text:
Mozilla Goes Oculus Rift
November 14, 2014 by Michael
Filed under Around The Net
Mozilla is continuing its 10th birthday celebrations with the launch of a virtual reality (VR) website.
MozVR will be a portal to sites compatible with the Oculus Rift VR helmet, accessible by a VR-enabled version of the Firefox browser.
The site is designed to act as a sharing platform for VR web experiences as well as a place where developers can get hold of resources to help create their own.
MozVR has been built to be a "native VR" site and navigating around from site to site is completely immersive, described by the developers as like being teleported from place to place.
All the tools to create VR websites are open source, as you would expect from Mozilla, and have been posted to Github, including the full source code, a collection of tools and a range of tutorials.
Mozilla has contributed its own experience to the site in the form of Talk Chat Show Thing, the world's first VR talk show, presented from the roof of Mozilla's offices in San Francisco.
MozVR will also render correctly in VR versions of Chromium, the open source version of Google Chrome, giving Mozilla a significant foothold in a burgeoning early-adopter market.
In March of this year, Facebook purchased Oculus Rift maker Oculus VR, which continues to be run as a separate subsidiary.
The move caused animosity between developers and early adopters who felt that Facebook was an inappropriate home for the cutting edge device which had been originally crowdfunded through Kickstarter.
Will The Xbox One Get A 1TB Drive In The Future?
Phil Spencer was on the defense again, this time about the fact that the Xbox One only comes standard with a 500GB hard drive. Spencer in a Twitter exchange says that he does understand the need for bigger hard drives, but he reminded everyone that you can use external USB hard drives to add additional storage. (Depending on which one you buy it might even be faster than the 500GB internal storage in the Xbox One from our own testing!)
In addition Spencer acknowledged the fact that Microsoft shipped the Advanced Warfare console with a 1TB hard drive, so he says they acknowledge the need for bigger hard drives. Still so far the Advanced Warfare console was announced as "Limited Edition" and there has been no word so far on a permeant 1TB Xbox One offering, but we have to think it is coming at some point soon.
With install sizes continuing to grow, it will have to happen, but our sources tell us that other than the Advanced Warfare console, there are no plans to do anything more about it this year. The standard go to answer will be to recommend external USB storage for the time being. It is not a perfect solution, but with the performance in many cases better than the internal drive, it is something that a lot of us are willing to live with.
Will Bungie's Destiny Lose Steam?
By almost any measure you care to apply, Bungie's Destiny is a phenomenally successful game. It had one of the strongest launches of any game in history, sold many millions of units and many hundreds of thousands of new-gen consoles and, despite a mixed critical reaction, has inspired immense devotion from a huge audience of fans, with millions logging in each day to play the game. Criticisms of Destiny do abound, and many are very reasonable; the game is particularly weak as an MMO, with a paper-thin world and forgettable characters, not to mention a paucity of content at the high end which has led to deep disappointment for some players who expected something more like the holy grail of a marriage between the best aspects of World of Warcraft and the best aspects of Halo. That's not what we got in the end; but what we did get is hugely compelling and entertaining, at least for many millions of players, myself included.
There's just one problem. Destiny isn't just a standalone game, like Halo was; this is a game which is designed from the outset to have a long tail, many months if not years of continuing evolution in its world and continuing progress for players' characters. In that much, it is structured like an MMO, yet its business model is very different to WoW; there is no monthly subscription to keep the servers switched on and the content teams at work. Activision and Bungie need a different revenue stream to keep Destiny going; for that, they have turned to DLC.
The first DLC pack for Destiny will appear in December, costing $19.99 (or, in a fairly blatant bit of gouging, £19.99 for UK customers; over three times the price hike which would be justified by the UK's sales taxes). Another is planned for early in the new year, with the same price tag. It's unclear what's planned after that, but it seems likely that Bungie will continue to make these DLC expansions until the law of diminishing returns renders them untenable, or the studio has to ramp up on its next full-release title (Destiny 2, or whatever it may be).
"Subscriptions generally get paid automatically every month and the player has to make a decision to terminate them; Destiny's DLC, by contrast, requires the player to make a decision every two months or so to stay on the treadmill"
In a very basic sense, this pricing isn't dissimilar to other MMOs. My most recent MMO addiction was Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, which costs about $10 a month to play; roughly every two months, the team releases a new content update for the game which generally adds some new dungeons to play through, a few new quest chains to complete and so on. In theory, one could simply say "you're no longer paying $10 a month for access to the game, instead you're paying $20 every two months for the content patches", and nothing ought to change; the same money for the same service.
I suspect that some logic of that description has been applied in pricing discussions at Activision and Bungie. Destiny may fail (somewhat miserably) as an MMO title right now, but it's been designed from the outset as something along those lines. That's not a surprise; Activision's experience with the vast cash-generating prowess of World of Warcraft, along with its annual Call of Duty cash cows, has meant that an FPS game that can deliver WoW-like subscription revenue has been the dream for the publisher for a long time. Attempts to turn Call of Duty into a subscription service collapsed, so Destiny is the next real attempt to make this work; albeit with a business model that looks superficially different.
In truth, though, this is more than a superficial difference. $20 every two months for DLC may look the same in an accountant's spreadsheet to $10 every month for a subscription, but the difference to a customer is immense. Candidly, if Square Enix turned around to me every two months and said "here's what's in the next FFXIV patch, will you pay $20 for it?", I'd probably say no. The patches are great, with lots of interesting new stuff to do, but forced to consider whether they were worth $20, I would look around at all the other things I could buy for $20 and quickly decide it was better spent elsewhere. By contrast, with the subscription model, I feel like I'm paying for access to the game, and when the patches arrive loaded with content, I actually feel good about the game because there's a sense (as illogical as it may be!) that the developers have just given us more "free" content.
Contrast that with the backlash Activision and Bungie have received this week in the wake of revealing details of the first Destiny DLC. Xbox One players, who will only be able to play one of the two new Strike dungeons but will have to pay the same amount of money for the DLC, are feeling particularly hard done by, but even PS4 players are finding the value proposition hard to stomach. The new DLC will add one or two more Strikes (short three-man dungeons), a new Raid (a lengthy six-man dungeon, although the requirement for a six-man team of your friends to enter these dungeons means they're effectively locked away from many more casual players) and some more missions and equipment; it's not a bad amount of content, but it's very hard to come up with any acceptable bill of goods with that content above the line and "twenty bucks" written underneath the line.
Moreover, since this is DLC and not a subscription, players are going to have to make this decision every single time a new DLC pack comes out. Subscriptions generally get paid automatically every month and the player has to make a decision to terminate them; Destiny's DLC, by contrast, requires the player to make a decision every two months or so to stay on the treadmill. "Yes, I still play and love this game enough to fork out again"; there's a certain honesty to asking your players that question every couple of months, but it's fairly clear that it will result in a very rapid drop-off in returns from each subsequent DLC pack.
"If Destiny is to have a long enough tail to truly be a new 'pillar' for Activision's business, it may need some serious surgery on its business plan"
I do understand how Activision ended up in this situation. Launching a game with a subscription model is a risky proposition; it can put people off trying out the game in the first place, for one thing. Destiny would never have achieved those opening weekend sales if people were expected to pay a subscription fee. It would also have created very different expectations of the game, whose MMO components, end-game content and storytelling would need to be vastly, vastly more compelling in order to justify a monthly fee. Arguably the only way to really push Destiny as a subscription business would have been to change the game significantly (not the excellent shooting, but the weak metagame) and launch it as a free or damn-near free game, achieving huge initial uptake and hoping to convert as much of those early players as possible into subscribers. It would have been risky.
It might have been a risk worth taking. Keen to avoid that, Activision looked at other business models. Free-to-play was probably the wrong fit for this kind of game (you could make it work, and I wonder if the preponderance of cosmetic items serving no gameplay purpose suggests that F2P was considered at some point in development, but the game's audience is pretty much as core-gamer as it gets and F2P would have been an extraordinary risk). Thus, the DLC model was arrived at; but I can't help the feeling that in avoiding the risk of other models, Activision has chosen the worst of all worlds, a business model that practically demands overpriced content packs and guarantees a rapid drop-off in DLC sales due to the doomed strategy of demanding that customers make a proactive choice to pay every few months.
I could be mistaken; perhaps Activision and Bungie never planned to have more than a handful of content updates for Destiny, and won't be unhappy at all if customer numbers drop off rapidly with each subsequent DLC pack; perhaps there was never any intention to keep releasing DLC packs after the middle of next year, with the intention of ramping up on Destiny 2 at that point instead. I hope that isn't the case, though, because that would feel very much like a fatal error for the burgeoning franchise. Many players are currently very forgiving of the flaws in Destiny's weak MMO content, its metagame and its poorly fleshed out storytelling and world-building, simply because they are used to the idea that MMOs are flawed at launch and gradually build themselves into something much more in-depth and interesting.
If it transpires that Activision's actual plan for Destiny is to launch a handful of new dungeons and missions, filling in few if any of these gaps, and then move on to a brand new game in the franchise, it's going to do something no new franchise can afford to do; it's going to deeply disappoint and anger the people who are presently its most enthusiastic evangelists. Yet looking at the business model, I'm not sure I can see this panning out any differently, even if Activision and Bungie presently harbour a more optimistic plan. If Destiny is to have a long enough tail to truly be a new "pillar" for Activision's business, it may need some serious surgery on its business plan.
Nintendos's New Healthcare Division To Develop Sleep Tracking Device
October 31, 2014 by mphillips
Filed under Around The Net
Video game maker Nintendo Co Ltd will develop a device to monitor a user's fatigue and map their sleep, Chief Executive Satoru Iwata said on Thursday, the first offering from the company's newly created healthcare division.
The device will be co-created with U.S. firm ResMed Inc, which currently makes products to treat sleep disorders, and will be available in the financial year ending March 2016.
"By using our know-how in gaming… to analyse sleep and fatigue, we can create something fun," Iwata said.
Nintendo, better known for its Mario video game franchise and Wii and Wii U consoles, has said it expects its healthcare division to turn a profit in 2015/2016. The company already offers fitness games on its Wii console, played with a motion sensor controller.
According to an image Iwata shared at a media conference, the device will be about the size of a hand and can be placed on a user's bedside table. It will use microwave transmission sensors to track sleep, with the data collected used to help users cultivate healthy sleeping habits.
Iwata refused to discuss the company's sales expectations for the new device beyond saying that it may be offered via a subscription service rather than a one-off purchase.
"We only start something new if we think we will be able to create a big market, but as I'm not able to discuss pricing plans and other details today I don't think there's much point in giving a figure for our projected scale," he said.
The device was launched a day after Nintendo reported an unexpected quarterly profit, after hit games gave a boost to sales of its Wii U console.
Will Big Huge Game Be Able To Make A Comeback?
Brian Reynolds buys the rights to Big Huge Games from the State of Rhode Island at auction and then reopens the studio and teams with Nexon to deliver the new mobile title called DomiNations.
The game might be inspired by a lot of games, but the basic idea is that you are the leader of a Stone Age tribe and you have guide your tribe through civilization and human history. The ability exists for you to form alliances, trade with friends, and raid your enemies.
Reynolds has not said what is next for the new Big Huge Games, but if DomiNations is successful, it could fund more complex projects for console or PC according to our sources.
The Xbox One Goes Social Next Month
November Xbox One update, explaining that it will throw a bucketful of new features into the console.
The firm polishes the console experience on a monthly basis and this month sees it swathe the device in tweaks and social networking positives.
Whether you use the console to browse the internet, talk to people, do social networking, watch television, or even play games, you will see some sort of improvement, according to spokeschap Major Nelson.
"We're bringing you new and exciting ways to watch TV and interact with the Xbox Live gaming community in this month's Xbox One system update preview. Today, we will begin rolling out a ton of new features to members of the Xbox One preview programme," said Nelson in a blog that also introduces an excited video walkthrough.
Cosmetic features include the ability to change the background on your Xbox One, and even use achievements from games in your wallpaper.
Braggish players will be able to add their best clips to their profile page and generally swagger around the place, while people who like to crow on a range of platforms will be able to tweet clips from games.
Users can also share their location in their biography pages, and through the Smartglass app can see when anyone has checked out their profile.
Smartglass users can also check out their friends' activities on the Xbox One, and can line up downloads of content, for example the free titles provided to Gold level subscribers.
The Xbox One store has been improved and Microsoft said that this would make it "easier to find and download apps for your Xbox One".
The November update is out will be out, unsurprisingly, next month.
Will Sony's Morpheus Succeed?
PS4 is going gangbusters, 3DS continues to impress, Steam and Kickstarter have between them overseen an extraordinary revitalisation of PC gaming, and mobile gaming goes from strength to strength; yet it's absolutely clear where the eager eyes of most gamers are turned right now. Virtual reality headsets are, not for the first time, the single most exciting thing in interactive entertainment. At the Tokyo Game Show and its surrounding events, the strongest contrast to the huge number of mobile titles on display was the seemingly boundless enthusiasm for Sony's Morpheus and Oculus' Rift headsets; at Oculus' own conference in California the same week, developers were entranced by the hardware and its promise.
VR is coming; this time, it's for real. Decades of false starts, disappointments and dodgy Hollywood depictions will finally be left behind. The tech and the know-how have finally caught up with the dreams. Immersion and realism are almost within touching distance, a deep, involved experience that will fulfil the childhood wishes of just about every gamer and SF aficionado while also putting clear blue water between core games and more casual entertainment. The graphical fidelity of mobile devices may be rapidly catching up to consoles, but the sheer gulf between a VR experience and a mobile experience will be unmistakeable.
That's the promise, anyway. There's no question that it's a promise which feels closer to fulfilment than ever before. Even in the absence of a final consumer product or even a release date, let alone a killer app, the prototypes and demos we've seen thus far are closer to "true" virtual reality than many of us had dared to hope. Some concerns remain; how mainstream can a product that relies on strapping on a headset to the exclusion of the real world actually become? (I wouldn't care to guess on this front, but would note that we already use technology in countless ways that would have seemed alien, anti-social or downright weird to people only a generation ago.) Won't an appreciable portion of people get motion sickness? (Perhaps; only widespread adoption will show us how widespread this problem really is.) There's plenty to ponder even as the technology marches inexorably closer.
One thing I found myself pondering around TGS and Oculus Connect was the slightly worrying divergence in the strategies of Sony and Oculus. A year or even six months ago, it felt like these companies, although rivals, were broadly marching in lock step. Morpheus and Rift felt like very similar devices – Rift was more "hobbyist" yet a little more technically impressive, while Morpheus was more clearly the product of an experienced consumer products company, but in essence they shared much of the same DNA.
Now, however, there's a clear divergence in strategy, and it's something of a concern. Shuhei Yoshida says that Morpheus is 85% complete (although anyone who has worked in product development knows that the last 10% can take a hell of a lot more than 10% of the effort to get right); Sony is seemingly feeling reasonably confident about its device and has worked out various cunning approaches to make it cost effective, from using mobile phone components through to repurposing PlayStation Move as a surprisingly effective VR control mechanism.
By contrast, Oculus Connect showed off a new prototype of Rift which is still clearly in a process of evolution. The new hardware is lighter and more comfortable – closer to being a final product, in short – but it's also still adding new features and functionality to the basic unit. Oculus, unlike Sony, still doesn't feel like a company that's anywhere close to having a consumer product ready to launch. It's still hunting for the "right" level of hardware capabilities and functionality to make VR really work.
