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Alexander Rehm

Alexander Rehm is a web designer, information architect and usability & accessibility auditor. He's currently working as a Director of Live Operations and has extensive experience of developing large-scale architecture and frameworks for online services, catering for millions of users concurrently. In his blog, Alex shares his musings on all things internet, usability, accessibility and gaming.

Transformers Universe Open Beta launches July 4th

Exciting times!! We are launching the Transformers Universe Open Beta this Independence Day (July 4) weekend.

Coming to PC and Mac in summer 2014, Universe is a massively online tactical action game set in the world of Transformers.

Players can sign up for beta access now on the Transformers Universe website.

To celebrate the open beta launch, we are going to to hold a double XP weekend, host a 24-hour live Twitch stream and offer players $75,000 in prizes.

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Looking forward to seeing you on the battlefield! 🙂

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Carnage Racing is now on iOS

carnage racing ios icon

Good times! The Facebook game Carnage Racing is now available on iOS!

Carnage Racing combines racing, stunt driving, explosive combat and real-time, eight-way online multiplayer into a single adrenaline-fuelled package to satisfy every kind of car-racing fan. Take on the rest of the world with Carnage Racing’s exhilarating 8-way real-time multiplayer mode and show them who really rules the road.

Developed by Jagex Games Studios’ California office, Carnage Racing is a high-stakes game with one aim – take out your opponents, earn cash and buy upgrades that’ll power you to global victory. Get ready for the race of your life.

Features:

  • Unique Gameplay – Carnage Racing is like no other racing game you’ve ever played, blending racing, strategy, combat and stunt driving into one unbeatable mix.
  • Multiplayer Mayhem – Show them who’s boss by taking on your friends, or players from around the world with 8 way real-time multiplayer over Wi-Fi & 3G.
  • Amazing 3D Graphics – Blistering graphics create an amazing feeling of speed and immersion that places you right in the heart of the action so that you see and feel every bump, smash, barrel roll and explosion.
  • Unique Race Tracks – Prove your skills in 21 races set across 3 tropical island race tracks, each of which is packed with ramps, boosts, pick-ups, and hundreds of alternative routes. Fill up your Phase Shift Meter and open up endless gameplay possibilities by using the Island’s mysterious warp portals to give you that extra edge.
  • Crusin’ Baby! – Whether you’re a gun lover, speed freak or air lovin’ trickster, we’ve got a vehicle for you. Dominate the track with 8 vehicles across 3 classes – from the gun-totin’, armour-plated “Destroyer” to the breakneck-fast “Speedster” and the nimble “Trickster” that can pull off ever more daring flips, spins and rolls.
  • Total Annihilation – Blast your enemies off the track with an incredible array of upgradeable weapons – including flamethrower, time bombs, decoys missiles, road sludge and energy drain.
  • Pimp your Ride – Spend your well-earned cash to make your car go higher, faster and even warp further with a host of performance upgrades. Make your mark and beef up your ride’s looks with a hot new paint job, go faster stripes or even some flamin’ decals up the sides.
  • Super Intuitive Controls – A range of control methods makes Carnage Racing incredibly easy to pick up and play.

screenshot of carnage racing for ios

Download Carnage Racing now!

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Senior Website Developer wanted!

jagex logoHappy Friday everyone! What better way to start the weekend than looking for a talented website developer to join my team here in Cambridge! 🙂

Jagex Ltd, the UK’s leading independent Online Games Studio, is looking for a talented Senior Website Developer to join my team! We are currently going through an exciting phase, with multiple titles in development in addition to third party publishing opportunities, and as such we are looking to expand the Web Development team to cope with this increasing demand.

Working with industry standard web languages alongside our in-house technology, in close partnership with our team of designers and back-end programmers, you will be responsible for the development of the front end of our public-facing websites.

Key Duties Include:

  • Constructing high quality websites from supplied designs whilst utilising modern methods such as HTML5 & CSS3
  • Website usability, interactivity and application development using JavaScript
  • Working closely with our programming team to create interfaces to match existing site design
  • Maintaining and supporting current websites, products and applications
  • Management and mentoring of the website development team

Essential Requirements:

  • Standards compliant, accessible website coding in HTML/CSS by hand
  • Strong JavaScript skills, including experience of frameworks (preferably jQuery)
  • Able to demonstrate good functionality and usability through current online portfolios / sites (should be examples of work, not solely Flash based)
  • A good working knowledge of Photoshop CS
  • The ability to create and enhance user interfaces through the careful use of scripting
  • Emphasis on user friendly and accessible sites that work in all modern browsers
  • Experience managing a team
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Desirable Requirements:

