Might & Magic Heroes VI Shades of Darkness, Developed by Virtuos, Now Available

Shanghai, China – May 2, 2013 – A century after the tragic events of Might & Magic Heroes VI, that determined the heroic fate of a dynasty, Shades of Darkness recounts, in two original campaigns, pivotal moments in Ashan’s darker history that will define the future of a decadent underground people and decide the survival of the dying cult of the Spider Queen. Determine the fates of two legendary factions; the Dark Elves of Dungeon and the Necromancers of Necropolis.

Master the Powers of Darkness:

Lead the new Dungeon faction on a path to define the destiny of the Dark Elves, as they seek to become masters of deception, stealth, and assassination. Their future lies with Malassa, the Dragon Goddess of Darkness. Befriend her mysterious children, the Faceless, and if you dare, awaken her avatars, the legendary Black Dragons!

New Content & Original Tactics:

A full new lineup of 7 creatures, new hero classes, a new town and buildings set, a new mount, dozens of new artifacts, abilities and achievements. The Dungeon gameplay is completely original and tactically challenging.

Ashan’s Darkest Paths:

Play two original and thrilling campaigns starring two fan-favorite factions and their legendary heroes pitted against villains of mythical stature. Discover the fascinating nuances of Darkness that the rich and proven fantasy setting of Might & Magic is excited to unveil. There is always an even darker path.

The Must-Have Heroes VI Expansion:

Shades of Darkness is a compelling conclusion to the Heroes VI experience, and an indispensable addition to every fan’s collection.

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March 8, 2013 – Shanghai, China – Virtuos was delighted to host one of the world’s leading concept artists, Tyler West, for an intensive week-long training session in its Shanghai production center. The training coincides with the addition of a new Virtuos Concept Art Director, Alexei Nechytaylo, who is also a seasoned professional in the industry.

The training, delivered to Virtuos Shanghai’s concept artists, covered topics including workflow management, color and composition fundamentals, design process, and polish and finishing techniques. It has also contributed to an expanded Virtuos in-house training program with certifications for Senior Concept Artists.

“The Virtuos concept art team has an abundance of talent and enthusiasm. It was a privilege to share my experience with them,” said Mr. West.

Mr. West is founder of West Studio, his boutique Los Angeles-based studio that has contributed to several blockbuster video games, commercials, and films. West Studio is a conceptual art studio, committed to creating inspirational and informative artwork for video games and film.

The training coincides with the arrival of a new Virtuos Concept Art Director, Alexei Nechytaylo. Before coming to Shanghai, Mr. Nechytaylo had worked on feature films and games in New York City, Los Angeles and Vancouver. He has previously held positions with Sony Pictures Imageworks, Aardman Animations and Relic Games.

“It’s a great time to be joining Virtuos,” said Mr. Nechytaylo. “Everyone on the team here has a lot of passion for creativity and developing their talents, and the projects we have in front of us are exciting ones. I am glad to be aboard.”

“This week was a big opportunity to learn from Mr. West. The team is very happy to have the chance to study the creative techniques he brought to us this week,” said Ms. Zhang, Virtuos Concept Artist. “We are also very excited to start working with Mr. Nechytaylo. His portfolio has a lot to be inspired by, and we are thrilled that he is joining to lead our team.”

For more information about West Studio, visit www.weststudio.com 

Click here for more information about the Virtuos Concept Art Team

About the Position

Sparx* specializes in creating stunning animation for CG TV Series, Animated Features and Game Cinematics. We are currently looking for a Producer to join our team.  As a Producer, you will manage a team and be responsible for delivering outstanding animation while working closely with world-class clients.

Main Responsibilities

• Manage the Production of a project from start to finish. This includes:
• Managing Artistic and Production Staff
• Scheduling & Managing multiple Departments
• Handling Pipeline and Workflow issues
• Budgeting and Estimation
• Scheduling & maintaining that Schedule on multifaceted projects

Capabilities

• Solid understanding of CG and CG concepts
• Experience in Maya is a plus
• Solid understanding of Production workflow
• Strong management skills to ensure projects are completed with the highest possible quality in a timely manner
• Strong desire to train and teach

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of experience working in Production Management for:
• CG Animated TV series, CG Animated Features, Game Production and/or Visual FX
• An accredited Degree related to Animation, Computer Science, Business or Art
• Must be able to work and manage a team in a fast paced; ever changing environment
• Excellent English communication skills; written and verbal are a must
• Must be willing and able to work on site at our Studio in Ho Chi Minh City

To apply, email us at hr(at)virtuos-sparx.com

Mr. Langourieux speaks on the need for more content on more platforms in the next generation

December 13, 2012 – Shanghai, China – Virtuos CEO Gilles Langourieux spoke today at the Autodesk University 2012 conference in Shanghai China.