I could be wrong; Oculus could be within a year of shipping something to consumers, but if so, they've got a damned funny way of showing it. Based on the tone of Oculus Connect, the firm's hugely impressive technology is still in a process of evolution and development. It barely feels any closer to being a consumer product this year than it did last year, and its increasingly complex functionality implies a product which, when it finally arrives, will command a premium price point. This is still a tech company in a process of iteration, discovering the product they actually want to launch; for Luckey, Carmack and the rest of the dream team assembled at Oculus, their VR just isn't good enough yet, even though it's moving in the right direction fast.
Sony, by contrast, now feels like it's about to try something disruptive. It's seemingly pretty happy with where Morpheus stands as a VR device; now the challenge is getting the design and software right, and pushing the price down to a consumer friendly level by doing market-disruptive things like repurposing components from its (actually pretty impressive) smartphones. Again, it's possible that the mood music from both companies is misleading, but right now it feels like Sony is going to launch a reasonably cost-effective VR headset while Oculus is still in the prototyping phase.
These are two very different strategic approaches to the market. The worrying thing is that they can't both be right. If Oculus is correct and VR still needs a lot of fine-tuning, prototyping and figuring out before it's ready for the market, then Sony is rushing in too quickly and risks seriously damaging the market potential of VR as a whole with an underwhelming product. This risk can't be overstated; if Morpheus launches first and it makes everyone seasick, or is uncomfortable to use for more than a short period of time, or simply doesn't impress people with its fidelity and immersion, then it could see VR being written off for another decade in spite of Oculus' best efforts. The public are fickle and VR has cried wolf too many times already.
If, on the other hand, Sony is correct and "good enough" VR tech is pretty much ready to go, then that's great for VR and for PS4, but potentially very worrying for Oculus, who risk their careful, evolutionary, prototype after prototype approach being upended by an unusually nimble and disruptive challenge from Sony. If this is the case (and I've heard little but good things about Morpheus, which suggests Sony's gamble may indeed pay off) then the Facebook deal could be either a blessing or a curse. A blessing, if it allows Oculus to continue to work on evolving and developing VR tech, shielding them from the impact of losing first-mover advantage to Sony; a curse, if that failure to score a clear win in the first round spooks Facebook's management and investors and causes them to pull the plug. That's one that could go either way; given the quality of the innovative work Oculus is doing, even if Sony's approach proves victorious, everyone should hope that the Oculus team gets an opportunity to keep plugging away.
It's exciting and interesting to see Sony taking this kind of risk. These gambles don't always pay off, of course – the company placed bets on 3D TV in the PS3 era which never came to fruition, for example – but that's the nature of innovation and we should never criticise a company for attempting something truly interesting, innovative and even disruptive, as long as it passes the most basic of Devil's Advocate tests. Sony has desperately needed a Devil's Advocate in the past – Rolly, anyone? UMD? – but Morpheus is a clear pass, an interesting and exciting product with the potential to truly turn around the company's fortunes.
I just hope that in the company's enthusiasm, it understands the absolute importance of getting this right, not just being first. This is a quality Sony was famed for in the past; rather than trying to be first to market in new sectors, it would ensure that it had by far the best product when it launched. This is one of the things which Steve Jobs, a huge fan of Sony, copied from the company when he created the philosophies which still guide Apple (a company that rarely innovates first, but almost always leapfrogs the competition in quality and usability when it does adopt new technology and features). For an experience as intimate as VR – complete immersion in a headset, screens mere centimetres from your eyes – that's a philosophy which must be followed. When these headsets reach the market, what will be most important isn't who is first; it isn't even who is cheapest. The consumer's first experience must be excellent – nothing less will do. Oculus seems to get that. Sony, in its enthusiasm to disrupt, must not lose sight of the same goal.
Was Titan A 50M Dollar Loss For Blizzard?
When Titan first came to light in 2007, most people assumed it would be Blizzard's next big thing, ultimately taking the place of World of Warcraft which was likely to see further declines in the years ahead. Fast forward seven years, WoW clearly has been fading (down to 6.8 million subs as of June 30) but Blizzard has no MMO lined up to replace it, and that fact was really hammered home today with the surprise cancellation of Titan. In fact, the developer stressed that it didn't want to be known as an MMO company and one may not be in its future. Cancelling the project this late in the game may have cost Blizzard several tens of millions of dollars, analysts told GamesIndustry.biz.
"Development costs for Titan may have amounted to tens of millions, perhaps $50 million or more. This is not an unusual event, however. Blizzard has cancelled several games in various stages of development in the past. Costs for unreleased games can be significant, but launching substandard games can harm the reputation of a successful publisher such as Blizzard. Expenses for development can be considered R&D, and benefits can include invaluable training, IP and technology that can be applied to other games," explained independent analyst Billy Pidgeon.
Wedbush Securities' Michael Pachter estimated an even higher amount lost: "My guess is 100 – 200 people at $100,000 per year, so $70 – 140 million sunk cost. It's pretty sad that it took so long to figure out how bad the game was. I expect them to go back to the drawing board."
Indeed, the market has changed considerably in the last seven years, and while MMOs like EA's Star Wars: The Old Republic struggle to find a large audience, free-to-play games and tablet games like Blizzard's own Hearthstone are finding success. Blizzard has no doubt been keenly aware of the market realities too.
"As far back as 2013, they had already stated Titan was not likely to be a subscription-based MMORPG. This is consistent with a market that is increasingly dominated by multiplayer games that are either free to play or are an expected feature included with triple-A games such as Call of Duty. Titanfall and Destiny sold as standalone games supplemented by paid downloadable add-ons. Blizzard maintains very high standards of quality, so expectations will be steep for new franchises as well as for sequels," Pidgeon continued.
DFC Intelligence's David Cole agreed, noting that after seven years of development in an industry where trends and technologies change at a rapid pace, Blizzard simply had to pull the plug on Titan.
"They realized that unless a big MMO is out-of-this-world unbelievable it won't work in today's market where it competes against a bunch of low cost options. If they felt that it just wasn't getting to that point it makes sense to cut your losses," he noted. "Also, you see games like League of Legends and their own Hearthstone which are doing very well on a much lower budget."
"For Blizzard, I am expecting to see them continue to focus on high quality products but also focus on products with shorter development cycles and less cost. The market is just not in a place where you can have games with 7+ year development. It is changing too fast."
For most developers, junking a seven-year long project would instantly spell turmoil, but thankfully for Blizzard, it's part of the Activision Blizzard behemoth, which has a market cap of over $15 billion and, as of June 30, cash and cash equivalents of over $4 billion on hand. It's a nice luxury to have.
Will Oculus Go Into The Mobile Space?
We attended the first ever Oculus Connect conference, the beats and chatter of a cocktail reception just next door, Max Cohen is being brutally honest about the company's mobile-based virtual reality headset.
"I can spend ten minutes talking about the problems with this device. We're not afraid of them," the VP of mobile says with a smile.
"It overheats if you run it too long. It is 60 Hertz low persistence, which means some people will notice flicker. The graphical quality is obviously a lot less than the PC. Battery life is a concern. There's no positional tracking.
"We could try to say this is the be-all end-all of VR. We'd be lying. That's a bad thing. We would hurt where we can get to the be-all end-all of VR. Everyone, Samsung, Facebook, Oculus, we're all aligned with making a damn good product that we put out in the market and then working on improving it. Really soon, maybe even sooner than you think, we'll get to that amazing VR experience for everyone."
"Samsung, Facebook, Oculus, we're all aligned with making a damn good product"
Cohen's talking about the Gear VR, the Samsung backed headset that offers a more portable and accessible entry into the virtual reality world for developers and users alike. It's John Carmack's passion project at the company and clearly it's Cohen's too.
"The first thing they did was to put me in the HD prototype with the Tuscany demo. I was floored, of course," he remembers.
"Then I got to see the Valve room and then he showed me this mobile project. It was running on a Galaxy S4 at the time. It crashed a little bit. There were a lot of problems with it, but I just thought this was so amazing. I went back and was talking to a friend of mine who's an entrepreneur. He said it's rare that you have the opportunity to work on transformational hardware, and that's really what this was."
The story of the Gear VR is a simple one; Oculus went to the Korean company hoping to work with them on screens for the PC-based Rift and found Samsung had been working on a headset you could simply slide a Samsung Galaxy phone into to experience virtual reality. Now the companies are working together on both devices, with Samsung fielding calls from Carmack on a regular basis.
"It's a collaboration. It's not we tell them what to do or they tell us what to do," Cohen continues. "We're the software platform, so when you put that on, you're in Oculus, but that wouldn't be possible without maximizing the hardware. Carmack and our team works very closely with their engineering team. They make suggestions about UI as well. We're working together to make the best possible experience. If it wasn't collaborative, this thing just honestly wouldn't function because this is really hard to do."
The focus of Oculus Connect isn't the media or sales or even recruitment, but developers. Supporting them, showing them the technology, offering them advice on the new territory that is virtual reality. Cohen, like everyone else I speak to at the weekend, believes developers and their content is absolutely key to the success of the hardware.
"At the end of the day, we want to make the developers' lives as easy as possible so they can make cool content."
"Facebook invested in the platform. They didn't buy it. What they did is they're also committing money to make sure it's successful on an ongoing basis"
That content will be supported by an app store, and Cohen wants it to be a place where developers can make a living, rather than just a showcase of free demos. Jason Holtman, former director of business development at Valve, is overseeing its creation.
"We're going to launch initially with a free store, but maybe a month later, follow along with commerce," says Cohen.
"At the end of the day, as great as doing the art for free and sharing that is, we will have a hundred times more content when people can actually monetize it. This is a business. There's nothing wrong with that. People need to be able to feed themselves. Our job is to make the platform as friendly for developers as we can so that it's painless. You don't have to worry about a bunch of overhead."
There's a sense that the Facebook money, that headline-grabbing $2 billion, has given the team the luxury of time and the chance to recruit the people they need to make sure this time virtual reality lives up to its promises. Other than that, Facebook seems to be letting Oculus just get on with it.
"That's the thing… a lot of people, with the Facebook acquisition, asked how that would impact us and the answer is it hasn't, in terms of our culture, and Facebook's actually supportive of the way Oculus is because we know that content makes or breaks a platform," says Cohen.
"They invested in the platform. They didn't buy it. What they did is they're also committing money to make sure it's successful on an ongoing basis. We could have continued to raise a lot of venture capital. It would have been very expensive to do it right. Now we have replaced our board of directors with Facebook, but that's completely fine. They are helping us. They are accelerating our efforts."
No one at Oculus is talking about release dates for consumer units yet, and Cohen is no different. It's clear that he and the team are hungry for progress as he talks about skipping minor updates and making major advances. He talks about "awesome" ideas that he's desperate to get to, and pushing the envelope, but what matters most is getting it right.
"I think everyone understands that with a little bit more magic, VR can be ubiquitous. Everyone needs it. I think a lot of people understand what we need to do to get there, but it takes hard work to actually solve those things. Oculus and Facebook have lined up the right team to do it, but I want us to actually have time to do that," says Cohen.
"We're not trying to sell millions now. We're trying to get people and early adopters, tech enthusiasts and all that interested in it."
Is Video Game Music Production Being Outsourced?
In July, Gamasutra's annual developer salary survey reported that the best compensated job for hands-on game creators wasn't programmer or producer, but audio professional. That didn't sound right to the organizers of audio conference GameSoundCon, so they conducted their own survey aimed squarely at audio specialists in the gaming industry, the results of which they released today.
Gamasutra acknowledged its own numbers on audio professionals were likely skewed by a few factors. They only had 33 respondents, they only counted full-time professionals even though audio work is frequently done on a freelance basis, and their survey base of Game Developer Conference attendees was likely skewed to more senior people, as developers might not invest in sending fresh recruits to the show. GameSoundCon's survey drew 514 responses, and as might be expected, painted a less lucrative picture of the field.
"Most game audio jobs, whether they are composers or sound designers, are freelance," said GameSoundCon executive director Brian Schmidt. "Game audio is increasingly an outsourced industry."
According to the survey, the average salaried audio professional position in the game industry pays $70,532. However, only 37 percent of those who took the survey were salaried employees. About 12 percent of respondents said they were paid by the hour, day, or week.
For freelance work, the average project fee was $28,091. However, that number was skewed significantly by big-budget games, where per-project fees could come in greater than $250,000. For indie or casual games, the average project fee dropped to just $9,830. For projects where the audio contractor retained rights to their work, the average fee dipped still lower, to $4,481, with as many projects paying $1,500 or less as there were paying more.
"There does seem to be a good 'career path' in game audio," Schmidt added. "You can start out as a composer for indie games, and end up with a 6-figure salary as an audio director. Being able to get technical definitely gives you a leg up; more than 60 percent of responders say they provided audio content as well as technical services for implementation of the audio."
The survey also underscored some rarities in the field. Gender diversity is lacking among audio professionals, as 96 percent of respondents were male. Royalties are also rare, with only 2 percent of composers per-unit payments for big-budget titles. Royalties were somewhat more common among indie and casual projects, with 17 percent reporting per-unit payments.
Soundtrack sales also didn't do much to pad composers' pockets, as 5 percent of large-budget games included a clause paying out for soundtrack sales. However, that number increased to 18 percent for indie or casual titles.
Will Gamers See An Alan Wake 2?
While we would not call Alan Wake from developer Remedy Entertainment a disappointment, we would say that it took a long time to make, cost a lot of money, and didn't quite live up to what everyone though it would be in the end.
The one thing about Alan Wake has been however, that over time it has perhaps gained a bit of a following. Creative director Sam Lake from Remedy has been quoted as saying that, "while the sequel for Alan Wake didn't work out at this point, but we are definitely are looking for opportunities to do more with Alan Wake when the time is right."
As for when the time might be right, that is really hard to say. We know right now that the studio is hard at work on Quantum Break which is on track for a 2015 release, so we don't think we are going to see a squeal anytime soon. The good news for fans is that it does seem that there is at least interest in a squeal.
Will Activision Buy Take-Two?
Take-Two's share price rose nearly five per cent to 23.66 last week as rumours circulated that the publisher may be the target of a potential takeover by Activision.
Mike Hickey, an equity researcher for the Benchmark Company, penned a note which fuelled the trading, claiming that the two companies were engaged on an "emerging romance".
"For Activision, acquiring Take-Two Interactive would be a no-brainer, in our view, circling some of the strongest development talent and owned IP in the world, within a company that has nearly $1 billion in cash and trades at a comparably lower multiple," Hickey's report reads. "With the acquisition of Take-Two Interactive, Activision would have arguably the three strongest development studios in the world with Rockstar Games, Bungie and Blizzard."
By acquiring Take Two's portfolio, Hickey believes that Activision could offer a rolling catalogue of massively high-profile AAA console titles, capitalising massively on the tremendous performance of the current generation of new machines.
Mike Hickey, Equity Researcher, The Benchmark Company LLC
"While Activision has historically managed their performance profile around franchises they can annualize, their $500 million investment in Bungie seems to be a departure from that philosophy, as we suspect the venture will prove difficult to annualize. The opportunity for Activision to intelligently layer future releases from Rockstar, Bungie and Blizzard, could in-part enable Activision to annualize future performance from what today is arguably a less linear performance profile.
