The convention-hopper Keith R.A. DeCandido just boarded an airplane from Indianapolis where he attended InConJunction 30 as its Guest of Honor. He’s back in New York City, but not for long, because he is heading to Maryland.
If you are a Trekkie, or a Star Wars junkie, or any other sci-fi nerd and you are attending the Shore Leave 32 at the Marriott’s Hunt Valley Inn in Baltimore, Maryland — you might want to cross paths with Keith R.A. DeCandido throughout July 9 – 11, 2010.
Bring your copies of StarCraft: Ghost novels and manga; or World of WarCraft: Cycle of Hatred for book signing. Shake hands and take a photo with the writer. Send it our way to post it in the front page.
While Keith has no Blizzard-related panels at the event, if you are going to the event for kicks concerning other sci-fi worlds, still feel free to approach him with your Blizzard collections for signing. You can find his three-days schedule here.
Blizzard Entertainment posted this week a brand-new job opening for the still-unannounced Next-Gen MMO. Based on this job opening for a 3D Character Equipment Artist it might be hard to tell if this fourth game currently in development will be based on one of the existing franchises: Diablo, WarCraft or StarCraft. This is the first time we know anything substantial about the enigmatic Next-Gen MMO, nevertheless. This job opening is for a developers that will be in charge of modeling armor and weapons based on the concept art from Blizzard’s Art Team.
The fifth game in development, not to be confused with the Next-Gen MMO, is still young, but it is confirmed unofficially through Blizzplanet to be a brand-new IP.
The Next-Gen MMO hasn’t been confirmed to be based on a new IP or on an existent IP, but this game is a strong candidate to be revealed at BlizzCon 2010. Personally, I have said it many times in the past couple of years, and still think it is based on StarCraft and StarCraft: Ghost. Only time will tell, and Blizzard fans are know to be loyal and patient.
Blizzard Quote:
3D Character Equipment Artist – NextGen MMO at Blizzard Entertainment
Location: Irvine, CA (Orange County, California Area)
Type: Full-time Experience: Mid-Senior level Functions: Art/Creative Industries: Animation, Arts and Crafts, Computer Games, Computer Software, Entertainment Posted: June 8, 2010
Job Description
Blizzard Entertainment is looking for an exceptionally skilled 3D character equipment artist for a team focused on next-generation massively multiplayer online games. The ideal candidate has extensive experience modeling and texturing a diverse visual range of character armor and weapons. A solid grasp of armor and weapon design, structure, color, and light for the creation of both 2D and 3D art assets is essential. The 3D character/character equipment artist must have a skill in another art task as well (illustration, modeling, texturing, animation, or concept drawing), and be well-versed in related tools — Maya, Photoshop, etc.
Skills
Requirements
2+ years game development experience modeling and texturing sci-fi and fantasy character armor and weapons for next-gen art pipelines
An exceptional understanding of visual design and a keen eye toward form, shape, structure, and silhouette with regard to modeling and texturing character equipment
Superior eye for light, color, and detail in creating texture maps of different material types
Self-motivation, good communication skills, and a great team-player
Skill in one or more of the related creation tasks — illustration, modeling, texturing, animation, or concept drawing
Pluses
Have shipped AAA PC or console titles as a 3D character artist
Experience with Mudbox, ZBrush, (or equivalent modeling program) and the process of converting high-poly sculpted characters into lower poly game models
Experience with the creation of next-gen shaders and materials
Strong foundation in the traditional arts, including but not limited to figure drawing and illustration.
Passionate gamer with experience playing a wide range of games
Blizzard Entertainment posted this week a brand-new job opening for the still-unannounced Next-Gen MMO. Based on this job opening for a 3D Character Equipment Artist it might be hard to tell if this fourth game currently in development will be based on one of the existing franchises: Diablo, WarCraft or StarCraft. This is the first time we know anything substantial about the enigmatic Next-Gen MMO, nevertheless. This job opening is for a developers that will be in charge of modeling armor and weapons based on the concept art from Blizzard’s Art Team.
The fifth game in development, not to be confused with the Next-Gen MMO, is still young, but it is confirmed unofficially through Blizzplanet to be a brand-new IP.
The Next-Gen MMO hasn’t been confirmed to be based on a new IP or on an existent IP, but this game is a strong candidate to be revealed at BlizzCon 2010. Personally, I have said it many times in the past couple of years, and still think it is based on StarCraft and StarCraft: Ghost. Only time will tell, and Blizzard fans are know to be loyal and patient.
Blizzard Quote:
3D Character Equipment Artist – NextGen MMO at Blizzard Entertainment
Location: Irvine, CA (Orange County, California Area)
Type: Full-time Experience: Mid-Senior level Functions: Art/Creative Industries: Animation, Arts and Crafts, Computer Games, Computer Software, Entertainment Posted: June 8, 2010
Job Description
Blizzard Entertainment is looking for an exceptionally skilled 3D character equipment artist for a team focused on next-generation massively multiplayer online games. The ideal candidate has extensive experience modeling and texturing a diverse visual range of character armor and weapons. A solid grasp of armor and weapon design, structure, color, and light for the creation of both 2D and 3D art assets is essential. The 3D character/character equipment artist must have a skill in another art task as well (illustration, modeling, texturing, animation, or concept drawing), and be well-versed in related tools — Maya, Photoshop, etc.
