The VR Job Hub: Amazon, Anshar Studios & VNTANA

The virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) industries are wonderfully diverse when it comes to the job roles available, always looking to hire the best talent to work on exciting projects. Whether you’ve been an avid fan of the tech for a while or are already involved in some way, today’s VR Job Hub has plenty of new roles which can help you become more involved and shape VR/AR’s future.

Location Company Role Link
Seattle, WA Amazon Frontend Engineer – AR/VR Click Here to Apply
Seattle, WA Amazon Software Development Engineer AR/VR Click Here to Apply
Washington D.C. Amazon AR/VR Prototyping Architect Click Here to Apply
Seattle, WA Amazon Sumerian (AR/VR) Architect Click Here to Apply
Katowice, Poland Anshar Studios Senior Game Designer Click Here to Apply
Katowice, Poland Anshar Studios 3D Animator Click Here to Apply
Katowice, Poland Anshar Studios Senior Producer Click Here to Apply
Katowice, Poland Anshar Studios Producer Click Here to Apply
Katowice, Poland Anshar Studios Gameplay Programmer Click Here to Apply
Katowice, Poland Anshar Studios Tech Programmer Click Here to Apply
Los Angeles, Chicago or Remote VNTANA QA Engineer Click Here to Apply
Chicago, IL VNTANA Sales Executive Click Here to Apply
Los Angeles, Chicago or Remote VNTANA Senior Mesh Optimization and 3D Graphics Engineer Click Here to Apply
On Location VNTANA Lead Full Stack Developer Click Here to Apply
Los Angeles, Chicago or Remote VNTANA Senior Real-Time 3D Graphics Engineer Click Here to Apply
On Location VNTANA Senior Software Engineer Click Here to Apply

Don’t forget, if there wasn’t anything that took your fancy this week there’s always last week’s listings on The VR Job Hub to check as well.

If you are an employer looking for someone to fill an immersive technology related role – regardless of the industry – don’t forget you can send us the lowdown on the position and we’ll be sure to feature it in that following week’s feature. Details should be sent to Peter Graham (pgraham@vrfocus.com).

We’ll see you next week on VRFocus at the usual time of 3PM (UK) for another selection of jobs from around the world.

The VR Job Hub: Anshar Studios, Gearbox Software & Improbable

Do you work up to 80 soul-crushing hours a week? Wonder what your wife/husband, kids, friends, family, even the dog looks like? Well, it doesn’t have to be like that, jobs can be enjoyable and fun when you find the right one. That’s why every Sunday VRFocus publishes its weekly VR Job Hub to help you on that journey.

Location Company Role Link
Katowice, Poland Anshar Studios Animator Click Here to Apply
Katowice, Poland Anshar Studios Lighting Artist Click Here to Apply
Katowice, Poland Anshar Studios Environment Artist Click Here to Apply
Katowice, Poland Anshar Studios Gameplay Programmer Click Here to Apply
Katowice, Poland Anshar Studios Level Designer Click Here to Apply
Frisco, Texas Gearbox Software Character Artist Click Here to Apply
Frisco, Texas Gearbox Software Level Artist Click Here to Apply
Frisco, Texas Gearbox Software Senior Sound Designer Click Here to Apply
Frisco, Texas Gearbox Software Game Designer Click Here to Apply
Frisco, Texas Gearbox Software Writer Click Here to Apply
London, UK Improbable Software Engineer, Unreal Click Here to Apply
Cambridge, UK Improbable Senior Gameplay Programmer Click Here to Apply
London, UK Improbable Product Marketing Manager Click Here to Apply
London, UK Improbable Senior Content Strategist Click Here to Apply
London, UK Improbable Product Analyst Click Here to Apply

Don’t forget, if there wasn’t anything that took your fancy this week there’s always last week’s listings on The VR Job Hub to check as well.

If you are an employer looking for someone to fill an immersive technology related role – regardless of the industry – don’t forget you can send us the lowdown on the position and we’ll be sure to feature it in that following week’s feature. Details should be sent to Peter Graham (pgraham@vrfocus.com).

