Working, Living & Travelling In Ireland

Tag: Popcap Games

  • Overview of the big games companies in Ireland

    Dear Readers, 
    I have talked it before, there are a lot of gaming companies based in Ireland that have a lot of vacancies.
    The type of jobs can be in customer support, but also in fraud , community support, quality , testing
    and there is also a good few where you can be at the core of it all, design the actual games!
    For those who love coding and creating , there are lot’s of opportunities! 
    Add a language or two, and the world is your oyster! 
    Oh yes, it’s really quite important that you LOVE gaming!! 
    I was reading an article in http://www.bizplus.ie and they listed following companies in Ireland in the (online) gaming industry. 
    So.. 
    Activision Blizzard – couldn’t really find the details of their offices in Ireland, but they seem to have a studio in Cork and Dublin – here is link to the vacancies 
    As I am based in Galway, I would know about Electronic Arts(also known as Bioware Ireland), as they have their European customer service here, and as it happens they are probably the largest.Lot’s of vacancies – check out their jobs here. 
    Popcap Games (recently acquired by EA)have an office in Dublin, and primarily involved in the game development side of the business. Check out their vacancies here 
    And another player – Zenimax Media – also based in Galway( all good things happen in Galway:) – sorry I am biased) Here is the link to their vacancies. From what I can gather , they are a specialist MMOG, which is means Massive multiplayer online Games.
    A great example would be The Elder Scrolls, where millions of people play this game on line and pay a micro payment to play this game. ( I have learnt something new!) 
    Gala Networks Europe – a Japanese publisher, also in the MMOG sphere ( but the games are free), with offices in Dublin ..check out their vacancies here. It seems Martial arts is their thing!
    GOA Games Services -Dublin based – is the online games unit of mobile phone company Orange- owned by France Telecom. They are also linked to EA, so vacancies are on the https://jobs.ea.com/ website. Their actual website is : http://warhammeronline.com/ 
    Zynga – Dublin based – Best known for Farmville on facebook.. vacancies here 
    Jolt –  owned by Gamestop (video games retailer) Dublin based – Career section here 
    Big Fish Games – Cork based – best known for Mystery Case files – current open vacancies here 
    Riot Games – Dublin based – Best known for League of Legends – for jobs , please click here
    I know, that’s a lot sites to check.. there is also a dedicated website to gaming jobs in Ireland,
    you can find it here  I don’t think it lists all the jobs, so you are better off to check the individual sites.
    If you are interested in training/studying to enter this market, there are lot’s of courses,
    you can find them here and they also have job section.
    Hope this was usefull!

    Katleen
     

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  • Checkout Popcap – they’ll be hiring in Dublin Shortly, the game is on!

    Checkout Popcap – they’ll be hiring in Dublin Shortly, the game is on!

    US gaming firm to double Dublin staff numbers    By Gordon Deegan  Monday, January 17, 2011

    IRELAND’S games industry has received a jobs boost with US- owned PopCap Games confirming that it intends to double the number it employs to 110 at its European headquarters in Dublin.
    Current vacancies – click here
    The Seattle-based game developer established its European HQ in Dublin in 2005, employing 10 in its start-up phase. The company now employs 55 and senior director Cathy Orr confirmed yesterday that the firm is planning to create an additional 55 jobs at its Dublin office.
    “We are aiming to double the number we employ here over the next two to three years,” she said.
    PopCap Games is part of the burgeoning game sector in Ireland that includes subsidiaries of some of the best-known names in the industry, such as Zynga, Activision Blizzard and Big Fish Games.
    PopCap Games’ most popular games include Bejewelled, Zuma, Peggle and Plants v Zombies.
    Recently filed accounts show that PopCap’s after-tax profits decreased by 79% to €613,152 in 2009.
    However, Ms Orr pointed out that contrasting the 2008 and 2009 results was not comparing like with like as the company’s European and Asian revenues were split for the first time in 2009, while the group made an additional one-time change in how revenues are recognised in Ireland to reflect global products initiated here.
    The accounts show that revenues at the firm in 2009 declined by 55% from €10.2 million to €6.7m. This followed revenues increasing almost fourfold in 2008.
    Ms Orr confirmed that PopCap Games’ Dublin unit “enjoyed increased profits in 2010” but she was unable to provide the scale of the increase.
    “PopCap’s European revenues have been growing steadily since we started in Dublin more than five years ago and the Dublin office’s share of worldwide revenue grew from 12% in 2009 to 17% in 2010.
    “We’re looking to grow this significantly in the next three years,” she said.
    Worldwide, the company employs 400 and it is understood that global revenues last year totalled $100m.
    A large proportion of PopCap’s revenues is still made from the ‘try before you buy’ business model.
    The company’s Dublin office is concentrating on products for smart phones, social platforms and tablets and Ms Orr expects “a range of new products and product updates to come out of Dublin this year”.
    This story appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Monday, January 17, 2011
    Read more: http://www.irishexaminer.com/business/kfeycwcwqlcw/rss2/#ixzz1BNhJTFpo

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