1. NECA Helps Secure Construction Industry Exemption in Final IRAP Rule

On March 10, 2020, the Department of Labor released the final rule of the Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Programs (IRAP) regulation. The final rule contains a permanent construction industry exemption, thereby protecting our industry from participation in IRAPs. NECA released a statement thanking the Administration for recognizing that the construction industry has longstanding expertise in the creation and execution of apprenticeships.

NECA’s Look Ahead: NECA strongly advocated for the construction industry’s exemption, with thousands of NECA contractors sending comments to the Department of Labor. By securing this exemption, the long-established, gold standard apprenticeship model that NECA Contractors utilize will remain intact and not be subjected to these parallel programs which will operate with less scrutiny and limited educational requirements.

2. The House Introduces Legislation to Address COVID-19 Outbreak

Washington D.C., like the rest of the nation and world, is responding to the outbreak of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus). On the evening of March 11, President Trump addressed the nation live from the  Oval Office. On Capitol Hill, negotiators continue to work to find a compromise between competing coronavirus response bills.

NECA’s Look Ahead: In response to the crisis, the Senate plans to cancel a previously scheduled recess week. The House will gavel out today and will return to Washington D.C. on March 23, 2020 to finish the negotiations on a final response package. NECA CEO, David Long, released the following statement in response to the legislative and regulatory negotiations: “ NECA government affairs remains fully engaged with Members of Congress, the Department of Labor, and OSHA on how to best handle the COVID-19 outbreak with safety being a top concern for our contractors and their employees. We continue to monitor legislation coming out of Congress to address the economic impact of this outbreak and will inform our contractors on how to best work with the new regulations when they are finalized.”

3. NLRB Chairman Testifies Regarding Funding      

On March 11, 2020, the House Committee on Appropriations held a hearing on the National Labor Relations Board Budget Request for FY 2021. Testifying on behalf of the NLRB was the Honorable John Ring, Chairman of the National Labor Relations Board. The NLRB budget request and justification documents can be found here.

NECA’s Look Ahead: The NLRB’s FY 2021 budget request funds their mission to protect the rights of employees, unions, and employers under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). NECA believes that lawmakers should continue to fully fund the NLRB and encourage their leadership to expedite the hiring of their regional offices.

On March 26, 2020, the Senate passed “Phase III” of the Coronavirus Response Package, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act in a 96-0 vote.

This week, NECA’s government affairs team “met” with Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.), Rep. Tom O’Halleran (D-Ariz.), Rep. Anthony Brindisi (D-N.Y.), Rep. Phil Roe (R-Tenn.), and Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas). 

1. Administration Calls for Additional Funding for PPP

One of the most popular programs created in the CARES Act, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), has released over $70 billion to small businesses to help them remain viable during this pandemic. Due to the large demand, the Administration has requested additional funding for that program in a letter to Congressional leaders.

NECA’s look Ahead: Senate Democrats requested an additional $250 billion for hospitals and local governments in addition to funding for the PPP while Republican leaders argued that funding for the PPP is the only account that requires additional immediate funding at this time. The Senate adjourned on April 9, 2020 unable to pass additional funding for the PPP under unanimous consent.

2. Treasury Guidance Clarifies Qualifications for PPP Borrowers

With the passage of the CARES Act, many agencies have been scrambling to enact the reforms and programs developed in rapid time. One such program, the Paycheck Protection Program, which allows substantial loans to be granted under favorable terms by the Small Business Administration, came under scrutiny for potentially requiring businesses to meet both size and revenue requirements instead of just the size requirements (under 500 employees) originally required. While this scrutiny came from an over-cautious interpretation of an earlier guidance, the Treasury Department offered additional guidance to make it clear to borrowers that they may meet either the revenue standards listed under a given NAICS code or qualify by having less than 500 employees. 

NECA’s Look Ahead: NECA worked with key leaders once the CARES Act was signed into law to attain greater clarity on this issue for our contractors. This new change will give NECA contractors the predictability they need to move forward with the new SBA loan program. We will continue to monitor the implementation of the CARES Act and continue to maintain in constant conversation with Congressional staff and agency officials to communicate the needs of our members. 

