FuturLab – Augmented & Virtual Reality Confabulation

August 8, 2021

The VR Job Hub: Schell Games, Pixel Toys & FuturLab

Every weekend VRFocus gathers together vacancies from across the virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) industry, in locations around the globe to help make finding that ideal job easier. Below is a selection of roles that are currently accepting applications across a number of disciplines, all within departments and companies that focus on immersive entertainment.

Location	Company	Role	Link
Leamington Spa, UK	Pixel Toys	Technical Director	Click Here to Apply
Leamington Spa, UK	Pixel Toys	Dev QA	Click Here to Apply
Leamington Spa, UK	Pixel Toys	Design Producer	Click Here to Apply
Leamington Spa, UK	Pixel Toys	Producer	Click Here to Apply
Leamington Spa, UK	Pixel Toys	Art Producer	Click Here to Apply
Leamington Spa, UK	Pixel Toys	Senior Multiplayer Gameplay Programmer	Click Here to Apply
Leamington Spa, UK	Pixel Toys	Senior/Lead Multiplayer Programmer	Click Here to Apply
Leamington Spa, UK	Pixel Toys	Senior Unity Full Stack Programmer	Click Here to Apply
Leamington Spa, UK/ Remote	Pixel Toys	Senior Technical Animator	Click Here to Apply
Leamington Spa, UK	Pixel Toys	UX Designer	Click Here to Apply
Leamington Spa, UK	Pixel Toys	Senior Tools Programmer	Click Here to Apply
Leamington Spa, UK/Remote	Pixel Toys	Senior/Principal Graphics Programmer	Click Here to Apply
Leamington Spa, UK	Pixel Toys	Lead Designer	Click Here to Apply
Leamington Spa, UK	Pixel Toys	Gameplay Programmer	Click Here to Apply
Leamington Spa, UK	Pixel Toys	Character Artist	Click Here to Apply
Leamington Spa, UK	Pixel Toys	Senior Animator	Click Here to Apply
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	Schell Games	Art Director	Click Here to Apply
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	Schell Games	Senior 3D Environment Artist	Click Here to Apply
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	Schell Games	Senior Audio Developer	Click Here to Apply
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	Schell Games	Technical Artist – Rigger	Click Here to Apply
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	Schell Games	Vice President of Design	Click Here to Apply
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	Schell Games	Senior Engineering Team Lead	Click Here to Apply
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	Schell Games	Director of Finance	Click Here to Apply
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	Schell Games	Game Producer	Click Here to Apply
Brighton, UK	FuturLab	VR Programmer	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.

June 7, 2020

The VR Job Hub: FuturLab, Ultraleap & Facebook

Location	Company	Role	Link
Brighton, UK	Futurlab	Community Manager	Click Here to Apply
Bristol, UK	Ultraleap	Engineering Team Lead (Platforms Team)	Click Here to Apply
Bristol, UK	Ultraleap	Machine Learning Engineer	Click Here to Apply
San Francisco, CA	Ultraleap	Machine Learning Engineer	Click Here to Apply
Bristol, UK	Ultraleap	Quality Systems Engineer (Automotive)	Click Here to Apply
Bristol, UK	Ultraleap	Scrum Master	Click Here to Apply
Bristol, UK	Ultraleap	Senior C++ Software Engineer	Click Here to Apply
Menlo Park, CA	Facebook	Data Scientist, Analytics, AR/VR Social Experiences	Click Here to Apply
Menlo Park, CA	Facebook	Manager, AR/VR Product Operations	Click Here to Apply
Menlo Park, CA	Facebook	Lead Character Artist, AR/VR	Click Here to Apply
Menlo Park, CA	Facebook	Product Architect, VR	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.

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

October 27, 2019

The VR Job Hub: Fast Travel Games, FuturLab & Illumix

It’s Sunday so you know what that means – apart from binge-watching Netflix – it’s time for The VR Job Hub, VRFocus’ weekly gathering of vacancies from around the world. The virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) industries are full of jobs right now, so take a look below.