We’ll see you next week on VRFocus at the usual time of 3PM (UK) for another selection of jobs from around the world.

Telefrag VR Confirmed for Launch in July on PC VR and PlayStation VR

Arena combat titles such as Echo Combat and Space Junkies are great when you want to team up and battle players online. But if you want the futuristic style without the zero-g, then Anshar Studios’ next virtual reality (VR) title Telefrag VR may suit. Today, the studio has confirmed that the videogame will be getting a multi-platform launch next week.

Telefrag

Telefrag VR is a purely PvP first-person shooter (FPS), with a couple of unique features Anshar Studios hope will differentiate the experience from the pack. The first is the level design. While you do run around on a solid surface the arena itself is a myriad of platforms, all of which can be vertical, upside down or any other orientation depending on the platform players happen to be standing on at the time.

As such, players have the use of smooth locomotion mechanics to move around their local arena and then teleportation to switch platforms. The other core feature of the title comes from its own name, the Telefrag. This is an adaption of the teleport system allowing players to charge into an opponent when in range, dealing massive damage. It can almost be thought of as a finishing move if their health is already reduced.

When not in close proximity to use the Telefrag, then there is a selection of loadouts to choose before each match takes place, allowing players to dual wield guns. These are the Flak Cannon, Rocket Launcher, Plasma Rifle, Laser Pistol and Particle Cannon. Each weapon has two firing modes, and can also inflict melee damage alongside the Telefrag, enabling different play styles each match.

Telefrag

There’s also a bit of a backstory explaining the weird and wonderful layout. This is an alternative universe in which the Roman Empire never fell. Consolidating its power around the globe, the empire continued to expand into outer space ushering in a new form of gladiatorial battles.

Telefrag VR is scheduled to launch for HTC Vive, Oculus Rift/Rift S, PlayStation VR, Windows Mixed Reality and Valve Index headsets on Friday, 19th July, retailing for $24.99 USD/€24.99 EUR. Cross-platform gameplay is supported on PC VR devices. For further updates from Anshar Studios, keep reading VRFocus.

Preview: Telefrag VR – Frantic Topsy Turvy Action

When it comes to online multiplayer shooters virtual reality (VR) gamers have got an interesting choice to make, do they go for the more standard traditional fair of videogames like Onward or go for the more freeing zero-g option of titles such as Echo Combat or Space Junkies. Sometimes the choice comes down to how comfortable you are in VR – or how much your head can handle. VR developer Anshar Studios is already well versed in this genre thanks to Detached, but has now offered an alternative in Telefrag VR. 

TelefragHaving first come across Telefrag VR as a very early version during Gamescom 2018 it was easy to see the studio had a rather interesting concept, expanding the often used teleportation mechanic and turning it into an offensive weapon.

Currently running a beta for Telefrag VR the experience has come a long way in the last seven months, yet the core principle has stayed the same – as well as the devastating telefrag move. While these PvP battles don’t really need a storyline as such, one has been created to shed some light on Telefrag VR’s thought-provoking arena design. Here the Roman Empire never died out, instead, it flourished into the stars, and what you happen to be playing is a modern version of a gladiatorial battle to the death. So there are plenty of pillars and grand statues to admire amongst the M.C. Escher looking levels, which contort to offer various gravity-defying platforms to fight on.

Yet there isn’t a great deal of time to admire this bold scenery as battles are very Quake-like – ­fast and brutal – staying still is never an option. Telefrag VR encourages players to explore the levels rather than staying in a single location, explore and bonuses like health, and armour can be found to help bolster defences – especially handy if an opponent has just been killed.

TelefragKilling your foe comes down to four possibilities, the previously mentioned telefrag or the three guns currently available, a Rocket Launcher, Flak Cannon or a Plasma Rifle, each of which has a dual firing mode. As stated Telefrag VR is fast, so fights tend to occur close to mid-range rather than at extended distances. Prior to each match, there are three loadout options consisting of those three weapons. Once you’ve used all three loadouts then that’s the match lost. So do you go for your favourite loadout first or save it to last if you’re having a bad match?

