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Jobs of the Future: Creativity meets technical proficiency in game design

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Some of Joshua Vaters’ fondest childhood memories are of playing videogames at home in Sudbury with his grandmother.

The digital pastime had always been part of his life growing up, and when it came time to decide on a future career, he had game design in his sights.

“I’ve always wanted to take game design, right out of the gate,” Vaters said.

“Videogames have always made me really happy, so I’ve always wanted to make games to make other people feel the same way.”

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But by the time he was ready to attend college, the only program available was offered through a school in Toronto.

With a young daughter to care for, it just wasn’t feasible to enroll in a program four hours away, upending his family so he could follow his dream, Vaters said. Instead, he went to work.

Vaters trained as a professional rubber liner and conveyor belt technician, developing a niche set of skills over the last decade that put him in demand at mining sites and aggregate pits across the city.

But everything changed last summer when he got an email from Cambrian College announcing its brand-new game design program.

He instantly saw it as a chance to recapture the opportunity that had slipped by him so many years before.

“I was, like, ‘This is it; this is the time. I can’t live my life (thinking) ‘What if?’ So I gotta try it.'”

Vaters is now one of the inaugural cohort of the college’s game design program, which kicked off in September 2021.

Throughout the four-semester course, students learn about game design theory, the creation, application and production of games, and the use of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR).

Thirty-five students signed up for its first intake, a robust response to a new course, said program coordinator Aaron Langille, an experienced computer programmer and lifelong videogame lover.

Many students are attracted to the program because it’s just plain fun, he noted.

But in an industry that, in 2021, generated an estimated $4.3 billion in Canada, videogame design is also sparking attention for the vast possibilities it presents.

“I don’t have to work hard to sell people on the idea of game design,” Langille said.

“It’s something that is starting to come so natural to people, because there’s been such a shift in not only the size of the game industry, but also in the perception of games as an actual valid thing to be doing.”

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Though many students may dream of designing their own Minecraft or Call of Duty, the game design principles they learn in the program can easily be applied elsewhere, Langille said. That includes the videogame’s non-digital predecessor: board games.

Gamification — inserting game-like aspects into other applications — is a big trend in the corporate world right now, with many companies employing game tactics to make information or services more attractive to users.

“How do we engage people? How do we keep their interest? How do we tell interesting stories about things that might not be inherently interesting?” Langille said.

“All of those skills, we try to do our best in the game design courses to say, you can also use it in these instances as well.”

One example might be a company incentive program that encourages employees to meet their productivity quotas, he noted. Another is education; if an organization turns learning new information into a game, it instantly becomes more exciting and appealing.

Colleges, industry, and other employers are also using VR and AR in their training modules to provide learners with a simulation of scenarios they may encounter in their work.

For example, a common core student could put on goggles and be immersed in a VR tour of an operating mine before ever setting foot underground.

All that advanced technology requires someone to design, build, and implement it.

“Game sits at the intersection of so many media types, and so many creativity-based endeavours, and so many technical endeavours, that it’s impossible not to be learning transferable skills while you’re learning game design,” Langille said.

“So, I’d like to think that we’re opening a world of doors for our students. Even if they’re only thinking game design, there are so many places that they could go after they’re done.”

Sudbury is already home to a small, fledgling community of designers who work in the industry, and Langille predicts it will grow further in the coming years.

As punctuated by the COVID-19 pandemic, geographical location is no longer a barrier to work in many industries, game design included.

He believes it’s very feasible for designers in Sudbury, or elsewhere in Northern Ontario, to be collaborating with counterparts in locations around the globe.

“I think Northern Ontario’s ready, and I think it’ll be great to start seeing students come in from all over the place to be part of this,” Langille said.

“There’s no reason that we can’t be a hub of interest for people that are in Toronto that want to connect with us, too. We have ideas that are just as good as anybody else’s; there’s no question. I see it from my students and I see it from the people that I meet.”

Joshua Vaters still has another year to go before he’ll be ready to enter the industry, but the course so far has been eye-opening.

Though he’d been an aficionado in playing videogames, he hadn’t done much programming, and he said it’s been a welcome challenge to balance the creative and coding aspects of the work.

This past summer, he got first-hand experience in both after landing a coveted job with NORCAT, working with the innovation centre’s tech team on various projects, including the design of a VR program aimed at training new electricians on fire safety.

After graduation, he hopes to find work with a local company where he can continue to hone his skills in the industry that’s held a lifelong fascination.

Asked if it’s been worth it to make such a big change in his life, there’s no hesitation.

