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From Coder to Game Designer?
"I am a coder by trade, so I would like to try and get a job as a game designer. What kind of experience (besides other game company experience) grabs attention of gaming companies? Project Management experience? Software Architecture experience? Create a design document (high and low level) for a game?
Most people say 'You need a demo or create a game for gaming companies to consider you', but the time it takes to make something like that isn't available to all; yes, I understand that most gaming companies require long shifts, which I am fully capable of doing, but that isn't the same as having the extra time to design and code a game. Is there anything besides a lot of luck that will help get a job in the industry as a designer? As a side question: Do designers make enough to support a family well, or is the pay pretty low?"
A former aqaintance of mine designed a game which he mocked up in Visual Basic and sold to a real game company. The game company rewrote it, but used his story/structure/etc. He had a day job, too. I don't think the game went anywhere. But the fact that he was able even to do that suggests to me that a "real programmer" would have just as much chance. You might not get paid to do your first one, but if you're any good it would get your foot in the door, I would think.
If it's the design that you are trying to emphasize, try doing it in a RAD environment, like REALbasic (I know, it has the word "basic" in it, but it's really quite good. At least the Mac version is.)
(Wow, I'm really asking for it--praise for a Basic and non-disparaging comment about a Mac in the same breath.)
Liberty uber alles.
I work for a company doing mobile games, and while I can't say we have the niftiest of games in the world, we're doing well.
The cool part about smaller companies is that we have a collective pool of people working on game designs. Basically, anybody can submit a cool idea, and we have a group that consists of graphics artists, coders, and product managers like myself who work out game concepts. We don't have any real restrictions as to who can attend those meetings.
If you have Java skills and feel comfortable with J2ME, I'd definitely look at the mobile gaming side, as people are looking for coders and there is no hard-set design style for that area yet, as there is in, say, the console market.
The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it. - G.B. Shaw
Me personally, I have the same ambition. I've always wanted to work for a game company (Blizzard was my choice a few years ago, after Starcraft came out...it just plain blew me away). My buddy and I had the goal of working for one and then (eventually) starting our own. We figured we've played plenty of games in our lives, we know what people like, why couldn't we do it?
To start the process, we're designing a MUD based on Operation Overkill (BBS door game from days long gone). I know, no graphics, but even if I went into game programming as a career I would want to stay away from the graphics part of it and concentrate on the algorithms, math and gameplay. MUDs aren't terribly complex, so we're designing the MUDlib from scratch (read: every line of code is ours). My hope is to be able to gain a better understanding of game design, mostly the AI and shared world time between entities. I figure, what's a game like Diablo except a MUD that has a really snazzy frontend?
My hope (and I could be completely wrong, someone please tell me) is that if I can intelligently speak about AI, sketch out sample data objects that would be used, give a flow diagram for a game and even write some quick code, and point to an operational (if not tremendously popular) game that I've designed, I should be able to get my foot in the door. After this initial MUD release, we were planning on incorporating one of our other friends who is currently a frontend designer for 989 (did they get bought out?), who does Playstation 1/2 games. Taking some of the backend, revamping it and throwing a graphical interface on it will come with his help.
Honestly, one of the best ideas I had to learn game development was to take an existing game and try to design/redesign it yourself. Empire (anyone remember it?) was a great game that you could easily redo, including graphics. Pick an old RPG (Ultima?) and redo it with adjusted plots or AI. Something to get you learning to think like a game designer, instead of a data mover.
--trb
Every game company has one common goal: to make as much money as possible. The responsibility of the game designer to create a product that meets this goal. Period. If you could get a million people to pay 50 bucks for an empty cardboard box, and have them feel good about it, you too could be a game designer.
With the traditional retail business model, a game makes a lot of money if it sells a lot of copies. Holding production costs down helps, but nothing boosts the bottom line like a bestseller. So as a game designer your next question needs to be, "How can I make a game that sells well?"
Glad you asked. First of all, you need to do some market research. What type of games are people buying? What are the trends in electronic entertainment? Is there a genre that is hot? Are some genres pretty much dead, like side scrolling platform games? You'll need to get a feel for the market as a whole. Fortunately, you usually have some help.
In fact, a lot of times this step will happen before you ever get involved. When the executive producers (the guys with the money) tell you about your next project, they might phrase it something like this: "Our next game MUST be an isomorphic 3D massively multiplayer real time fantasy roleplaying driving game in an immersive universe with both a movie AND a soft drink tie in." When you hear that, you know they've been banging the chick in marketing. Refuse to listen at your own peril.
Where are we? Oh, still trying to make our game sell. Did you catch the movie tie in above? That helps. So does making a sequel to a smash hit. Sports games do well too, but the genre gets pretty crowded. Familiar characters, like Mario or Sonic, also work well. When people are standing in the rack of games at the local CompUSA, they are looking for something familiar. It is all about branding.
With branding you have two options: license one or roll your own. Lets say that you are making a board game based on arranging rows and columns of letters to make words. Will your game sell better under the Scrabble brand name, or as 'Genericabble, the word game made by that guy who used to be a coder'. Scrabble will crush your sorry ass. Rolling your own isn't really an option in certain niches.
Here is another example: You have the choice between two basketball games. One is officially licensed by the NBA. You have Shaq and Kobe playing on the Lakers. The other isn't licensed at all, but it has Shack and K. Brian playing on the Lackers. Which one do you percieve to be higher quality? Which one would you be proud to play with your friends? Which one would you buy? Chances are that you'd only buy PoserNBA 2002 if it cost MUCH LESS than RealNBA 2002.
On the other hand, if you have a new spin on a market proven idea, you can try establishing it as its own brand. Good luck. It will take more work and more money (advertising, bought game reviews, free demos) than you realize. Try to score with the girl in marketing. It will make the long nights that you spend on that side of the building worthwhile.
We're in eight paragraphs deep, and we still haven't covered the number one reason most people want to be game designers:
"I've got this great idea for a video game and I think it will be a lot of fun!"
Take a number and have a seat on the bench over there. Yes, next to the homless guy. Yes, his number is 22 lower than yours. Yes, he's got seven more years of programming experience. Yes, he also has a Phd in physics. No, he's not here for the game designer job. He wants an entry level position in QA/testing.
So how do you get to skip the corporate ladder and go straight in as a game designer? Make a game to get your foot in the door. I know you don't have the time. I know you have a family. Big dreams require some sacrifice.
First create a demo.
Your demo needs to demonstrate the following:
* You understand the market.
* You can work with a team of underpaid people and a deadline, and still deliver a product.
* You can take a concept and mangle it to make it sell better.
* You can actually deliver a product. Not just the code, but the branding, the box, the website, the manual, advertisements, everything.
* You can do all of the above and still make a fun game.
Why did I wait until way the hell down here to mention making a fun game? Because it is the most imporant part (unless you already have Star Wars, Duke Nukem, or Harry Potter lined up). Your game needs to be fun for it to sell well. The challenge is that you must do it within the context of ALL of that marketing BS above.
Designing a game is much more than just coding. I emphasized some of the marketing skills that you need to prove a point. To be truly successful in an interdiciplinary field like game design you need to be well rounded. Knowing how to manage and motivate people helps a lot. You need to be a project manager, able to control the creation of software. Finally, you need to know how to build something fun. That is the most elusive part of all. I believe it is a true talent, and if you have it, then you only need to broaden your skillset beyond just coding. Prove that you can make fun, and prove that you can manage a project designed for the mass market, and you will be well on your way.