Author: Lauren

Northern Ireland indie developer Outsider Games is thrilled to announce they will be showcasing their latest project Tax-Force, the comic book inspired, narrative action rogue-lite title, on the Indie Arena booth at this year’s Gamescom. Tax-Force will be coming to PC via Steam and is available to Wishlist now.

The game was developed with funding from Northern Ireland Screen and with the support of Creative Europe – MEDIA Programme of the European Union.

Tax-Force forces the player to weigh up morality-based policies and economic strategy. Its themes deal with the economic and personal effects of government policy and corporate responsibility.

The Galaxy is in debt. In a final, desperate attempt to save the planet from bankruptcy, and prevent the shutdown of Farset13’s Solar Shield, you are invited to lead Tax-Force – an elite department of heavily armed Treasurers granted emergency powers to hunt down billionaire mutant tax evaders.

You have just 7 days to fight your way through their defences, negotiate repayments and clear the debt directly, or reinvest in your city to grow the economy before the planet burns to a crisp.

“Over the last couple of years, we’ve been working on developing our magnum opus, Tax-Force, which combines the team’s love of 90’s comic books and our disdain for tax-avoiding billionaires” commented Stephen Downey, CEO of Outsider Games. “We have been working extremely hard on creating something very special with Tax-Force and we can’t wait to unveil the game on the Indie Arena booth at Gamescom”.

Features of Tax-Force:

• Melee Combat – A focus on tough, close-range combat, with hand-drawn, rogue-lite biomes that remix with every run.
• Mutant Powers – Specials inspired by superhero mutant powers. Astral Projection! Metal Man! Optical Blasts!
• Strategy and Morality – Negotiate with targets to affect the economy, narrative and gameplay on each run. Every decision challenges players to choose between sci-fi metaphors for socialist vs capitalist economic policies.
• Rebuild – As you reinvest in society, the gameplay reacts. Price and potency of healing responds to public or private investment in healthcare. Weapons and criminal activity adjust as you increase defence spend, while new bridges and paths appear as you invest in infrastructure.
• Branching Narrative – Every decision leads to narrative consequences for the Farset13 citizens, as their stories are guided by your choices, and the city organically grows and changes around them.
• Timeloop – Death activates your time-travelling mutant power, sending you back to Day 1, armed with knowledge of your enemies and the consequences of your actions.
• Stunning Visuals – Gorgeous, hand-drawn comic book art style inspired by Jim Lee and 90’s X-men comics.

The team from Outsider Games will form part of Northern Ireland Screen’s supported trade delegation to Gamescom, the annual trade fair in Cologne, Germany, from August 23rd to 27th.

Tax-Force will be coming to PC via Steam and is available to Wishlist now. For more information please visit https://outsidergames.com/.

We are seeking new teams to video game development to apply for our MiniGame @ The Pixel Mill scheme. The video game studios must be based in Northern Ireland and working towards developing their first game with the motivation to release their first title.

MiniGame encourages studios to create mini/short games that they can publish within 5 months. These can be narrative games that can be completed in less than an hour, an endless runner with unique mechanics, a turn based strategy with interesting rules. Concise games that people can pick-up and enjoy in a day.

Three successful companies will be supported to develop their business and build their teams. As part of MiniGame companies will receive:

• Up to £25,000 in development funding per company across 2 stages
• Access to facilities and mentors at The Pixel Mill

Interested companies will initially be invited to complete an online expression of interest. From there, shortlisted companies will be invited to attend an interview and pitch presentation.

For further information please click here.

Deadline for applications is Monday 28th August.

We are looking for experienced freelancers from the video game industry to provide mentoring services at our collaborative co-working space, The Pixel Mill. The role will involve meeting with companies and other freelancers in receipt of support from Northern Ireland Screen.

The freelance mentors must have a particular insight into their area of expertise and they must be able to provide clear and informed advice to companies and freelancers.

The areas of video game development that we require mentors in are:

• Production
• Marketing
• Publishing/Business
• Design
• Art
• Programming
• UX/UI
• Legal
• Leadership
• Accounting
• User Testing

Closing date is Friday 29th March 2024.

For more information and to apply, visit the skills section on Northern Ireland Screen’s website.

The Pixel Mill will be hosting a 2-day Mental Health First Aid Course for the interactive sector on the 25th and 26th April from 9:30am – 4:30pm at Ormeau Baths.

