Tag Archives: Game Developer

Ammobox : How Malaysia Can Take Game Dev Further!

Jeremy Choo, founder and CEO of Ammobox, shares how far Malaysia has progressed in game development, and how it can take the serious business of making great games to the next level!

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About Jeremy Choo From Ammobox Studios

Jeremy Choo is not only the founder and CEO of Ammobox, he is one of Malaysia’s top game developers and a former lecturer on game development.

Established in 2008, Ammobox Studios is an independent game development studio based in Malaysia. Ammobox is responsible for developing the genre-breaking FPS/RTS hybrid game called EXIMIUS: Seize the Frontline.

With years of experience both in developing games, and cultivating new game developers, Jeremy Choo certainly knows what it would take for Malaysia to become a world-class nexus for game development.

In the following article, Jeremy will tell us how Malaysia’s game development has levelled up, and how we can take it further!

Recommended : Latest List of FREE Steam Games + DLCs!

 

Ammobox : How Malaysia Can Take Game Dev Further!

We’ve all been there — the game nights with friends where we gather around the TV, wrestle over a game, and inevitably choose the evergreen classics that everyone used to play. The starter Pokemon of our gaming experiences, you could say.

There is something inherently nostalgic about the early days of gaming, back when things were very much simpler. Graphics quality, gameplay experience, even options for customisation; very few of us could even imagine we would’ve made such leaps and bounds in the couple of decades since the founding days of pixelated console gaming.

In conversations about the growth of the gaming industry at large, it’s all too easy for us to slip into discussions about the software, the devices, the technology that makes it at all possible for people to now even carry immersive, imaginary worlds in their pockets. But I’ve always believed that while technology will always be the medium that brings games to the masses, tech doesn’t power itself.

The indispensable beating heart of the gaming industry is the right talent to understand, complement, and drive the rapidly advancing technology that exists.

This is arguably one of the main reasons why the Malaysian game development scene was slow to boot up — and not for any scarcity of talent, but rather a lack of general support and understanding for working in gaming as professionals.

When I first founded Ammobox, the core challenge I faced wasn’t navigating the tech requirements, but rather hiring the right artists, engineers, and programmers to make use of that very technology. The homegrown gaming scene at the time was largely comprised of outsourced stragglers and all-purpose studios that did not necessarily specialise in games. This made developing local IPs (shorthand for intellectual property, or the entire premise and ownership rights to a game’s content) especially challenging.

Funding was a whole other nemesis in itself. Most fledgling game developers wound up having to bootstrap their projects, which meant working on a project long-term with expected delays and keeping afloat on the bare minimum of time, resources, and abilities. It wasn’t uncommon for full working versions of games to be released an entire decade after its IP was developed!

Perception fed into this problem, and the difficulty in creating Malaysian IPs has led to a vicious cycle that dogs the industry to this day. By ‘perception’, I don’t necessarily mean the snide “so you play video games for work?” comments — it’s also the impression that because Malaysia didn’t have as many IPs to its name as some of our neighbouring countries, investors were hesitant to fund an industry that might not turn out to be lucrative.

Today, the gaming market is projected to reach US$200 billion in value by 2028, and Malaysia is in a great position to benefit from this rich landscape of possibilities if we can rise to the occasion.

Gaming studios and developers are now more commonplace here. Larger talent pools have also mushroomed across the country as more young Malaysians turn to making their hobby their professional craft, and especially as local universities have begun opening up game development courses.

Our current challenge has thus evolved: it has gone beyond identifying and developing that talent, to now ensuring that we keep that talent here at home.

To do that, stakeholders both from within the gaming industry and outside in its many interconnected fields need to join forces, to help Malaysia’s game development scene catch up to where it really should and can be. Digital infrastructure like Internet speeds and geographical connectivity need to reach the heights of our regional peers (making for lower ping in games and an overall smoother experience for consumers).

