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View Full Version : "Let's make PSO2 together!" (SOJ hiring call)



EspioKaos
Nov 4, 2010, 02:06 PM
(Quick copy-pasta from my original post (http://forum.psupedia.info/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=1198).)

http://sega.jp/corp/saiyo/intermediate/

SOJ is now taking applications for three Phantasy Star series development staff positions with their "Let's make PSO2 together!" campaign.

Planner (http://www.sega.co.jp/corp/saiyo/intermediate/20101104_3/)
Job description
* To take responsibility of drawing up documents and plans for online game content for online Phantasy Star games. More specifically:
1. Create drafts and proposals
2. Create full specifications
3. Game regulation
4. Project schedule management and work progression
5. External regulation and balance

Qualifications
* Three or more years of game development
* Network game (P2P and S/C) development experience
* Experience in network game development for PC, PS3 and/or Xbox 360
* A great interest in game development for the Phantasy Star series
* A high-spirited individual with strong communication skills
* One with an extremely good work ethic
* Other welcome experience:
- 3D action and FPS character control and AI management
- Online game development and management
- Experience as a part-time leader

Client programmer (http://www.sega.co.jp/corp/saiyo/intermediate/20101104_2/)
Job description
* To take responsibility of client-side programming for online Phantasy Star games. More specifically:
1. Programming of player-related systems and actions
2. Programming of enemy-related systems and actions
3. Programming of map-related systems and gimmicks
4. Programming of quest-related systems and gimmicks

Qualifications
* Three or more years experience with C and C++
* Network game (P2P and S/C) development experience
* Experience in network game development for PC, PS3 and/or Xbox 360
* A great interest in game development for the Phantasy Star series
* Other welcome experience:
- 3D action and FPS character control and AI management
- Online game development and management

Server programmer (http://www.sega.co.jp/corp/saiyo/intermediate/20101104_1/)
Job description
* To take responsibility of server-side programming for online Phantasy Star games. More specifically:
1. Server-side programming for online games based on specifications
2. Online game server, network and database design and development

Qualifications
* Three or more years experience with C and C++
* Windows or Linux server programming experience
* A great interest in game development for the Phantasy Star series
* Other welcome experience:
- Web service planning, development and management
- Online game development and management

--

In other slightly-related news, you can now send messages to the PSO2 development team by using the form here:

http://phantasystar.sega.jp/psportal/pso2/msg/

Messages will be relayed to the team, but it says that not all messages will receive a response.

Rei-San
Nov 4, 2010, 03:08 PM
In all honesty this is pretty badass. :) I would like to have this job, but I haven't even graduated college yet. Here's hoping someone on these forums get this job, Then we can pressure him for ideas. :D or he reads these posts and have a general idea about what we want.

Mike
Nov 4, 2010, 06:19 PM
Shogai (http://www.g-heaven.net/topics/2010/11/101105a.html) thinks that looking for programmers with experience in PS3 and 360 means that PSO2 could be on those particular consoles.

DuRaL
Nov 4, 2010, 06:41 PM
Shogai (http://www.g-heaven.net/topics/2010/11/101105a.html) thinks that looking for programmers with experience in PS3 and 360 means that PSO2 could be on those particular consoles.
that's what i was thinking when reading this as well =)

as for the jobs.. i suppose you have to be japanese or at least be able to speak japanese fluently in order to get hired? i doubt they'll let gaijin work on a phantasy star game xD

Mitz
Nov 4, 2010, 07:20 PM
Hopefully, SEGA will get some fresh new ideas from people in the community who play this game far more than they themselves do, and know where the problem areas, and solutions, lie.

Mike
Nov 4, 2010, 07:54 PM
as for the jobs.. i suppose you have to be japanese or at least be able to speak japanese fluently in order to get hired? i doubt they'll let gaijin work on a phantasy star game xD
You'll need to be able to speak Japanese, of course, and some companies can get jitterish when it comes to sponsering a visa for a foriegner to work in Japan if they don't already have one. But there was one non-Japanese name I recognized in the PSP2 credit roll so letting foriegners/non-Japanese work on Phantasy Star games is ok.