The two-day workshop will be delivered by Mind Fitness and will focus on best practice guidelines. This will provide the knowledge, confidence, and practical skills for delegates to be able to effectively set boundaries, provide non-clinical mental health support and know how to take care of their own wellbeing, and the wellbeing of the colleagues they are responsible for leading and collaborating with. This course assembles current best practice around mental health first aid and applies these principles to the specific challenges that professionals in the videogames industry are sometimes presented with.

Outcomes for the course are:

• Able to understand the primary goals of a Mental Health First Aider
• Able to identify a range of common mental health challenges based on current best practice insights about how people may present whilst experiencing these common conditions
• Able to apply the RESPOND framework to provide non-judgemental support to any person experiencing a mental health challenge
• Able to confidently take care of one’s own wellbeing and mental health whilst working as a professional in any of the creative industries
• Able to reflect on challenges and communicate with clarity and purpose to influence and direct positive outcomes for the people you manage and the colleagues you collaborate with

Mind Fitness specialises in mental health, wellbeing and personal effectiveness training. With a background in video games and the creative industries, it works extensively in the interactive entertainment industry.

There are limited number of spaces available for the workshop series and will be given out on a first come, first serve basis. In the event that the workshop series are oversubscribed we may limit the number of participants from individual companies.

If you would like to sign up to the workshops please email Rory Clifford, Interactive Manager, rory@northernirelandscreen.co.uk.

The Pixel Mill is hosting a series of online learning sessions focused on People and Culture for the interactive sector during April and May.

The series of 6 x 2hr sessions will cover a range of topics around leading people and developing team culture within interactive studios. The first 3 sessions in series in April are:

• Wednesday 5^th April, 12noon-2pm – Developing Employer Value Proposition (EVP) – what does your brand really say about the people you work with
• Wednesday 12^th April, 12noon-2pm – How to recruit well! From ED&I to the does and don’ts of the process we’ll explore ways to attract and select the best talent for you
• Wednesday 19^th April, 12noon-2pm – Retention is more than your EVP but do you truly know what’s required to keep good people?

The workshops will be delivered by Sarah Brewster from Fresh Seed. Fresh Seed is a People and Culture consultancy for the creative industries providing revolutionary people management and organisational culture services to help the industry grow stronger. Their services range from HR retainer to a training and cultural deep dive, focusing on bringing positive transformation and happiness to the creative industries. Fresh Seed work with various studios within the industry including Safe In Our World and SpongeHammer.

Sarah has spent years in Organisation Design and Development, Operations Management and HR. Having mostly worked in SMEs, she is familiar with the challenges and opportunities that this brings. She doesn’t speak in corporate terms and feels there’s a complete disconnect between HR practices and people management so Fresh Seed was born to bridge that gap.

If you would like to attend the workshop please email rory@northernirelandscreen.co.uk to register.

The Pixel Mill will be hosting an Introduction People and Culture workshop for the interactive sector on Thursday 9th March from 9:30am-12:30pm at Ormeau Baths, Belfast.

The workshop will look at what ‘people and culture’ is and explain why it is an important function of a video game/immersive studio from established teams through to start-up studios. The interactive workshop will be followed by 1-2-1 sessions for studios that have specific questions they would like advice on themselves.

The workshop will be delivered by Sarah Brewster from Fresh Seed. Fresh Seed is a People and Culture consultancy for the creative industries providing revolutionary people management and organisational culture services to help the industry grow stronger. Their services range from HR retainer to a training and cultural deep dive, focusing on bringing positive transformation and happiness to the creative industries. Fresh Seed work with various studios within the industry including Safe In Our World and SpongeHammer.

Sarah has spent years in Organisation Design and Development, Operations Management and HR. Having mostly worked in SMEs, she is familiar with the challenges and opportunities that this brings. She doesn’t speak in corporate terms and feels there’s a complete disconnect between HR practices and people management so Fresh Seed was born to bridge that gap.

If you would like to attend the workshop please email rachelc@northernirelandscreen.co.uk to register. If you would like to book a 1-2-1 session with Sarah, please inform Rachel when registering. 1-2-1 sessions are booked on a first come first serve basis however if there is demand we will run 1-2-1 on Friday 10th March as well.

Are you passionate about video games and motivated to establish/grow your studio? Do you have fresh ideas to develop a video game? If this sounds like you and your company, apply for our video game accelerator programme, Platform. Aimed at video game studios in Northern Ireland, this programme will support you in self-publishing a game based on an original IP within 12 months.

Based out of The Pixel Mill based at the Ormeau Baths in Belfast, Platform gives studios access to facilities, mentors, training and funding, as well as the opportunity to attend industry events to build your business network.

Up to four companies will be selected to develop their business and build their teams with a maximum fund of £60,000 to spend on development across each stage of the programme.