Location	Company	Role	Link
Stockholm, Sweden	Fast Travel Games	Senior Games Designer	Click Here to Apply
Brighton, UK	FuturLab	Junior 3D Artist	Click Here to Apply
Brighton, UK	FuturLab	QA Tester	Click Here to Apply
Brighton, UK	FuturLab	Assistant Producer/QA	Click Here to Apply
Brighton, UK	FuturLab	Marketing/Social Media/Comms	Click Here to Apply
Redwood City, CA	Illumix	Senior 3D Character Artist	Click Here to Apply
Redwood City, CA	Illumix	Senior Concept Artist	Click Here to Apply
Redwood City, CA	Illumix	Senior Server Engineer	Click Here to Apply
Redwood City, CA	Illumix	Senior Software Engineer	Click Here to Apply
Redwood City, CA	Illumix	Senior Software Engineer, Full Stack	Click Here to Apply
Redwood City, CA	Illumix	Senior Producer	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.

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

June 19, 2019

Mini-Mech Mayhem Review: Fiendish Tabletop Tactics Reward Dedication

Having conquered a single-player match against the game’s toughest AI, I ventured into Mini-Mech Mayhem’s multiplayer mode relatively assured. Several hours of practice paired with earlier multiplayer matches for previews had me confident. My first opponent? A kid that couldn’t have been any older than 13. Fine by me – easy victory, right?

He ran circles around me. In fact, sometimes he had me running circles around him.

You lose a game of Mini-Mech Mayhem the moment you think you’ve won it. FuturLab’s latest is a deceptively strategic affair, one that’s at first simple to grasp. You control a tiny robo-buddy on a square grid, issuing orders to move and shoot. The aim is to grab points either by holding the relevant tile at the end of a round or by destroying your opponent’s mechs.

But the proceedings are unnervingly erratic and unpredictable; not only do you not know the order in which moves will play out (nor do you know what your opponent has ordered until it has transpired) but you can also play intercept cards, often unwelcome surprises that, when played at the right time, can do anything from nudge your mech off by a tile or call in an air strike. In your hands, they’re a powerful weapon. In your enemy’s, they’re a terrifying prospect.

A potent recipe for chaos, then, and certainly not something that can be enjoyed without a certain level of dedication. Then again, what FuturLab game doesn’t fit this mold? Quite how the studio managed to preserve both the tension and attention of its twitch-based arcade games inside a turn-based boardgame is beyond me, but it’s alive and kicking.

It’s in the moments when a perfectly thought-out plan is foiled by your enemy’s cunning that Mini-Mech Mayhem shines most. Even more so when it’s saved at the last minute. So much of Mini-Mech Mayhem is spent laughing in either elation or despair, enough to overlook just how unwieldy the sheer number of possibilities are. You can risk gunning straight for the point in the hopes that other players might fight each other off, or perhaps shoot an enemy’s leg to get them to change their movement direction towards a trapdoor.

When things go your way, you cheer. When they don’t? Well, you’re kind of tempted to cheer then, too. It’s a game of prediction and preparation and the celebration of how right and wrong those things can go, even if it more often feels like it’s heading in the latter direction.

Make no mistake; this is a multiplayer game at its core. Single-player matches can help you acclimatize but won’t show you the joy of human error. To that point, it’s something best enjoyed with friends. Unless you intend to get serious about the high-level play that will no doubt flourish online you’ll want to find people you’re comfortable both laughing with and at. It’s a shame, then, that there’s no option for local multiplayer using PSVR’s social screen. Sadder still that it’s a PSVR exclusive; it’s begging for cross-play support to bring in as many players as possible.

