Dave Sim City Is Here!

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Video Games, Independent,

Welcome to Dave Sim City! It’s the game of the century! The 19th Century! Are you ready to play?

Dave Sim City is a close-minded, walled-off one-player environment that’s all the fun of the real experience but now in an incredible computer-based simulation! Design and build the Dave Sim City of your dreams. Create the rants, raves, and lengthy intellectual correspondence!

It’s all here just as you’ve experienced it in real life!

Once unleashed, the denizen of Dave Sim City takes on a life of its own! There’s no controlling it, you can only hope to contain it before he crosses the border or meets a woman.

Dave Sim City is a simulation of the popular comic book creator. In Dave Sim City he works, rants, writes screeds and melts down periodically requiring you to step back and turn off the game!

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Read More | Comics Beat

Comic Book Jobs: Course Director

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Movies, Video Games,

Economics professors and Psych teachers are no longer needed. Full Sail University, “an innovative educational leader” located just outside of Orlando, FL is accepting applications for a new teaching position: “Course Director of Developing New Worlds position in its Creative Writing Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree Program.”

And what’s a Course Director then?

“Course Directors are instructors who ensure excellence in teaching skills and classroom content. They develop curriculum, teach, and oversee the integrity of their classes.”

But what’s all that about “Developing New Worlds”?

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Read More | Full Sail University

Comic Book Jobs: Halo

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Action Figures, Editorials,

In the battle against The Covenant, the soldiers of Halo are looking for... a Consumer Products Category Manager.

That’s right, recruit. Microsoft Studios/343 Industries needs a marketing person to “manage the development and execution of all 3D licensed merchandise, including product planning and execution, retail programs and quality control.”

If you need reminding: “The Halo Franchise is a multibillion dollar entertainment franchise, spanning multiple product categories including games, collectibles, toys, novels, comic books, digital goods and apparel. Our product development team is responsible for working with our licensing partners to execute product plans that extend the Halo brand at the highest level of quality.

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Read More | Seattle Recruiter

DC’s 99¢ Batman: Arkham City #1

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Video Games, DC Comics,

Want to know a comic you could be reading for just 99¢?

DC’s got one: Batman: Arkham City #1 by Paul Dini & Derek Fridolfs and Dustin Nguyen.

The first chapter in this multi-chapter storyline pits Batman against Hugo Strange who's pitching Arkham City as "Gotham's ultimate solution to crime."

Click to continue reading DC’s 99¢ Batman: Arkham City #1

Comic Book Jobs: Blizzard Entertainment

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Video Games,

Blizzard Entertainment, the World of Warcraft people, are looking for a Franchise Development Producer, “a highly organized individual with outstanding communications skills, proven experience in production, and a track record of shipping AAA products to help lead the efforts on its next-gen MMO.”
 
One word: Yeah!

You get to be “the key evangelist for producing products which expand the next-gen MMO brand outside of the gaming industry” and “the key liaison between the development team and other functional teams within Blizzard Entertainment to create brand-extending merchandise for the next-gen MMO franchise.”

Click to continue reading Comic Book Jobs: Blizzard Entertainment

Comic Book Jobs: IGN Entertainment

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Video Games,

Game on!

The big gaming site, IGN, is looking for an Editorial Designer, "a kick-ass designer with great front-end development chops (HTML/CSS, JavaScript a plus) who is interested in helping us take the presentation of editorial content on IGN to the next level."

You'll be working with IGN's editorial design team on "the re-envisioning of IGN's user experience and coverage of events such as E3, Comic-Con, CES, and Toyko Game Show."

In addition, you'll be "designing individually art directed articles, as well as designing infographics, and other interactive content." And you're expected to kick everything up "to the next level."

Click to continue reading Comic Book Jobs: IGN Entertainment

Trucks & Skulls: Best iPhone Action Game

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Video Games,

My pals over at Appy Entertainment make games for the iPad and the iPhone and whatever lower case iProduct is coming up.

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Gears of War #15: Traviss & Wilson

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Interviews, Video Games, DC Comics,

One of my DC pals, Jim Chadwick, is a Wildstorm editor making the switch to DC's Digital Comics division in 2011. One of his print books, Gears Of War #15, goes on sale this week. Written by NY Times' best-selling author Karen Traviss (she also writes the GoW novels) and illustrated by Colin Wilson, Chadwick posted on Facebook "I'm very proud of this one and you should buy it!"

Author Karen Traviss wrote about the stand-alone issue on her blog, and lays out the schedule of her upcoming work on the series. I like her enthusiasm: "It's not the first comic I've written (I'd turned in two DLS scripts before we had to change the schedule, and those really were my first) but it's my debut on the shelves, so that matters to me. Some of my writer friends find it odd that I set such store by comics given my career, but I just do." She also has mad props for artist Wilson.

For more info on Traviss, here's a solid interview with her from Edge.

As a stand-alone issue in the Gears Of War pantheon, I'm checking this one out.

[Artwork: Cover to Gears of War #15]

Comic Book Jobs: Microsoft - Halo

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Video Games,

Microsoft, a company you might’ve heard of, is looking for someone to wear their Halo proudly.

They want a Consumer Products Associate to join their “Halo Franchise Strategy & Business Development Team.”

The Halo franchise “has exceeded $2 billion dollars in revenue, spanning multimedia and merchandise such as collectibles, fiction, comic books, apparel and accessories.”

As a Consumer Products Associate, you’ll “help define Halo Franchise’s positioning both internally and externally by assisting in the development and execution of innovative marketing, long-term growth strategy, partner selection and business development.” Whew. Busy day!

You get to manage the art, marketing and game code assets while working with game studios to retrieve and deliver them to licensees.

That’s the all-important responsibility. The rest is just standard administrative and hand-holding.

Click to continue reading Comic Book Jobs: Microsoft - Halo

Appy Entertainment: Trucks & Skulls Wins Again

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Video Games,

As everyone knows, Trucks are good and Skulls are evil. And when they get together…it's smashing. I'd read a comic book called Trucks & Skulls; I'd watch a movie called Trucks & Skulls; and I'd give my kids a bunch of toys called Trucks & Skulls.

What Trucks & Skulls is right now, though, is a game app for the iPhone and the iPad.

It hasn't been out for much longer than a month and already it's racking up the awards, the great reviews and the downloads.

The reason I pimp for this (again!) is that the game comes from Appy Entertainment and its Secret World Headquarters north of San Diego.

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Read More | Appy Entertainment