Nekki launches a “summer school" for those who want to become a game developer
The authors of the Shadow Fight and Vector series have announced their plans to launch an internship program for those who want to develop game programs.
Nekki Studio calls the internship program, which will last from July 1 to August 31, a “summer school”. The program involves training and training of trainees “on combat missions in projects with an audience of millions.” In other words, interns will be able to participate in the maintenance and development of projects such as Shadow Fight 2, Vector 2, Shadow Fight 3 and 11×11.
First of all, the studio plans to work with those who are interested in game design, production and programming. But it does not exclude the possibility of engaging in business and those who are passionate about marketing or art.
In connection with this initiative, we talked with Sergey Babayev, Vice President for Development of Nekki, about the “summer school”.
Sergey BabaevWho is the program aimed at?
First of all, for those who want to enter the gaming industry, but do not understand how to overcome the barrier “to start working, you need work experience.”
Some choose the path of training within the framework of various educational programs, but any person from the industry will say that if there is an opportunity to train on combat missions, you need to train.
What results did the program show before (you’ve done this before)?To be honest, there is no imposed KPI.
Mentors do not have the task of selecting their fighters in any way. We either find promising guys and include them in the work, or we don’t. In any selection, you need to be prepared for the fact that no one came up – otherwise this is a formal lesson for a tick. This will not benefit either the company or the participants themselves
How will the internship take place?The format of the working day will be offered – from fulltime to parttime convenient for the mentor.
At first, the trainee gets up to speed, then gradually receives combat tasks, passes acceptance and a detailed analysis with a mentor until the task is brought to an acceptable state within the production. This will last 1-2 months. After that, we either say goodbye or make an offer to move to a permanent job.
If you need recommendations based on the results of this internship for a job elsewhere, we are open to colleagues and will be happy to note all the merits and the best qualities of the intern
What will you look at (pay attention to) in the applications?It is important that the applicant clearly states his interests – in which area he wants to develop and, if possible, somehow demonstrate this zeal.
A future game designer can show his indie achievements, etc. We are positive about the fact that new people in the industry can still look for themselves, because the main thing is that they are interested in game dev specifically. But so far, the level of flexibility of the school does not imply a transition between mentors, studying different roles, etc.
What do you expect from the summer school in numbers?Previously, during the period of active recruitment (this is also a few months in general), a couple of dozen people went through internships.
Of course, there are several times more applications. As I have already said, we do not set any artificial KPIs, such as “by all means to drive 100 people through an internship.” But I think there will be a dozen or two people who have passed the primary selection and a personal meeting. The ultimate goal this year is to grow at least 5 people from trainees to confident members of the Shadow Fight 3 team.
Applications are filled in here.
You will be able to learn about the latest trends in the gaming industry first-hand, personally meet and discuss working issues with leading companies in the game development and publishing market at White Nights St. Petersburg 2016, which will be held on June 28-29.