As for funding campaigns, which have been made easier due to the work of organisations like the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), investments are more likely to be made if the industry itself demonstrates that it is equipped for and capable of success. It is inherently a cycle: we have to first grow the industry and our IPs in order to grow our talents. We need to become those greener pastures that game development talents are seeking.

More employment opportunities, more participation in a globally competitive industry, more potential international investments and projects, more ways to showcase Malaysian talent to the world — the potential economic and cultural benefits that come from a thriving gaming industry are thrilling to imagine.

I genuinely believe that Malaysia, the diverse underdogs that we are, has a unique opportunity to take the global gaming industry by surprise with the local twist in our game titles and IPs. We already have the talent and the know-how! All we need is that little buff — so that we can graduate from mid-game to play in the big leagues.

 

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Name : Adrian Wong
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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Kalypso Media Owner Simon Hellwig Dies At 46… :(

The owner of Kalypso Media – Simon Hellwig – has suddenly died at 46, leaving the company in hands of co-managing director Dr. Anika Thun.

 

Kalypso Media Owner Simon Hellwig Dies At 46… 🙁

On Tuesday, October 18, 2022, Kalypso Media announced that its owner and joint Managing Director, Simon Hellwig, has suddenly passed away. In his place, co-managing director Dr. Anika Thun will continue to run Kalypso Media.

Simon Hellwig and Stefan Marcinek founded Kalypso Media in 2006, and the company is best known for its strategy game titles, including the Tropico and Railway Empire series.

From its humble beginnings in Worms, Germany, Kalypso Media has since expanded into England, France and North America. It also owns five development studios including Realmforge Studios, Gaming Minds Studios, Bulwark Studios, Claymore Game Studios and Nine World Studios.

Before the antivax ghouls come out to blame his sudden death on the COVID-19 vaccines, let me just say it right now – there is NO EVIDENCE that Simon Hellwig died from vaccine-induced sudden death – SADS / VDS / VIDS or whatever you want to call it.

While Kalypso Media did not state Simon Hellwig’s cause of death, its official statement is framed by black ribbons, which are often used as a symbol of skin cancer / melanoma awareness. So it seems quite likely that Simon Hellwig died from melanoma or skin cancer.

 

Official Statement By Kalypso Media On Death Of Simon Hellwig

Here is the official statement by Kalypso Media on the death of its co-founder and owner, Simon Hellwig.

Bracknell, UK – (18th October 2022) – Kalypso Media Group are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Simon Hellwig, company owner and joint Managing Director.

As was always planned for Simon’s succession and the future of the business, Dr. Anika Thun will continue to lead as Managing Director with the support of senior management and the entire company group. Simon leaves behind a hugely successful business and legacy that we, as a group, endeavour to maintain. Simon’s vision was clear and we are committed to fulfilling it and continuing the growth of the company in honour of his legacy.

Simon co-founded Kalypso Media in 2006 and oversaw its notable growth. Now proudly standing at over 200 global employees at offices across Germany, England, France, Japan and North America, the group currently includes the digital label Kasedo Games and five development studios: Realmforge Studios, Gaming Minds Studios, Claymore Game Studios, Nine Worlds Studios and Bulwark Studios.

Simon’s business acumen and affection for the video games industry began from an early age. Whilst others were developing homemade games in their bedrooms, Simon instead would buy and sell them to magazines. His love of one of the earliest play-by-mail strategy games, Gladius et Pilum, not only combined his interests in gaming and history but also established a lifelong passion for historical strategy games.

This enthusiasm for the industry culminated in his diploma thesis ‘Development of a Business Plan for the Foundation of a Company in the Entertainment Software Industry’ which would go on to define the expectations and aims of the Kalypso Media Group. These goals were met and exceeded over the last sixteen years, in which Simon and his team grew Kalypso to become a name in the industry that continues to stand for quality strategy and simulation games.