"We would also note that Activision's mega performance foundation with World of Warcraft is trapped within a life cycle decline, their Skylanders franchise will face considerable pressure from Disney and Call of Duty is vulnerable to franchise fatigue from consistent annual iterations. Therefore, acquiring GTA, Red Dead, Borderlands, NBA 2K, BioShock… etc. Along with the potential performance opportunity from a new MMO and movie adoption of GTA from Rockstar Games… Acquiring Take-Two Interactive would seem like a very smart move for Activision."
Hickey doesn't see the potential deal being motivated entirely by a desire for direct growth, however. He points to shared cinematic ambitions as the key factor in any merger. Activision has close ties to Hollywood, and its attention, as evinced by the recruitment of superstar Kevin Spacey for the latest Call of Duty title. Take Two is rumoured, not for the first time, to be shopping around for a potential film adaptation of Grand Theft Auto, something which Activision's capital and connections could make a great deal easier.
Piers Harding-Rolls, Director, Head of Games, IHS
"We suspect that Activision's strategic alignment into the movie business, could in-part be related to an emerging romance wrinkle between the two companies and the Houser's, leading toward a possible Take-Two acquisition," Hickey continues.
Some other analysts are more cautious, however. Piers Harding-Rolls, head of games at major analyst IHS, doesn't necessarily see the move making sense for the larger company.
"I would file this rumour under unlikely at this point," he told GamesIndustry.biz in an exclusive statement. "Activision's MO is relatively anti-risk and it has a calculated long-term growth strategy based on establishing and developing billion dollar franchises that unlock large amounts of value for the company. Activision is well placed to deliver that once again following the Skylanders success with Destiny and I don't believe acquiring Take Two and its stable of IP fits with this strategy.
"Having said that, Activision is likely to be looking for further growth opportunities – it has yet to build a substantial games apps business and a number of its franchises are longer in the tooth or more competitively challenged than before. As such, I think we can expect Activision to be more rigorously examining adjacent markets – the movie opportunity makes sense in this context – as well as planning for the development of new franchises within its portfolio."
True or not, the note was enough to light a fire under the imaginations of traders. Take Two's stock actually reached a six year high on July 28, at 23.67, but dropped soon after. Friday's news pushed it up 4.67 per cent, with Activision's stock also rising 0.81 per cent to 23.54.
Were Kotick and Hirshberg to take the plunge, they'd have to put a more convincing offer on the table than EA managed in 2008, the last time a public offer was made for Take Two. Then, a deal worth $2 billion wasn't enough to convince Take Two shareholders, who felt that the company was being undervalued, rejecting the offer.
Should Nintendo Hit The Reset Button?
Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto doesn't want to make games for "passive" people; the attitude that games ought to be to be a roller-coaster ride, to entertain without challenge, is, to his mind, "pathetic". That was the message from the legendary game designer in an E3 interview with Edge magazine, published in this month's edition; it's been presented by other news outlets as a sign of a Nintendo U-turn, moving away from the casual market it sought with the Wii and the DS in favour of re-engaging core gamers.
That's exactly the sort of message that most of the games media wants to hear, of course. The media, after all, speaks exclusively to core gamers; casual players generally don't bother with specialist media. "Nintendo has seen the error of its ways and realised that the only people worth making games for are you, my dear brethren!" is a crowd-pleaser of a message; but it's also a pretty big leap to make from the comments Miyamoto actually made.
First, the context. Edge had just challenged Miyamoto over the fact that his prototype games at E3 were all somewhat difficult to play. They used the Wii U GamePad in new ways which it took a while to get accustomed to; the question implied in the text of Edge's interview isn't about casual games at all, but about the difficulty level of the prototypes. Miyamoto's response does make clear a mental distinction between different types of game consumer and a preference for those who enjoy some challenge in their entertainment, but to extrapolate that into a U-turn in Nintendo's development priorities is an overreach.
In fact, Miyamoto's comments – equating passivity with "the sort of people who, for example, might want to watch a movie. They might want to go to Disneyland. Their attitude is 'OK, I am the customer; you are supposed to entertain me'" – are punching in a number of directions at once. Certainly, he's frustrated by people who play games without ever really engaging with them as a challenge; I doubt he's a fan of free-to-play systems that allow you to pay money to bypass challenges. Equally, though, those comments are an attack on some approaches to AAA game design; barren technological wonders which serve as little more than on-rails galleries for artwork and pale narrative. Miyamoto isn't saying "casuals have ruined the market"; far from it. He's saying that there are consumers who demand spoon-fed entertainment at all points of the spectrum from core to casual, and that he doesn't want to make games for any of them. (It's also worth noting that he's not really blowing his top over this; "pathetic" doesn't carry the same kind of stinging indictment in Japanese that it does in translation.)
Later in the Edge interview, Miyamoto veers back to similar territory when he talks about the proliferation of mainstream game-capable platforms like iOS and Android devices. While adamant that Nintendo needs to continue to make hardware as well as software, he's delighted that these new platforms exist, because they provide an "on-ramp" for consumers who haven't engaged with games before. Nintendo previously saw itself holding a responsibility to try to open up new demographics for the games industry; now it seems that we've reached a tipping point, technologically and culturally, where that's happening by itself.
Edge speculates that this means Miyamoto (and hence Nintendo) believes that the window has shut on making games for entry-level gamers. Titles like Brain Training, which opened up the DS to a huge audience of people who had rarely if ever played games before, may now be pointless; the consumers they ought to target are all playing games on their phones and tablets, so there isn't an addressable market remaining there for dedicated hardware and more expensive (non-F2P) games. This is fair analysis, and indeed, it probably features in Nintendo's thinking; let iOS serve as the entry level for new gamers and then hope that those who enjoy the experience will ultimately upgrade to the superior offerings available on a dedicated console.
At the same time, though, Nintendo itself has a conception of "casual" and "core" that probably isn't shared by the majority of sites reporting Miyamoto's comments. Miyamoto talks not about themes but about enjoyment of challenge as the distinction between the two groups. To him, a supposedly "adult" game full of blood and ripe language could be utterly casual if it spoon-feeds players with dull, linear gameplay. Meanwhile, a brightly coloured Mushroom Kingdom epic could qualify as "core" if it challenges players in the right way. Consequently, Nintendo's family-friendly IP and the broad appeal of its themes is entirely compatible with a focus on "core games", to Miyamoto's mind. What he's talking about changing is something at the root of design, not the thematic wallpaper of the company's games; he wants to challenge people, not to force Nintendo's artists to remove all the primary colours from their Photoshop palettes.
Viewed in this light, Miyamoto's comments are an earnest and down-to-earth appraisal of Nintendo's present situation; still recovering from the heady days of the Wii and figuring out how much of that flash-in-the-pan market is really sustainable, but knuckling down to the challenge of entertaining and delighting (and of course, selling to) those within the audience who really enjoyed games rather than latching onto the platform as a fad. Contrary to the more excitable reportage on his comments, Miyamoto is promising no major changes to Nintendo's approach; rather, he's re-committing himself and the company to the same course of action which delivered games like Mario Kart 8, a title firmly within the family-friendly Nintendo tradition and absolutely celebratory of challenge and good design.
"Core gamer" is a phrase that's picked up a strong whiff of soi-disant elitism and exclusion over the past few years; the phrase "as a core gamer…" in a forum post or comment thread is this odd little corner of society's equivalent of "I'm not a racist, but…", indicating a post that's probably going to brim with self-important awfulness. The bête noire of the core gamer is the "casual", and just as any move by a game creator or publisher to cater to "casuals" is despised and derided, any prodigal son who declares their abandonment of the casual market and return to the core is greeted with an I-told-you-so roar of delight. This is a thin sliver of the market overall, of course, but a noisy one; as such, it's worth reiterating that what Miyamoto absolutely did not say is that Nintendo is resetting its course to please these people. Nintendo, for many years to come, will still be a company defined by games that are broadly appealing, generally family-friendly and enormously accessible. Under Miyamoto's watchful eye, they'll also be challenging and engaging; but anyone taking his comments on "passivity" as near-confirmation that we'll see Grand Theft Mario down the line is utterly misreading the situation.
Does Nintendo Need To Offer Third Party Developers More Support?
Along with publishing some rather good games, Ubisoft has quietly been developing another important role over the past few years. Thanks to the outspoken nature of CEO Yves Guillemot and the company's careful balancing of enthusiasm for new technologies and platforms with a decent degree of financial and management conservatism, Ubisoft has become a bellwether for the publishing industry. Perhaps a difference between French and American business culture plays a role, perhaps not; either way, where other firms equivocate and fall back on meaningless corporate double-speak, Ubisoft and its executives have developed a reputation for speaking openly and giving us an insight into what the publishing industry at large is actually thinking.
When Guillemot pronounces, then, that his company is no longer going to launch "mature" titles on Wii U – Watch_Dogs will be their last such effort, following the disappointing performance of Assassin's Creed on the platform – you can safely bet that it's not acting in isolation. What Ubisoft says in the open is almost certainly precisely the strategy being pursued by other publishers as well; they're just more likely to try and veil it with empty platitudes about what a great partner Nintendo is and how important it is to the industry, effusive corporate praise which, once picked apart, actually carries no commitment of substance to the Wii U platform.
Nor should any such commitment be forthcoming. If mature cross-platform titles aren't selling on the Wii U, which they are not, then publishers should feel no obligation to continue to develop them for that platform. If this were a two-horse race between rival platform holders, some publishers might be tempted to continue support for the lagging console just in order to keep the front-runner on its toes, but with three strong companies competing, that branch of thought no longer produces fruit. Wii U is on its own, in this regard. Just as Ubisoft will continue to publish Just Dance titles and their ilk on the platform, where they do very well, other publishers will also find casual or kids' games in their line-ups which suit the Wii U – but support for "mature" or "core" games will disappear in short order. I wouldn't expect to see many multi-platform core titles on Wii U from 2015 onwards.
This will cause wailing and gnashing of teeth, because wailing and gnashing of teeth is essentially what the games media and the fanboy frenzy is set up to provide. The death knell! The final nail in the coffin! Vultures circle overhead! Once the core-game supply for Wii U completely dries up and other publishers admit to pursuing exactly the same policy as Ubisoft, headline writers will fall over themselves to drag out death-related imagery that would make a teenage goth poet blush. We know this, because it has happened before. Every Nintendo console since the SNES, in fact, has seen its third-party support fall off a cliff at some point in its life cycle. On each occasion, Nintendo's failure to woo third-parties has been presented as a sign of inevitable doom.
Let's lay it out, then; Nintendo's home console platforms are terrible for third parties. They've been that way for twenty years and they're not going to stop being that way any time soon. Honestly, it wouldn't matter a tuppenny damn if Nintendo unveiled a PS4-beating HD console tomorrow; the business model, the branding and the market for Nintendo consoles is simply poison to the cross-platform "mature" mega-hit franchises like Call of Duty, GTA or Assassin's Creed.
"Core gamers buy a Nintendo console as a second device because they want access to Nintendo exclusive titles, primarily first-party games"
Purchasers of Nintendo home consoles fall broadly into two categories. You've got core gamers who buy a Nintendo console alongside another gaming device – either a Sony or Microsoft console, or a PC; and you've got "casual" gamers, including the family and child segments, who buy a Nintendo device because they trust the brand. Neither of those groups is actually all that keen to buy the latest Call of Duty on a Nintendo platform. Core gamers buy a Nintendo console as a second device because they want access to Nintendo exclusive titles, primarily first-party games, but migrate back to their "primary" console to play mature cross-platform titles. Casual gamers don't want to play mature cross-platform titles anyway. In both cases, they bought a Nintendo device to play Nintendo exclusives.
That's exactly how Nintendo likes it. Nintendo consoles maintain pretty strong tie ratios – even the Wii, supposedly the dust-gatherer of the last generation, had a healthy software tie ratio – and the lion's share of the games sold are Nintendo first-party games. It's not that Nintendo "accidentally" builds consoles like the Wii and Wii U which are underpowered and "weird" compared with the other consoles of their era, then wrings its hands and wonders why third-parties aren't launching loads of cross-platform games. Nintendo does this deliberately, building consoles that are custom-made to play Nintendo first-party games and which don't risk being overrun by Call of Duty and its ilk and thus damaging or polluting the brand image which the company has carefully constructed over the past few decades. For Nintendo, the fact that Assassin's Creed doesn't sell too well on Wii U is a feature, not a bug, because it means that the company's own first-party titles remain solidly in the spotlight and the brand image of the console remains Nintendo's to control.
Of course, that approach begins to look a little less wise when the console in question fails to sell very well, leaving Nintendo's first-party titles with only a limited audience to address – which is exactly what's happened with the Wii U. Yet the solution isn't to throw in the towel and simply copy what Sony does – an enterprise in which Nintendo would almost certainly be doomed to fail. Nintendo needs to find a solution to its current woes which actually suits Nintendo; something which leverages all the things the company is good at and rescues its market position without simply becoming a clone of its rivals or, worse, just another software publisher jostling for attention on the App Store.
The solution, perhaps unsurprisingly for a company with such a long history, may lie in the past. Nintendo doesn't need or want a swathe of third-party multi-platform manshooters on the Wii U, and that's absolutely fine. It does, however, need more breadth if not more depth in the Wii U's software catalogue. The first-party games on the system are excellent, but it needs more of them, addressing more niches; maintaining Nintendo's excellent quality standards while also exploring more genres, more aesthetics and more audiences.
Once upon a time, Nintendo used to do almost exactly that. It operated "second-party" studios within and outside Japan, most famously Britain's Rare, which were independent but nestled under the wing of the platform holder, given access to Nintendo's expertise, assets and finance in return for accepting creative guidance from Kyoto and publishing exclusively on Nintendo platforms. It also built relationships with publishers, mostly in Japan, which guaranteed exclusive titles to Nintendo systems on similar terms.
Some legacies of the second-party system remain. Bayonetta 2, which no other publisher or platform holder would fund, is a compelling Nintendo exclusive now; Hyrule Warriors, released in Japan last week, is a cross-publisher collaboration of a sort which the company should pursue more regularly. Yet these are mere echoes of a system which once guaranteed a strong flow of exclusive, high-quality titles to Nintendo platforms – titles which were different from the offerings on rival platforms, but compelling enough to ensure that gamers felt that they really, really needed a Nintendo console under the TV as well.
A resurrection and reinvigoration of second-party would make enormous sense for Nintendo today. It would look quite different to the system of the past in some regards; indie developers would have to form a big part of it, for example, although one could argue that Sony has already stolen a march on Nintendo in this regard with its policy of working closely with selected indie developers on PS4 and Vita. The scope would have to be as big as it once was if not bigger, though; studios around the globe, not just in Japan, with oversight from Kyoto but also enjoying the trust required both to build excellent new IP and to experiment with old properties. Rebuilding this system would require opening the Nintendo warchest, of course; and it would take time and patience, although both of those are qualities Nintendo has never lacked for. It would, however, do more that just giving Wii U a shot in the arm; it would set Nintendo up with a supply of IP and games that would sustain its platforms for generations to come.
Will Activision Launch An Entertainment Group?
Sources are suggesting that Activision is planning to launch an entertainment division that would be responsible for creating movies and TV shows based on Activision intellectual properties. The move might leave many scratching their heads if true since so many others have failed at trying to turn video game IP into gold.
Word is that CEO Bobby Kotick is taking to folks in an effort to secure the right talent to make this happen. Kotick has to be aware that this has not gone well for its competitors, but he apparently thinks that Activision IP is different and they will have no problem giving the people want they want.
Our take on this is that we will wait and see what happens, but it will not be easy to be successful, regardless of the IP that you have in your stable. The bigger question might be is it really worth the money and effort to try and make it work?