There’s a missed chance for some Keep Talking And Nobody Explodes-level laughs, though online matches do a good job of capturing the same-room camaraderie in VR. I found myself being more expressive here than I have in past multiplayer VR games; applauding winning moves and shaking my head in dismay at lost points. It’s a nicely little justification for the game being in VR, even if it didn’t necessarily need one. It can be played with either just the DualShock 4 or two PS Move controllers, but the Move controllers are a much smoother and more intuitive experience.

This is the rare sort of game where I actually want to unlock as many bits and bobs as possible just to forge my own identity.

Final Score: 8/10 – Great

Mini-Mech Mayhem is likely destined for the same kind of obscurity as FuturLab’s Tiny Trax before it, but there’s endless joy to be found from its frantic mash-up of tabletop gaming and VR. This is an untamable, often hilarious bit of strategy that’s to be enjoyed just as much when you’re throwing your hands up in defeat as it is in victory. I just wish I had more people to play it with.

Mini-Mech Mayhem is available now on PSVR for $19.99. Check out these official review guidelines to find out more about our process.

Tagged with: FuturLab, Mini-Mech Mayhem, PSVR

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June 10, 2019

E3 2019: Watch This Exclusive Gameplay For PSVR Strategy Game Mini Mech Mayhem

Mini Mech Mayhem is an upcoming PSVR strategy game from FuturLabs, the creators of VR racing game Tiny Trax. In Mini Mech Mayhem combat is split into two parts so that players take time deciding their actions and planning ahead and then watch moves play out in real-time. It’s a bit of a mixture of turn-based and real-time strategy mechanics.

During today’s E3 VR Showcase we this debuted all-new exclusive gameplay for Mini Mech Mayhem that also featured developer commentary and insight into how the game’s designed:

Since it combines two different types of strategy mechanics, you can notice some similarities to Skylight from E. McNeill, a popular Gear VR strategy title with some similar genre-blending ideas. The board game-style design ensures lots of replayability since you need to land on certain squares but also push enemies off of squares and try to predict future moves.

What really helps set Mini Mech Mayhem apart though, other than its inventive combo of playstyles, is the attention to detail on customization and progression. Not only can you change the way your avatar looks, but you have freedom over changing the way your little adorable mech robots look as well. It’s a deceptively deep and complex system.

If this looks like your cup of tea, then you won’t have to wait long to get your hands on it. The game is due out for PSVR this month on June 18th. Let us know what you think of it down in the comments below!

Tagged with: e3, E3 2019, E3 VR, E3 VR 2019, FuturLab, Mini-Mech Mayhem, The E3 VR Showcase

The post E3 2019: Watch This Exclusive Gameplay For PSVR Strategy Game Mini Mech Mayhem appeared first on UploadVR.

March 25, 2019

FuturLab’s Mini-Mech Mayhem Arrives On PSVR In June

Good news FuturLab’s deceptively tactical VR boardgame, Mini-Mech Mayhem, just got a PSVR release date.

The game’s due out on June 18th. That’s just after this year’s E3 so you’ll have something to play in the post-news blues. The date was confirmed during Sony’s State of Play broadcast earlier today.

Mini-Mech Mayhem is a four-player PSVR exclusive. In the game, you befriend a little robot companion that you bring into tabletop battles. Battles are turn-based and have players looking to secure positions on a grid-based map. Every movement you assign your robot has a cost. Big strides across the board, for example, might have you moving slower than your opponent. The same goes for aiming at more damaging body parts with your robot’s weapon.

The idea is to predict what your enemy is going to do and then counter it. We went hands-on with the game late last year and fell for its strategic gameplay. It also helps that it’s utterly adorable; you can kit out your robot buddy with a range of clothing and then interact with mini fist bumps and more.

The date was announced alongside a slate of other PSVR release windows. We also got launch details for Falcon Age, Trover Saves the Universe and Jupiter & Mars among others. It’s been a busy day for PSVR fans.

This isn’t FuturLab’s first dance with VR. A few years back the studio also made Tiny Trax, a tricky little toy racer that we were quite fond of. We have high hopes for Mini-Mech Mayhem, too.