Realistically though, gameplay is all about perfecting that telefrag manoeuvre which is essentially a one hit kill. It can be done at a reasonable distance but firing the telefrag creates a massive electrical blue ball which is easily noticed – and therefore avoided. So again it’s about getting close to using it fight at the last second. Get it right and it’s highly satisfying.

However, mastering the move requires mastering the basic locomotion which isn’t so straight forward and will either be liked or despised by players. It’s not full free locomotion where you can run around however you please, instead it feels more like an advanced version of snap rotation. Movement is in brief stages, and only forwards/backwards and left/right, so it does seem slightly weird at first. What it does mean – and hopefully achieve in more sensitive players – is greater comfort. The matches may be fast, with platforms all over the place yet it never felt jarring or unpleasant in any way.

Telefrag VR already exhibits a high level of polish even in this beta stage, and as it’s free and easy to join for HTC Vive and Oculus Rift players it’s certainly well worth a look while it’s available. VRFocus found no issues finding matches, jumping straight into several, and found them to be short fun battles. As development continues VRFocus is looking forward to seeing how Telefrag VR progresses.

Gravity Defying FPS Telefrag VR Begins Open Beta

Currently Anshar Studios – the team behind Detached – is working on a new multiplayer title called Telefrag VR. Based around PvP battles, the studio has now begun an open beta for HTC Vive and Oculus Rift players which runs for the next couple of weeks.

Telefrag

Telefrag VR aims to offer a unique first-person shooter (FPS) experience to zero-g titles like Echo Combat or Space Junkies. While your feet still stay rooted to the floor, the environment offers a far more gravity-defying challenge. Its special feature is in its teleport mechanic, allowing players to jump from platform to platform, no matter how or where they’re placed. But teleporting isn’t just about switching locations, it also happens to be your most dangerous weapon. When timed right you can teleport into an opponent, usually instantly killing them.

There are also several weapons at your disposal, being able to choose from three loadouts prior to each match starting. These include Rocket Launchers, Flak Cannons, and futuristic Plasma Rifles, each offering their own unique strategic advantages.

Telefrag VR design is based around a futuristic Roman Empire which never collapsed: “Instead, it consolidated its power around the globe and continued to expand into outer space. The conquering of new civilizations and races and the development of new technologies ushered in a new era of gladiator battles,” states the synopsis.

Telefrag

VRFocus first came across the title last year, saying: “If you’ve played Detached then you’ll know the quality level that Anshar Studios is capable of producing and even at this early stage Telefrag looks to be coming along nicely.” The beta will now be the first time the public get to test the project.

The global beta tournament has already begun and runs through until 10th April 2019. To take part simple head to Steam and download the free beta. For doing so players will also receive an exclusive skin for their character. All the studio asks is for feedback via its game forum or Discord channel.

Telefrag VR is a cross-platform multiplayer that will support HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and PlayStation VR when it officially launches later this year. For any further updates, keep reading VRFocus.

New Map and Screenshots Released for Intense Arena Shooter Telefrag VR

Anshar Studios certainly like to test the extremes of virtual reality (VR) when it comes to gameplay design. The developer’s first title Detached put players in space to fight it out one on one in zero gravity. Then at Gamescom 2018 VRFocus got a taste of the studio’s next project, Telefrag VR, another multiplayer combat title which plays with movement and level design. Now the team has released details on a new map and several screenshots.

Telefrag

Having showcased the first official map in December, called Fallen Champion, the next map (seen above) is The Mobius Villa. For this arena, Anshar Studios has taken inspiration from the ancient architecture of Rome, with grand pillars, detailed sculptures and a wide-open atrium. But that central feature is deceiving with the studio explaining: “The Mobius Villa is a narrow battlefield, with a mass of corridors and nooks where the enemy can lurk. The passage through the villa’s main floor doesn’t have to be packed with traps, because with the help of teleport guns and gates you can quickly change your location, using the minimum spaces between columns or given rooms. The underpassage is also worth checking thanks to easy accessibility.”

