Blizzard Entertainment posted this week a brand-new job opening for the still-unannounced Next-Gen MMO. Based on this job opening for a 3D Character Equipment Artist it might be hard to tell if this fourth game currently in development will be based on one of the existing franchises: Diablo, WarCraft or StarCraft. This is the first time we know anything substantial about the enigmatic Next-Gen MMO, nevertheless. This job opening is for a developers that will be in charge of modeling armor and weapons based on the concept art from Blizzard’s Art Team.

The fifth game in development, not to be confused with the Next-Gen MMO, is still young, but it is confirmed unofficially through Blizzplanet to be a brand-new IP.

The Next-Gen MMO hasn’t been confirmed to be based on a new IP or on an existent IP, but this game is a strong candidate to be revealed at BlizzCon 2010. Personally, I have said it many times in the past couple of years, and still think it is based on StarCraft and StarCraft: Ghost. Only time will tell, and Blizzard fans are know to be loyal and patient.

Blizzard Quote:
3D Character Equipment Artist – NextGen MMO at Blizzard Entertainment

Location: Irvine, CA (Orange County, California Area)

URL: http://www.jobs.blizzard.com/

Type: Full-time
Experience: Mid-Senior level
Functions: Art/Creative
Industries: Animation, Arts and Crafts, Computer Games, Computer Software, Entertainment
Posted: June 8, 2010

Job Description

Blizzard Entertainment is looking for an exceptionally skilled 3D character equipment artist for a team focused on next-generation massively multiplayer online games. The ideal candidate has extensive experience modeling and texturing a diverse visual range of character armor and weapons. A solid grasp of armor and weapon design, structure, color, and light for the creation of both 2D and 3D art assets is essential. The 3D character/character equipment artist must have a skill in another art task as well (illustration, modeling, texturing, animation, or concept drawing), and be well-versed in related tools — Maya, Photoshop, etc.

Skills

Requirements

  • 2+ years game development experience modeling and texturing sci-fi and fantasy character armor and weapons for next-gen art pipelines
  • An exceptional understanding of visual design and a keen eye toward form, shape, structure, and silhouette with regard to modeling and texturing character equipment
  • Superior eye for light, color, and detail in creating texture maps of different material types
  • Self-motivation, good communication skills, and a great team-player
  • Skill in one or more of the related creation tasks — illustration, modeling, texturing, animation, or concept drawing

Pluses

  • Have shipped AAA PC or console titles as a 3D character artist
  • Experience with Mudbox, ZBrush, (or equivalent modeling program) and the process of converting high-poly sculpted characters into lower poly game models
  • Experience with the creation of next-gen shaders and materials
  • Strong foundation in the traditional arts, including but not limited to figure drawing and illustration.
  • Passionate gamer with experience playing a wide range of games