Tagged with: FuturLab, Mini-Mech Mayhem

The post FuturLab’s Mini-Mech Mayhem Arrives On PSVR In June appeared first on UploadVR.

December 10, 2018

Mini-Mech Mayhem to Cause Some Table-top Carnage in Q1 2019 for PlayStation VR

FuturLab made its virtual reality (VR) debut back in 2017 with the launch of Tiny Trax for PlayStation VR. Now, the studio has announced that’s its follow-up title Mini-Mecha Mayhem will be coming to Sony Interactive Entertainment’s (SIE) headset in Q1 2019.

Mini-Mech Mayhem

Mini-Mech Mayhem is a comedy-infused tabletop battle experience which sees players take the form of robot avatars partnered with cute little mechs to battle opponents as a team.

With both single-player and up to four-player online support, Mini-Mech Mayhem enables players to command their little robot with a series of actions, from moving several spaces in a certain direction, taking a shot at an opponent’s particular limb, or simply activating a special ability like an air strike, there are numerous ways to defeat your enemies.

Much like a game of chess, strategy is everything. With up to three enemies on the board at one time, leaving yourself open to attack can mean the end of the game, so you need to keep an eye on everyone. If you do find yourself backed into a corner then play some power cards to get your team back on track.

“We’re delighted to finally reveal Mini-Mech Mayhem – we’ve made a bunch of very fun games in the past, but we’ve never really made a funny game. This is hilarious and should appeal to anyone that enjoys a tabletop game night with their friends, only now they can play together remotely in VR!” said FuturLab MD James Marsden in a statement.

Mini-Mech Mayhem

Exclusive to PlayStation VR, Mini-Mech Mayhem also includes free chat with social comfort features, combined with huge customisation options for both mech and avatar. The title is scheduled to arrive in Q1 2019.

Check out the first proper trailer for the title below, and for any further updates from FuturLab, keep reading VRFocus.

November 8, 2017

Second PlayStation VR Demo Disc Arrives, Full List Of Videogames Revealed

Yesterday we brought you news of the second PlayStation VR Demo Disc which would be available for PlayStation VR users as of today. At the time we weren’t sure what exactly we would get by way of videogame titles baring an announcement from developers Polyarc confirming that virtual reality (VR) action platformer Moss would be amongst the titles on offer. (Much to the delight of the VRFocus team.)

The listings for PlayStation VR sampler has now been revealed and includes titles from across the genre spectrum. The full list of titles joining Moss can be found below.

Battlezone by Rebellion

A regular on VRFocus’ lists relating to the best VR videogame experiences out there, the tank-based shooter takes the series classic roots and updates them for the virtual stage. Battlezone gained a 5-star review on VRFocus, where it was described as “intense and addictive”.

Dino Frontier by Uber Entertainment.

Cowboys meet Jurassic Park by way of Sim City, Dino Frontier lets you capture and tame dinosaurs in the Wild West to help build and manage a virtual town.

EVE: Valkyrie by CCP Games

CCP Games might be packing up the big top as far as their involvement in VR is concerned but that doesn’t stop EVE: Valkyire continuing to be one of the best VR experiences out there, and now VR and non-VR players can enjoy dogfighting in spaceships together.

Fantastic Contraption by Radial Games

Another title commonly amongst those VRFocus recommends: “Easy to begin with, Fantastic Contraption lets you get accustomed to the intricacies of what does what before throwing the real challenges at you. And there’s a lot, the title features 50 levels to get your head around.”

Job Simulator by Owlchemy Labs

A multi-award winning videogame, Job Simulator was so good Google brought developers Owlchemy Labs into the company. The title continues to get development and content as well, with the recently revealed ‘Infinite Overtime’ update.

Raw Data by Survios

A highly popular virtual reality (VR) shooter, Raw Data sees players equipped with both firearms and a katana, and have the simple object of taking out the enemies before they themselves are overcome.

