Survios is one of the few studios that’s been working on VR game design and motion controls since even before Oculus was shipping their initial Rift DK1 headset. Now the company is opening its doors with an internship program for aspiring VR game designers.
Looking back today, as the first commercial VR headsets are just about to launch, you can see plainly that Survios was ahead of its time. All the way back in 2012, the future founders of the company were designing a virtual reality game called Project Holodeck that would use wireless head-mounted displays in a free-roaming playspace, with motion controls and multiplayer. While today we have systems like the HTC Vive that package most of this functionality up into a relatively simple system, back then the team had to cobble together their own DIY solution.
This gave the company—which formed officially in 2013—a head start on the sort of motion controller-based VR game design that’s so prevalent now in 2016. The studio is currently working on Raw Data, a co-op multiplayer action game for the HTC Vive.
Now the company is opening a 13-week paid summer internship program to work with aspiring VR game designers at their Los Angeles, CA offices. The company says they’re accepting applicants from around the world who want to “dive headfirst into the ever-evolving, sometimes chaotic, and always awesome world of VR game development.”
Applications are due by April 1st along with a small game prototype to demonstrate proficiency with game development tools. Interested applicants can apply here. The full job application is posted below:
Details:
This is a 13-week internship (May 16 – August 12) on-site at Survios HQ in Los Angeles, California.
International:
International applications will be considered based on availability of U.S. Visitor Visas or other temporary Visa arrangements.
Requirements:
- Applicants must be 18 years of age or older.
- Applicants must be currently attending or recently graduated from high school/secondary school or college.
- Applicants must have a working knowledge of Unity3D, Unreal Engine, or CryEngine. These will be the main development tools used during the course of the internship.
Stipend:
Each intern will receive a biweekly stipend of $500. Interns outside of the greater Los Angeles area will receive housing subsidies for the duration of the internship if necessary.
Important Dates:
- March 14: Applications open
- April 1: Applications and tests due
- April 8: Interns selected and notified.
- May 16: First day of internship program. Interns must report to Survios HQ in Los Angeles.
- August 12: Last day of internship program.
How To Apply:
Fill out our online application here including your resume, a personal statement, and any relevant project links.
You will also be required to submit an original, small game prototype built in either Unity3D, Unreal Engine or CryEngine. You can collaborate with up to three people on this project if you wish. Please submit final materials and/or links to internships@survios.com by April 1. The game must be playable on PC or Mac. You must provide the full Unity3D or UE4 project as well as a build for PC or Mac.
Game Prototype Test:
Build a simple game prototype in Unity3D or Unreal Engine 4. The prototype must be fun and replayable. The game doesn’t have to be to intricate. Simple capsules and programmer art are fine. We’re looking for fun and interactivity!
Prompts: The game must use one of the following prompts:
- Racketball: Create a simple racketball game. Make your character swing and hit a ball that must bounce off of the far wall to score a point. Create a simple AI that attempts to hit the ball as well. Count your score versus the AI score.
- Adventure: Generate a simple procedural world in Unity that you can explore in first person. This world can include terrain, trees, rocks, etc. As long as the world is different every time you re-generate it. Bonus points: Add a simple AI animal to the world. Could be a simple capsule with rudimentary AI. More bonus points: Add a day/night cycle.
- Fight: Create a first person fighting game with very simple controls and AI. You win when you knock down your opponent. Bonus points: Add the ability to block the opponent’s attacks.
- Puzzle: Create a simple first person experience where you must solve a puzzle. The puzzle must have parts that are randomly generated so that each puzzle is unique and different.
- Music: Create a simple music game where the player’s inputs change some element of the music.
Bonus points: Use motion controls (Razer Hydra, HTC Vive, PlayStation Move).
Extra bonus points: Add second player support!