Unit 13 - Assignment 3 - Understand job roles within the games industry

Gulshan Golechha - Assignment 3 - Jobs Roles 1

Assignment 3 – Understand Job Roles within the games industry.

Date : 01-09-2012Gulshan S. Golechha

• There are many jobs roles played in creative media / Game industry according to different work regarding game development.

• The size of a company or types of jobs depend and differ from company to company.

• The general and almost all jobs roles are listed on next few slides which are there in an ideal game industry (Generally Large Company).

Introduction


Categories Of Job Roles



• Games Design :-– Game design is a complex activity requiring a combination of skills –

design, management, scheduling, research etc.

– They also need to be able to document their vision and communicate it to other members of the project team.

– Games are usually large projects, so the design process is often shared between a number of different people who each take responsibility for a section of the game, or 'level'.

Job titles in this area might include:

Lead Designer Object planner

Games Designer GUI Designer

Script writer Storyboard Artist

Map builder Illustrator

Level Editor Graphic Designer


• Art and Animation :-– Game Artists create the images – all the objects, buildings, landscapes

and characters – which make up the game world. Animators define and create their movement.

– The majority of computer games are now developed using real-time 3D graphics and animation.

– Game Artists work at many different levels in a games development studio.


Creative Manager PreVis Artist

Art Director Technical Artist

Lead Artist Artist

Concept Artist Animator

Environment Artist 3D Modeller


• Programmer :-– Game programming team is responsible for creating the code which

makes the game actually work.

– Programmers need good team–working and problem–solving skills, in addition to programming ability.

– There are numerous sub–disciplines within the programming department.


Lead Programmer Action Scripter

Software Engineer Platform Designer

Programmer Information Architect

A.I. Programmer Systems Analyst

Database Designer Middleware/ Tools Programmer

Graphics Programmer Engine Programmer

Gameplay Programmer Server Architect


• Audio Engineer :-– Sound design and audio engineering are increasingly important areas

within the games development process.

– Depending on the size of the company, the audio department might consist of one or two people.

– Audio Engineer are responsible for creating and producing music, sound effects, recording dialogue, and often supervising voice performance.


Musician Sound Effects Designer

Audio Engineer Composer


• Quality Assurance :-– Quality Assurance or QA discipline includes the role of Tester, which is

one of the most common entry points into the games industry for first time job seekers.

– Testing is a highly disciplined role as it involves identifying and describing bugs and faults in games 'builds' and communicating these in a clear and unambiguous way.

– Testers need to love playing games for long periods of time, organisational skills, some programming experience or knowledge, and the ability to meet deadlines.


QA Manager Localisation Tester

Lead Tester Localisation Manager

Quality Assurance Technician / Tester


• Production Management and Publishing :-– Production management within games development is usually split

between the developer and publisher.


Head of Development Creative Director

Executive Producer Executive / Senior Producer (Publishing)

Project Manager / Producer External Producer(Publishing)

Art Director Account Director

Programming Manager Associate / Junior Producer (Publishing)

Assistant Project Manager Project Co-ordinator (Publishing)

Production Accountant Product / Brand Manager

Production Scheduler Sales Manager

Production Assistant Licensing / IPR Manager

Artificial Intelligence Programmer

Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) Programmer :-

- The AI (artificial intelligence) programmer gives the game a brain, constructing a set of parameters by which the characters not controlled by the player operate and make decisions—a system of action and reaction.

- This is a deep field in game programming that requires a technically skilled team of highly specialized programmers to create dynamic and intuitive gameplay that is functional, seamless, and exciting.


Duties Of A.I. In Video Games

This person works under the direction of the lead programmer and is responsible for determining an agent’s behavior: the actions taken by the non-player characters.

The AI programmer creates code and algorithms for pathfinding, group movement and cooperation, tactical strategy, and camera control.

He or she sets patterns and parameters for state mechanics (rules) and establishes how an agent thinks and solves problems, creating a framework for artificial emotions and ideas.


Skills & Education For A.I.

This role requires a person who enjoys challenging problem-solving, is both a creative and critical thinker, and has a strong education in advanced mathematics.

A bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering, or game development is required for a job as an AI programmer.

Larger game developers may prefer a master’s degree.

You will be expected to have a firm foundation in C++; STL; APIs likeOpenGL and PhysX; Perl, Perforce, and profiling tools.

Coursework in physics and technical writing are also helpful.

An AI programmer should be comfortable on multiple game consoles and able to adapt to existing systems.


Strong written and verbal communication skills are necessary, as is the ability to draft clear, concise technical documentation.

Most importantly, developers look for an individual who is passionate about making and playing games.

The field of AI is constantly evolving, and therefore offers great opportunity for creativity and innovation.


REFERANCES

Web Sites :-

- http://www.creativeskillset.org/games/careers/profiles/

- http://www.skillset.org/games/careers/article_2768_1.asp

- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_intelligence_(video_games)

- http://getinmedia.com/careers/ai-programmer


http://www.creativeskillset.org/games/careers/profiles/

http://www.skillset.org/games/careers/article_2768_1.asp

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_intelligence_(video_games)

http://getinmedia.com/careers/ai-programmer