Skills
Requirements
2+ years game development experience modeling and texturing sci-fi and fantasy character armor and weapons for next-gen art pipelines
An exceptional understanding of visual design and a keen eye toward form, shape, structure, and silhouette with regard to modeling and texturing character equipment
Superior eye for light, color, and detail in creating texture maps of different material types
Self-motivation, good communication skills, and a great team-player
Skill in one or more of the related creation tasks — illustration, modeling, texturing, animation, or concept drawing
Pluses
Have shipped AAA PC or console titles as a 3D character artist
Experience with Mudbox, ZBrush, (or equivalent modeling program) and the process of converting high-poly sculpted characters into lower poly game models
Experience with the creation of next-gen shaders and materials
Strong foundation in the traditional arts, including but not limited to figure drawing and illustration.
Passionate gamer with experience playing a wide range of games
Ghosts – the Terran’s powerful assassins, capable of reading minds and calling nuclear strikes… These ultimate weapons are crafted at a sinister instiution – the Ghost Academy.
In this never-before-seen chapter in ghost prodigy Nova’s life, the doors of the Ghost Academy are flung wide open! Join Nova as she navigates the challenges of brutal training, both physical and psychological, along with fellow cadets whose unusual powers are being twisted to serve the Dominion. But no matter how terrible their training, the ghost cadets will remember none of the pain…upon their memory-wiping graduation!
As a result of a troubled past, Nova has learned she can only depend on herself. Nova’s great strength – self-reliance – becomes her greatest weakness when the Ghost Academy implements team-based training. Saddled with a hard-line Dominion supporter, a mouthy President’s daughter, an opportunistic playboy and a scatter-brained geek with a habit of making machines go haywire, Nova’s challenge lies in learning her greatest strength may lie outside herself.
Writer: David Gerrold
Artist: Fernando Heinz Furukawa
Ghosts – the Terran’s powerful assassins, capable of reading minds and calling nuclear strikes… These ultimate weapons are crafted at a sinister instiution – the Ghost Academy.
In this never-before-seen chapter in ghost prodigy Nova’s life, the doors of the Ghost Academy are flung wide open! Join Nova as she navigates the challenges of brutal training, both physical and psychological, along with fellow cadets whose unusual powers are being twisted to serve the Dominion. But no matter how terrible their training, the ghost cadets will remember none of the pain…upon their memory-wiping graduation!
As a result of a troubled past, Nova has learned she can only depend on herself. Nova’s great strength – self-reliance – becomes her greatest weakness when the Ghost Academy implements team-based training. Saddled with a hard-line Dominion supporter, a mouthy President’s daughter, an opportunistic playboy and a scatter-brained geek with a habit of making machines go haywire, Nova’s challenge lies in learning her greatest strength may lie outside herself.
Writer: David Gerrold
Artist: Fernando Heinz Furukawa
Keith R.A. DeCandido will be at Forbidden Planet signing some Farscape comics today April 22 at 6:30pm. Bring your copies of World of Warcraft: Cycle of Hatred, StarCraft: Ghost: Nova, and StarCraft: Ghost Academy and say hi to the author.
Take the # 4 or # 6 Subway Train to 14 street (Union Square) and walk a few blocks)
Forbidden Planet (Map)
840 Broadway (corner with East 13 Street)
New York, NY 10003
Keith R.A. DeCandido will be at Forbidden Planet signing some Farscape comics today April 22 at 6:30pm. Bring your copies of World of Warcraft: Cycle of Hatred, StarCraft: Ghost: Nova, and StarCraft: Ghost Academy and say hi to the author.
Take the # 4 or # 6 Subway Train to 14 street (Union Square) and walk a few blocks)
Forbidden Planet (Map)
840 Broadway (corner with East 13 Street)
New York, NY 10003
The Con-hopper Keith R.A. Decandido barely got back from Emerald City Con in Seattle, and now he’s heading to Lunacon 2010 — New York’s Oldest Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention — this coming weekend, and then to I-Con the following week.
Lunacon 2010 will be held at:
Hilton Rye Town Hotel (Map)
699 Westchester Avenue
Rye Brook, NY 10573
(914) 939-6300
Keith R.A. DeCandido wrote Starcraft: Ghost Nova, Starcraft: Ghost Academy and World of Warcraft: Cycle of Hatred.
Aaron Rosenberg is also attending the Lunacon to direct some panels. Aaron wrote Starcraft: Queen of Blades, World of Warcraft: Tides of Darkness and co-wrote World of Warcraft: Beyond the Dark Portal. Bring these with you and catch them for a quick photo and signing.
