs and interactions
  • A passion for good user experience
  • Expert knowledge of CSS, HTML and cross browser support
  • Expert user of Adobe Creative Suite
Responsibilities
  • Work with a cross-functional team to create product implementations for new and existing clients
  • Interact directly with clients through design calls and presentations
  • Create innovative designs that have the potential to establish new best practices
  • Produce implementation mock-ups for the Sales team
  • Give and receive peer level design reviews
  • Envision and execute practical and aesthetically pleasing user experiences to boost conversion on top ecommerce sites
  • Communicate design rationale to clients and across different functions of the business
Bazaarvoice, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Bazaarvoice does not discriminate against any applicant for employment because of age, gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, veteran status, or disability.
Comments:
  1. Do you think this job is entry / mid or high level within the industry? this job is a high end job, based on the annual salery
  2. Is this the kind of job you could see yourself applying for at some stage in your career? Yes if I had the training in making user interfaces.
  3. What do you think of the pay and conditions? very good as any job which involves games design and 3D modelling usually pay really well.
  4. What additional resources do you think you might need to perform this role effectively? Experience once again in Adobe creative suite, CSS, HTML ect, would defiantly be useful.
  5. Are there any special legal / H & S considerations? None specified
  6. Are there any opportunities for CPD, and if not, how could you develop professionally? As this job is different to other job descriptions listed above, it is defiantly possible for CPD as experience in more than one field is defiantly always useful


Job 10: Flash Designer
Company: Premier Digital
Location: Central London
Contract: Perm
Rate: £30,000 to 40,000 p/a
Duration: n/a
Start Date: ASAP
Closing Date: 27th September 2012
Two experienced Flash Designers wanted to join the design team of a Digital Advertising and Marketing agency on a permenant basis. This Digital Agency works with a multitude of globally recognised brands such as Samsung, Cadbury, John Lewis and Burberry. A Proven track record in Flash Design, more specifically, Flash Banners and microsites is a must. Agency experience is extremely desirable whilst an aesthetically pleasing portfolio showing strong design skills in the commerical arena is a must.
A creative, vibrant and enthusiastic individual is needed for £35,000 per annum.
IF INTERESTED PLEASE SEND YOUR MOST UP TO DATE PORTFOLIO & CV TO



Comments:
  1. Do you think this job is entry / mid or high level within the industry? this is a mid level to high level job in the industry.
  2. Is this the kind of job you could see yourself applying for at some stage in your career? I wouldn’t apply for this job in particular.
  3. What do you think of the pay and conditions? this job has an excellent annual salary.
  4. What additional resources do you think you might need to perform this role effectively? having releven skills in flash AS 3 abd adobe softeware
  5. Are there any special legal / H & S considerations? None specified.
  1. Are there any opportunities for CPD, and if not, how could you develop professionally? As it’s a permanent job position, there would be plenty of opportunities acquire relevant skills.