3. DOD Releases Rule on Payment to Small Business Contractors

Earlier this week the Department of Defense (DOD) released a final rule on the defining and implementation of accelerated payments to classified small businesses under DOD contracts. The rule (DFARS Case 2018–D068) which finalizes the implementation of a section from 2019’s National Defense Authorization Act urges the federal government to pay small business contractors within 15 days of the receipt of a proper invoice. While this is only a goal for the federal government and not a direct mandate, which NECA advocated for in the past, we view this final rule and its upcoming full implementation as a positive step forward.

NECA’s Look Ahead: We encourage NECA contractors to read the final rule and monitor its implementation on DOD contracts. With your feedback and on-the-ground experiences, we will be better able to make lawmakers and agency officials aware of its progress.

1. OSHA Issues Additional Guidance on COVID as Recordable Illness

On April 10, 2020, OSHA released updated enforcement guidance for recording cases of COVID-19. The guidance clarifies that OSHA’s recordkeeping requirement for COVID-19 as a recordable illness applies to those in the healthcare industry and emergency response organizations. OSHA will not enforce its recordkeeping requirements to employers outside of these sectors.

NECA’s Look Ahead: NECA has been working with OSHA to make this clarification to ensure that NECA contractors are not responsible for recording COVID-19 on their OSHA 300 logs on the basis that it is impossible to prove COVID-19 was contracted on the jobsite.

2. GSA Issues Order Allowing Electronic Signatures for Bonding

NECA Government Affairs has worked with allied groups in the construction industry to push the General Services Administration (GSA) to issue an order allowing bonding vendors and sureties to use electronic signatures instead of the typically required ‘wet’ signatures. By doing so, our contractors can receive bonding, necessary on a majority of jobs, sooner and with less unnecessary contact during these challenging times.  We are pleased to announce that this reform was recently issued. While this strictly applies to only GSA contracts, NECA government affairs, along with others, is working to spread this reform to the entirety of the federal government.

NECA’s Look Ahead: Our contractors commend the GSA for their prompt response and reasonable revision. NECA will continue to work with the GSA and other construction industry groups to push for responsible reform and the removing of barriers to our industry’s reinvigoration.

3. NECA Calls for Additional Funding for Paycheck Protection Program

NECA and many of its Chapters joined over two hundred trade associations in sending a letter to Congress to urge emergency funding for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The PPP has been very successful and widely utilized by the construction industry according to the Small Business Administration. The program ran out of funding on April 16, 2020.

NECA’s Look Ahead: With both the House and the Senate officially out of session until May, it  seems unlikely that Congress will be able to agree to and pass by unanimous consent, NECA remains committed to urging Congress to continue to fund this important program and return to Washington D.C. to start critical negotiations for Phase IV COVID-19 legislation. 

1. Congress Passes Legislation to Increase Funding for PPP

On April 23, 2020, the House passed, in a 388 to 5 vote, the Senate Amendment to H.R. 266 – Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act. This legislation reauthorizes the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which was passed in the Senate by unanimous consent on April 21, 2020. NECA advocated for additional funding and are confident that this amendment will continue to help NECA contractors keep their employees on payroll during this crisis.

NECA’s Look Ahead: The NECA-supported bill is expected to be signed into law by the President immediately. A detailed section by section summary can be found here. NECA has also compiled some FAQs on this loan program. NECA is continuing to work with congressional leaders on upcoming Phases of COVID-19 response bills. A major Phase IV bill is expected sometime in May.

2. NECA Weighs in on Main Street Lending Program

A group of congressional allies sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Vice Chairman for Supervision of Federal Reserve Board of Governors, Randal Quarles, requesting the inclusion of S corporations, LLCs, and partnerships in utilizing the Main Street lending facilities announced by Treasury and the Federal Reserve. 

NECA’s Look Ahead: The letter was organized in response to a coalition letter, which NECA supported, to Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Texas) on the issue. NECA will update its members once we have received a formal response from the Department of the Treasury.

3. Register Today for the Upcoming Government Affairs Webinar

On May 5, 2020 at 2PM ET, NECA’s Government Affairs team will brief participants on NECA’s requests for Congress in the Phase IV coronavirus response legislation, then participants can take action and send a letter to their Member of Congress requesting help for the electrical construction industry to remain viable during this crisis. Participants will also hear messages from key Members of Congress on the current legislative response to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Register Today! 