text:
Williams-Sonoma Jobs & Careers
Assistant Store Manager
Williams-Sonoma – Calgary +31 locations
include but are not limited to: * Set the pace on sales floor and model desired behaviors to generate sales and build loyal customer relationships… Williams-Sonoma
Desktop Systems Specialist II
Williams-Sonoma – Memphis, TN
The Desktop System Specialist II is responsible for providing 2nd level support of hardware, software, and operating systems for PC computing… Williams-Sonoma
Part-Time Customer Service Representative / – new
Williams-Sonoma Inc. – Shafter, CA
· Process customer orders while communicating all essential elements of the sales script to ensure exemplary customer service and call quality… Williams-Sonoma Inc.
Telecommunications Technician – new
Williams-Sonoma Inc. – Oklahoma City, OK
Williams-Sonoma Inc.'s Global Supply Chain organization is the backbone of our company. Our Distribution Centers serve as vital connections between… Williams-Sonoma Inc.
ETL Developer
Williams-Sonoma Inc. – San Francisco, CA
Using the Ab Initio development tool and SQL, support a large enterprise data warehouse used for statistical modeling, campaign planning, and other… Williams-Sonoma Inc.
Business Systems Analyst III-WMOS – new
Williams-Sonoma Inc. – Memphis, TN
Coordinates and participates in projects of diverse scope and complexity. Serves as a liaison between the business community and the IT organization… Williams-Sonoma Inc.
Operations Manager- Packing
Williams-Sonoma – Claremont, NC
Williams-Sonoma Inc.'s Supply Chain organization is the backbone of our company. Our Distribution Centers serve as vital connections between… Williams-Sonoma
Staff Accountant
Williams-Sonoma – San Francisco, CA
Our Company Founded in 1956, Williams-Sonoma, Inc. is the premier specialty retailer of high-quality products for the kitchen and home in the United… Williams-Sonoma
Senior Internal Auditor
Williams-Sonoma – San Francisco, CA
Our Company Founded in 1956, Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (WSI) is a specialty retailer of high-quality products for the home. These products, representing… Williams-Sonoma
Compensation Analyst – new
Williams-Sonoma – San Francisco, CA
s, and determine appropriate salary grade assignments. * Assist in the development and administration of various incentive and other compensation… Williams-Sonoma
Williams-Sonoma Photos
Williams-Sonoma Reviews
"It's only about the C-Suite and Shareholders "
- Comp & Benefits
- Work/Life Balance
- Senior Management
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
I have been working at Williams-Sonoma full-time (more than an year)Pros
Fast-paced, good product, was once a great company however has changed its philosophy over the past 3 to 5 years.
Decent discount so that you're enticed to give back the money you've earned. Also for exempt employees the benefit package is comparable to other large organizations.Cons
Extremely high staff turnover, very poor customer service/experience standards, constantly cutting payroll disregarding the customer experience entirely-company only cares about the shareholders and executive bonuses. The majority of staff are miserable unfortunately.Advice to ManagementAdvice
Re-read the founder's rules.Doesn't RecommendNeutral OutlookDisapproves of CEO