  • Experience with very high-traffic, bandwidth optimised sites
  • Experience with Firebug, server side scripting (eg, PHP, ASP), CSS frameworks all beneficial
  • Degree level education in a relevant subject or commercial experience in the web dev sector
  • Editorial or writing experience
  • Portfolio of well-crafted commercial websites
  • Understanding of Thymeleaf or Freemarker
  • Understanding of Javascript MVC frameworks

 

This is an excellent opportunity for an outstanding developer, with commercial experience and a deep understanding of usability and end-user experience, to forge an exciting career within our hugely successful, world-leading games studio.

Apply now!

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Don’t know what life at Jagex is like? Have a look:

Once again, click here to apply 🙂

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RuneScape 3 launched – Dawn of a New Age

Today marks the launch RuneScape 3, the biggest update in RuneScape’s history. And after the Transformers Universe Closed Beta launch in December the second biggest launch for me here at Jagex!

runescape 3 homepage screenshot

With a brand new age in technology, gameplay and story now the player must drive the future of Gielinor and leave their mark on RuneScape’s 6th Age. The changes in a bit more detail:

Technology:

  • HTML5 game client: The next generation of RS3 brings a big step up in visual quality with improving lighting, draw distance and colour, loading into your browser in moments, without the need for plug-ins or Java.
  • New audio engine: High-fidelity audio and music, featuring full orchestral pieces written by BAFTA Award winner James Hannigan and played by the Slovak Symphony Orchestra.
  • Seasonal high scores: Compete against your friends and the rest of the RuneScape community to rank on weekly and monthly leaderboards.

Story:

  • Dawn of the Sixth Age: The gods of RuneScape are returning. Entrusted as World Guardians, players have the power to decide which gods will win and lose in their struggles for supremacy.
  • The Battle for Lumbridge: An epic-scale world event which will shake the foundations of Gielinor, and one which is driven entirely by your actions. Week by week, your choices will shape the flow of battle and the fate of characters, locations and stories, and the ultimate outcome will set the course for RuneScape’s future.

Gameplay:

  • New Interface System: Designed for ease of use and massive depth of customisation, the NIS lets you quickly change RuneScape’s UI according to your play style at any given moment. It also includes feature upgrades such as key binding and a resizable minimap to put even more choice at your fingertips.
  • Upgraded camera: Overhauled and updated, a new in-game camera gives you the freedom to view Gielinor like never before.
  • New community website: Customise your community experience to your specifications, with a new easy-to-navigate website focused on your needs.
  • Divination: Prepare to unlock divine powers from your surroundings with a new skill for RuneScape 3, arriving a few weeks after launch.

Many teams across Jagex have spent months reaching this monumental point bringing players the best browser experience possible.

Try now, play for free!

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New Batman: Arkham Origins Trailer online

arkham origins boxartVery excited about this! The new Arkham Origins Trailer has just been released!

A bit of background, the game’s main storyline is set several years before that of 2009’s Batman: Arkham Asylum and follows a younger and less refined Batman who becomes the target of assassins on Christmas Eve. We know that the game will feature Joker, Deathstroke, Anarky, Alberto Falcone, the Penguin, Bane, Deadshot, and probably a lot more! Plus we have Alfred and Robin (and I’m hoping Catwoman). And of course, Kevin Conroy is back for the voice of Batman!

Now, without much further ado:

Are you excited? 🙂

Reus Gameplay – first 40 minutes

After having played a bit of Metro: Last Light, I decided to give Reus a try. The first 40 minutes of gameplay of the Indie game Reus. I really liked the idea of a semi-Populous, semi-Black & White game in which you control your civilizations through wonders, gifts and other means. This is what it looks like:

Running on an i7 @ 2.66GHz, 12GB RAM and a GTX 580 @ 1920×1200, all details on high / very high. Recorded using DXtory.

About Reus

In Reus, you control powerful giants that help you shape the planet to your will. You can create mountains and oceans, forests and more. Enrich your planet with plants, minerals and animal life. There is only one thing on the planet that you do not control: mankind, with all their virtues and and all their vices. You can shape their world, but not their will. Provide for them and they may thrive. Give them too much, and their greed may gain the upper hand.

Developer: Abbey Games
Publisher: Abbey Games
Release Date: 16 May 2013

Reus is now available on Steam and Gog:
Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/app/222730/
Gog.com: http://www.gog.com/gamecard/reus