The teleport gates are a new feature not previously mentioned, allowing players to skip between different parts of the map. Great for getting out of a sticky situation, they must also be used wisely as there’s no telling what’s waiting on the other side.

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Currently, in development for Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Windows Mixed Reality and PlayStation VR, Telefrag VR is a competitive multiplayer VR shooter set in a futuristic Roman Empire. Gameplay revolves around PvP battles set in arenas with impossible geometry, meaning you can be attacked from any angle, opponents can be standing on the same level as you or on the ceiling.

And while there are normal ranged weapons to use such as rocket launchers and plasma rifles, these are all secondary to the main weapon, the Telefrag. Combining both weapon and movement, the Telefrag is a devastating melee attack by teleporting directly into an opponent.

Telefrag VR is due to arrive later this year. When those details are released VRFocus will let you know.

Learn What to Expect In Upcoming VR Shooter Telefrag

The first-person shooter has been a mainstay of the videogame landscape since the early 90s, growing in both popularity and complexity as technology advanced and players got to grips with how such titles operated. What can FPS fans expect from upcoming virtual reality (VR) FPS Telefrag?

Nina of VRFocus takes a look at a pre-alpha demo of VR multiplayer PvP videogame Telefrag, in order to examine it and see what players can expect from this upcoming release.

Telefrag

Telefrag is an FPS which takes clear influences from some early arena-based multiplayer FPS titles, such as Quake Arena, while bringing its own twist to the experience due to the added dimension and immersion of VR.

Players are equipped with a teleport gun, which not only acts as the main may of moving around, but is also a weapon, as players can teleport into the same location in order to kill each other.

The title gets its name from a fan-created term developed by the Doom community in the 90s, where if someone teleported in, and another player was standing in that exact spot, they would explode messily, and the player who teleported in would be awarded a kill, called a ‘frag’ in Doom terminology.

The developers behind Telefrag, Anshar Studios are planning on adding different types of teleporting, like launching into the air in order to land and delivery area-of-effect damage to all those around you. There are also plans to add various types of shields, and a variety of weapons in addition to the trusty teleport gun.

Telefrag

Anshar Studios are planning on launching a Beta for Telefrag in Q4 of 2018, though the company has not yet confirmed if this will be an open or closed Beta. Telefrag is planned for a full release in Q2 of 2019.

The full video can be viewed below, for further coverage on Telefrag and other upcoming VR titles, keep checking back with VRFocus.

Preview: Telefrag – Testing Those VR Limits to the Max

Over the years virtual reality (VR) developers have learnt what’s comfortable and what’s not, tuning their immersive experiences so that the majority of players find it comfortable. Then there are those studios who do seem to like throwing caution to the wind, creating a videogame that pushes the boundaries of VR comfort to their very limits. Anshar Studios happens to be one of these, making a name for itself with zero-gravity combat title Detached last year. For Gamescom 2018 the team had another multiplayer experience, this time with a lot more gravity and head twisting gameplay, Telefrag.

Telefrag

To say that Anshar Studios is being bold with its next venture is by no means an understatement, as Telefrag – even in its pre-alpha version – is looking to break the first-person shooter (FPS) mould with its level design and gameplay. The team essentially seem to be taking what they’ve learnt from Detached and built an arena shooter with one vs one combat.

Firstly, let’s talk about the videogame’s core mechanic, the telefrag. Currently movement is via very short teleportation jumps, whether that’s forwards, backwards or strafing left to right. You then have the option to telefrag by holding down the left Oculus Touch trigger (HTC Vive and PlayStation VR will also be supported). This unlocks a couple of options, the first being a much longer distance teleport for quick evasion or attack. The second is as a weapon. Spot an enemy and highlight them to instantaneously smash right into them. In the Gamescom build this meant instant death, so the VRFocus team great fun hopping around the arena trying to kill one another in a single hit.

This really did nullify the need for weapons but Anshar Studios did admit the feature was a little too powerful and would be turned down in the final version, they just hadn’t decided by how much, just not instant death.