The conference was attended by nearly 1,200 professionals from a cross-section of industries including architecture, construction and entertainment. Discussing the challenges of the entertainment industry today, Gilles spoke on the evolution of digital entertainment content in the game and movie industries.

“Digital entertainment companies are facing two big challenges today: the challenge of having to produce more content and higher quality content, and the challenge of taking this content to more platforms,” said Mr. Langourieux.

He went on to discuss the increasing technical skills and training required to produce the next generation of digital content, and how Virtuos has approached its own research and development meet these increasing requirements.

Autodesk University Events take place in 6 cities around the world: Las Vegas, USA; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Darmstadt, Germany; Moscow, Russia; Tokyo, Japan and Shanghai, China. For more information, refer to http://au.autodesk.com.cn/au2012/

Virtuos handled for 2K Games to port the iOS version of the game to Android platforms, as well as the license updates on the PSP and Wii versions.

Description of the NBA 2K13 Android version:

Enter the New Dynasty with NBA 2K13, the latest installment of the top-rated NBA video game simulation franchise 12 years running. Built on the critically acclaimed NBA 2K engine, NBA 2K13 for Android features improved graphics and intuitive One-Finger controls to give you the ultimate NBA experience while on the go. NBA 2K13 also lets you relive some of the most memorable performances in NBA history, including Kobe Bryant’s 81-point performance in 2006. Executive produced by multi-platinum recording artist JAY Z, who personally curated this year’s soundtrack.

Features:
- Intuitive Controls: Choose between classic control and One-Finger control, built specifically for mobile devices.
- Improved graphics and animations.
- NBA’s Greatest Games: Relive some of the best performances in NBA history, including Kobe Bryant’s 81-point performance in 2006.
- A JAY Z Production: Featuring a soundtrack personally curated by multi-platinum recording artist JAY Z.
- Multiseason Mode: Play through multiple NBA seasons and establish your team as a dynasty.
- TV-style presentation, including full commentary from Kevin Harlan and Clark Kellogg.
- Updated Rosters – All transactions from the 2011-2012 season have been incorporated, meaning you will be playing with current teams and ratings.

Visit http://www.2kgames.com/mobile/ for more great games.

Via: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.t2ksports.nba2k13android

Christophe Archambault rejoins the Sparx team in Vietnam

Saigon, Vietnam – October 24, 2012 – Sparx is pleased to announce that Christophe Archambault has rejoined the Sparx team in Vietnam as R&D Director.  Mr. Archambault was one of the cofounders of Sparx studio in 1995, and won an Emmy Award for his work on the pioneering Sparx animated series Rolie Polie Olie.

Mr. Archambault brings with him 17 years of experience in software and animation pipeline development. From 1999 to 2004, he worked at the Sparx Vietnam studio designing the animation pipeline and training the development team. In 2005 he cofounded French animation studio TeamTo, developing their pipeline until 2010.

“Christophe is an immensely experienced and talented R&D Director, and we are very pleased to welcome him back to the Sparx team,” said Didier Montarou, General Manager of Sparx. “Sparx Vietnam is a close-knit team, many of us having worked together for the better part of the past decade. Christophe’s return feels like a homecoming.”

“I am very happy to have the opportunity to work with my talented friends at Sparx again,” said Mr. Archambault. “Sparx and Vietnam hold a special place in my heart, and I am excited to rejoin under the Virtuos-Sparx umbrella, which will bring new opportunities to the studio and help us reach new heights.”

“Christophe is one of the most experienced R&D Directors in the industry, and brings with him a wealth of experience,” said Virtuos CEO Gilles Langourieux. “The benefit of his considerable expertise will enable our fast-growing 3D animation team to deliver increasingly large and complex 3D animation projects supported by a world-class technical infrastructure.”

About Sparx

Sparx is a 3D animation company for feature films, TV series and game cinematics. Its credits include the 3D animated feature film “Igor” starring John Cusack. Sparx is part of the Virtuos Group, which is one of the largest digital entertainment production companies in the world with more than 1000 digital production specialists, and locations in Shanghai, Chengdu, Vancouver, Saigon, Paris and Tokyo. For more information, please refer to: www.sparx.com

Shanghai, China, October 9, 2012 – Virtuos is proud to announce that it has reached the 1,000-staff milestone across its seven worldwide locations. This milestone is significant as the company faces sustained demand for next-gen games, online and mobile games as well as CG animation.

The 1,000th Virtuosi, named Ian Wang, was welcomed in an inception ceremony on September 25th when a group of nine new team members joined Virtuos in Shanghai. 

Ian is a Software Engineer from a rural area of north-central China, where his father is a math teacher.  In part due to the influence of his father, he studied technical and physics-related subjects in school, and when he graduated, he moved to Shanghai to work at a semiconductor company. “Life is a lot faster in Shanghai; it was a very exciting transition,” says Ian.