1. Senators Release Water Infrastructure Legislation

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, chaired by Senator John Barrasso (R-Wy.) and Ranking Member Tom Carper (D-Del.), released two NECA-supported water infrastructure bills, the America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2020 (AWIA 2020) and Drinking Water Infrastructure Act of 2020.

NECA’s Look Ahead: These bipartisan bills address the critical need to secure water infrastructure. The are successor bills to the NECA-supported America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 that easily passed through Congress and was signed into law in 2018. NECA will continue to monitor this important legislation as it moves through Congress.

• Read the section-by-section of the draft AWIA 2020 here.
• Read the section-by-section of the Drinking Water Infrastructure Act here.

2. Senate Returns to Washington Next Week

The Senate is scheduled to return to D.C. on Monday, May 4, 2020, to begin filling judicial vacancies and continue work on new coronavirus legislation. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), released the following statement on this decision. The House has decided to postpone returning until further notice. Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) is expected to release an anticipated return date soon.  

NECA’s Look Ahead: NECA looks forward to the Senate being in session to work on additional coronavirus legislation. The government affairs team continues to advocate on behalf of our contractors during this period.

3. Register Today for the Upcoming Government Affairs Webinar

On May 5, 2020 at 2 p.m. EDT, NECA’s Government Affairs team will brief participants on NECA’s requests for Congress in the Phase IV coronavirus response legislation. During this webinar, participants can take action and send a letter to their Member of Congress requesting help for the electrical construction industry to remain viable during this crisis. Participants will also hear messages from key Members of Congress on the current legislative response to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Register Today!

NECA’s Look Ahead: NECA is committed to ensuring the voices of our industry are heard during this time. We continue to advocate for the needs our contractors daily and remain devoted to keeping our members well informed on the policies impacting them.  

1. PPP Safe Harbor Deadline Extended

On May 5, 2020, the U.S. Treasury Department extended the safe harbor date for those that applied for a PPP loan prior to April 24, 2020. The original date, May 7, 2020, has been pushed back to May 14, 2020. Borrowers will not need to apply for the extension and additional guidance on how the SBA will review the certification will be provided shortly. NECA released the following alert pertaining to the extension and forthcoming guidance.

NECA’s Look Ahead: NECA is pleased by this extension after sending a letter to the Treasury department last week. We continue to advocate for NECA contractors as we move forward during this time.

2. Bill Introduced to Make 501(c)(6) organizations Eligible for PPP Loans

On May 5, 2020, Representatives Chris Papas (D-NH), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), and Greg Steube (R-FL) introduced H.R.6697 – “Local Chamber, Tourism, and 501(c)(6) Protection Act of 2020”. This NECA supported legislation would expand the Paycheck Protection Program by allowing 501(c)(6) organizations, such as NECA Chapters, to access the Paycheck Protection Program to meet payroll and other necessary expenses during this crisis. 

NECA’s Look Ahead: NECA will encourage the inclusion of this bill in any future COVID-19 relief package along with additional PPP reforms such as:

• Extending the PPP to more than eight weeks or allow companies to apply again after the first eight-week period ends.

• Increasing the qualified expenses covered under the Paycheck Protection Program to include nonpayroll expenses.

3. NECA Requests Infrastructure Support in Next COVID-19 Bill

NECA joined 71 trade associations and labor unions in a coalition letter to President Trump to encourage continued support for infrastructure in the next Phase of COVID-19 legislation.

NECA’s Look Ahead: NECA continues to advocate before the Administration and Congressional leaders for the inclusions of major infrastructure investment as a corner stone for the next phase of COVID-19 legislation, often referred to as Phase IV.

Blue Frog Robotics has launched its adorable companion Buddy robot on Indiegogo. The robot has many features. It can be a personal assistant, playmate or security robot.

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AOL Instant Messenger will come to an end on December 15, 2017. It had a long run. It first arrived in 1997.

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Dropbox has filed for an IPO. They will trade under the Nasdaq ticker symbol DBX.

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Hooda Math is a provider of free educational math games.The games include Day Trader, Transformation Golf 2 and many more. It is free with ads or you can purchase a membership.