Kalypso Media has lost an enormously well-respected leader and friend. Throughout his sixteen years at the helm, Simon consistently inspired those around him through his dedication to his team, the business and the wider industry. His brilliant vision and his endless enthusiasm knew no bounds and he will be immensely missed by his Kalypso Media family and friends within the industry. As a family business, Anika and Simon were united as partners in every way and this loss is immeasurable. Our thoughts are with all those who were dear to him.

Our deepest condolences to Simon Hellwig’s family, and the Kalypso Media team.

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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Ferret Baudoin : Cause of Sudden Death NOT Vaccine!

When news broke that Ferret Baudoin suddenly died, anti-vaccination activists immediately claimed that he was a victim of vaccine sudden death (SADS / VIDS)!

Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : Ferret Baudoin Died From Vaccine Sudden Death!

Right after news broke that Ferret Baudoin suddenly died, anti-vaccination activists immediately claimed that the lead designer for Fallout 76 and the Dragon Age series died from vaccine-induced sudden death (SADS / VIDS)!

Here is a selection of social media posts accompanying links or articles on his death:

Dr. James E. Olsson : So why did this game developer just die. He does not look very old. No cause of death anymore, just “passed away”. Suddenly. And nobody can say why.

no need to say why we know why he was injected with a bio weapon thats being pushed as a vaccine

“Pandemic of Sudden Death in Healthy Young People.” One would think that in the 21st century that someone in the medical field would become very concerned about such a silent killer. Or are they silenced by big tech, Pharma and their governments? 🫢

Recommended : Robbie Coltrane : New Victim Of Vaccine Death Claim!

 

Truth : Ferret Baudoin Did NOT Die From Vaccine Sudden Death!

It’s now a tradition for anti-vaccination activists to immediately blame all celebrity deaths or illnesses on the COVID-19 vaccine.

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and propagated by anti-vaccination activists, and here are the reasons why, and what we know so far…

Fact #1 : Ferret Baudoin Died From Complications Of Cancer Surgery

Veteran game developer, Ferret Baudoin (born Eric Baudoin) did NOT die from COVID-19 vaccines. He died from complications of cancer surgery.

Ferret Baudoin’s cause of death was NOT the COVID-19 vaccine, but complications encountered during a surgery he underwent for his cancer.

Baudoin’s sister revealed that it was “painless for him”, and Ferret was “in very good spirits” before the surgery, and that he was “surrounded by family and friends”.

Credit goes to Redditor ken4656 who spoke directly to Baudoin’s family, and found out more about his untimely passing:

His passing was sudden and stemmed from complications from cancer surgery. Many of us have had cancer visit close to home and can empathize how hard this fight is. In the words of his sister, “fortunately it was painless, and he was in very good spirits. Surrounded by family and friends.”

His family only now through the outpouring of support from colleagues and fans alike in gaming how impactful his work was. His children are still young, and he only had 11 years with them. At the very least we wanted them to know what their Dad did, today and years from now when they look back on his legacy in gaming.

The family is asking that donations be to his children’s college fund, or the American Cancer Society.

Recommended : Coolio’s Son Reveals His Dad’s Cause of Death!

Fact #2 : Unknown If Ferret Baudoin Was Vaccinated

It is currently unknown if Ferret Baudoin was vaccinated against COVID-19, so it would be wrong for anyone to claim that he died from COVID-19 vaccine side effects.

For all we know – he may not even be vaccinated! The COVID-19 vaccine is not mandatory in the United States, despite what anti-vaccination activists may claim.

For example, anti-vaccination activists claimed that Kaden Clymer was almost crippled by a 6-foot long vaccine-induced blood clot, but the high school athlete was never vaccinated against COVID-19!

Fact #3 : Vaccine Side Effects Appear Within Hours / Days

Even if Ferret Baudoin was fully-vaccinated against COVID-19, he definitely received his vaccine doses many months ago.

He cannot possibly have died from a vaccine side effect, because they appear within hours or days, not many months later.

Mild side effects like injection site pain, fever, muscle ache, headache, lethargy develop within minutes to hours of the vaccination.