“Oh, definitely,” Vaters said. “I’m so much happier, and I’m enjoying it thoroughly. It’s really good.”

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Take-Two Interactive to Acquire 'Borderlands' Developer Gearbox From Embracer Group for $460 Million – Yahoo Canada Sports

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Take-Two Interactive has acquired video game developer Gearbox, the maker of the “Borderlands” franchise, from Embracer Group for $460 million.

Per Take Two, the company “expects the transaction to deepen its successful relationship with Gearbox Entertainment and to provide increased financial benefits through a fully integrated operational structure.”

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As part of the deal, Take-Two will acquire Gearbox IP, including “Borderlands” and “Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands” franchises, games published by Take-Two’s 2K Games, as well as “Homeworld,” “Risk of Rain,” “Brothers in Arms” and “Duke Nukem.”

Currently, Gearbox has six “key interactive entertainment projects in various stages of development,” per Take-Two, which includes five sequels, two from “Borderlands” and “Homeworld” universes, and at least one “exciting new intellectual property,” all of which have been acquired in the sale.

Take-Two’s purchase of Gearbox is expected to close in June, pending regulatory approval. Upon completion, Gearbox will operate as a studio within 2K, continuing to be led by Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford and his management team.

Former Gearbox owner Embracer, a Swedish gaming conglomerate who snapped up the rights to “Lord of the Rings” two years ago, has undergone a severe restructuring program over the past year, which has seen the company shut down or dispose of dozens of games studios and titles and lay off hundreds of staff, resulting in aftershocks that have reverberated throughout the games industry.

The sale of Gearbox marks the latest insistence of Embracer unloading assets, following the company divesting Saber Interactive.

“Our acquisition of Gearbox is an exciting moment for Take-Two and will strengthen our industry-leading creative talent and portfolio of owned intellectual property, including the iconic Borderlands franchise,” Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick said. “This combination enhances the financial profile of our existing projects with Gearbox and unlocks the opportunity for us to drive increased long-term growth by leveraging the full resources of Take-Two across all of Gearbox’s exciting initiatives.”

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An OLED iPad Pro and the first big-screen iPad Air will reportedly arrive in May – Engadget

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Apple will finally launch new iPads in early May, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. Expected are a new iPad Pro with an OLED display and a faster iPad Air, including a 12.9-inch model for the first time in that lineup. The details of the upcoming iPad models have been consistent, circulating through the rumor mill since last year.

The new iPad Pro models will reportedly add OLED displays (offering deeper blacks and richer colors) and run on the new M3 chip, already found in several Macs. The new tablets are said to launch alongside a redesigned Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard. Other than a white color option, the latter has remained unchanged since its arrival four years ago.

Meanwhile, the iPad Air will supposedly run on a new processor. Bloomberg didn’t specify which, but — considering the current model uses the M1, and Apple likely wants to reserve the M3 for the more expensive Pro — the M2 sounds like a safe bet. The 12.9-inch screen option would mark the first time the iPad Air line has offered a display larger than 10.9 inches. Although Apple will charge more for that model than the smaller sibling expected alongside it, that would be the cheapest way yet to get a supersized iPad screen.

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Gurman said early this month that the new tablets would launch alongside the M3 MacBook Air, but the laptop arrived without any iPads in tow. He now reports that Apple’s release schedule was pushed back to finish working on the devices’ software and ironing out the kinks from the “complex new manufacturing techniques” they require.

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Ashleigh Oakridge offers boutique-style condos with concrete construction – Vancouver Sun

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Peterson Group’s latest project will be chock-full of amenities and have timeless interiors

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It may not sound exciting to say the big selling points for a new condominium project are that it’s concrete construction and four storeys. But start thinking in terms of getting all the benefits of concrete-tower construction in a sophisticated, boutique-style building of only 34 to 35 units, chock-full of amenities, situated on a quiet, tree-lined Vancouver street and the appeal is obvious—especially to those downsizing in the neighbourhood.

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“That on its own really sets it apart because if you want to be in a boutique setting, you don’t love the idea of highrises, and you want a concrete home type, there aren’t many options. It’s highly unique,” explains Barrett Sprowson, vice-president of sales and project marketing at Peterson Group, the developer of the Ashleigh Oakridge project, which will be composed of three buildings when completed.

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Two of the three buildings, the Berkley and the Alma, will be constructed first, with the Cambridge following later. Each one will have its own curb appeal, but all are designed to integrate into the neighbourhood, hence the plan to maintain the existing trees. The wellness amenities of sauna, steam room, cold and hot plunge pools and fully-equipped fitness room are centrally located in the Berkley for all the residents’ use. All three buildings have their own rooftop amenities that feature an indoor-outdoor flow from an expansive entertainment and co-workspace to patio lounging, dining, fire pits, communal gardens and children’s play area.

