Twisted DIRT Forums

For those of you who are interested or have been following the Rainbow Studios Track Designer hiring process, I have some official news for you.  We have made our selection and I promised I would return and let you know the details.  Well, here I am.

First off, let me thank everyone who was a part of this.  Twisted Dirt for providing such an amazing site and the forum to do this.  Without these guys (and gals?) many of us wouldn't even be here.  To all who participated in the thread and helped me round up some of the most talented track designers in the community.  To ALL of the applicants who believed in THQ/Rainbow, the game, and themselves enough to put their name in the mix.  And to the whole MCM2 community who has stuck by this game come hell or high water.

I must say that with the good news I am about to present, there is a bit of sad news.  News that was inevitable.  We obviously couldn't hire all the applicants and although we all knew that going in,  I still can't help but want everyone to know how impressed Rainbow is with your work.  Every single track designer that was a part of this process has an amazing talent, was very professional, and I am very greatful that I got to know you a little better.  I can't say everything that I am feeling, in this forum, or maybe even in words, but I hope to convey the message that I respect each of you and what you bring to the table.  There is enough red tape here to wrap the world in, so thanks for your patience and understanding.

Enough of that...On to the good stuff!  Rainbow is proud to present the hiring of two new very talented Track Designers.  The first is Mike Mamula (KXmotox45) from Jacksonville, Florida.  The second is Robert Munoz (FourtwentyADD/TK_fears/PMA_plex) from San Diego, California.  Please join me in congratulating these guys and give them a warm welcome by asking them tons of questions that they aren't at liberty to answer.  LOL.  I can't even tell you what they are working on but trust me, you will surely love it!  I will let these guys take it from here and thanks again for all your help and making me feel like a true hero when I'm here.

Until next time...

DIZ_No_Rebase
Robert Kinnaman

P.S.  Special thanks to (in no particular order) Steve Titow (AUS_Twisted) / Denny Steel (V_Sdesign) / Alex Lewis (VMX_SKYmx99) / Paul Valenti (VMX_ElDiablo) / Troy Bjerke (AMA_King) / Clint Rutjes (cR) / Colin Eberly (5ifty1) - I would work with any one of you and hopefully someday I will.  NOOBS:  If you are looking for a good track to ride or race, start with this list.  These names represent a historical part of MCM2, old and new, and they are respected embassadors of our product.

Thanks everyone!  I've located him.

Has anyone seen or heard from Colin Eberly? (51 / 5iftyone)  Please let me know if there is a way I can contact him or ask him to contact me through me personal e-mail.

Thanks in advance for the help.

DIZ_No_Rebase

Well, I received 4 e-mails.  I have:

KXmotox45
VMX_SKYmx99
VMX_ElDiablo
AMA_King

It looks as if (according to this thread) cR and V_Sdesign sent something but I didn't receive it.  I know our firewall blocks spam but.......WAIT!  I just called our tech guys and indeed our filter did block some e-mails.  I have received info from everyone but 51.  51 if you sent your info please let me know.  Our filters may have blocked it but we don't see anything that we recognize.  If you haven't sent it, please do so immediately.  We are moving forward rapidly and need this info.  If you're not interested, that's fine, please just let me know so I don't pass you up if you really wanted a shot.  Congratulations to all and you'll be receiving a personal e-mail from me shortly.

Keep on MCM2ing and I'll drop back in to keep everyone posted on our selection process.

-DIZ-

This is it!!!  Last day!  I hope that everyone who would have liked to have a shot at something like this found out that this thread was here.  

Thinking back, I should have started a post titled something more like, "Attention Track Builders: Track building job opportunities at Rainbow Studios."  I'm pretty sure that not all track builders even know who DIZ_No_Rebase is but by the number of views on the post,  I think that if they even made it to Twisted Dirt forums, they at least looked at this thread.  

If you are stumbling on this thread after the deadline, feel free to start another post if you're interested in a job here.  We are always looking for new talent and there is no telling when or where it will pop up.  I can't promise that I will be here as much as I have been the last 2 weeks but I hope to drop in frequently and keep up on all things MCM2 and track building related.

I must thank the amazing talent of the Twisted Dirt crew for keeping MCM2, user created mods, and track builders excited about the game and providing such an incredibly useful site.  You guys rock!  Thank you and thanks for letting me use your forum to do this.

Here is the final list I have:  (please respond to this thread if it seems I've missed anyone)

VMX_SKYmx99
VMX_ElDiablo
V_Sdesign
KXmotox45
AMA_King
51
cR

You do not need to have a portfolio by today, but soon.  I will send out the next phase of information to you personally and not in this forum.  Please e-mail the following info to me directly at:

robertk@rainbowstudios.com / subject: DIZ_No_Rebase - Track building

Your Twisted Dirt forum name(screen name):
Your real name (First and Last):
Age:
Your current residence (City, State, Country):
Your e-mail address:

I do not need to see any of your work at this point.  When I receive this e-mail from you, I will send you each more info on how you can send us your work.  Please respond at least by Monday night. (05/09/2005)  If I haven't received an e-mail with your basic info listed aboove by this time, you will be skipped.  Save all your questions for later and get anything you have to show together.