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Job no longer exists: ask the expert
I am due to return to work after Additional Maternity Leave and have been told that my old job 'no longer exists'. I have been having discussion for 2 months about possible suitable alternatives, and while roles have generically been discussed, no formal job descriptions have been provided or made to me in writing.
I have now received a job description for a role and told that it is 'equivalent' to my old role. My old manager is unable to provide me with any details of the role, including simple basics such as where it is based. They have also been unable to confirm whether the role is on the same Terms and Conditions, Salary, and Benefits as my previous role.
This was provided to me on e-mail just 1.5 days before my planned return to work. I am a mum of twin boys and have reasonably tried to be flexible and open about what role I could take on, but now find myself in a position where I am potentially returning to a role which has never previously been discussed with me, where there has been no assessment of my Flexible Working request, and they cannot even specify location. Given that, in my view, my employer has failed to provide me with any details of a new role in a reasonably timely manner, I feel I have little alternative but to leave. I have 7 years' service and feel very poorly treated.
Is there a case for a tribunal claim given the way my employer has acted in providing me so little information so late in the process, leaving me with, I feel, no option but to resign?
Discussion: 0 comments


text:
Newman Guide Selects Franciscan University of Steubenville Among Top Catholic Universities
Catholic PRWire
STEUBENVILLE, OH (October 29, 2012) - Franciscan University of Steubenville is one of only 28 Catholic colleges, universities, and online programs chosen for �fidelity and excellence� to be included in the latest edition of The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College.
A project of the Cardinal Newman Society, the Newman Guide goes where most college guides don�t by examining how a Catholic institution�s academic, intellectual, spiritual, and moral environment fit within the tenets of the Catholic Church.
�I have long admired the Cardinal Newman Society�s steady efforts to help all Catholic colleges fulfill their destiny as laid out in Pope John Paul II�s timeless teaching on Catholic higher education, Ex Corde Ecclesiae,� said Franciscan University President Father Terence Henry, TOR. �Franciscan University is honored to be included once again in The Newman Guide. I am certain parents and students will find the Newman Guide invaluable in making one of the most important decisions in their lives.�
Noting that Franciscan University offers �a solid education and vibrant campus life,� the Newman Guide�s profile highlighted the new core curriculum adopted by Franciscan University in fall 2012: �Undergraduates at Franciscan complete an integrated liberal arts core curriculum, based on the Western intellectual tradition and the Franciscan character of education and in accord with the Catholic mission of Franciscan University.�
The guide also includes information on Franciscan�s student activities and spiritual life. The Quick Facts box lists the median SAT scores and high school GPAs of Franciscan�s admitted students (both well above the national averages), and other useful information.
The guide details how Franciscan University�s academic programs maintain and strengthen the University�s Catholic identity. It mentions that all theology faculty have a mandatum on file with the bishop of Steubenville and have taken the Profession of Faith and Oath of Fidelity, and identifies other ways the University imbues Catholic ethical formation into all areas of study.
In its descriptions of the spiritual life at Franciscan University, the guide highlights attendance by students at Sunday Mass (98%), daily Mass (over 700 attend one of three daily Masses on campus), the ready availability of confession and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and the many ways the faith life is integrated in the residence halls, athletic programs, clubs and other student activities.
In its summation, the Newman Guide says, �There�s no place quite like Franciscan University of Steubenville, and its students� enthusiasm for serving God both during and after their college years is most refreshing. � Few institutions share Franciscan University�s reputation for strong Catholic identity, including a powerful witness to the pro-life cause and evangelization, which penetrates everything the institution does.�
The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College is available in full color, online and in print at www.TheNewmanGuide.com.
Franciscan University of Steubenville
http://www.franciscan.edu OH, 43952 US
Tom Sofio - Associate Director of Public Relations,
Newman Guide, Franciscan University of Steubenville, fidelity and excellence, Catholic Universities
Catholic Schools & Religious Education
Rate This Article
0 Comments
Leave a Comment
More Catholic PrWire
- What if we told you Aquinas wasn�t all about philosophy?
- Meet the Woman Who Inspired Ludovico of Casoria, the Church's Newest Saint for the Poor
- Celebrating the Return of a Timeless Classic: The Beloved Queen of Apostles Prayer Book
- Forty Catholic dioceses in effective schism?
- Meet a Medieval Pro-life Saint: Elizabeth of Hungary
- My Battle Against Hitler Blog Book Tour
- Hildebrand and the Third Reich
- Pray the rosary with your Sisters
- Something Other Than God nominated for Best Memoir & Autobiography in Goodreads 2014 Choice Awards
Most Popular
WARNING GRAPHIC PHOTOS (RAW) - ISIS begins killing Christians in Mosul, CHILDREN BEHEADED Read More
Here are 10 Very Interesting Facts About the Catholic Church You Probably Didn't Know! Read More
Lebanese singer gives Arab world a scare - by wearing a dress that's barely there! Read More
PHOTO: Baby born with four arms, four legs in India called 'God's baby' Read More
Hollywood's longest and most successful marriages: What's their secret? Read More
Daily Readings
Reading 1, Revelation 11:4-12
These are the two olive trees and the two lamps in attendance ... Read More
Psalm, Psalms 144:1, 2, 9-10
[Of David] Blessed be Yahweh, my rock, who trains my hands for ... Read More
Gospel, Luke 20:27-40
Some Sadducees -- those who argue that there is no resurrection ... Read More
Saint of the Day
St. Cecilia
November 22: In the fourth century appeared a Greek religious romance on the ... Read More
Latest Videos
Nov 22 - Homily: Resurrection of the Dead View Video
Nov 22 - Homily: Purity and Martyrdom, Past and Future View Video
Papa en Santa Marta: El pueblo no perdona a los sacerdotes que tratan mal a las personas View Video
Observador del Vaticano en la ONU: Ayudad a los inmigrantes. Muchos arriesgan la vida View Video
Pope Francis on immigrants: For Christians, "no one is a stranger" View Video