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There’s no doubt that businesses have been thrown into a “new normal”. For the past few weeks, business owners have worked to understand the aspects of the CARES Act, and the FFCRA, while trying to rework budgets, cash flow projections,… Read More

The post GAAP Financial Reporting Considerations Related to the COVID-19 Crisis appeared first on Anders CPAs.

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The post Anders CARES Act Team Answers Viewer Questions on KSDK appeared first on Anders CPAs.

President Trump recently signed a new coronavirus relief bill into law that will help replenish the depleted Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), among other initiatives. Below are the details of the relief package.
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The post Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loan Forgiveness Calculator appeared first on Anders CPAs.

Who We Are: At Visual Concepts, we believe great games are made by diverse and empowered teams with a shared passion for play. As one of the world’s top game development studios, we have shipped over 100 mullti-sku titles to critical acclaim and commercial success. Our teams are independent and entrepreneurial. Our studios in Agoura Hills, Novato, Orange County, Budapest, Shanghai, and Seoul are committed to artistry and technical innovation, offering top candidates the opportunity to learn and grow with some of the smartest and most creative minds in the industry.  What We Need:  Do you prize efficiency, productivity, and the satisfaction that comes from helping a team do their best work? Do you have organizational ability combined with technical experience, to plan, track and deliver ambitious new game systems and development technology? Are you a collaborative leader and great communicator who thrives on delivering results? If so, wow, do we want to talk to you!Our Agoura Hills studio is looking for a Technical Producer to work with our awesome engineering team to help organize, focus, prioritize and track the host of new features and technical investments we’re creating for the WWE 2K franchise. In the role of Technical Producer, you’ll drive initiatives to improve our technology, tools efficiency, graphics and gameplay systems, to help make the next iteration of WWE 2K the best ever.  What You Will Do: Own high-priority initiatives to deliver amazing new features to our players Work with a team of producers and senior engineers to prioritize and plan technical investments to constantly improve gameplay systems, rendering, tools and development operations Provide management, organization and feedback to engineers across the team Decompose long term efforts into incremental steps, planning and communicating road maps to the team Drive alignment, resolve ambiguity, and clarify technical strategy to maximize your impact Collaborate with team members across the US and Canada insure the impact and interoperability of your features Who We Think Will Be A Great Fit: Four or more years of game production, dev or program management experience One or more shipped games with significant scope of ownership Experience setting clear goals, planning and delivering features with cross functional teams and multiple competing requirements Outstanding project management capabilities, documentation, tracking and transparency Attention to detail and completeness, ability to see around corners, anticipate issues Familiarity with development tooling, Perforce, build systems, integrated test Organized, excellent communication skills, passion for games, collaborative demeanor Preferred Qualifications: Engineering background Project management training in Scrum or other agile framework Experience in Jira or other project management software Platform certification and technical requirement experience Background in online, graphics, physics and/or game engine

