6. there are team members that will wear
many different hats
IN THAT CASE, THIS IS THE MOST APPROPRIATE TITLE
Since many game design
companies are small
8. THIS IS NOT AN
ENTRY LEVEL TITLE
so don’t expect to become a game
designer right out of college!
9. While not necessarily required, studying
the various subjects of game design will
give you a GREAT ADVANTAGE and an
IMPORTANT HEAD START in this career
EDUCATION
10. Aside from knowing the technology, in order to be
successful, you will need to have a well-rounded
understanding of the following subjects:
And much more!
FINE
ART
HUMAN-
ITIES
SOCIO-
LOGY
PSYCH-
OLOGY
COMPUTER
SCIENCE
11. As you can see, becoming
a video game generalist is a
highly competitive career
that requires one to train and master many
different areas of video game design
13. Many designers prefer to
specialize in a specific
area of video game design
as each component is complex and
requires a particular skillset
14. WE HAVE BROKEN
THESE SPECIALITIES
IN TO 7 CATEGORIES
#2 #3
Storyline Characters
#4
#1
Look
& Feel
Game
World
#5
Content
#6
Sound
#7
Quality
Assurance
15. #1 GAME WORLD
World Designer
Environment Designer
Multi-Player Designer
Online Game Designer
Concept Artist
Creative Director
POSITIONS
17. Those who work in the
category of the “Game World”
work on the game as a whole
Envisioning everything that has to do
with the design
18. Positions in this category
are mainly
LEAD AND SENIOR LEVEL
as they oversee everything from
ideation, to design, to implementation
19. World Designers
imagine and
create the
world of a game
This can include
maps and layouts,
the look and feel of
the game, and
general guidelines
for puzzles and
missions
26. Experience:
5+ years (probably more)
Skills:
Programming and multiplayer systems, design
packages, quality assurance, communications
skills, works well in a team
28. Works on games that
are played live online
This is a project-lead position
and involves design and
innovation as well as follow-up
after the game is launched
29. Experience:
3+ years in a previous project lead role
Skills:
Proficiency in combat and system mechanics
design, player retention, monetization
techniques for virtual games, and
communication skills
31. Develops illustrations of characters,
weapons, environments and other
game elements from the ideas
proposed by the
creative team
32. Concept artists begin with a
few sketch proposals, later
refining the drawings into 3D
models
33. Experience:
at least 2 “shipped titles” (or successful,
separate titles, game designs) in other positions
Skills:
drawing, painting, 3D modeling, listening,
color, anatomy, proportion
35. This is the equivalent of
a film producer, but for
video game design
Creative Directors oversee the whole
production process, starting from
the idea, to managing the teams, and
making decisions on every
aspect of the production
38. Here, we get down to the
more detailed aspects in
game design
The storyline, or the plotline, is the
focus of what will happen during the
game. It includes all of the different
options, routes and alternatives
40. Designs the different levels
of a game and everything
that happens during it
Most level designers are assigned just
one or two levels in a game
41. Experience:
Level Designer: 1+ years (entry-level)
Lead Level Designer: 3-5 years
Skills:
Sketching, 3D tools, architecture/industrial
design, attention to detail, and organization
and technologies used
43. The hero in any story needs a
reason to fight (or complete
levels in this case)
Mission Designers create the concepts
for the different “missions” throughout
the game
51. In this position, you
will be responsible
for weapons creation,
fight tactics, and armor
creation
Combat System Designers adjust the
techniques of a player’s enemies to the
skills that the hero has
52. This position is not normally
part of the decision-making
process
but follows the concepts that were
envisioned during ideation.
58. In this position, you will
work on recording motion
capture- live actors whose
movements will later be
translated into 3D characters
These recordings are later passed on to
the animation team
60. Character Riggers create
the skeletal framework of
a character using special
software
They later place main points of move-
ment, so when animated, the character
looks as realistic as possible
68. Effects artists create
visual effects during
gameplay, in cinematic
portions of a game or
for ads
For example, explosions or the effects
of water or wind in the game are the
responsibility of effects artists
69. Experience:
2+ years. Previous positions include
Compositor, Rotoscope Artist, or MatchMover
Skills:
2D and 3D skills and understanding of physics,
mathematics, and scripting languages
71. Today’s games are mainly
based on a story and game
writers create just that
They write dialogue, come up with
scene ideas, and work closely
with designers. This job is
often a freelance position
74. This is a
SENIOR LEVEL POSITION
The sound designer works with the creative
team to envision what a game will
sound like and then oversees every aspect
of audio: theme, dialogue, assets, etc.
75. Experience:
3+ years of experience. Previous titles
could include: Recording Engineer, Mix Engineer,
or Production Sound Mixer
Skills:
Audio editing software, sound imagination,
and an understanding of current
game platforms
78. Games in the making encounter
many bugs and issues
The Quality Assurance Design
Analyst builds test plans for the
game to make sure these are
fixed before going out to clients
79. Experience:
5+ years. Previous titles could include
Level Designer or Game Designer
Skills:
Defect tracking, test management tools, Agile
development process, problem solving, and at-
tention to detail
81. Essentially, you play games and
get paid for it!
Sounds like an easy job, but game testers have to
follow specific scenarios set out by the QA Depart-
ment and write detailed reports on their experience
and any issues they encounter
82. Experience:
Love for gaming is a must! This is the perfect
entry-level position to get your foot in the door
and get to know people inside the industry
Skills:
Familiarity with game formats, excellent writ-
ten and oral communication skills, attention to
detail, and gaming experience
83. That was a lot of information
to take in and leaves you with
a lot of options to look at!
Take a look at our video game design
career page!
WANT TO KEEP LEARNING?
CLICK HERE
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