Anaphylaxis develops within minutes, while other severe adverse reactions like myocarditis and VITT develop within days.

The spike proteins produced by the COVID-19 vaccines also do not stick around for months. If these spike proteins are permanent (as antivaxxers claim), we would have lifelong immunity.

Your own immune system will identify the spike proteins as foreign, and destroy them within a matter of days, although some may last for up to a few weeks. This is part of how vaccines teach your immune system to identify the enemy and destroy it.

Read more : Do mRNA Vaccines Cause Invasion of Killer Lymphocytes?!

Fact #4 : Claims Of Celebrities Injured By COVID-19 Vaccine Proven False

This is yet another example of anti-vaccination activists abusing celebrity deaths / injuries to create and propagate FAKE NEWS about the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines.

So far, claims of celebrity deaths / injuries due to the COVID-19 vaccine have been proven false at every instance.

Will these anti-vaccination activists apologise for lying to you? Nope! They will just move on to the next celebrity tragedy…

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

Don’t forget to protect yourself, and your family, by vaccinating against COVID-19!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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Fallout 76 Lead Designer Ferret Baudoin Has Died… :(

The lead designer for Fallout 76 and the Dragon Age series – Ferret Baudoin – died suddenly on October 15, 2022…

 

Fallout 76 Lead Designer, Ferret Baudoin, Has Died… 🙁

Bethesda Softworks senior designer Eric “Ferret” Baudoin, who was the lead designer on Fallout 76 and the Dragon Age series, has died.

According to a Facebook tribute page, he “passed suddenly”, “surrounded by his family” on Saturday, October 15, 2022.

Help keep the Lore Keeper’s lore alive. On October 15, 2022, legendary game designer Ferret Baudoin passed suddenly. He is surrounded by his family. He loved real life as much as games. He was a devoted husband, father, brother, and son.

It also asked that Baudoin’s fans help his children go to college by donating to “buy Ferret Baudoin a coffee“.

In Ferret Baudoin’s long career, he has touched the lives of many gamers through the games he worked on:

  • Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (designer)

  • Dragon Age: Origins (Leader Designer/Writer)

  • Dragon Age II (Lead Designer/Writer)

  • Dragon Age: Inquisition (Designer).

  • He also worked for Black Isle and Obsidian and had been designer on the cancelled Fallout Van Buren title.

  • After joining Bethesda he served as Quest Designer & Writer on Fallout 4 and was also a Senior Designer on the yet to be released Starfield.

Eric chose to be credited as Ferret Baudoin as his preferred name. One Redditor claimed that Baudoin was already using that nickname in 1989 when he was a college freshman, but was very secretive about its meaning or origins.

I lived in the dorm room next to him for three years and he was best man at my wedding, and I don’t know where it came from,” they wrote. “I do know he had fun with it when he visited Ireland. At the time there was a fad in the country that involved shoving a ferret down your trousers, and he used it as a pick-up line!

Ferret Baudoin was with Bethesda Softworks for 10 years, before his untimely demise.

 

Eric Ferret Baudoin Died From Complications Of Cancer Surgery

Before the antivax ghouls come out to blame his sudden death on the COVID-19 vaccines, let me just say it right now – Ferret Baudoin died from complications of cancer surgery.

His cause of death was NOT the COVID-19 vaccine, but complications encountered during a surgery he underwent for his cancer.

Baudoin’s sister revealed that it was “painless for him”, and Ferret was “in very good spirits” before the surgery, and that he was “surrounded by family and friends”.

Credit goes to Redditor ken4656 who spoke directly to Baudoin’s family, and found out more about his untimely passing:

His passing was sudden and stemmed from complications from cancer surgery. Many of us have had cancer visit close to home and can empathize how hard this fight is. In the words of his sister, “fortunately it was painless, and he was in very good spirits. Surrounded by family and friends.”