text: Trendy Homes: Room For You 29 days ago Comments Off 86 Views Now that we are at the end of the week so let's look into what we can do with around the house. If you are like me, we have one extra room that when we moved in had no purpose. ... Read More »


text:
Ackuna Translate - Free Translation Service for Apps, Websites and Software
Get started by registering and creating a project. Then check out the recent projects and have fun proving your language proficiency by translating projects for others!
Latest Projects
Project Name Countries and Flags Quiz (download app) Type Mobile App Description Quiz to learn countries, capitals, flags and borders in a fun way. Languages english arabic belarusian bulgarian chinese-simplified czech danish dutch estonian filipino finnish french german greek hebrew hindi hungarian indonesian italian japanese korean malay norwegian polish portuguese romanian russian swedish thai ukrainian vietnamese
Project Name Alarm clock (download app) Type Mobile App Description Simple but at the same time functional and great alarmclock Languages english chinese-simplified chinese-traditional french german italian japanese korean portuguese russian spanish
Project Name Run+ (download app) Type Mobile App Description Run+ a third party Nike+ client for Windows Phone Languages english arabic chinese-simplified indonesian polish portuguese thai vietnamese
Project Name Defender of the Wood (download app) Type Mobile App Description Casual 90's inspired retro archery game. Languages english russian
Project Name BankoPhone Type Mobile App Description It is an android app which manage your expenses and some other stuff Languages english dutch french german italian japanese russian swedish turkish
Project Name Easy call blocker (download app) Type Mobile App Description Call blocker app for android Languages english arabic french german greek italian japanese russian spanish
Project Name Stock Trends iOS (download app) Type Mobile App Description Stock Trends provides users with invaluable tools that can assist in the decision making process of buying or selling a stock. Languages english french german italian japanese russian
Project Name New Dispatcher Taxi Type Mobile App Description Mobile app fot taxi services Languages russian armenian english georgian spanish ukrainian
Project Name LaserBox2-2 (download game) Type Game Description Puzzle game Languages english arabic chinese-simplified dutch filipino french german hungarian indonesian italian japanese korean portuguese spanish turkish
Project Name Human World for Kids (download app) Type Mobile App Description View amazing learning cards of World of Humans, listen to the sounds and learn the names of the human made objects. After viewing the pictures, your child will have the chance to play a small game – a fun quiz about the learning cards he has just seen. Languages english french german spanish ukrainian
View all the latest projects in the projects directory.


text:
Looking for restaurants open on Thanksgiving or restaurants open on Christmas?
Essex MD Bars Restaurants
Maryland > Restaurants in Essex
Restaurants open on Thanksgiving in Essex
Restaurants open on Christmas in Essex
Looking for restaurant jobs in Essex, MD?
Annabel Lee Tavern
601 South Clinton Street, Baltimore
The Laughing Pint
3531 Gough Street, Baltimore
Brewer's Landing Bar and Grill
801 Woodrow Avenue, Essex
Zorba's Bar & Grill
4710 Eastern Avenue, Baltimore
Chuckles Bar & Grill
6900 Belair Road, Parkville
The Fullerton Pub & Crab House
8027 Belair Road, Nottingham
Harbour View Cafe
American Restaurants, Bars, Cafes, Chinese Food Restaurants, Sushi Restaurants
1501 S. Clinton St., Baltimore
Tilted Kilt
8133 Honeygo Boulevard, White Marsh
Dellis' Bar and Grill
American Restaurants, Bars, Seafood Restaurants
8776 Philadelphia Road, Rosedale
Essex restaurants by cuisine
Nearby Locations
- Annapolis restaurants
- Baltimore restaurants
- Bel Air restaurants
- Brooklyn restaurants
- Catonsville restaurants
- Cockeysville restaurants
- Dundalk restaurants
- Edgewood restaurants
- Glen Burnie restaurants
- Middle River restaurants
- Nottingham restaurants
- Parkville restaurants
- Pasadena restaurants
- Perry Hall restaurants
- Rosedale restaurants
- Sparrows Point restaurants
- Towson restaurants
- Washington restaurants
- White Marsh restaurants


