Video Games

Description

It would be hard to find someone under 25 who has not played a video game.  This is a sprawling industry with lots of niches.  Most of you are probably interested in how games are made, so the roles section below focuses on roles at the studios that create the games.

Something Cool

Video games allow you to explore a new world of adventure.  

Information Source

Interview with 25+ year industry veteran (and the first person I ever met in kindergarten!).

Further Education & Credentials Required

• None.

Types of Companies

• Studios (aka Developers): Studios make the games.  They can be big or small and are sometimes even owned by Publishers.  Examples: Blizzard (World of Warcraft), Rockstar (Grand Theft Auto), Bungie (Halo).

• Publishers: Whereas Studios tend to be more of the "creative", Publishers tend to be more of the "business" side of games.  They may or may not own a Studio.  They normally assign a producer to work with the Studio, as they are often putting up the money to develop a specific game.  They have typical departments as discussed in Departments 101.  Examples: Activision, EA, Ubisoft.

• Consoles: They create the hardware or platform for games.  Games can exist on one or multiple consules.  Examples: Sony (Playstation), Microsoft (Xbox), Nintendo, Occulus.  

• Storefronts: These are the front facing areas someone can buy (and sometimes even play) a game.  Examples: Steam, Apple, GameStop.

• Research: They provide projections and other information for Studios and Publishers to help better understand if the game will be commercially successful.  This could include market research, consumer behavior testing, user testing, etc.  Examples: NPD Group or sometimes in house at a Publisher.

• Technology: Video game engines are becoming more and more prevalent in the industry.  Engines are platforms on which a Studio can design a game.  Examples: Unity (Amoung Us), Unreal (Fortnite).

• Specialty: This includes concept artists, sound design, QA, monetization/advertising and other niche specialties.

Entry Level Roles at a Studio

• Producer (Project Management / Create): Producers focus on making sure the game gets built as designed, on time and on budget.  It doesn't always work out as planned but the Producer is pushing to make it happen.  Entry level roles include (i) an Associate Producer who might be mainly focused on timelines and schedules or (ii) a Project Manager who might get more into the nuts and bolts of making sure a specific aspect of the project gets done.

• Art (Heads Down / Art): There are multiple types of artists needed in creating a game.  Each of these roles has an entry level position.  They include Concept Artists, Illustrators (tend to be 2D as opposed to 3D), Modelers (working on the 3D), Animators, Texture Artists, Lighting Artists...the list goes on and on.  Bigger Studios will have specialized roles.  Smaller Studios will have one person doing multiple roles.

• Design: They think of and plan out various aspects of a game.  There are four types and each will have entry level roles.  The YouTube channel Extra Credits did a great video on this: The Four Types of Video Game Designers. 

  • Content Designer (Heads Down / Write, Art): They create all the content including the overall story, quest/challenge, dialogue, names, resources and other content of the game.  Content Designers are creative and really enjoy the story (and backstory) behind the characters and the games, while at the same time have the ability to meet deadlines and stay focused on the task at hand.

  • Level Designer (Heads Down / Art): They build the environment and play space of a game.  They focus on the strategic, tactical and game play aspects of the world they are building.  Impressed by the layout of your favorite game?  You have a Level Designer to thank.

  • Systems Designer (Heads Down / Analytical): They use math and analytical skills to determine how the game functions.  Examples: how each of the spells functions or the parts of a car affect performance.  They combine their analytical skills with their communication skills.

  • Experience Designer (Heads Down / Art): They tweak various parameters to get authentic user performance.  Example: how does a gun kick back or a type of car drive.

• Engineering (Heads Down / Engineer): this is often known as programming.  It includes various specialties focused on video game engines, tools and artificial intelligence.  This is one of the most common entry points into the industry.

• Quality Assurance aka QA (Heads Down / Analytical): QA is responsible for reviewing and testing all aspects of a game before it is released to market.  This can be a grind, but there are many success stories of people breaking into the industry in QA and going on to follow the Producer or Designer track.

How To Learn More

• Talk to someone doing the role you want.  Check out my writings on The Gift of Asking for Help, Mentors and Networking 101 on The Search page to learn how to do this.

• Better understand your own skills and where you will be successful at Roles.

• Check out my writings on various industries and departments at the Industries page.

• Already know what you want to do but are looking for guidance on how to find a job within that industry?  Check out The Search for advice.