Telefrag

The actual guns themselves were your bog standard Pistol, Assault Rifle and Rocket Launcher, each one selectable as a loadout prior to each map. Each match was three rounds, and upon death you could choose a different loadout to restart with, just not the same one, forcing players away from their favourite loadout to mix things up.

However there are two parts to Telefrag. While the movement design could be used across normal flat levels that’s just a little too plain for Anshar Studios. Instead the one level that was available, was a twisted and contorted maze that could almost give you a headache looking at it. Looking like an insane racetrack for Micro Machines, the floors, walls and ceilings all curved into one another, meaning you could either dash about with the whole world twisting when you came to a new vertical panel or telefrag to new surfaces.

Those who particularly suffer from VR nausea will probably read this with fright, so it’s difficult to tell how well Anshar Studios’ efforts to mitigate these issues have gone for those who are highly sensitive. On the other hand, the VRFocus team had no issues whatsoever, playing several matches in a row with no side effects.

If you’ve played Detached then you’ll know the quality level that Anshar Studios is capable of producing and even at this early stage Telefrag looks to be coming along nicely. Will Telefrag suit everyone, well that’s difficult to tell? It’s certainly going to enter a genre that’s becoming ever more competitive when it does launch, so having such a radical design might be just what’s needed.

Hands-on: Upcoming VR Shooter ‘Telefrag’ Boasts Impossible, Escher-style Arenas

Anshar Studios, the developers behind Detached (2017), showed off a new arena shooter at Gamescom this year. Dubbed Telefrag VR, the game (still in pre-alpha) pits you against another player in a futuristic, gladiatorial-style battle taking place in impossible spaces.

Set in an alternative history where the Roman Empire never fell and eventually set out into space, Telefrag tosses you into uniquely designed arenas which were seemingly inspired by M.C. Escher’s famous lithograph of impossible staircases, ‘Relativity‘. Here, you fight in a one vs one duel to the death with an arsenal of guns and your ability to teleport inside the other player, effectively killing them instantly (hence ‘telefrag’).

Maps are littered with ramps that take you upside-down and sideways, keeping you on your toes as you have to watch out for enemy fire from all directions.

Image courtesy Anshar Studios

Strapping into an Oculus Rift, I went head-to-head with the game’s level designer Michał Sapiński for a few matches in what should have been a fundamental break in comfortable VR design. I say ‘should have been’ because in the end Anshar has pushed the envelope into uncomfortable play territory, but pulled back somewhat to leave you with your lunch safely in your stomach. Case in point: you have to walk up a ramp and twist your equilibrium into accepting a new horizontal plane, which isn’t always the most comfortable in VR—but it’s done in such a way to make it basically a snag-free experience.

When you go up a ramp and the world inevitably rotates around you, it’s basically carried out via a series of mini-blink teleportations, and not one single smooth-turning gut-wrencher. This, in effect, let me move up and down ramps at the sort of speed and carelessness you would need in a heated 1v1 battle of cat and mouse. I tend to hate those types of world-shifting ramps, which seemed to plague the early days of consumer VR, but this didn’t seem to even give me the dreaded ‘VR sweats’, a telling precursor to full on nausea. I should mention the game isn’t exclusively a teleport-only experience, but was also demoed with smooth forward locomotion.

Image courtesy Anshar Studios

Shooting was a fairly standard experience, but the notion that I could teleport and dodge shots, block them with an energy shield and get close enough to telefrag, all really emphasized the sort of balance the studio is going for. Get too close to your opponent, and you’re dead, which usually means you’re trying to use the level’s geometry to your advantage as you search for tactically useful angles to surprise your opponent. Since your teleport movements make both noise and leaves a whispy trail behind you, it’s important to keep an eye and ear out for your enemy at all costs. Check out the tutorial below to get a good idea of some of the basics:

So what’s the objective in all of this? The arena game mode, I was told, allows you to fill three slots with your choice of weaponry. In a match, your individual loadout is put up as a wager, with the winner taking the loser’s equipment. In-game currency is doled out at the end of the match based on your score. With enough cash on-hand, the loser can buy back their lost loadout; a currency multiplier is awarded to the winner, and can be increased even further depending in their win streak.