Rez Infinite by Enhance Games

Another PlayStation VR title that received a full five stars in its review, Rez Infinite is the spiritual successor to the original Rez, which first appeared on SEGA’s Dreamcast console.

StarBlood Arena by Whitemoon Dreams

The only title on the listing specifically requiring additional downloading, a demo of Starblood Arena was initially made available back in August. Starblood Arena allows the player to take control of one of nine available ships, each with its unique pilot, features and weapon loadout. Allowing would-be players the combination that suits their preferred style of play.

Star Child by GameTrust

One of a crop of PlayStation VR titles to receive a share of the spotlight recently during Sony’s press event at Paris Games Week, which included the reveal of a brand new trailer. Star Child is takes place on an alien world full of fantastical Martian creatures and creations in a homage to platformers of the 90s while also being something entirely new.

The Persistence by Firesprite

Originally revealed back in March this year, The Persistance comes from the developers behind The Playroom VR. Awaking from cryosleep, it’s up the players to kill the undead and take back control of the ship before it plunges into a nearby black hole.

Thumper by Drool

The self-described “rhythm violence” videogame was announced in March last year and by the time it hit the show floor at 2016’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) it had already made an impact. Drool said in their announcement that Thumper was “unlike anything you’ve seen, played or heard – a cocktail of kinetic action and aggressive acoustics. It’s the kind of game that inhales you, spits you out and leaves you yearning for more.” And they certainly aren’t exaggerating.

Tiny Trax by FuturLab

Slot car racing get a new twist. Tiny Trax features a drifting/boost-recharge mechanic, alongside lane switching and epic jumps across twelve tracks that’ll take players to tropical islands, volcanoes, ice caves and outer-space. It’s developer, Brighton-based studio FuturLab, recently revealed a new PlayStation VR title in Mini-Mech Mayhem.

The PlayStation VR Demo Disc 2 is now available on the PlayStation Store, it requires 15.2GB of space and several titles within it – Raw Data, Rez Infinite, Job Simulator, Dino Frontier and Fantastic Contraption – do require PS Move Controllers in order to play them.

VRFocus will bring you more details on developments with the PlayStation VR very soon.

October 29, 2017

The VR Job Hub: YouTube, Futurlab, Volvo & More

The wheel of life is always turning: Your dream job might be becoming more of a nightmare. You’re finally ready to move into employment for the first time. A change in your circumstances means you need a new job elsewhere. You want to move into a new industry. All of these are possible reasons for wanting a new role. It could also be that you aren’t actively looking for something new, but you never know what you can find here.

As always Sundays on VRFocus mean we are back with The VR Job Hub and this week we’ve some roles slightly influenced by the week’s events. So, we have roles listed for Futurlab for example following the Brighton-based studio’s announcement of videogame Mini-Mech Mayhem and its expansion for the project. There’s also a role at US retailer Target and the University of Maryland, each of whom we reported a story on recently. We’ve those and a variety of roles that have gone up over the last seven days including a study/work opportunity from Volvo.

Check out the list below to see if there’s something that sparks your interest.

