I'm glad at least one other person picked up on that. Looking over their other posting, they are not requiring that for say this Level Builder [http://jobs.gamasutra.com/jobs/362-31025/Level-Builder-Irrational-Games-Irrational-Games-Boston-MA-United-States] posting.
Certainly Metacritic has its issues for being a good source of data, but I agree that it's not crazy to ask that your Design Manager be able to demonstrate that they can ship "good" games.
All in all, it's not like all prerequisite demands for getting a position are mandatory. In fact, how many job positions get to be news pieces?
That is still an odd thing to ask for; like a certain high amount of points on a previous professional league season in another team. It does not really prove one to be more able to repeat the feat, nor stay on a certain level, even though it's a better sign than worse results. Not to even mention we're talking about immensely subjective review scores here. And there's a huge context and a collaborative effort with plenty of different major factors, when it comes to making games.
The amount and degree of negative reactions, only in here, for a single item on the job listing, even reflecting on an unreleased game, is kind of hilarious.
Metacritic is an aggregator; it organizes reviews from a wide variety of other groups, calculates the average and displays the result to the viewer. "Rating website" is simply poor English.
"Aggregator refers to a web site or computer software that aggregates a specific type of information from multiple online sources."
-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aggregator
Again, don't insult others if you aren't prepared to face valid, informative criticism.
There is no "Even if" about it. "Rating website" does not refer to aggregation and is simply the wrong term to use. You even went out of your way to state that Metacritic isn't an aggregator--"rating website not aggregating website."
You called another group idiots in a poorly written comment and I pointed out the irony. Arguing won't reverse that. Take the criticism on board and reconsider how quickly you insult others.
i wanted to say rating website with my poor english skills but you used agregating.
thats why i said i wrote rating website not aggregating website.
aggregating/aggregator is the correct term but i did not use that word.
you changed that while going grammar nazi on my comment.
and i even acknowledged this by saying "even if the website really just accumulates different critiques/ ratings" like saying: even if you used the right word it is not what i wrote.
futhermore i said that hiring people focused on that webside is a dumb/idiotic idea since it can be easily manipulated and it is inaccurate.
if you cant see it right click on it and open it in a new tab.
and thats just the user score.
and i still feel that way.
english is not my first language, it is my 4th. so if you are having fun going around pointing your finger at others and calling them dumb for starting to learn your language, you are making yourself "look silly", or worse...
anyway i see no point in taking this conversation further.
nothing good or constructive will come out of this.
That link shows user reviews. The OP clearly says (if you'd read it) only professional reviews count towards the requirement. So your critique was not only inaccurate, you appear to not have read the comment you're criticizing.
I honestly don't care what language you speak naively or how foolish you think this requirement is. My point has always simply been: don't be so quick to insult others and call something idiotic, when you yourself are not the wisest in the land.
The message was simple. Refrain from pointing your finger at others if a quick retort upsets you so much.
Oh yes, they are. In fact, the more our precious developers listen to MC, the more fanboiism we'll see, and thus VALVe will monopolize the entire market at some point ... Oh wait, that does sound kinda good. Go ahead, nothing to see here.
Folks, keep in mind that Bioshock 2 was made by 2k Marin, not Irrational. The former spun of from the latter, yes, but Irrational retained almost all the veteran staff.
OT: My first reactin was a bit of a shock, specially considering the respect i have for Levine and Irrational, but considering the kind of job it's for, and referring back to this interview with Levine [http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/132471/ken_levine_on_studio_culture_from_.php], particularly page 5, where he mentions his process for interviewing candidates, i'm inclined to let this one slide, and maintain faith that they know what they're doing.
Guess you can say that i have an... irrational respect (i'm so sorry) for people and companies spun off from good old Looking Glass.
I like how sometime around 1998 the video game industry just stopped hiring any new talent and has just been the same few thousand people who actually have industry experience. Once they retire no one will know how to make games anymore because they aren't willing to give any new talent training. If you aren't overqualified for a job, you won't be getting it.
Small list of games whose creators/devs are unwanted by Irrational...
Beyond Good & Evil
Age of Empires
The Witcher
Borderlands
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series
League of Legends & World of Tanks (two of the most popular and profitable online games)
Games whose creators/devs ARE wanted by Irrational...
Metacritic is now a major force in game production and contract terms even though review sites are often biased by who ever is running the biggest ad campaign on there servers.
This doesn't seem too unreasonable, to be perfectly honest. They're looking for a proven design manager; and while using a meta-critic score isn't exactly an "ideal" way of going about this, it does demonstrate that the person has worked on at least one critically well-received game. It doesn't specify which position the person held when working on the game (well, haven't looked at the actual position description), and presumably this the one requirement which probably has more leeway than others. I'd suggest dropping the minimum meta-critic average to the 75-80 range, it's a bit more reasonable while still setting the bar for a decent game made.
---
The other requirements are a bit more cut-and-dry, and nothing too bad.
Six years design experience in games? Fine. Four years management experience (presumably allowing for overlap with the design)? It is a management position in a renowned developper position, they don't want a newbie for it. Three credits on published games? Proof that the games you worked on got made and released, definitely an asset.
And one game with an 85+ meta-critic score? This is probably the best qualification one can have, as it shows you've worked on at least one good game and not three random pieces of whatever. When factored in with the other requirements, it shows that it wasn't a fluke either. Still, that bar is a tad too high; not to mention it's just bad for PR to advertise that sort of thing, the gaming community is not known for nice nor sane. This is the sort of requirement one keeps off the publications, because it will come back to haunt them; after all, Bioshock 2 only has a meta-critic score of 88 on the 360 (kinda too close to that threshold for comfort).
