Games development is the area that most people want to get involved in when they think about games industry jobs. Most video game fans will surely have thought at some point that they have the necessary knowledge to actually create a game, after all, they’re already an expert, right?
So what does it take to make the jump from merely playing to being involved in making a game? Well, if you’re already a video game nut then you’re off to a good start, as most people in games development are also keen gamers.
Of course, this isn’t enough by itself!
Games development isn’t about playing games all day. Well, perhaps it is, but when you consider that you’ll most likely be playing the same parts of the same game, day in, day out, for a year or more, that idea might start to lose it’s appeal. Game development is a much harder job than it may first appear, and is a job that necessitates the ability to work in a team. Team sizes vary depending on the size and target platform of the game being developed. There can be as few as 8 to 10 people for a handheld game, or 100 or more for the latest AAA console smash hit.
There is also the issue of “crunch time”, which is when the development team end up working long hours and at weekends in order to bring a game project to completion on time. This can be very tiring, both on yourself and your family members who begin to wonder where you’ve disappeared to. It is also worth noting that it is very rare to find a games development company that pays overtime!
On the plus side though, while it may be hard work, it is also very rewarding work. It is fascinating to watch a game build piece by piece as new features, graphics, levels and sounds are added, and at the end of the project you will doubtless be extremely proud of the work that you and your team mates have achieved.
The pages within this section cover the skills you will need to be able to demonstrate for various jobs available in game development, from the actual creative side of Artists, Audio Engineers, Designers and Programmers, through to the just as important roles of the QA Tester and Producer, without whom games would be buggy messes that never get finished.
