MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
In MCV’s weekly rundown of thehottest vacancies and latest personnel news, four UK journos form a new digital games site and we run through the best job opportunities.
Elite UK games journos co-found Hookshot Inc
Four popular UK games journalists have set up a digital games website: Hookshot Inc.
Christian Donlan, Simon Parkin, Will Porter and Keith Stuart have decades of experience between them. Donlan won Best Specialist Writer – Online at last year’s Games Media Awards, while Porter and Stuart have picked up awards for PC Zone and The Guardian respectively.
Hookshot launched earlier this week and reports on digitally distributed titles priced at under $15 each. It covers games on consoles, handhelds, smartphones, tablets and PC, including browser and Facebook games.
Keeping track of the very best downloadable titles on multiple platforms can be a challenge,” said Porter. There are countless downloadable games being created by companies big and small, and we want to single out the ones that truly deserve the attention of busy people with hectic lives.”
TOP FIVE VACANCIES – week ending February 17th
via OPM Recruitment – EU PR Manager – Games – MMO
via OPM Recruitment – Business Development Manager (EU) – Games – MMO
via Aardvark Swift – Junior Events Manager
via Aardvark Swift – Senior Designer
For more vacancies, head toMCVUK.com/jobs.
PERSONNEL NEWS
Gem expands business development team
Louise Yarnold has been hired as Gem’s new business development account manager.
She joins the distributor and retail services provider after several years at Toyota, where she handled sales, finance and business development. She will assist and report to head of business development Philip Munro.
Munro said: The key to Louise’s success will be to support and sharpen Gem’s vision and objectives by delivering new, innovative products with differentiation that will work well for retail, but also to offer support to the wider divisions within Gem to ensure these products are suitable to the channel.”
TV exec joins We R Interactive
The social games publisher has hired Paul Whitehead as global commercial director.
Whitehead was formerly head of corporate and business developer at Channel 4. He will oversee commercial development and marketing for We R Interactive, with the initial goal of increasing user numbers for the publisher’s portfolio and bringing in new brand partners
Splash Damage hires ex-FIFA dev
Griff Jenkins has joined the UK developer as director of production.
He previously spent seven years at Electronic Arts, where he was senior development director on multiple FIFA?titles and worked on other popular franchises, such as Need For Speed. He has also worked at Eidos, Criterion and Kuju Entertainment.
I’m really excited to become director of production at Splash Damage, particularly because of its incredible vision for multiplayer gaming,” said Jenkins. I’m delighted to become an integral part of that future.”