His family only now through the outpouring of support from colleagues and fans alike in gaming how impactful his work was. His children are still young, and he only had 11 years with them. At the very least we wanted them to know what their Dad did, today and years from now when they look back on his legacy in gaming.

The family is asking that donations be to his children’s college fund, or the American Cancer Society.

 

Fans Leaving Memorial Messages In Fallout 76 For Ferret Baudoin

Some of Ferret Baudoin’s fans have started to leave memorial messages in Fallout 76 for him.

They are being asked to share those tributes on social media with the hashtag #ThanksFerret, so his sister can collect them to share with his family.

Here is a selection of his fans’ messages in Fallout 76:

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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CODEX Cracking Group Officially Shuts Down!

The games cracking group – CODEX – has called it quits, officially shutting down for good. This is truly the end of an era.

 

CODEX Cracking Group Officially Shuts Down!

The CODEX cracking group announced their retirement in the release notes of “The Sims 4 My Wedding Stories”.

It was not due to legal troubles (arrests) or internal conflict, but the team felt they had already achieved their goal.

A CODEX short story

CODEX was founded with one and only one goal in mind: “to give the dominating PC games group at the time, RELOADED, some serious competition.”

A highly motivated and hard-working group of veterans and rookies alike banded together and created a new name to achieve that goal. It was a fun and sometimes dirty ride with lots of give and take on both sides. Bud sadly, it did not last very long and RLD started to crumble and slowly fell apart, making the scene less interesting.

What was left when they finally surrendered and the dust settled?

The blade has been dull for a long time. Quality, tradition and pride was slowly fading to darkness.

Of course, there is a particular group that uses an old name without permission. From the first day they started releasing in the PC section, they have worked hard to shamelessly destroy the reputation of a once iconic group tag when they really should have closed down years ago after all the spectacular fuckups they are responsible for.

Since then there have only been people resurrecting and adopting old names from previously busted groups instead of creating something new and unique on their own. Starting from nothing to slowly build up a reputation for themselves through hard work was obvious too much of a hassle and recycling old identities to get a head start was their way to go.

Still, even with that, this did not lead to any serious competition with two traits we pride ourselves on– a strong continued effort and a good amount of quality output on more than just DRM-free games or simple Steam protections.

CODEX cracked a large variety of protections like Steam (Stub+API+CEG), Arxan, XboxLive, UWP, Denuvo, Origin, Play, Bethesda.net, Battle.net and custom protections on games like Grim Dawn, Street Fighter V, WWE2k20, Croteam games, BigAnt games, Minecraft Dungeons, and many more.

So now, years after reaching our initial goal, we feel that it is time to move on. We thank everyone who accompanied and supported us on our journey.

Have a good time… Bye from CODEX!

 

CODEX Ends 8-Year Run At The Top

Since they burst into the scene in 2014, CODEX has been at the forefront of cracking and removing game copy protections.

They were able to consistently crack even the strongest copy protections like Denuvo, and release major game titles soon after their launch.

That made them the bane of game developers and publishers, potentially costing them millions of dollars in revenue.

On the other hand, CODEX gave less fortunate people access to games they perhaps would not be able to afford, and a DRM-free copy to gamers who already paid for a particular game.

More than a few hardware reviewers also relied on the latest CODEX-cracked games to run benchmarks.

Perhaps their greatest effect was to convince at least some game developers to eschew paying for “strong” copy protections, and offer DRM-free games through platforms like GOG.

Warhorse Studios, for example, released Kingdom Come: Deliverance on Steam, only to have CODEX release a cracked copy within hours. But Warhorse quickly offered a DRM-free version on GOG.

In the end, Warhorse sold half a million copies of Kingdom Come: Deliverance within two days, and a million copies by the end of the week. By its first anniversary, two million copies were sold, even though a CODEX cracked copy existed on launch day.

Warhorse Studios director and co-founder, Daniel Vávra, even printed and put up a poster of the CODEX NFO of their cracked game.