Location	Company	Role	Link
Brighton, UK	Futurlab	Technical Director	Click here to apply
Brighton, UK	Futurlab	Senior Programmer	Click here to apply
Brighton, UK	Futurlab	Experienced Programmer	Click here to apply
Brighton, UK	Futurlab	Junior Programmer	Click here to apply
Brighton, UK	Futurlab	C# Programmer (Contract)	Click here to apply
Brighton, UK	Futurlab	A.I. Programmer (Contract/Remote Available)	Click here to apply
Baltimore, MD, US	University of Maryland Medical Center	Augmented and Virtual Reality Designer	Click here to apply
Atlanta, GA, US	FlowFound	JavaScript Developer (VR/AR)	Click here to apply
San Bruno, CA, US	YouTube	Software Engineer, Virtual Reality, YouTube	Click here to apply
Sunrise, FL, US	ActionLink	Virtual Reality & Gaming Sales Specialist	Click here to apply
Los Angeles, CA, US	Stageme	Unity Software Engineer	Click here to apply
Los Angeles, CA, US	Mindshow	Virtual Reality Software Engineer	Click here to apply
Manchester, UK	Sony Manchester Studio	Senior Level Designer	Click here to apply
Minneapolis, MN, US	Target	Sr. Augmented & Virtual Reality Engineer	Click here to apply
Gothenburg, Sweden	Volvo Group	Learning through Augmented – and Virtual Reality	Click here to apply
Gent Area, Belgium	Poppr	Digital Project Manager 360 / VR / 3D / Web	Click here to apply
Gurugram/Guragon, India	LikeLike	UI/UX for Virtual Reality	Click here to apply

For further roles don’t forget to check out last week’s edition of The VR Job Hub for further job listings. Don’t forget that if you are an employer looking for someone to fill a VR or AR related role regardless of the industry and you want that position to be featured on next week’s VR Job Hub, please send details to myself via keva@vrfocus.com and pgraham@vrfocus.com.

Check back with VRFocus next Sunday at 3PM GMT and every Sunday for the latest roles in the immersive technology industry.

October 24, 2017

Tiny Trax Developers Reveal new Title Mini-Mech Mayhem

One certainly cannot deny that PlayStation VR is getting support. Whilst on the hardware side the original head mounted display (HMD) has been discontinued, to be replaced by the new model PlayStation VR which was revealed by surprise at the beginning of the month. In the last few weeks we’ve had an array of reveals and launches of new videogames for the headset. With titles such Marble Land, Megadimension Neptunia VIIR, The Solus Project all revealed to be on their way – and that’s this week alone.

The reveals it seems don’t stop there for PlayStation 4 users with an announcement from Brighton-based videogames studio FuturLab of a new virtual reality (VR) title coming next year, as previously hinted back in May. FuturLab, who were previously responsible for ‘Micro Machines meets Scalextric’ slot car drift racing experience Tiny Trax, which released on the PlayStation Store back in July, is set to return to Sony’s HMD with Mini-Mech Mayhem.

A sci-fi based title that involves battling robots, details on Mini-Mech Mayhem are few at the moment. However the premise revolves around you playing in a partnership of sorts, with yourself teamed with a titular ‘Mini-Mech’, a small robotic partner in what the FuturLab websites describes as a ‘Buddy Cop relationship’.

“Your Mini-Mech is full of enthusiasm, passion and incredible power, but sometimes, amongst all the mayhem, this little buddy loses sight of the big picture.” Explains FuturLab’s Managing Director James Marsden. “So you’re there to guide your Mini-Mech buddy to success. Any mistakes along the way can be chalked up as a learning experience, and over time you’ll trust each other, achieving many wonderful and hilarious victories together.”

“Mini-Mech Mayhem sees us return to our passion of sci-fi.” Continues Marsden. “Having made our debut on PSVR with Tiny Trax, we’ve learnt a lot about the format and we’re looking forward to putting these new skills to work in Mini-Mech Mayhem soon. We also see Mini-Mech Mayhem as a metaphor for our studio. FuturLab is PlayStation’s little buddy and we, in turn, play the role of a big buddy to our staff.”

“Just as PlayStation cares about fostering our creativity, by helping us explore new ideas, we foster the creativity in our team. We shield their passionate enthusiasm from the turbulent mayhem of the games industry, so they can create something they care about, at a pace of challenge that is manageable.”

FuturLab is also “significantly bolstering” the development team working at the studio to create the project, and are looking to hire several members of staff. You can find out more about these roles in this week’s forthcoming edition of regular VRFocus Sunday feature The VR Job Hub. VRFocus will bring you more updates on the developments at FuturLab as we get them.