While none will have any Blizzard novel signings or panels there, if you are going to Lunacon, you might wish to say hi, and get your novels signed.
These are their Schedules:
Will Write For Dice
Saturday, March 20 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM Room: Westchester D6
So you wrote a game or module for an existing game… What’s the next step? Can you just send it straight to your favorite game publisher? Should you camp on Steve Jackson’s doorstep? What are realistic steps for getting started writing for the gaming industry? Should you borrow money from you friends and strike out on your own? (Is this one time the self-pub press actually works?)
Kevin DiVico [M], Charles Gannon, Mike McPhail, Aaron Rosenberg
Reading
Saturday, March 20 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM Room: Elija Budd
Bite Me
Saturday, March 20 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Room: Grand North
Blood Ties. True Blood. Being Human. Vampire Diaries. Vampires have always been a major (if rather dark and alluring) presence in our printed media, but lately they’ve sunk their fangs deep into our airwaves as well. What do they bring to this form of entertainment and what does the television offer them? Will the rest of their supernatural cohorts be far behind?
Joshua Bilmes, Ginjer Buchanan, Tanya Huff [M], Kim Kindya, Aaron Rosenberg, Lisa Sullivan
Short Fiction and Its 9 Lives
Saturday, March 20 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM Room: Odelle
Though some have been predicting its demise for years, why hasn’t short fiction died yet? Are we really entering into a new golden age for short fiction?
James Chambers, Neil Clarke [M], Keith DeCandido, Marvin Kaye, Ian Randal Strock
System vs. Setting
March 20 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM Room: Birch
Nearly all RPGs share some similiarities: they have a set of rules that govern play, and most have a setting or world where play takes place. Some people love systems for their rule systems, and other are drawn in to the romance of a particular setting. Which is it for you: the math or the poetry, that makes or breaks a game?
Kathryn Baker, Steve Brinich [M], Heidi Hooper, Hal Johnson, Mike McPhail, Aaron Rosenberg
Comic Book Crossovers
Saturday, March 20 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM Room: Birch
Everyone knows that adapting books for the big screen takes some skill. But not everyone realizes that adapting books for comics is just as demanding. But it’s not just books that make the cross, either. TV shows and movies are being adapted and expanded as comic book series as well. Panelists discuss both the process of these adaptations and why they’re worth doing.
Keith DeCandido [M], Glenn Hauman, C.J. Henderson, Hal Johnson
SUNDAY
To Write, Or To Have A Life? Can You Do Both?
Sunday, March 21 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM Room: Odelle
The life of a writer is hard, yet rewarding, like a body-building genie. How to balance multiple projects and get them all done, without killing yourself. Being able to get them all done and still have an active social life…well, that may take more than one panel to explain.
Ty Drago,Laura Anne Gilman, Bob Greenberger, C.J. Henderson, Aaron Rosenberg [M]
Knowing Your Place: The Role of a Tie-In Writer
Sunday, March 21 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM Room: Odelle
You may be the writer, but you’re not the license holder, and that means you have to set your ego—and sometimes your narrative—aside. Is it possible to write tie-ins and still maintain creative control, even a little? Are media tie-ins and fanfiction just two sides of the same coin?
Keith DeCandido, Bob Greenberger [M], Glenn Hauman, Aaron Rosenberg
The physical journey can mirror and drive the spiritual journey of the characters, while providing an interesting and amusing source of external conflict. When done poorly, it can devolve into tedium, and wreak havoc on the pacing of the novel. How do you keep one from sliding into the other? What are some of the best travel scenes we’ve written and read? Which have been done poorly? How do you write a compelling travel scene without losing the reader to what seems like a hundred pages of endless trudging through snowy wastelands?
Alma Alexander [M], Peter V. Brett, Sam Butler, Keith DeCandido, Josepha Sherman
Gamers attending the Emerald City Comic Con 2010 should know Keith R.A. DeCandido — the convention-hopper — is there today at booth 502 signing Farscape and Farscape: D’Argo’s Lament and D’Argo’s Trial.
He recently announced he’s gonna be writing some D&D stuff.
Bring your copies of Starcraft: Ghost Nova, Starcraft: Ghost Academy and World of Warcraft: Cycle of Hatred for signing.
The 8th Annual ECCC is taking place at:
Washington State Convention Center (Map)
800 Convention Place
Seattle, WA 98101
Gamers attending the Emerald City Comic Con 2010 should know Keith R.A. DeCandido — the convention-hopper — is there today at booth 502 signing Farscape and Farscape: D’Argo’s Lament and D’Argo’s Trial.
He recently announced he’s gonna be writing some D&D stuff.
Bring your copies of Starcraft: Ghost Nova, Starcraft: Ghost Academy and World of Warcraft: Cycle of Hatred for signing.
The 8th Annual ECCC is taking place at:
Washington State Convention Center (Map)
800 Convention Place
Seattle, WA 98101
))
Lunacon 2010 will be held at: