Understanding Jobs

12 Rocktober 2009

Aims

To illustrate how jobs in media industries (games)

Objectives• All students will be able to examine 1 job in the games industry• Most students will be able to describe 1 key role/responsibility in games industry jobs• Some students will be able to describe 2 key roles/responsibility in games industry job

There are a variety of jobs available in the games industries

IntroductionDESIGNER

AudioSFX

PRODUCERVoice Director

Animator

Artist

Engine Programmer

AI Programmer

Any Thoughts?

Discuss perhaps a job in that list that might take you fancy and give a couple of reasons for that?

”A great idea is meaningless. A great idea that leverages your existing technology, gets the team excited, is feasible to do on time and budget, is commercially competitive, and, last but not least, floats the boat of a major publisher... Now you have something."-- Ken Levine

Ever played a game and thought that you could do something miles

better?

The Life of a Game Designer

• Cliff Bleszinski• Hideo Kojima• Shigeru Miyamoto• Peter Molyneux• Dani Bunten Berry• Will Wright• Sid Meier

Breaking and Entering

• Write everything down!• Repeat, fail, repeat, fail, repeat (to fade)• Get some design experience elsewhere• Experience life! "I was making my own games, programming

them, doing all the artwork, the production, level design, and everything because I didn't

have anybody else to do it for me."-- Cliff Bleszinski

Doing Your Duty

• Working as a team• Being creative• Taking criticism• Playing• Observing• Detail• Writing• Planning• Letting go

DO YOU DO ANY OF THIS RIGHT

NOW?

Accepting Defeat

• Budgetary constraints• Working out• Testing

Back to the drawing board

If it breaks..... You can fix it

Understanding how things work is paramount to game design.

Activity

What skills are important when undertaking a job in Games Design?What personal skills do you have to contribute to Games Design?

Discuss!

Paper to Screen

• A good designer can visualise and develop ideas on paper, and take them to the screen• A designer is passionate and dedicated• A designer must work to tight deadlines• A designer is a good pitcher and often exudes lots of confidence

Skills To Pay The Bills

How much do designers get paid?Junior Designer

Lead DesignerMission Designer

STORY WRITER

Activity

Guess the Salary

In small groups, guess the salary of a selection of designers and jot down their basic duties

Homework

• Research jobs in games in more detail• Blog one job description between now and next week – I’ll be checking!

Overview

• What do designers do?• What skills do you need to be a designer?• How much can you earn in games design?