text:
New faces to lead Washington County this year
Posted: 08/09/2013 - In high school football, the players constantly change, but there are some things you can always count on. One of those is for Washington County to be big and physical.
Posted: 08/09/2013 - In high school football, the players constantly change, but there are some things you can always count on. One of those is for Washington County to be big and physical.
Posted: 08/09/2013 - Still in the rebuilding phase, the Fox Creek predators are a year older and a year wiser under head coach Russ Schneider. After a 2-8 season, the preds have reason to believe things are looking up.
Posted: 08/08/2013 - The winning tradition at silver bluff high school builds expectations, but it also builds winners. The bulldogs have decided another lower state championship appearance isn't enough this year. They'll only settle for the the state title.
Posted: 08/08/2013 - When we talked Aquinas football a year ago most conversations started and ended with Brendan Douglas. For good reason, he was that good. This year, don't expect his absence to make the goals change or the probability of getting there any less.
Posted: 08/07/2013 - Success is contagious over at Curtis Baptist school. Fresh off a school best six win campaign, the optimism is spreading and so are the numbers on the Crusaders roster.
Posted: 08/06/2013 - For a second straight year, Lakeside reached the state playoffs before losing in the opening round for a second straight year. For 2013, the Panthers are returning a lot of that experience hoping, this time, it can take them deeper in to the show.
Posted: 08/06/2013 - When you think South Aiken football the last couple of years, one word comes to mind, injuries. Sure it's part of the game, but when you take out some of your leaders, the team will struggle, that's been the case for the Thoroughbreds.
Posted: 08/05/2013 - It's been a rough go of it lately for the Hornets of Aiken. But in the off season, Carey Johnson stepped down as head coach and Brian Neal was hired as the new man to lead the hornets back to prominence.
Posted: 08/05/2013 - They may be one of the most intriguing football teams in the metro area this year. The Spartans of Glenn Hills. A program that's kind of been stuck in neutral for a few years but think they'll kick it into overdrive this fall.
Updated: 08/02/2013 - With the new mini camp rules in Georgia, the high school ranks in the peach state have been on the practice fields for a week already. Today, South Carolina joining the fun as teams finally able to strap on the helmets and get to work.
Posted: 07/29/2013 - Football practice set to start Friday in South Carolina and today, an offer for South Aiken quarterback Bo Baldwin.
Posted: 07/25/2013 - For kids in Georgia, a day they've been looking forward to all summer. Thousands of guys have been sweating it out in the weight room just waiting to put on their team's helmet. Today, the day has finally come.
Posted: 06/06/2013 - It's now a done deal, Aiken has found a football coach to replace Carey Johnson. They didn't go that far as Brian Neal of McCormick takes over in charge of the Hornet program.
Posted: 06/04/2013 - Since summer has arrived and kids are now out of school, time for sports camps to heat up. For the next four Tuesdays, the FCA is once again hosting their 7 on 7 passing league, hey, it's football folks!
Posted: 05/24/2013 - One of the two football coaching vacancies left in the area has been filled with Aquinas naming James Leonard as their new head coach.
Posted: 05/02/2013 - A big change in the high school coaching ranks today as Aquinas's Matt LeZotte has notified the school he's taking a job as an assistant at Wayne County,
Posted: 04/05/2013 - He's been one of the dean of high school coaches in the area, but now Carey Johnson has decided to step down and resign as head coach of the Aiken Hornets. All told he spent 18 years on the sideline and will turn the reigns over to a new coach.
Updated: 01/15/2013 - A shake up in the high school coaching ranks. News 12 has learned Cross Creek's Travis Nixon has been relieved of his coaching duties with the Razorbacks.
Posted: 12/04/2012 - It never ceases to amaze, every single December, one of the last teams playing is always the same, Lincoln County.
Posted: 11/30/2012 - State playoff scores from Friday November 30th
Posted: 11/27/2012 - When you make it to the state quarterfinals, it's tough enough just getting past your next opponent. Now imagine doing it with your starting quarterback on the sideline. Sounds unlikely, but that's just what's happening over at Thomson.
Posted: 11/23/2012 - Playoff football scores from Friday November 23rd
Posted: 11/23/2012 - Devante Shepherd ran for 166 yards and three touchdowns to lead Cross to a 38-26 victory over McCormick to capture its first Class A Division II State championship
Posted: 11/22/2012 - Last year was a record setting season for the Irish of Aquinas. A pair of playoff wins before bowing out. This year, they are expecting more. With class a now split into public and private schools, no reason to think they can't accomplish the goal
Posted: 11/21/2012 - For the past five or six years, Strom Thurmond has gotten this far in the state playoffs, but haven't gotten over the hump and back to the title game. They've had plenty of great players during the stretch, but now its time for the next step.


text:
Care for Kiersten Virtual 5K
Denver, CO
Save with
Running [5K], Walking
Online registration ends in 2 days!
Whether you're race-walking or just walking to get healthy, learn more about the low-impact form of fitness with our walking articles and find walking events in Denver, CO that are perfect for you. We will be with you every step of the way to the finish line.


text: 500 pts Yakima Bears are Moving <Kat House What state are your Yakima Bears moving to? Find the answer here Sign in to Participate Category: Trivia Share on Facebook Share on Twitter More Leave a comment Send to a friend! Print this page Pin it! Reddit This! Share on Tumblr! More Ways To Get and Use Points West Valley Fitness Membership ChallengeKeurig Brewing SystemThanksgiving Gift CardToy Store Shopping Spree$100 GameStop Gift Card$100 Bass Pro Shops Gift Card


text:
EKU announces meet the candidate events
Posted: 03/21/2013 - Eastern Kentucky University has announced schedules for open events during the next couple of weeks to introduce finalists in the search for the school's new president.
Posted: 03/21/2013 - Eastern Kentucky University has announced schedules for open events during the next couple of weeks to introduce finalists in the search for the school's new president.
Updated: 03/21/2013 - The winning ticket matched the first five numbers but not the Powerball
Updated: 03/21/2013 - A decline in layoffs is helping strengthen the job market.
Posted: 03/21/2013 - The parents of one of the 20 first-graders killed in the Newtown, Conn., school massacre say they met with the gunman's father for over an hour in an effort bring some closure to the tragedy.
Posted: 03/21/2013 - Federal meat inspectors would be spared furloughs, but more than 100 smaller air traffic facilities throughout the country could still be closed.
Posted: 03/21/2013 - Authorities in Texas and several other states are beginning to re-examine old arson cases in which defendants may have been convicted with questionable scientific evidence.
Posted: 03/21/2013 - As they struggle to get ahead, many low-wage workers are not taking advantage of job training or educational programs that could help them make the leap to a better-paying job.
Posted: 03/21/2013 - The meeting will be held Thursday and Friday at the Hilton Hotel in downtown Nashville. Thursday's panels will focus on state Medicaid programs, pursuing health care fraud and prescription drug abuse.
Posted: 03/21/2013 - President Barack Obama is in the West Bank for brief meetings with Palestinian leaders on the prospects for restarting Mideast peace talks with Israel.
Posted: 03/21/2013 - On Saturday, police got a call from the couples daughter saying Russell Knickerbocker, 48 was pouring the gas into her mothers eyes and trying to kill her.
Posted: 03/21/2013 - Kentucky now has its 61st nature preserve.
Posted: 03/21/2013 - Towns that want to control land use through zoning against the drilling industry are being pitted against landowners who say state law trumps local authority when it comes to oil and gas development in New York.
Posted: 03/21/2013 - A mortar shell explosion Monday at an Army depot in Hawthorne, Nev., killed seven Marines and injured eight other servicemen.
Updated: 03/22/2013 - Investigators say a space heater is the likely cause of the fire that killed a 50-year-old Jabez man and his cat, but relatives question if something else was to blame.
Posted: 03/21/2013 - Vice President Joe Biden says the Obama administration isn't giving up on an assault weapons ban.
Updated: 03/21/2013 - University of Kentucky basketball fans who were depressed over the Cats' loss Tuesday night in the NIT got some news Wednesday that lifted their spirits. One of the top-rated recruits in the country committed to UK, giving fans hope that next season may produce another national championship.
Updated: 03/21/2013 - Eight people are in jail on drug-related charges after two meth busts on separate days in Knott County.
Posted: 03/21/2013 - Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about Thursday.
Updated: 03/21/2013 - A Pike County man is indicted on charges of attempted murder, rape, sodomy, and being a persistent felony offender.
Posted: 03/20/2013 - A bankruptcy judge has approved the sale of Twinkies to a pair of investment firms.
Posted: 03/21/2013 - A house of worship became the target of vandals. And Wednesday the Pulaski County Sheriff's Office released surveillance video, hoping it will help make some arrests.
Posted: 03/20/2013 - Two Ashland men face up to 30 years in prison after a federal jury convicted them on charges related to operating a motorcycle theft ring.
Posted: 03/20/2013 - A Pike County man was indicted on charges of attempted murder, rape, sodomy, and being a persistent felony offender.
Updated: 03/22/2013 - The Johnson County Middle School academic team won this year's Governor's Cup competition.
Updated: 03/21/2013 - Charges have been dismissed against a woman who left her great grandson at a southern Kentucky McDonald's.


text:
On February 11, 2011 IT Europa, a leading European IT publisher and market intelligence organization, announced the winners of the European IT Excellence Awards 2011 — the pan–European awards event for IT and Telecoms channels. The finalists were honoured at a celebration dinner at The London Marriott Hotel, Grosvenor Square, London.
The contest was organized to recognise the crucial role that Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) and Solution Providers play in the delivery of real world solutions, and attracted entries from 31 countries. Entries were submitted by ISVs and resellers describing the solution provided and each had to be supported by an endorsement by the client. Sixty–two companies from 22 countries made the finals. The winners were selected by an independent panel of consultants and editors.
IBA Group participated in the contest for the third time. The company was selected a finalist in 2008 and 2010. This year, IBA Group became the winner in the category Relationship Management.
In congratulating the winners, Alan Norman, Managing Director of IT Europa said: "The overall quality of entries was extremely high and demonstrated the depth of talent in the channel community across Europe. I congratulate all the winners and wish them and all the finalists every success in the year ahead".
Sergei Levteev, IBA Group CEO and President, commented: "We are proud to be a winner in this renowned European contest. In the competition, judges evaluated not companies' operations but individual projects that contributed to the clients' success. In other words, they evaluated the everyday work of our programmers. The victory is just another confirmation of the high professional level of IBA Group's IT specialists".
Addressing the growing demand for ERP solutions, IBA defined SAP services as its key focus area. IBA Group leverages its strengths in SAP programming and SAP consulting to deliver high–quality and time–bound solutions. A team of more than 300 SAP consultants and developers assists our customers in building and adapting mission–critical systems and applications.
Read about IBA SAP services and solutions.