Now that the CODEX crew has officially retired, new PC games cracking groups will inevitably come to the fore, possibly “taking over” their famous name.

But they will likely not be able to come close to their quality or prolificacy – CODEX released some 7,000 game titles in the past 8 years.

This is truly the end of an era in the scene.

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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CD PROJEKT RED Hack : Source Codes + Docs Stolen!

CD PROJEKT RED just had their source codes and internal documents stolen in a MAJOR HACK, and they may all end up being leaked!

 

CD PROJEKT RED Hack : Source Codes Stolen, Servers Encrypted!

On 9 February 2021, CD PROJEKT RED announced that their data – including source codes and internal documents – were stolen in a hack, and could possibly be leaked.

Their servers were also encrypted in a secondary ransomware attack by the same hackers, but they had backups of the encrypted data.

CD PROJEKT RED publicly ruled out negotiating with the hackers, or giving in to their demands.

This would likely mean that their source codes and internal documents will eventually be released publicly by the hackers.

The only silver lining – CD PROJEKT RED noted that they do not have any evidence that the personal data of their employees were accessed or stolen.

 

CD PROJEKT RED Hack : The Hackers’ Threats

According to the ransom note left on their servers, the hackers stole :

  • FULL source codes for Cyberpunk 2077, Witcher 3, GWENT and the unreleased version of Witcher 3.
  • ALL of their internal documents on accounting, administration, legal, HR, investor relations and more

They also encrypted all of their CD PROJEKT RED’s servers, but acknowledged that they would most likely recover the data from their backups.

The hackers are giving the CD PROJEKT RED team 48 hours to contact them to negotiate.

If there is no agreement, they threaten to sell or leak the source codes, and release their internal documents to the media.

They claim that the internal documents will make CD PROJEKT RED look bad, causing their stock prices to fall and their investors will lose trust in them.

 

CD PROJEKT RED : Official Statement On Hack

This is the official statement by CD PROJEKT RED on the hack :

Yesterday we discovered that we have become a victim of a targeted cyber attack, due to which some of our internal systems have been compromised.

An unidentified actor gained unauthorized access to our internal network, collected certain data belonging to CD PROJEKT capital group, and left a ransom note the content of which we release to the public. Although some devices in our network have been encrypted, our backups remain intact. We have already secured our IT infrastructure and begun restoring the data.

We will not give in to the demands nor negotiate with the factor, being aware that this may eventually lead to the release of the compromised data. We are taking necessary steps to mitigate the consequences of such a release, in particular by approaching any parties that may be affected due to the breach.

We are still investigating the incident, however at this t time we can confirm that – to the best of our knowledge – the compromised systems did not contain any personal data of our players or users of our services.

We have already approached the relevant authorities, including law enforcement and the President of the Personal Data Protection Office, as well as IT forensic specialists, and we will closely cooperate with them in order to fully investigate the incident.

 

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AppGameKit Classic : Get It FREE For A Limited Time!

AppGameKit Classic – a game development engine – is now FREE for a limited time!

Find out how to get it FREE, and make sure you tell your friends!

Don’t forget to LIKE the Tech ARP Facebook page to get these updates quickly!

 

AppGameKit Classic

AppGameKit Classic is a powerful game development engine, ideal for beginners, hobbyists and indie developers.

You can now quickly code and build apps for multiple platforms using the AppGameKit BASIC scripting system, or use their C++ and Xcode libraries for more complex games.

Games can be developed and deployed to your chosen mobile devices for rapid prototyping. AppGameKit does all the heavy lifting for you – making it easy to code, compile and then export apps to each platform.

All you need to focus on is your game/app idea. It’s that simple!

AppGameKit Classic also caters for more seasoned developers, allowing you to use the AppGameKit C++ libraries and benefit from all the features of AppGameKit’s core game engine.

Two great examples of this are the games 1982 and Echoes+ developed by Binary Zoo and both are FREE to download on STEAM.

 

AppGameKit Classic : How To Get It Free!