Moon Studios - award-winning creators of Ori and the Blind Forest and Ori and the Will of the Wisps - are looking for Senior Game Designers. After redefining the Metroidvania genre with the Ori series, our next goal is to revolutionize the ARPG genre.  Join our family, help us create some of the best games the industry has ever seen and work with some of the most talented individuals in the world! Please note that Moon Studios is a distributed development studio: Everyone at Moon works remotely and we accept job applications from participants all over the world! We're looking for: Individuals who can work autonomously - We don't count your hours, we won't babysit you. Your job is to enchant us with your raw talent and professionalism! Individuals who want to have a voice - Unhappy with the current state of the industry? Every person at Moon Studios has a voice and can help shape the games we're making. Individuals who believe in collaboration - We work together as a team, as a family, to challenge the status quo and raise the bar! Individuals who want to grow - Contrary to other AAA studios, our goal is to remain a comparatively small studio made of elite talent. We strive to only hire the absolute best talent in the industry and encourage them to further grow their skills with us. Tired of being the smartest gal or guy in the room? Join our community, inspire us, and be inspired! Since Moon Studios is a distributed game development studio, we work with talent from all around the world. To keep things personal and foster communication, we hold annual Team Retreats to touch base and figure out what challenges we want to tackle next. Drinks, dinners, flights, accommodations, and an overall swell time all included! We want you to be: A Designer by heart: While playing games, you just intuitively know how to improve upon the weaker aspects of a title. You indulge in analyzing things that don’t quite work and love to think about how this or that aspect could have been perfected. Experienced: You've worked in the industry before and know the ropes. You're looking for a no-bullshit studio to call home where you can voice your opinions and work with the best talent this industry has to offer! Passionate: You’ve played and studied RPGs your whole life and you still can’t get enough of them. You have a love for all things Diablo, Zelda, Dark Souls and other games in the genre. You’d love the opportunity to work on an RPG that dares to innovate and go far beyond what the genre has offered players thus far. Open to new challenges: We're constantly striving to raise the bar here at Moon Studios. We're not looking for specialists in one field or genre, we want you to be open to help wherever help is needed and be the well-rounded multi-talented creative genius you are. A cool dude / dudette: Life is too short to deal with Prima Donnas: You're cool, open-minded and always willing to learn new things. Simply send your Resume + Portfolio to jobs@moongamestudios.com Moon Studios is an independent video game development studio, founded in 2010 by Thomas Mahler (former Cinematic Artist at Blizzard Entertainment) and Gennadiy Korol (former Senior Graphics Engineer at Animation Lab). The company focuses on highly refined gameplay mechanics and prides itself on an excessive ‘iterative polish’ process. Moon Studios is a distributed development house: Our team members are spread throughout the world, allowing Moon to work with the best and most talented people in the games industry. In 2014, Moon announced it was working on Ori and the Blind Forest, which was released on March 11th, 2015 for Xbox One and PC via Steam, quickly followed up by the Ori and the Blind Forest Definitive Edition a year later. Ori and the Blind Forest received overwhelmingly high praise, a fantastic debut for Moon Studios.   Ori and the Will of the Wisps is slated to be released on March 11th, 2020. Moon Studios is simultaneously also working on a yet uannounced title.

Moon Studios - award-winning creators of Ori and the Blind Forest and Ori and the Will of the Wisps - are looking for Senior Character TD's. After redefining the Metroidvania genre with the Ori series, our next goal is to revolutionize the ARPG genre.  Join our family, help us create some of the best games the industry has ever seen and work with some of the most talented individuals in the world! Please note that Moon Studios is a distributed development studio: Everyone at Moon works remotely and we accept job applications from participants all over the world! We're looking for: Individuals who can work autonomously - We don't count your hours, we won't babysit you. Your job is to enchant us with your raw talent and professionalism! Individuals who want to have a voice - Unhappy with the current state of the industry? Every person at Moon Studios has a voice and can help shape the games we're making. Individuals who believe in collaboration - We work together as a team, as a family, to challenge the status quo and raise the bar! Individuals who want to grow - Contrary to other AAA studios, our goal is to remain a comparatively small studio made of elite talent. We strive to only hire the absolute best talent in the industry and encourage them to further grow their skills with us. Tired of being the smartest gal or guy in the room? Join our community, inspire us, and be inspired! Since Moon Studios is a distributed game development studio, we work with talent from all around the world. To keep things personal and foster communication, we hold annual Team Retreats to touch base and figure out what challenges we want to tackle next. Drinks, dinners, flights, accommodations, and an overall swell time all included! Reach out to us if you... Are a top notch Character TD who has production experience in creating character rigs and developing tools, pipelines, etc. Are extremely experienced with rigging in Maya and developing tools with Python. Have a solid understanding of animation principles and processes, know what animators need and can help create friendly and intuitive rigs and tools. Have at least a basic knowledge of game production, game engines and real-time limitations. Are knowledgeable in more than just rigging. We want as many multi-talented creative geniuses as possible in our studio! Simply send your Resume + Portfolio to jobs@moongamestudios.com Moon Studios is an independent video game development studio, founded in 2010 by Thomas Mahler (former Cinematic Artist at Blizzard Entertainment) and Gennadiy Korol (former Senior Graphics Engineer at Animation Lab). The company focuses on highly refined gameplay mechanics and prides itself on an excessive ‘iterative polish’ process. Moon Studios is a distributed development house: Our team members are spread throughout the world, allowing Moon to work with the best and most talented people in the games industry. In 2014, Moon announced it was working on Ori and the Blind Forest, which was released on March 11th, 2015 for Xbox One and PC via Steam, quickly followed up by the Ori and the Blind Forest Definitive Edition a year later. Ori and the Blind Forest received overwhelmingly high praise, a fantastic debut for Moon Studios.   Ori and the Will of the Wisps is slated to be released on March 11th, 2020. Moon Studios is simultaneously also working on a yet uannounced title.