RemiusTA
Nov 5, 2010, 12:54 AM
- 3D action and FPS character control and AI management


Guess that tells how the Rangers are gonna work, eh?

Honestly, I much perfered the way PSO/U Handled Rangers. All they need to do is add a better targeting system and actually animate them right.

However, im very curious to see what they do with that.

Kent
Nov 5, 2010, 07:33 AM
Well then. I'm actually qualified for that first position.

Save for probably the fact that they want someone who speaks Japanese.

Dhylec
Nov 5, 2010, 08:09 AM
Looks like PSO2 will take a while to release with these positions being sought, but at least we are sure to see online aspects & very likely for PS3 & Xb360 also.

MillyB
Nov 5, 2010, 08:45 AM
Time to move to Japan.

zandra117
Nov 5, 2010, 04:43 PM
So does this confirm that development of PSO2 hasn't really taken off? Or are these job positions more targeted toward building a development team that would be in charge of creating and managing the server content after the game launches while the original developers can have more time for other projects?

Ogni-XR21
Nov 6, 2010, 06:28 AM
Since they are looking for someone to work on the client I think they are still VERY early in development...

I honestly was hoping they were already working on this for some time but this doesn't seem to be the case here. Now I kind of fear that PSO2 will end up a rush job and unpolished just the way PSU was.

Seth Astra
Nov 6, 2010, 08:03 AM
I would move to Japan and learn Japanese... If I was the least bit qualified....

BIG OLAF
Nov 6, 2010, 10:36 AM
Like Dhylec (sort of) said, the Planner and Client Programmer jobs needing PS3/Xbox360 experience is obviously a hint at cross-platform release. At least I can rest easy on that subject now.

Lyric
Nov 6, 2010, 03:05 PM
That doesn't necessarily hint at any cross platform release. I'm not saying it won't happen though, as it's likely going to.

It could just mean they want someone who has been steadily busy in the industry, and/or someone who has worked on current-gen games.

bns1991
Nov 6, 2010, 05:22 PM
Sounds good....... they may be hinting at possibly a ps3/360 release since they are looking for people who have experience in those areas.

Cranberry
Nov 6, 2010, 08:26 PM
I guess this explains why the trailor had no gameplay footage.

"Announcing PSO2! ...now let's find someone to start making it."

cApNhOwDy
Nov 7, 2010, 10:51 AM
I guess this explains why the trailor had no gameplay footage.

"Announcing PSO2! ...now let's find someone to start making it."

Kinda like what PSU did. And PSO2 is slated for release in 2011.

I have a bad feeling about this, guys...

Please, Sega, do PSO justice!

Ffuzzy-Logik
Nov 7, 2010, 05:36 PM
Like Dhylec (sort of) said, the Planner and Client Programmer jobs needing PS3/Xbox360 experience is obviously a hint at cross-platform release. At least I can rest easy on that subject now.No no no no no no no no no no no. Read more carefully. All they are saying is that they want someone with recent game programming experience (PC, 360, and/OR PS3).

In fact, you guys are reading way too much into this information. They are simply stating what kinds of people they are looking for, which does not necessarily relate to what exactly the design concepts are.




The truly baffling part of this announcement isn't any of what it actually says, but the fact they are looking for personnel this close to the game's announced release of sometime next year. Watch PSO2 end up being one of those "social games" for whatever the cheap Japanese knockoff of Facebook is. This is a joke. Mostly.

BIG OLAF
Nov 7, 2010, 10:18 PM
No no no no no no no no no no no. Read more carefully. All they are saying is that they want someone with recent game programming experience (PC, 360, and/or PS3).

In fact, you guys are reading way too much into this information. They are simply stating what kinds of people they are looking for, which does not necessarily relate to what exactly the design concepts are.