Telefrag VR is slated to arrive on Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, OSVR and PSVR, although it’s currently in pre-alpha stage, so there’s no word on release date yet.

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Gamescom 2018: Telefrag Is An Unreal Tournament-Inspired Shooter For Iron Stomachs

Gamescom 2018: Telefrag Is An Unreal Tournament-Inspired Shooter For Iron Stomachs

Most developers do their best to avoid discomfort in VR but Anshar Studios seems to relish in it. Few games have shown such reckless disregard for sending players into a dizzy haze than last year’s Detached, a fact its makers flaunted in a hilarious trailer for its PSVR launch. And why not own it? With a community that’s becoming increasingly (and needlessly) hostile to games that don’t include smooth locomotion and turning, why not coax players into a masochistic competition to hold in your vomit. It’s essentially the VR equivalent of a dare.

Telefrag, the studio’s next game, follows in those shaky footsteps.

We have not been sent any assets yet, so this muted video is the only footage we could find

I considered myself to be a fairly hardened VR user that can count the number of times he’s fallen sick inside a headset on one hand, but I could physically feel my stomach lurch as the camera shifted on this new gravity-manipulating online shooter, which the team likens to Unreal Tournament. In 1 v 1 matches, you dash around maps, occasionally ascending the walls on special grav ramps to turn the arena-style levels into full 360 degree battlefields, much like in Enthusiast Games’ single-player NeverBound.

Control-wise, the game’s closer to Doom VFR than Epic’s classic series, with quick dashes assigned to a flick of an Oculus Touch stick and a teleport function that can be used to smash into your opponent and cause them to burst like a bag full of blood. That’s called telefragging (hence the title), which is the same named coined by Doom itself. Guess that term’s sticking, then.

In its current state the game has a solid foundation that its developers need to build upon. You begin each match by choosing one of three loadouts — more will be available in the final game — including a fast-firing pulse rifle, rocket launcher, and dependable laser pistol. Each feels great to fire, though it’s a little hard to judge how easy aiming is when you know the developer you’re playing against is probably going a little easy on you. When you did, you’ll have to choose another weapon loadout, though power-ups on the map give you the chance to even the odds if you’re not using a favorite.

Matches are punchy and entertaining. Chasing a player on the back-foot as they dart backward in intermittent bursts feels like a VR game of cat and mouse, and the ability to walk on any wall brings a heightened sense of exposure to the start of levels where you hunt for the enemy. Another arena-based shooter might not necessarily be what VR needs right now, but the low player count certainly makes it a viable option for two friends that need a place to shoot each other on weeknights.

While the gravity shifting is undoubtedly going to limit who can play Telefrag, you can try your best to avoid it. Teleporting can instantly move you to other surfaces including the ceiling for example, though in the heat of battle your fight or flight instincts will inevitably lead you up or down a ramp at one point or another. Again, more power to anyone that can stomach the sudden shift in perspective. Though Anshar tells me they did take comfort into more careful consideration this time around, I still don’t think they’re going to be breaking any ground for those that keep a sick bag near them when in VR.

Telefrag will probably occupy the same space in the VR scene as Detached, then. I’m not convinced it’ll overtake the likes of Onward and (hopefully) Firewall as the VR shooter to beat, though Anshar is talking about bringing in some interesting features like stat-altering grenades and larger match sizes that could improve those prospects. There’s also going to be more maps than the one I saw and, hopefully, a few others modes give that Detached itself had some pretty interesting alternatives to simply killing each other.

More than anything, though, if you’re the type of player that longs for VR content that doesn’t bend its knee to the needs of the weaker-of-stomachs, it’s absolutely a game that you should be following. I dare you.

Anshar is planning a beta for Telefrag later in the year (it’s undecided if it will be open or closed), with a full launch in early 2019.

h/t: Desconsolados for asset uploads and the video

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