Who We Are: At Visual Concepts, we believe great games are made by diverse and empowered teams with a shared passion for play. As one of the world’s top game development studios, we have shipped over 100 mullti-sku titles to critical acclaim and commercial success. Our teams are independent and entrepreneurial. Our studios in Agoura Hills, Novato, Orange County, Budapest, Shanghai, and Seoul are committed to artistry and technical innovation, offering top candidates the opportunity to learn and grow with some of the smartest and most creative minds in the industry.  What We Need: Do you live and breathe combat design? Do you decode games into strikes, blocks, reversals, range, damage and combos the moment you pick up the controller? Do you love designing archetypes, inventing amazing signature moves and infusing combat with personality and spectacle? If so, we’d love to have you join us to help deliver amazing experiences for our players. Our Agoura Hills studio is looking for a Senior Combat Designer for the next iteration of the WWE 2K franchise. In this role, you’ll help define core combat philosophy as we translate the amazing spectacle of the WWE into the arsenal of moves our players will take into the ring. You’ll script movement trees, architecting advantage and vulnerability into range, combinations, setups, baits and throws. You’ll dream up signatures and spectacular finishers, differentiate archetypes, and balance a massive roster of Superstars to help deliver accessible, deep, spectacular combat. You’ll work in a creative environment with a diverse team of designers, artists and engineers, touching everything from combat to camera to the emotion and spectacle of one of the greatest shows on Earth. What You Will Do: Develop a combat vision integrating intuitive control, kinetic move sets, meaningful differentiation and strategic depth Work with design, animation and engineering teams to conceive, implement and polish character vs. character combat Play and reference both classics and contemporaries to build on what works while driving new innovations in combat design Design and implement systems for combat depth, strategy and spectacle Identify and document tools and systems that make creating character vs. character combat more efficient Who We Think Will Be A Great Fit: 4 or more years of game design experience, 2 or more in a combat designer role Experience implementing and tuning animation and timing windows for attacks, blocks, branching actions, hit reactions and other related combat actions Experience scripting combat in LUA or similar framework Experience conceiving and differentiating characters, developing signature moves, and balancing asymmetrical fighter types Experience working across disciplines, including animation, art, VFX, audio and engineering to produce a great result Outstanding written and verbal communication and collaboration skills Advanced Qualifications: Experience and love of combat driven by character stats and role-playing elements Experience designing and improving gameplay editing tools Direct experience and understanding of key distinctions of wrestling games Programming/technical experience

Who We Are: At Visual Concepts, we believe great games are made by diverse and empowered teams with a shared passion for play. As one of the world’s top game development studios, we have shipped over 100 multi-sku titles to critical acclaim and commercial success. Our teams are independent and entrepreneurial. Our studios in Agoura Hills, Novato, Orange County, Budapest, Shanghai, and Seoul are committed to artistry and technical innovation, offering top candidates the opportunity to learn and grow with some of the smartest and most creative minds in the industry.  What We Need: Do you prize efficiency, productivity, and the satisfaction that comes from helping a team do their best work? Do you have organizational ability combined with a passion for solving technical, artistic and design challenges?  Are you a collaborative leader and great communicator who thrives on delivering results? If so, wow, do we want to talk to you! Our Agoura Hills studio is looking for a Producer to work with our team to help organize, focus, prioritize and track a host of new features and best-in-class visuals that we’re creating for the WWE 2K franchise. In the role of Producer, you’ll drive initiatives to improve our gameplay, visuals, technology, and game features to help make the next iteration of WWE 2K the best ever.  What You Will Do: Work with a team of artists, engineers and designers to prioritize, plan and deliver amazing new features to our players Work across partner teams to share vision, resolve dependencies, and ensure on-time delivery of feature inputs and requirements Decompose long term efforts into incremental steps, planning and communicating road maps and risks to all stakeholders Drive alignment, resolve ambiguity, and clarify technical and design strategy to maximize your impact Collaborate with team members across the US and Canada to ensure the impact and quality of your features Who We Think Will Be A Great Fit: Four or more years of game production experience One or more shipped games with significant scope of ownership Experience setting clear goals, planning and delivering features with cross functional teams and multiple competing requirements Outstanding project management capabilities, documentation, tracking and transparency Attention to detail and completeness, ability to see around corners, anticipate issues Familiarity with development tooling, Perforce, build systems, integrated test Organized, excellent communication skills, passion for games, collaborative demeanor Preferred Qualifications: Background in Character or Character Tech Art Project management training in Scrum or other agile framework Experience in Jira or other project management software