Congratulations to you guys!  I look forward to your e-mails and I'll be talking to you soon.

DIZ_No_Rebase

Fact #1:  I can't promise that anyone on the list will be hired. 

Fact #2: I have a direct hand in who gets hired and quite honestly, there isn't a lot of people coming out of art school with the talent, MX knowledge, and able to do this sort of creation.  Most art students we see are amazing 3D modelers but lack the talents we are looking for in MX track building.  There is a very good chance that it will be one (or two?) of you depending on how things move forward.

It's awesome to see the positive energy amongst competitive people.  It already shows me a glimpse into you attitudes and that none of you slander other creator's work, but you actually endorse each other.  That's cool!

mcm2boys, I'm unaware of the legalities of hiring outside the U.S. but I believe we had few employees (maybe we still do?) who came from outside the U.S.  It's one of the answers I don't have at this moment but I don't see it as a problem unless there are many complications with doing so.  I remember hearing about one employee who had to leave Rainbow because their visa expired and they couldn't get it renewed.  I think Rainbow actually went to bat for them but there was nothing we could do.  I'll try to find out more.

-DIZ- 

I added you to the list cR. 

TO ALL:  Sorry I'm not giving more info about the position.  I feel at this point it's best to compile a list so I can streamline the info given.  Unfortunately, I don't have the time involved to answer every question right now but I hope I've covered the basics.  I plan to give each person on the list more info immediately after the May 6th cut-off (probably Monday May 9th) so they may better know if it is still interesting to them.

The basics:
1.  You will be a full-time employee of THQ/Rainbow Studios
2.  You will live in Phoenix
3.  We are interested in immediate employment.  (Reasonably negotiable - we understand people have lives and prior obligations.)

Has anyone seen Aus_Twisted lately?  He wrote me a Zone message but I accidentally left Zone Friends running and was away from the computer.  When I responded he was gone.  If you see him, tell him I said 'hey' and see if he's interested in signing up here. Thanks.

-DIZ-

I added AMA_King and 51 to the list.  It now looks like this:

VMX_Skymx99
VMX_ElDiablo
V_Sdesign
KXmotox45
AMA_King
51

Here's an important thing to keep in mind.  It may not be the one with the best tracks or most referrals that is offered the job first.  We are not looking for someone who just loves MX and has no track building skills, or someone who has incredible track building skills but doesn't fit with THQ/Rainbow.  When I started I was far from the best creator (and probably still) but my name was mentioned as a possible candidate and when I came to see Rainbow for the first time,(luckily I already lived in Phoenix) I realized it was where I wanted to be.  I think they felt my enthusiasm, listened to my ideas, and decided to give me a shot even with my limited skills in Photoshop and 3DStudio.  I dedicated many hours to learning more and the people on my teams helped me tons.  If you have those same basic skills and would love an opportunity like this, don't sell yourself short.  There might be an amazing track designer that tells us, "I only want to make tracks the way I want and I don't want to do those tedious and boring spline layouts."  It is a job and we might consider someone else with a more positive attitude.  I wish I could just create tracks that the hardcore gamers like us love to play but it doesn't work that way.  Even with all the red tape I believe it is a position that someone would die to have.  I hope I'm right.

More later and keep this thread going until Friday.  Good luck to all!

-DIZ-

Thanks

From our standpoint on stock tracks, (tracks that ship with the game) user created tracks won't work and one of the reasons we are hiring a track creator.  Sending in displacements and having the team make them work in game just does not work.

We would like to implement an option where people could upload tracks, skins, and mods similar to MCM2 but that has proved to be a tall order.  Keep your fingers crossed.

It was an unbelievable opportunity for me and it's nice to see that excitment in some of these replies.  It feels good to know that I can offer something like this to the group of friends who helped me. 

I must say this, sometimes it's hard work, sometimes I'm here until 2:00a.m. at the end of a project dragging nodes around in our spline editor, sometimes it seems as though the fun has been taken out of it.  Sometimes you can't speak freely to your MCM2 freinds for fear that you may tell inside info that can get you fired and in many cases you'll be called a sell-out who no longer cares about the needs of the people who helped your company succeed.  It sucks, but as I sit here today and write this I wouldn't change it.  I get respect way beyond anything I could have ever imagined and I make video games for a living.  I could go on and on but it's important to remember how you feel right now.

V_Sdesign said it right.  I don't think it's best not to lay out a bunch of information up front and many answers I don't have or can't post here.  I've given the biggest issues that seem to stop people from following through.  Becoming a full-time employee of THQ/Rainbow and living in Phoenix.  If you can honestly see yourself doing that, you have some basic track skills and a love for creating, a good atitude, then I would consider you.  If we don't offer you enough, don't take it.  You're not obligated.  I just don't want to waste time looking at thousands of tracks to be told you want $300,000 annually and want to work from home.  I can't discuss pay but I think it's more than reasonable for what we do and they are many perks of working here.  You decide.

Keep telling people that might be interested to get in here.  I need your help as I can't e-mail people all day and give them info.  If they want it, they'll get in here and catch up.  Can someone ask Mike McCue if he's interested and if so, ask him to reply to this thread?