Interested companies will initially be invited to complete an online assessment. From there, shortlisted companies will be invited to attend an interview and pitch presentation.

For further information please click here.

The deadline for applications is 5pm on Friday 10^th February.

As the World Cup kicks off in Qatar, pioneering Belfast-based company, INCISIV, officially launch their virtual reality (VR) simulator to the global market.

For a goalkeeper, football is full of make-or-break moments. The euphoria of match-winning saves or the abject despair of letting teammates down. A local company specialising in virtual reality has created a new simulator called CleanSheet to support aspiring goalkeepers prepare for critical moments.

CleanSheet delivers a unique VR experience where goalkeepers can practice potential real-game scenarios again and again. Developed by local neuro-technology company INCISIV, CleanSheet has sold over 30,000 copies since launching on Meta Quest’s App Lab in February.

INCISIV’s technology evolves from goalkeeping research inspired by the famous “banana” kick scored by Brazil’s Roberto Carlos, against France, in 1997 and originally carried out by Cathy Craig Co-Founder & CEO of INCISIV and Professor of Experimental Psychology at Ulster University.

She commented: “Backed by decades of research into the science behind goalkeeping, our vision with CleanSheet is simple – improve performance, make a positive difference to people’s lives and above all have a lot of fun. With applications for both professionals and aspiring amateur goalies, we are hoping the next Thibaut Courtois or Mary Earps will be inspired by our VR software made here in Belfast.”

Following huge demand on TikTok, INCISIV have adapted their ground-breaking goalkeeping technology, originally designed for professionals, so anyone can test their reactions and goalkeeping skills from the comfort of their living room.

CleanSheet turns VR hand controllers into goalkeeping gloves, allowing players to punch, catch, and throw the ball – as they would in a real match. Opponents can launch headers, volleys and free kicks which they must save. Or they can be surrounded by portals, firing the ball as quickly as possible, testing reaction speed.

The INCISIV team will officially launch CleanSheet worldwide on the ByteDance-owned Pico Store later this month.

The development of CleanSheet, has been supported by funding from Northern Ireland Screen.

Richard Williams, Chief Executive Officer of Northern Ireland Screen commented: “As part of Northern Ireland’s Screen’s new four year strategy, Stories, Skills and Sustainability, we are committed to supporting indigenous companies driving forward the local immersive sector. We were delighted to support the production and evolution of CleanSheet, a VR experience backed by decades of research into the art of goalkeeping. I commend the team at INCISIV for its agility reaching and engaging global audiences on social media and responding to customer demand to take their product to new markets and audiences.”

For more information, visit www.incisiv.tech/cleansheet.

The Pixel Mill is hosting two workshops covering legal for companies and legal for freelancers on Thursday 24^th November with Simon Sellars.

The workshops will be run separately during the day however individuals are welcome to attend both. The workshops will be:

Legal for Companies – 10am-12noon – The workshop will cover best practice for companies, or for individuals thinking of starting their own company. Topics include IP, trademarks, commercial contracts and data protection. There will also be an opportunity for a Q&A.

Legal for Freelancers – 1pm-3pm – The workshop will cover best practice for freelancers. Those currently working as freelancers or have recently started working as a freelancer are welcome to attend. Topics to be covered will be legal basics covering ownership IP, re-use of existing material with different clients, exclusivity/non-compete restrictions, payment for work and ending contracts. There will also be an opportunity for Q&A.

Simon has over 15 years’ experience of providing intellectual property, data protection, and commercial legal advice. He trained at leading international law firm Baker McKenzie and qualified as a solicitor in England and Wales in 2009. Before this, Simon had worked in the patent field since 2002. Simon has worked for both international and boutique IP-specialist law firms as a trademark attorney and as an in-house lawyer for a technology start-up and Oxford University Press.

The workshops will be delivered in-person at The Pixel Mill but will also be available to join online as well. There are limited spaces to join in person and will be allocated on a first come first serve basis. If you would like to attend either of the workshops please email Rachel, rachelc@northernirelandscreen.co.uk and state which workshop you would like to attend and whether you will attend online or in-person.

CINE is recruiting for a number of interactive vacancies, including:

• Assistant Producer / Community Support
• Interactive Scheme
• Junior Games Programmer / Developer

Each role supports individuals development to progress in a career in the video games industry. We want people who are passionate about video games and who are interested to learn more about the skills required to have a career in the industry to apply.

For more information and to apply please click here.

Deadline for applications is 12 noon on Friday 25^th November.

For more information on the CINE scheme please click here.