Follow these steps to get AppGameKit Classic for FREE, but make sure you do this before 1 AM (GMT+8) on 6 October 2020 :

  1. Log into your existing Steam account, or create a new account.
  2. Go to the AppGameKit Classic page.
  3. Click on the Add to Account button to add it to your Steam account.
    You can choose to install it now, or postpone the installation.

That’s it! You now have AppGameKit Classic in your Steam account!

While you are getting this free, make sure you get their Educational Materials Pack for free too!

 

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Double Eleven : First Overseas Game Studio In Malaysia!

UK-based games developer and publisher Double Eleven announced on 21 January 2020, that they are opening a new game development studio in Malaysia!

Find out what this means for the Malaysian game development industry, and how YOU can join the Double Eleven team!

 

Double Eleven To Open First Overseas Game Studio In Malaysia!

Double Eleven is opening their first overseas game studio in Bangsar South, Kuala Lumpur. Set to open in the first quarter of 2020, this new studio will provide a full complement of development capabilities including quality assurance, art, software engineering and production.

The Double Eleven Malaysia studio will work alongside main development teams in the United Kingdom on current and next generation titles.

 

Join The Double Eleven Team!

Double Eleven is recruiting full-time staff in development and management positions, including a new Malaysian Studio Head. Here are the jobs currently open for application, and their requirements :

Studio Manager

  • Four or more years of industry experience in a similar role
  • Significant management (people and project) experience
  • An interest in games.
  • Strong general knowledge of the video game production process – ideally a comprehensive end-to-end oversight from within the industry
  • Gamer and consumer oriented, with a deep knowledge of video games market
  • Relevant business degree
  • Experience with SCRUM or AGILE methodologies

Producer

  • Project management skills – initiating, managing and closing software projects.
  • Ability to mediate and arbitrate discussions, getting the right people in the room when needed.
  • Excellent communicator in both content and tone through a variety of methods; online, face to face, presentation or written.
  • Meticulous attention to detail and good organisational skills.
  • Ability to motivate and able to lead by example.
  • Excellent time management, multitasking skills and the ability to process complex information efficiently.
  • A strong interest in games or gaming technologies.
  • Business management experience.
  • Relevant degree qualification.
  • Programming or other technical experience.
  • Strong general knowledge of the video game production process – ideally a comprehensive end-to-end oversight from within the industry.
  • Experience working on titles or projects with live operations.
  • Experience with SCRUM or AGILE methodologies.

Lead Quality Assurance

  • Confident, thorough and articulate communicator; both written and orally
  • Great planning skills
  • Excellent self-management and organisational abilities
  • Second to none for attention to detail
  • Genuine problem solver; no problems, just opportunities
  • Ability to work as part of your own team
  • Has lead or helped to lead a QA team of at least four people, for at least one year from start to finish
  • Has had QA experience on at least 3 console titles
  • Has written and implemented test frameworks

QA Tester

  • Excellent attention to detail
  • Strong communication skills
  • Excellent self-management and organisational abilities
  • Aptitude to learn quickly and effectively
  • Ability to remain focused in a team-oriented environment
  • Previous Testing experience within a development environment
  • Skill/experience in any other area of game development and/or strong IT knowledge
  • Knowledge of project management software such as Hansoft, Testrail, Jira, TFS.

Lead Artist

  • Unreal / Unity experience / Blueprints / Python / C#
  • Animation knowledge
  • UI experience
  • ZBrush or other sculpting software experience
  • Shader creation (Substance designer/shader forge etc)
  • Degree level / HND or Art related qualification
  • A portfolio that demonstrates the potential to meet the industry-standard level of art.
  • 6+ years of industry experience and previous Senior or lead roles. Having completed a full production cycle on a published game title.

