Jobs Of Game Developers

What does Animators do?

Animators in the games industry are responsible for the portrayal of movement and behaviour.  Most often this is applied to give life to game characters and creatures, but sometimes animations are also applied to other elements such as objects, scenery, vegetation and environmental effects. Specialist software packages are used to create the animations, which are used for both automated or in game behaviours and predefined sequences or cut scenes.

How do you become an Animator?

Ideally, you will already have gained strong skills in a computer animation package when you take your first steps into the industry, either during a degree course or elsewhere - such as 3D Studio Max or Maya. As well as this, you will need a background in practical art, with life drawing skills being particularly useful.

Average Pay for a Year: £32,000 - £70,000

Average hours a day: 5 hours - 7 hours

What does Assistant Producers do?

The Assistant Producer works with a game's production staff to ensure the timely delivery of the highest quality product possible. Typically, they will focus on specific areas of the development process. This could involve handling the communications between the publisher and developer, or co-ordinating work on some of the project's key processes such as managing the outsourcing of art assets. Assistant Producers are employed by publishers as well as development studios. Working within a development studio often involves managing communications between different teams such as design, art and programming.

How do you become an Assistant Producer?

Assistant Producer is not an entry-level role, but it is the most junior production role and you may find you can access this role fairly early in your career. You would generally need to have been educated to degree level, and be experienced in game development. One route to this role is from a developer or publisher quality assurance department having worked as a QA Tester. This would give you a good grounding in the development process, access to software and tools, and an insight into the different job roles.

Average Pay for a Year: £50,000 - £90,000

Average hours a day: 5 hours - 7 hours

What does Sound Engineer do?

The Audio Engineer creates the soundtrack for a game. This might include music, sound effects to support the game action, character voices and other expressions, spoken instructions, and ambient effects, such as crowd noise, vehicles or rain. Audio Engineers work for development studios. The size of the audio department depends on the company, but can consist of just one or two people who are sometimes required to work very long hours. Audio Engineers also work for specialist outsourcing companies and localisation services that re-version games for different territories. Working to a creative brief, the Audio Engineer produces a sound design for the game and, when this has been agreed, realises it. This might involve the composing, scoring and recording of music. The Audio Engineer will sometimes also audition and record any actors that are needed in other languages if the game is being re-versioned and this might involve lip syncing to animation with the animators.

How do you become a Sound Engineer?

Will require Level 3 Certificate in Live Sound and Performance Technology. Sound Engineers work for development studios. The size of the audio department depends on the company, but can consist of just one or two people who are sometimes required to work very long hours. Sound Engineers also work for specialist outsourcing companies and localisation services that re-version games for different territories. Like working with the animators and creative producers.

Average Pay for a Year: £20,000 - £60,000

Average hours a day: 5 hours - 7 hours

What does Programmer do?

Game engine programmers create the base engine of the game, including the simulated physics and graphics disciplines. Increasingly, video games use existing game engines, either commercial, open source or free. They are often customized for a particular game, and these programmers handle these modifications. Gaming programmers help write and code the software for video games. In your job, you'll typically be part of a collaborative creative team that also includes game designers and artists. Your work will primarily be in the area of coding, which tells the computer or system what to do for the game to be played. As a gaming programmer, you might design core game features, oversee game testing and conduct design reviews. You could also work in production, artistic concept and game play. This career allows for great creativity, but the competition for jobs is intense.

How do you become a Gaming Programmer do?

The most likely route in is to start off by programming as a hobby. If you do a degree, particularly one that has been awarded the Creative Skillset Tick, you should benefit from links between your course and game development studios, including in the form of work placements. In applying for work, you will need to be able to demonstrate knowledge of games and what makes a game work. This can include submitting samples of game programming you have developed yourself.

Average Pay for a Year: £40,000 - £100,000

Average hours a day: 5 hours - 7 hours

What does Game Designers do?

Game Designers devise what a game consists of and how it plays. They plan and define all the elements of a game: its setting; structure; rules; story flow; characters; the objects, props, vehicles, and devices available to the characters; interface design; and modes of play. Once the game is devised, the Game Designer communicates this to the rest of the development team who create the art assets and computer code that allow the game to be played. Sometimes the Game Designer comes up with the game’s premise. More often, most of the core ingredients are already defined and they must decide how to create the best game using these elements, within a certain budget and timescale.

How do you become a Game Designer do?

You don’t need a specific qualification to be a Game Designer. However, most people entering the industry are graduates. There’s no set route you can follow to become a Game Designer. However, this is not an entry-level role. Game development is a highly complex, intensive process which can last up to two years or more, requiring teams of programmers, artists, project managers, writers, musicians and many others. The Game Designer is central to this process. As well as, in most cases, having a degree, you will also need to have gained a reasonably high level of industry experience and knowledge. Employers will expect to see your portfolio of work, which can take the form of completed game projects or written game design documents and proposals.

Average Pay a Year: £50,000 - £75,000

Average hours a day: 5 hours – 7 hours