Inspired by his passion for games, he pursued a job in the games industry, eventually landing a job with Virtuos. “My first memory of games was probably Tetris, and today I play many of the most popular games. Virtuos offers the opportunity to learn state-of-the-art game production technologies and to quickly grow my technical skills. I am very happy to be on board.” Ian hopes to specialize in online game programming and physics programming.

“I am delighted to welcome Ian as our 1,000^th team member. Scale is part of our strategic vision: it allows us to offer our Virtuosi the ability to grow their careers according to their own aspirations, and to provide our clients a larger choice of specialists to handle their projects,” said Gilles Langourieux, CEO.

Today, Virtuos has over 500 staff in Shanghai, 350 in Chengdu, 120 in Saigon, 20 in Xian and 10 across Vancouver, Paris and Tokyo offices. With both the Art and the Games divisions facing strong demand in relations to new platforms, another year of double-digit growth is expected in 2013.

Help us reach 2,000! Learn more about Careers at Virtuos.

About Virtuos
Virtuos is one of the largest providers of outsourced digital entertainment content production services, specializing in 3D art and game software development. The company has locations in Shanghai, Chengdu, Xian, Saigon, Vancouver, Paris and Tokyo, and employees representing 15 nationalities. Virtuos’ clients include 15 of the top 20 digital entertainment companies worldwide as well as renowned independent studios. For more information, please refer to: www.virtuosgames.com; Twitter @virtuosgames

Enchanted Library, developed by Virtuos for GSN, launches on Facebook

Virtuos is proud to have worked with GSN to develop Enchanted Library, the hidden object game on Facebook.

Explore beloved classic stories through exciting hidden object gameplay, then create your own magical world inspired by your favorite books! Meet the mystic librarian who will guide you on a journey to restore your favorite classic stories!

Play Enchanted Library on Facebook

Company expands to fourth production location as it nears 1000 staff

Shanghai, China May 29^th, 2012 – Virtuos announced that it has opened its fourth production center in the Chinese city of Xian. The expansion will give Virtuos a larger pool of resources to address growing demand from clients and place Virtuos near the 1000-staff milestone. With outsourcing becoming mainstream in the games industry and demand fueled by larger projects coming from the US, Japan, Korea and China, this move is aimed at ensuring that the company can serve its clients in producing more content for more platforms.

Virtuos Xian is already operational, and is currently training a team of CG artists to prepare for the quality standards of Virtuos’ AAA clientele.  The training is provided by experienced specialists from Virtuos Academy, which opened in 2010 as a separate division of Virtuos focused on providing an elite standard of digital entertainment training in China.

“Fueled by an excellent talent pool and training capabilities, we have the capacity to grow the center to 300 staff in the next 3 years,” said Bao Bo, Virtuos Xian Production Manager.

“After an exhaustive six-month evaluation, we decided that Xian was an ideal location for our next center,” said Gilles Langourieux, Virtuos CEO. “Already home to a famous animation cluster, the city has an excellent standard of living combined with a rich base of art and software talent.”

Xian (also commonly spelled Xi’an) is a major historic and economic center for China, hosting the ancient Terracotta Army, and a vibrant art district. It is also home to strong telecom, aerospace and software industries, backed by more than 50 tertiary institutions which graduate over 150,000 students every year.

Xian Software Park where Virtuos Xian is located is one of the top four such bases in China where more than 1,000 software companies, including well-known local game developers and animation studios, are also established.

About Virtuos
Virtuos is one of the largest providers of outsourced digital entertainment content production services, specializing in 3D art and game software development.  The company has locations in Shanghai, Chengdu, Xian, Saigon, Vancouver, Paris and Tokyo, and employees representing 15 nationalities. Virtuos’ clients include 15 of the top 20 digital entertainment companies worldwide as well as renowned independent studios. For more information, please refer to: www.virtuosgames.com; Twitter @virtuosgames

Civilization Revolution adapted for Windows Phone 7 by Virtuos

GLOBAL DOMINATION TO GO!

Build. Discover. Conquer. Rule the World!

Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution is an award-winning title with “just one more turn” put into the palms of your hands. Lead your civilization from the dawn of man to the modern age and beyond. Go head to head with history’s greatest leaders as you wage war, conduct diplomacy, discover new technologies, inspire your nation and build the most powerful empire the world has ever known.

For nearly two decades, the Sid Meier’s Civilization® franchise has been the benchmark for strategy gaming and is available and updated for Windows Phone 7.   You can choose from 16 Civilizations (including America, Spain, China, Japan and Germany) to lead one of four different victory conditions: Technology, Domination, Economic or Cultural.   Engage in strategic combat across a randomly generated map for many hours of replayability or use the Scenario Creator to create your own challenge.  With multiple difficulty levels, an integrated tutorial and friendly advisors to help newcomers and seasoned Civ veterans alike this is a game for anyone.

Via WindowsPhone.com