3D Animator

  • Knowledge of Autodesk Maya
  • Strong Knowledge of game engines (Unity /Unreal).
  • Scripting / blueprints
  • Experience with Motion Builder
  • Degree level / HND or art-related qualification
  • An animation showreel that demonstrates a strong understanding of animation principals and character acting
  • 3+ year industry experience

3D Graduate Artist

  • Exceptional 3D Modelling and Texture creation skills
  • Experience with: 3DMax, Maya, or equivalent, (Maya preferred)
  • Experienced with Photoshop
  • Experience on multiple games and ability to work across varied art styles.
  • Experience with popular game engines, preferably Unity / Unreal.
  • Experience with shaders and real-time rendering pipelines.
  • PBR workflow experience (Substance Painter / Designer)
  • Other visual art skills, e.g. illustration, graphic design, VFX
  • Strong interpersonal and communication skills allowing effective collaboration with teams
  • Strong organizational, problem-solving and time management skills
  • Strong observation and research skills
  • Strong knowledge of the video game industry and awareness of the video game development processes
  • Unreal / Unity experience / Blueprints
  • Animation knowledge
  • Zbrush or other sculpting software experience
  • Shader creation (Substance designer/shader forge etc)

 

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Sony Interactive To Open First SEA Game Studio In Malaysia!

Sony Interactive will soon open their first Southeast Asia game development studio in Malaysia! Here are the full details!

 

Sony Interactive To Open First SEA Game Studio In Malaysia!

Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios (SIE WWS) announced their partnership with the Malaysian Ministry of Communications and Multimedia, at Level Up KL 2019 Biz.

The new game development studio, which Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios plans to open 2020, will provide art and animation services for the development of global titles for Sony PlayStation platforms.

Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios will also work with the Malaysian Ministry of Communications and Multimedia to create more opportunities for the local and regional games industry, as well as establish a partnership with local educational institutions.

This is a major win for the Malaysian Ministry of Communications and Multimedia that have been actively pushing to build up Malaysia as the premier digital creative content development hub in Southeast Asia.

Over the past 20 years, their efforts have created a strong local digital creative content industry with 149 IP titles that generated RM 7.6 billion (US$1.84 billion) in revenue, and a global reach to over 120 countries.

 

Recent Sony Interactive Games

Here are some of the best games Sony Interactive released for Sony PlayStation in 2019 :

 

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Level Up KL 2019 Biz + Play : Full Details Revealed!

Level Up KL 2019 is right around the corner! The premier gaming development conference in the APAC region will take place from 2-10 November 2019.

This time though, it is so large, it’s being split into two parts – Level Up KL Biz, and Level Up KL Play! Here is EVERYTHING you need to know!

 

Level Up KL 2019

In its fifth iteration, Level Up KL 2019 has greatly expanded since last year. It is now a week-long conference, split into two parts – Level Up KL Biz and Level Up KL Play.

And for the first time ever, Level Up KL 2019 will feature events that will cater to both game developers and gamers.

Level Up KL Biz 2019

Event Period : 2 – 8 November 2019
Target Participants : Game developers and industry leaders
Location : Bangsar South

Level Up KL Biz continues the Level Up KL tradition of bringing regional game developers and industry leaders together to interact, learn and share knowledge.

This year, Level Up KL Biz will feature key announcements from local and international game developers, expert workshops and talks, business connections and more!

The exhibition and showcase are free to visit, but make sure you register for the Expo Visitor Pass!

To attend the expert workshops, you will need to purchase the Masterclass Workshops ticket for just USD 50.

You can check out the schedule and ticket prices here.

Level Up KL Play 2019

Event Period : 9 – 10 November 2019
Target Participants : Gamers and the general public
Location : Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre

The inaugural Level Up KL Play event aims to become Malaysia’s ultimate game conference for the general public.

This two-day game festival will feature game demos of soon-to-launch AAA and indie titles for both PC and console, esports tournaments, a video game concert, meet-and-greet activities, and more!

You can purchase the Early Bird tickets now at just RM 20 for both days. If you just want to attend a single day, you can show up and purchase the event day ticket on-site for RM 10.

 

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