    Who We Are: Visual Concepts is one of the world’s top game development studios with a flat, entrepreneurial, and non-corporate work environment. We have a proven track record having shipped over 100 multi-SKU titles to great critical acclaim. Our studio in Foothill Ranch, CA is committed to gaming and technical innovation and offers top candidates the opportunity to learn and grow with some of the smartest and most creative minds in the industry. What We Need: We are seeking a Senior Systems Designer to join our development efforts on an exciting new game! Within this role, you’ll be focused on creating, maintaining, and balancing engaging gameplay systems. You’ll work with engineers, artists, and other designers to build innovative mechanics and economies that form the backbone of our new project. What You Will Do: Document, build, implement, bug-fix and “own” your ideas, overseeing them from concept through to final release Design, write, and prototype new systems and some of the meta-game such as player progression, character creation, game balance, economies, and other related systems Evangelize core gameplay features to the rest of the team and help develop best practices Collaborate with game and world designers, gameplay engineers, artists, and animators to implement, tune and balance gameplay systems Prototype and pitch your own design ideas to the team Analyze, validate, and incorporate feedback from the team, as well as from external user testing, as needed Who We Think Will Be A Great Fit: 5+ years’ experience within the video game industry Shipped at least 1 AAA game within a Game Designer role Experience in system design for console or online games, such as player progression and advancement, social mechanics, rewards, economy, or customization/in-game editors Experience with scripting (proprietary or third party)  Strong understanding of development processes, workflows, and tools Experience working in-engine, either prototyping or implementing your ideas Comfortable with a development that is playtest-driven and focused on iteration and polish Ability to find new opportunities for improvements and additions within a game Ability to work in a team and collaborate with engineers, artists, and other designers Good communication and presentation skills Self-motivated and proactive What Will Help You Shine: Experience working with analytical data sets for balancing and fine-tuning  Experience with Unreal Engine 4 (UE4) and working knowledge of UE4’s Blueprint system Experience with programming (C++, Python)

Volition is looking for an experienced Environment Artist to help us build the world for the next Saints Row title! You will work with a tight, collaborative team of artists and designers to create environments that are both beautiful and fun to play in.  You will be making major contributions to our world using our unique approach to world building with our proprietary world editor.  Responsibilities: Create environments from initial rough layout to completed polished spaces Build urban, interior, and natural spaces using our in-house world editor Author game ready assets that work well within given technical limitations Collaborate closely with level designers to create spaces that adhere to gameplay requirements Focus on the "big picture." Understand when details matter, and when broad strokes are more important Qualifications: 3+ years of experience in game development creating environments Strong communication skills. Must be able to be a master collaborator Ability to work with a library of assets to build visually interesting, dynamic gameplay spaces Strong understanding of form, shape, structure, and silhouette in regards to scene composition A keen eye for developing a visual mood as it relates to storytelling Comfortable working within technical limitations such as vertex and object counts, materials (draw calls), streaming conditions, etc. Fluent knowledge of at least one major 3d package (3dsmax preferred) Experience building environments in a game engine (Unreal4, Unity) Well-versed in PBR workflow Pluses: Strong foundation in the traditional arts, including but not limited to figure drawing, environmental development and/or architectural illustration Familiarity with procedural content authoring tools (Substance Designer, World Machine, Houdini) Basic Level Design Knowledge Sample Work Required: Portfolio should demonstrate ability to build fully realized environments. Fully fleshed out spaces are more helpful than examples of individual assets To apply, please send your resume, portfolio/sample work, and a cover letter to jobs@dsvolition.com with “Environment Artist” in the subject line. At Deep Silver Volition we believe in fostering an open, collaborative and diverse environment, and we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We will consider all qualified applicants without attention to race, color, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, genetic information, disability, age, veteran status, or military status.

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