text:
Opened the door to my room and immediately got a whiff of strong perspiration odor. Even after the cleaning came and "sprayed" the carpet it was still there. I told the front desk but they never followed up to see if it was ok. Same happened a week later. Never seen a hotel where the staff and management doesn't care... More
- Reservation Options:
- TripAdvisor is proud to partner with Booking.com, Travelocity, Odigeo and Priceline so you can book your Canal Park Lodge reservations with confidence. We help millions of travelers each month to find the perfect hotel for both vacation and business trips, always with the best discounts and special offers.
- Also Known As:
- Canal Park Hotel Duluth


text:
Enrichment Art Students Create Spirit Shirts
Eighth Grade Enrichment Art students created LE Spirit Shirts. Pictured are some of the students wearing them: Row One: Josh Valentine and Jade Penn; Row Two: Madalynn Karshner, Isabelle Adkins, Renee Watkins, Kelsey Wooddell; Row Three: Zoe Barnes, Gracie Mullett,, Sidney Dingess and Chloe Evans
Volleyball Teams Going Pink
The 7th and 8th Grade Volleyball teams collected $500.77 for the Stepanie Spielman fund.
"It only takes one person to start a movement. Chris Spielman, former Ohio State and NFL football great and co-founder of The Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research is kick starting this movement by matching all donations made to the Spielman Fund (up to $10,000) during the month of October.
- Click to open image! Click to open image!
- Click to open image! Click to open image!
- Click to open image! Click to open image!
- Click to open image! Click to open image!
Cross Country Team Updates Uniforms
The girls from the McDowell Cross Country team show off their new uniforms! The team would like to thank Mrs. Waidelich, Principal, and Mr. Karshner, Athletic Director, for purchasing the new uniforms.
McDowell Tribe Talk
The latest edition of The Circleville Herald's Tribe Talk. Click here to read more


text:
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Notre Dame pulled off the fourth-largest margin of victory in the history of the Women's Final Four.
An 87-61 rout of No. 4 seed Maryland sent an unmistakable message. The Irish can compete at a high level without Natalie Achonwa.
Let's dive in to three other storylines that made Sunday's victory so impressive.
1.) Kayla McBride loves the big moment.
Talk about a lot on her plate. The senior knew she was down to the final two games of her college career, carried the emotional burden of classmate Achonwa's injury and realized that she represented Notre Dame's best combination of skill, talent and experience.
All that responsibility, and she had 28 points and seven rebounds in a performance she called one of the three-best of her career.
"A lot of adrenaline and motivation," McBride said. "I felt it was my job to instill confidence. It was contagious. People were more comfortable because I was hitting shots early. I was trying to be that person."
She was, indeed, with 19 of her points coming before halftime, when the result was pretty much decided. McBride lives for big games.
"I do," she said. "I love it. As a senior, it's special. I usually get nervous. But I just want to go out and play. It's a lot easier than it looks."
2.) Notre Dame punched its third ticket to the championship game in a four-year span.
"I'm really excited," senior Ariel Braker said. "It means a lot. My third one. We couldn't get it right the last times so everyone is really excited to be going back."
Freshman Taya Reimer wants it even more for those three seniors: Braker, McBride and Achonwa.
"The past three years they came up short," Reimer said. "Our goal was to get back there for them and to win one for them. We've pulled together as a team."
3.) Notre Dame's plus-29 rebounding margin broke an all-time Women's Final Four record.
The previous best was plus-27 by Old Dominion in 1985 against Georgia.
On its face, that's enough to get your attention, but Notre Dame produced that performance against Maryland, which entered third nationally in rebounding.
"They beat us at our own game," Terrapins center Alicia DeVaughn said. "They came out ready, punched first and we couldn't bounce back."
Terps star Alyssa Thomas said the rebounding difference indicated that Notre Dame simply played harder and had more desire.
Irish coach Muffet McGraw viewed it differently. She said her team was just doing its job.
"We thought the game would be won on the boards," McGraw said. "It was. To hold them to four offensive rebounds for the game is an amazing accomplishment. When you look at our rebounds, everybody had a few. We did a great job boxing out. We really worked hard at it. It was such a great team effort."


text:
Just when you think everything's going to be quiet for awhile, all heck breaks lose. Yes, the similarities between Pac-12 football and my 10th grade battle with acne truly are a wonder. Steve Sarkisian cooled talk that he was on the hot seat with an Apple Cup win, so of course he was offered and accepted the prestigious USC job just a few days later … Now the Cougars' rivals have to find a coach, and the first choice seems to be UCLA's Jim Mora … What will happen next in this week's game of Pac-12 musical chairs? Word is that WSU coach Mike Leach has no interest in the Stanford gig … In other news the Pac-12 All-Conference teams are out and safety Deone Bucannon made First-Team … We've got a Q&A with WSU athletic director Bill Moos covering a variety of topics.
BONUS LINK: A look back at when WSU made its own splashy coaching hire.
And in basketball news …
Please keep it civil. Don't post comments that are obscene, defamatory, threatening, off-topic, an infringement of copyright or an invasion of privacy. Read our forum standards and community guidelines.
You must be logged in to post comments. Please log in here or click the comment box below for options.comments powered by Disqus


text:
Additional Information
Wilkinson rebrands to Wilko in TV campaign
Wilkinson, the household goods retailer, has launched a TV campaign featuring ship-proud pirates, to announce its rebrand as Wilko.
TBWA\Manchester created three humorous TV spots as part of the campaign, which takes the idea of domestic one-upmanship back to pirate times.
In each spot, a pirate captain sees a rival ship approaching and orders his men to go to Wilko to buy supplies to spruce up his vessel.
The first TV spot airs today. The campaign was written by Zoe Harris, art directed by Ant Harris, and directed by Zak Emerson through Blink. Manning Gottlieb OMD handled the media planning and buying.
The campaign is the first work TBWA\Manchester has created for Wilko since winning the brand's creative account in January. Wilko used True Story for its 2013 ad campaign.
Fergus McCallum, TBWA\Manchester's chief executive officer said: "Wilko wanted to take a brave and disruptive approach, which for us makes for a great brief.
"We've developed what is hopefully a memorable rallying cry that encapsulates Wilko's can-do spirit and have brought this to life with an ad campaign designed to excite and entertain people to reappraise the quality, value and breadth of their offer."
Wilko has 370 shops across the UK, with 23,000 employees and sales of £1.5 billion.
This article was first published on campaignlive.co.uk
Before commenting please read our rules for commenting on articles.
If you see a comment you find offensive, you can flag it as inappropriate. In the top right-hand corner of an individual comment, you will see 'flag as inappropriate'. Clicking this prompts us to review the comment. For further information see our rules for commenting on articles.
Additional Information
Latest jobs Jobs web feed
- Head of Marketing Operations - Fixed Term Contract 12 months NEST Corporation Competitve, London
- Senior Account Manager / First Time Account Director Content is King £35k - £45k per annum dependent on experience, London (Central), London (Greater)
- Head of Acquisition & Retention NEST Corporation Competitive, London (Central), London (Greater)
- Group Account Director - Experiential Agency The Great & The Good £65000 - £70000 per annum, London
- Account Director The Great & The Good £45000 - £50000 per annum, West End
- Social Media Manager Ball & Hoolahan £48,000, London (Central), London (Greater)


text:
5 reasons we're thankful for Bella Thorne
My BF broke up with me and has ignored me ever since. Why?
Be a pro pet sitter!
7 (other) awesome dystopian books to read right now
Christmas crafts for the entire fam under $10
GL's Friends Gift Guide: Exactly what to get your besties for under $20
Mani roundup: Too-cute Thanksgiving nail ideas
Flu shots: myths uncovered
Which celeb should be at your dinner table this Thanksgiving?
What do you think of our Dec/Jan issue? We wanna know!
Kirby Buckets Clip
More Friends = More Fun
GL Tweets !
23 MINUTES AGO The real reason your ex doesn't wanna be friends after the breakup: http://t.co/BQy2Q6DFT5
AN HOUR AGO The shocking truth about flu shots: http://t.co/LX6Niz48FW
2 HOURS AGO In Both of Me, a total stranger changes Clara's life 4ever. Win this mind blowing book from @BlinkPublishing today: http://t.co/ueozMpeV4p
sponsored links
Let's hear it for our 5 favorite TV dads
It's Father's Day, which means it's time to give thanks to the guys who raise us, whether they're our dads or the next closest thing. Family is what we make of it, which is why we chose the five awesome...
Our 7 fave Glee moments from the past 99 episodes
Glee's 100th episode is almost here and it's bound to be full of fun surprises (we hear that Brittany and Quinn will make a comeback appearance!). Since the very first episode in 2009, the show has had so many fab...
11 cheesy love quotes we secretly heart
You pretend you hate all those mushy lines you read in books, watch in movies and hear in songs. But deep down, you know they make you swoon! With V-Day just around the corner, there's no doubt we'd love a...
The top 10 biggest OMG celeb moments of 2013
2013 was a huge and exciting year, loaded with the biggest celeb-stuffed gossip yet. Every week, we give you our top celeb scoop from the past seven days but now that the year is coming to a close, we figured...
Play our 12 favorite (new!) Christmas tunes
Christmas day is finally here! A day full of friends, family, food, presents and so much more. While you're helping your parents with dinner or relaxing by the fire, we have the perfect playlist for you. Consider it our 12...
Our fave celeb couples of 2013
December is more than halfway over, which mean 2013 is almost done. How crazy is that? This year was full of engagements, breakups and surprise couples that we can't get out of our heads. Which star setups made us filled...
The biggest OMG celeb moments of the week
Hang in there. Only a few more weeks left until winter break! Catch up on all the latest gossip of the week from our fave celebs. These past few days were full of revealing interviews and exciting news. Who won...
Still stuffed from yesterday's Thanksgiving meal? Try and make some room because you'll be full of this week's Hollywood gossip in just a bit. Who got robbed? Who's crushing on whom now? Stay in-the-know with the scoop below.
The biggest OMG celeb moments of the week
From deleted Twitter accounts to leaked songs, we've got you covered with all the hot celeb news that happened this week. Who revealed a daring new hair color? What is really going on with the Jo Bros?! Read on to...
Between boy band breakups, sad goodbyes and new friendships, this week's gossip has our emotions running wild. Which guy group is breaking up? Whose friendship is brewing while on tour? And what exactly is Harry Styles' biggest hair secret? We've...
Love reading? Want to start an awesomely edgy new series?
We're kicking off our Lunar Chronicles Book Club with Cinder, the first story in this futuristic series with a fairytale twist.
CLICK HERE to join the club...and you could win your pick from the Chronicles—including Fairest, the newest novel to hit shelves.