Right, ok, but if PSO was going to be PC-only, why would they even put PS3/360 in the job description? I understand that they want someone with recent console experience, but isn't programming PC games more than a touch different than console games(I actually don't know, so I'm sort of asking)? Why would someone with PS3/360 experience merit any attention from Sega if PSO2 will indeed be a PC-only game? I don't understand.

Ffuzzy-Logik
Nov 7, 2010, 11:15 PM
It's just their way of expanding the number of people who will apply, so they have a better selection. Don't read too much into it.

HyperShot-X-
Nov 8, 2010, 04:01 AM
mm.. didn't really know what to make out of all this but not to speculate much too early on this.. I take it they are hiring additional staffs for each job opening on top of original in house staffs already been working on the project since they didn't specify how many ppl they are hiring for each job.

Kent
Nov 9, 2010, 12:30 AM
It's just their way of expanding the number of people who will apply, so they have a better selection. Don't read too much into it.
It also means that when it's time to move on to the next project, the new hiree will potentially already have experience working with a particular console, should the project be targeted at one.

Crateria
Nov 10, 2010, 01:10 AM
Reading the part about them wanting programmers with ps3 and xbox 360 experience is disheartening to me.

Does no one care about the fact that having this game on a console will ruin it for PC players? It will be the same thing as PSU. They won't be able to patch it as well as they could if it was only on the PC, it limits what you can do with the game.

If you really care about this game getting to its full potential, you should want it only on PC. Obviously there's a bias if you have a PS3 or Xbox 360, but most people also have a PC, and I can't imagine that this game will be that demanding of a high performance PC.

I don't blame them if they do since the return on having it be on consoles is probably worth it, but I don't care about that. I care about the game being the best it can be.

Kent
Nov 10, 2010, 08:36 PM
Does no one care about the fact that having this game on a console will ruin it for PC players? It will be the same thing as PSU. They won't be able to patch it as well as they could if it was only on the PC, it limits what you can do with the game.

If you really care about this game getting to its full potential, you should want it only on PC.
Be honest here, this is kind of a nonsensical statement.

Do you know why PSU couldn't be properly patched and updated? It wasn't because "it was on consoles." It was specifically because it was on the PlayStation 2 - a console that was already part of the previous generation, a move counterproductive to making a game like that last into the future. Nobody is going to argue that the PlayStation 2 basis of the game wasn't a mistake (unless, of course, they're critically ignorant).

We're talking modern consoles here. Modern consoles that actually allow things like patching, and downloadable version updates, and installation of expansion packs. To say that it shouldn't be on consoles because consoles cannot do things that they very clearly can is just folly. That said, there's not really a legitimate reason for wanting to keep the game off of consoles, assuming server segregation isn't an issue (which, if they put it on both of the consoles, that could be a problem - but if they only put it on one of them, then sever segregation wouldn't really become an issue).

Ffuzzy-Logik
Nov 10, 2010, 09:16 PM
There is a lot of truth and validity to what he said, though. Even though modern consoles may have hard drives, SEGA would still have to wait for Sony or Microsoft to approve their patches instead of being able to apply them whenever they want.

And really, if PSO2 is on multiple platforms, this greatly increases the odds of separate servers, which would ruin the game for the same reasons PSU was dead on arrival.

Roger Triton
Nov 28, 2010, 05:05 PM
There is a lot of truth and validity to what he said, though. Even though modern consoles may have hard drives, SEGA would still have to wait for Sony or Microsoft to approve their patches instead of being able to apply them whenever they want.

And really, if PSO2 is on multiple platforms, this greatly increases the odds of separate servers, which would ruin the game for the same reasons PSU was dead on arrival.

I was reading some news on another site how one company (damnit my brain is FRIED today! LOL) was working on bringing out an RPG for several systems. Microsoft wanted that company to tailor their release for the Xbox (which would have pushed up dev costs), so in the planning stages the company said no f***ing way. Come to think of it, it may have been SquareEnix and FF14 (????) Anyway, Microsoft put some demands on them & that comp. said no. So M$ being the big bully they are, brought it to the attention of either the media or the game industry. So the company looked bad not releasing it for both PS3 & the other system. Wrong attitude M$, way way wrong.