The interiors at Ashleigh Oakridge will feature classic styling with design-forward touches.
The interiors at Ashleigh Oakridge will feature classic styling with design-forward touches. Photo by Supplied by Peterson Group

The interiors of the homes, which Sprowson says offer generous, well-laid-out floorplans, feature numerous elevated design details that complement a classic esthetic. His personal favourite is the pot filler over the gas cooktop in the kitchen. “There’s not too many times you run into that, and there’s a little feature that’s practical, helpful and useful but is also tricky and expensive to do,” he says.

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The interior design team at Ste. Marie Studio framed their overall concept around the idea of classic styling accented with design-forward touches.

“We looked at it through the lens of a single-family home and wanting it to feel really timeless,” says Craig Stanghetta, founder and creative director of Ste. Marie Studio. “We don’t want it to feel that it doesn’t have a little bit of risk. There’s a little bit of risk in terms of some brushed metal accents.”

Their use of a bold marble for the kitchen backsplashes makes a dramatic visual statement, but though striking, the pattern is a classic marble, not one heavily veined, and one that would be at home in a Paris apartment or a New York brownstone, Stanghetta observes. In the larger homes, they’ve used it to wrap the islands. “They become a big feature, but in some of these other ones, we’re using the manufactured stone in those areas and letting the backsplash be the big design gesture,” Stanghetta says.

The wellness amenities will include sauna, steam room, cold and hot plunge pools and a fully-equipped fitness room.
The wellness amenities will include sauna, steam room, cold and hot plunge pools and a fully-equipped fitness room. Photo by Supplied by Peterson Group

In the smaller units where the backsplashes are marble, but quartz is used on the counter and island surfaces, the team introduced a dining table-island combination that works for multiple uses—kitchen prep, home office or dining—and the generous bank of wall storage available in the L-shaped configuration allowed for this unique style of island.

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“I think we just acknowledged that sometimes people are prioritizing different things, and if you’re in a one-bedroom living scenario, then we want the flexibility to choose your own adventure with that piece of furniture,” Stanghetta explains.

The appliance package is Miele and features built-in coffee makers, gas ranges, speed ovens, wall ovens and, in some units, wine fridges. There are also sleek can lights over the islands and open shelving for personalizing the space. Sprowson notes that the full-height pantries also boost the kitchens’ functionality and that, though expected when downsizing from a single-family home, they’re often not an option in condo living.

“It’s also a striking kitchen. You look at the marble backsplash and the marble countertop with the waterfall edge, and you’ve got all the functionality, but it’s also, dare I say, very pretty to look at,” he says.

When complete, each building at Ashleigh Oakridge will have rooftop amenities that include an entertainment and co-workspace, patio lounging, dining, fire pits, communal gardens and children's play area.
When complete, each building at Ashleigh Oakridge will have rooftop amenities that include an entertainment and co-workspace, patio lounging, dining, fire pits, communal gardens and children’s play area. Photo by Supplied by Peterson Group

The bathrooms reflect that same mix of functionality and sophisticated styling, with details like flattering sconce lighting and wall-mount toilets. Stanghetta says the floating shelf under the medicine cabinet creates a “nice balance of high-functional storage but then these clean lines that also give you a more fully designed and realized space.”

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He notes that the double vanities in the larger bathrooms have an oversized countertop, a beautiful detail that works with the timeless design concept: attention to detail that will last. The combination of timelessness with contemporary accents creates interiors that reflect the project’s overall vision.

The development is ideally situated to allow residents to be central to everything while enjoying a quiet location.

“This is a viable option for anyone who wants concrete, a good amount of space, decent amenities, all the walkability and proximity to Oakridge and all the cool stuff that’s on the Cambie corridor,” Stanghetta observes.

Ashleigh Oakridge

Project Address: 5080 Ash Street, Vancouver

Project Scope: A development of three, four-storey, concrete, boutique buildings offering one, two and three-bedroom homes that range from 590 to 1,800 square feet. Each building features rooftop amenities and a shared wellness and fitness centre in the Berkley building.

Developers: Peterson Group

Architects: GBL Architects

Prices: Starting in the low $800,000s

Sales centre: Ashleigh PC 2094 W 43rd Ave, Vancouver

Sales centre hours: Open daily (Except Friday), noon to 5 p.m.

Sales phone: 604-476-429

Website: ashleighoakridge.com

Occupancy date: Estimated completion summer 2028

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