Thanks again.  See you soon.

-DIZ-

That sucks.  Phoenix is beautiful right now!!  However, it will hit 110 degrees soon enough.

So I have a list started:

VMX SKYmx99
VMX ElDiablo
V Sdesign
KXmotox45

I'll keep updating until Friday May 6th and then contact the people on the list.  I'll give more info at that time but if anything I've said so far makes you obviously not interested please ask me to withdraw your name.  This doesn't make you obligated to anything other than more info if we select you from the list.  Please don't ask me to just check your stuff out if you're not interested in the whole package.  I may have time to do that later after I find someone to hire but for now, serious possible job applicants only please.  Good luck!

-DIZ-

That looks really nice!

All great questions KXmotox45.  Your name looks familiar and I think we spoke in the past. 

I must also take this time to apologize to anyone who contacted me from the zone a few months back inquiring about a position here.  We were, and still are, actively looking for track builders but at that time I was trying to do it on my own time and trying to ship a game.  Now I'm doing it as a task and MXvsATV is out the door.  So this is serious and please only inquire if you are seriously willing to work here at Rainbow.  The best process I can come up with is to let this thread run about a week and put together a list of all potential names.  At that point I will give each builder on the list instructions on how to send me their work.  Send anything you have!  Displacements, Textures, Max files, MCM2 tracks, even layout work.  I'd like to see your creativity in all forms.

KXmotox45,  It sounds like you want this more than many I've talked to and would be an asset to our team.  You're absolutely on the list and nothing more is needed at this time.  Get your things together and by next Friday May 6th I start contacting people on where to send their stuff.  I'll take a look and set up a meeting if we want to take it further.  That's it.

We would like to have more than one more track builder but at the time I can only promise one.  We are looking to hire immediately.  The job requires that you know and love racing and can make a decent track.  When I started I barely knew Photoshop and could barely make my way around Max.  I would prefer someone know more than that but true passion and desire can overshadow knowledge any day in my book.

I'll also only add people who respond to this thread on the list.  I appreciate the info on who good builders are but I want them to want the job.  Tell them to get in here and respond or they may miss an oppotunity of a lifetime.

-DIZ-   

Cool ghosted wireframe shot that shows jumps and berms better.  I might just release a few tracks, not all.  I'm just getting back into the mix so hopefully sometime next week I can look deeper into doing something like that.

-DIZ-

One more!  This is fun!!

-DIZ-

Well I think I've got it!  This track was used for the 2005 THQ Round08 Atlanta track map on ESPN2.  We had very limited time to finish it so the textures are about 1 hour of work and I think I missed a raised corner.  I hope to go back and polish it.  I have all 16 maps if anyone is interested in seeing them.  They are not 'race day' correct but follow the track map as it was presented to me from Dirt Wurx.  Hope you like.

-DIZ-

I'm new to pasting images.  Just practicing size and what not.

The only thing I CAN say is that we haven't forgotten about the MCM2 community.  We all want a port to the PC also but I think the decisions are really influenced by THQ wanting to respect the consoles, dollars and cents, and other things that strangle what we all dream of.  It's part of business, it's understandable, but it sucks when you really want to do something like port it to PC and it just doesn't make it.  We've suggested it and go to bat for it every time we make a title.  The closest we've come so far is SonyOnline and XBOXLive.  We haven't given up and neither should you.

The new things come more in the way of opportunity.  I have been here at Rainbow/THQ for 4 1/2 years now.  I am the lead terrain creator and have the freedom to create anything I want (following the design doc, of course) and know that it will make it into the game.  Sometimes it gets a little repetitive but we always try to change it up to keep the player interested as well as give us something new and exciting to design and work on.  Apart from the many SX and Nat tracks I've made, I've also been able to help create stuff like the ice hockey level found in ATV2, Monser Truck, Trophy Truck, and Golf Cart levels, as well as new Supermoto tracks found in MXvsATV.  I tried to do the 'up through the peristyles ala L.A. Colliseum' from the day I got here.  It was the first track I created when I came to Rainbow and it idn't make it in until MXvsATV due to issues that we had to iron out.  But it finally made it!!

If the above sounds interesting to you, keep reading!  It's now my responsibility to find another track creator.  While I would think it was the job of a lifetime for most anyone, I must point out the obvious hurdles.  You must become a full-time THQ/Rainbow employee and live (relocate) in Phoenix.  Knowledge of Photoshop and Max are very important but second to someone who knows and loves racing and would dedicate all their passion to making the best levels in the industry.  I'm at work right now and getting paid to be on this site!  It really is a blast.  It also comes with late nights and crunch times but I wouldn't change it for the world.

I apologize if this has turned into the longest post in the world.   If you know someone that might be interested please respond to this thread.  Please do not contact my e-mail directly unless asked to.  This may be YOUR chance to be a part of making this game finally ported to the PC.....or maybe not.

More to come and thanks again.  Without you guys I wouldn't be here and I hope to give back to the community that has done so much for me.

DIZ_No_Rebase

Thanks.  I saw the selection and wasn't sure how to access my photo from my C:\ drive.  It appears I must enter an http:// link between the brackets.