I still wonder why SEGA made the bone-headed move to put PSU across different servers for diff. platforms? Were their programmers that n00bish that they couldn't find a way to make the PC, PS2 and 360 games all run together?


Right, ok, but if PSO was going to be PC-only, why would they even put PS3/360 in the job description? I understand that they want someone with recent console experience, but isn't programming PC games more than a touch different than console games(I actually don't know, so I'm sort of asking)? Why would someone with PS3/360 experience merit any attention from Sega if PSO2 will indeed be a PC-only game? I don't understand.

PS3 requires very specialized programming (everyone from Rockstar to Konami has complained about how to make games for PS3, saying dev costs are MUCH higher than 360), so think of it this way. If they wanted, and I must say bluntly, specific experience in PS3 then you KNOW they were going for a PS3 project. But if they want either/or experience, it could be that they might have dual console releases. Or maybe not, and just want someone that could work on either. Except for one major release in the past 2 years, I have not heard of any game companies making a game for one system & dropping that project halfway through. Not unless you could the abomination that came out of SquareEnix on that RPG that was released for the PC & PS3. can't think of the name right now...


That doesn't necessarily hint at any cross platform release. I'm not saying it won't happen though, as it's likely going to.

It could just mean they want someone who has been steadily busy in the industry, and/or someone who has worked on current-gen games.

That is (atleast partically) true. When it comes to programming, from what I've hard the PS3 is very tough. And so, if they wanted someone to work with PS3 that person should have certified experience in programing. For someone that is just a planner (and not the programmer), then it's not necessary to have hands on experience with PS3 but it always helps. The planners often will just convert programmer speak to plain English (or in this case Japanese, LOL) so that they can get the tools & 'stuff' necessay to complete the project. Look at a person like Michael Bay vs. Steven Spielberg. One has hands on experience in every aspect of film making (Steven) while the other is just a Director with little experience in the grunt work. That is closer to a planner than it is to a programmer. Programmers have very specialized skills, moreso on consoles than on the PC (unless they also do MAC).


Well then. I'm actually qualified for that first position.

Save for probably the fact that they want someone who speaks Japanese.

Forward your resume & ask if they need anyone for Sega of America. Perhaps you could be involved in the localization?


You'll need to be able to speak Japanese, of course, and some companies can get jitterish when it comes to sponsering a visa for a foriegner to work in Japan if they don't already have one. But there was one non-Japanese name I recognized in the PSP2 credit roll so letting foriegners/non-Japanese work on Phantasy Star games is ok.

Unfortunately, I often hear Japanese being called Xenophobic. I have never had a friend from there or been there, so this is only what I've heard.


that's what i was thinking when reading this as well =)

as for the jobs.. i suppose you have to be japanese or at least be able to speak japanese fluently in order to get hired? i doubt they'll let gaijin work on a phantasy star game xD

You would think that by having a dev (non-Japanese) involved in the project, that would help them hand off the voice acting & English production at a lower cost than 'filling them in afterward' once the game is mostly done.
As many companies can tell you, by having someone from the U.S. or atleast English speaking involved in development, it significantly reduces the lead time (time to get a game from Japan to the U.S.). SquareEnix did this with FF13 & that come out wonderful.


Shogai (http://www.g-heaven.net/topics/2010/11/101105a.html) thinks that looking for programmers with experience in PS3 and 360 means that PSO2 could be on those particular consoles.

I truly hope Sega will try to broaden the market as much as possible, because when it comes right down to it, the total players on their servers will only be good vs. trying to appeal to a niche audience. And in all honesty, the 360 is much much easier to develop for than the PS3. I know not everyone will agree with me but if the Japan market could support it, if I were Sega of Japan I would make this for Jpn Wii as well.