---
The other reason they could have put up that requirement is simply to filter out the number of potential applicants. After their first hit with Bioshock, they're probably getting applications out the wazoo; many of them wanting to work on a company which is likely to churn out the next big hit. As such, they're looking for a fast-and-simple way get rid of 90% of those resumes; the meta-critic requirement is both a deterrent to the inexperienced and a way to get rid of those who are clearly unqualified. If someone has worked on a game with a meta-critic score in the 75-85 range and meets (or exceeds) the other requirements, they can certainly apply and hope that the developper allows for some leeway on that requirement; however, those whose best game has only scored a 50 probably could benefit from some more (and better) experience.
Metacritic is now a major force in game production and contract terms even though review sites are often biased by who ever is running the biggest ad campaign on there servers.
You also have Capcom and Nambai holding franchises and sequels hostage unless another game gets good enough score. Which is gold for someone who hates something like jrpgs and gives a Tales game a bad score hoping it'll prevent future games from making it here.
Are you really trying to make the argument that informal communication is the equivalent to a company taking a mindbogglingly idiotic approach to finding "good" employees? Or that someone's criticism of the latter is seriously undercut by inconsequentially not having a capital letter at the start of a sentence or leaving out an apostrophe? If so, please just take a deep breath and relax. It's okay (and such an argument makes no sense and has no validity, anyway).
We don't have to be jerks to each other just because it's the internet. Typos happen and most people aren't skilled writers (and the vast majority of those who are still make mistakes), but if the ideas we're trying to communicate aren't lost or confused by minor imperfections in our writing, does it matter?
Back on topic, though--this kind of practice makes me a sad panda. I want game reviews to actually be meaningful and helpful in figuring out if I'll enjoy picking up a random title. Irrational doing this just further encourages reviewers to only give meaninglessly high ratings to games.
Hey look! Petty grammar arguments in the thread! Wonderful!
Anyway, I don't know what a Design Manager does. So let's see...
From the listing said:
Job Description
Design Manager - Irrational Games
POSITION OVERVIEW
Award-winning studio Irrational Games, best known for its Bioshock franchise, is seeking a highly experienced Design Manager to serve as a team leader and design advocate for our world-class design team. The Design Manger?s primary responsibility is to schedule, lead and manage the design team on a day to day basis. This role oversees the staffing, organization and professional development of the game design department.
RESPONSIBILITIES
? The Design Manager?s primary responsibility is to schedule, lead and manage the design team on a day to day basis.
? Develop a consistent design process and communicate the established design vision across the studio.
? Work with the designers and creative director to manage and communicate the overall vision and design goals of the game to the studio at large Work closely with management to maintain a strong department with a high level of engagement and strong team satisfaction.
? Ensure design deliverables meet quality and consistency standards across the team.
? Support design leads to achieve quality and maintain good working conditions.
? Work with designers to facilitate the creation of game design documentation from inception through implementation.
? Work with producers on design scheduling and staff assignments based on project needs.
? Ensure that the design team delivers work on time and at a high level of quality.
? Work with other department managers and directors to ensure effective cross-department communication.
? Evaluate effectiveness of design work methodologies and make recommendations for improvement.
? Seek out, evaluate and implement feedback from all relevant sources to constantly improve the game.
? Mentor and shape design team to create one cohesive group dedicated to creating the best possible game experiences
? Guide training and career goals of all members of the design department.
? Write reviews and administer the employee reviews for all designers, writers and playtest specialists.
? Work closely with Human Resources to identify and attract top industry talent.
REQUIREMENTS
? 6+ years as a game designer in the video game industry.
? 4+ years of experience managing direct reports.
? Shipped a minimum of 3 game titles from pre-production through ship.
? Proven knowledge of game design, theory and execution.
? A strong passion for and experience with First Person Shooters.
? Ability to motivate a team with positive leadership.
? Excellent written and oral communication skills.
? The ability to quickly learn new engines and game technologies.
? Strong design documentation skills.
PLUSES
? 6+ years as a Senior or Lead Designer in the video game industry.
? Strong understanding of the Unreal engine in a multiplatform environment.
? Previous level design experience in a first person shooter.
? Development on a multiplayer focused game.
? Ability to visually represent abstract concepts.
Looks like they removed the 85 Metacritic requirement. My problem lies less in this listing and more with Metacritic itself. It's not being used as it was intended, but that's sort of irrelevant at this point when it's actually affecting careers.
The New Vegas issue was downright despicable and forced the opinion on me that Metacritic just needs to die. Seriously...
-Game undergoes development, publisher oversees QA testing.
-A contract says a bonus will be given to the developer if a Metascore of 85 is reached.
-Game ships, reviewers generally love it. But they mostly add a caveat that the game is buggy and dock points of varying degrees of severity.
-The game ends up with a Metascore of 84. Given all the points docked for the bugginess, it's easy to conclude that at least one point would have been made up had it not been so buggy.
-So the publisher drops the ball with QA testing and costs the development team their bonus in the process. That is, as we say, fucked up.
And then there are the other issues, some mentioned in this article. This Design Manager thing is just a symptom of the culture that has arisen from the abuse and overuse of Metacritic. It's not as bad as some things I've seen.
If this sort of thing bothers you, do what I do: Ignore Metacritic. If gamers stop caring about it, then it should at least fade some.
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