ROLES IN THE GAMING INDUSTRY

The Creators

• The design and creation of every new game is a huge technical and artistic project.

• It can take two years or more and involves many different people in different jobs, from designers, writers and composers to software programmers to project managers.

GAME DESIGNERSThe Game Designer is often responsible for the overall game concept, and will work with the rest of the design team to determine:

• the purpose(what it is that the player is asked to do),

• the key features (what are the core elements that will make up the gameplay experience),

• the flow of the game (what will the player do first, then what would they do, what reward will they get etc.)

SCRIPTWRITER

Some game concepts are based on the story that the player follows; some are based on the actions that the player must do.

It’s up to the scriptwriter to work with the team to take the concept and develop the story (the ‘narrative’), the dialogue and any other text.

THE ARTISTS

ILLUSTRATOR• The Illustrator, or Concept Artist defines the look and feel of the game,

making sketches to show how all the different elements look together in the world of the game.

• Depending on the audience the game is aimed at, a game could be inspired by cartoons to look fun, or by films to look more cinematic.

• They may have different disciplines, so for example they may be a character illustrator or a Environment illustrator.

STORYBOARD ARTIST

• The storyboard artist must have a strong understanding of the narrative and the visual world of the game, as well as how the software used to build the game affects what is possible.

• They use computer software programmes to create series of drawings showing how the game progresses for the player.

GUI DESIGNER

• The GUI (‘graphic user interface’) Designer finds ways for the game to operate using visual images or icons instead of written commands.

• This is how a player interacts with the screen.

The Level Designers

MAP BUILDER

• Either the Map Builder or a Level Editor maps out each level of the game.

LEVEL EDITOR

• After sketching ideas, the Level Editor uses computer software modelling tools to develop the gameplay.

• They then programme the characters’ motions and build the environment and interactive objects for characters to explore and test their skills.

• They make sure there are no 'bugs', where a character gets stuck or falls outside a level.

THE PROGRAMMERS

PROGRAMMER

• Programmers are the builders of the game. They write the code that forms the very structure of the game.

• A typical modern game programme includes code that handles elaborate lighting, simulates physics, animates characters, handle player inputs, and even manages network communications between different players.

If a game was a house: • the Programmers are the Bricklayer,

• the Artist makes the bricks

• and the Designer is the architect that ensure the house looks like his blueprint (the design document).

QUALITY CONTROL• When all the elements of a design have been produced and incorporated

into the game by the team’s programmers and artists, a 'build' is made, bringing together all the relevant assets, scripts and code (programming language).

• Games Testers test builds again and again until all the bugs are gone and it’s finished.

• Testing games is often a way that recent college graduates gain their first work experience in the games industry.

• Accreditation to Bafta young game designers.