SENIOR ENVIRONMENT ARTIST

Big Huge Games, developer of the award-winning real-time strategy games Rise of Nations and Rise of Legends, is expanding into a multi-team, multi-genre, next-gen company. We're looking for a creative, talented, and motivated Senior Environment Artist to take part in the creation of our unannounced RPG, headed up by Ken Rolston, Lead Designer of Oblivion and Morrowind.

Responsibilities:

• Manage technical aspects of environmental production, including: high-res source geometry, shader creation, animated states, and collision meshes.
• Work in a highly collaborative manner with the Art Director, core team members, and other team leads to accomplish production and development objectives at an industry leading level.
• Work with fellow artists in creating an efficient and streamlined production pipeline.
• Work with both art and design to meet projected deadlines/milestones.
• Mentor other BHG Environment Artists in best practices/processes.
• Assist team in environment outsource initiatives if needed.
• Model, texture, and polish interior and exterior architectural spaces and world objects based on conceptual artwork

Ideal candidates will possess:

• Expertise in 3D Studio Max and Photoshop (Maya and/or XSI expertise also accepted, as long as candidate is willing to add Max to their repertoire). Zbrush knowledge a strong plus.
• Masterful skill in one or more of these areas: modeling, texturing, animation
• Strong artistic, verbal, and written skills
• The ability to follow direction and process artistic/technical feedback in order to create unique design solutions
• The desire to work in a collaborative atmosphere
• The passion, drive, and dedication it takes to produce a great game
• A qualified understanding of advanced lighting principals and application as they pertain to game development.
• Has a proactive work ethic, an aptitude for problem solving, and is not afraid to take on big challenges

Preference to applicants with:

• Previous experience with PC and/or Next Gen console development (360, PS3, Wii)
• Experience modeling, texturing, and animating assets for RPG and/or FPS titles.
• Experience in one or more of the following areas:
  • Architectural modeling
  • Landscape, foliage, and exteriors
  • Dungeon interiors
  • Level design and gameplay construction mechanics

In addition to competitive salaries, Big Huge Games offers an extremely attractive benefits package, including:

• 401(k) plan
• Paid vacation, sick leave, personal days and holidays
• Comprehensive health insurance plan for you and your dependents
• Employer funded life insurance and disability coverage

Contact Info:

Big Huge's preferred method of viewing your artwork and resume is by email submission of your portfolio website link to greatartjob@bighugegames.com. We encourage applicants to attach 3 samples of their strongest animation work (small MPG files preferred). Limit total of attachments to 3mb or less. Note in the subject line "Senior Environment Artist". In addition to the attachments, links to work samples on YouTube or similar online video sites is also acceptable. Please do not send items via US Mail.

NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE.

About Big Huge Games:

We're a team of over 100 game developers - including a 28 person art department. Team skills are as important to us as technical skills and by sticking to this "core value," we've created a fun and energetic workplace with a passion for AAA game development. Some of our most successful games include Rise of Nations and Rise of Legends, of which the latter received Gamespy's 2006 Special Achievement in Art Direction Award and has been lauded by the press as "A playable piece of art..." (Game Revolution) and "...the best-looking RTS I've ever played" (PC Gamer). Another recent success has been the acquisition of Big Huge Games by the videogame publisher THQ in 2008 - a natural step in the evolution of the business, bringing in even more resources and allowing us to make even better (and better looking!) videogames. We're now hard at work on several new and as-yet-unannounced titles for the Xbox360, Playstation 3, Wii, and PC.

We're proud of our creative environment which includes fun office perks such as...

• Pool table
• Ping pong table
• Full-size bar (modeled after a local Irish Pub)
• Arcade machine (100's of classics installed)
• Free drinks (sodas, tea, and freshly ground coffee via two fancy latte machines)
• Biometric hand-scanner (Physical office keys? That's so twentieth century.)
• Console gaming area (PS3, 360, and Wii)
• Continuously updated Game Library stocked with 100's of titles available for borrow anytime
• 150 gallon saltwater aquarium