It must be coincidence. I was just working on another mobile app when I heard my Thunderbird alert sound. I was a bit groggy. The physics on my next game are a bit tougher than I imagined. So, I switched over to my PC and I checked my messages. There were two hits from the NCsoft North American Job Feed. One was a listing for a Software Engineer (for the Web). Cool, but those jobs are expected. But the other one, that was a bit surprising to me – Mobile Application Developer. It seems that Guild Wars and their other franchise buddies are venturing into iPhone land.
Here’s the official description…
Mobile Application Developer
The mobile application developer will develop, test, and deploy mobile applications to support multiple NCsoft game franchises. The developer will work closely with game studios and marketing teams to develop innovative ways for MMO players to use mobile platforms. The developer will be a key contributor to deliver those experiences to end users, collaborating with project managers, graphic designers, and quality assurance testers at every step. The developer will contribute to functional specifications, write technical specifications, review wireframes and comps, develop proof-of-concepts, develop final code, test the code, fix bugs, deploy the final applications. The developer will also contribute to other NCsoft interactive projects as required by business needs.
Requirements
- Experience developing in Objective-C for the iPhone and strong data structures, logic, and algorithm skills
- At least one application submitted and approved in the Apple App Store
- Three to five years of experience developing software in a team environment
- Experience with code and algorithmic optimization to improve performance
- Excellent documentation skills
- Unrelenting self-motivation and initiative
- Strong oral and written communication skills
- Passion for games and/or game industry experience
- Bachelor’s degree in computer science or related discipline, or equivalent professional experience
- Preference for candidates with skills and experience on other mobile platforms, including Android and Windows Mobile.
Technical Requirements
- Expert knowledge of Objective-C
- Professional experience with Java
- Comfortable with web-related technologies (HTML/XHTML, CSS, JavaScript, AJAX, and HTTP)
I admit, this job is quite tempting. I do meet a lot of the requirements. But unfortunately, my knowledge of Objective-C is far from “Expert” level. It’s more like mediocre. Yet, I wondered if this was somehow a hint from ArenaNet. On the last page of issue #36 (PDF version) there is a big advertisement for Commove, a game for the iPad… and now the iPod Touch / iPhone. Did someone over at NCsoft West see this and think, “Hire this guy!” Maybe they thought, “Oh snap… Mike is catching up. We better get our butts in gear before he makes his own MMORPG.”
Heh, I’m not exactly sure what’s going on. Although, I have thought about converting Guild Wars to the iPhone… something of a massive fansite project. I have some great ideas. Although, the Mobile Application Developer job seems more about marketing. Again, I have thought about that too. A while back, I created an interactive Guild Wars book for the iPhone. I took it off the iTunes Store, as I didn’t want there to be any confusion between my books and the official Guild Wars books. I have some other projects in mind, but I was waiting to see more information about Guild Wars 2. Not knowing if I’m going to play the sequel certainly does hinder my creativity.
Anyway, this is some interesting information. If you’re interested in applying, check the official NCsoft job site for details. Heh… I’m not posting a link as I’m still wondering if I should apply. 