Action plan

My most desired achievement to my goal is to finish my further education and move into higher education in game development, to learn the skills that will benefit me in the gaming industry as a whole. I hope to achieve a degree in Game development. Straight after I finish education I plan to start applying for QA jobs for games, such as game tester/Analyst. I consider such a job as this important to my career. While I largely desire this job, I view it as a stepping-stone in my career as I hope to move directly from this, into Game development.

As I am currently learning 3D in my present course, I aim to to stay focused and learn as much about 3D as it could be a fundamental skill for a game development job such as 3D modelling or 3D environments.

I am currently trying to afford a new and powerful PC so I can do alot of work through this in my spare time, such as photoshop work, 3D modelling, concept art etc. I also plan to set up a youtube channel for game commentary videos. If my channel is successful I could gain partnerships on youtube and be earning money just for doing my hobby. This could also benefit me in the gaming industry.

Some opportunity's in the gaming industry are still quite vague to me at the moment, as I may still be unaware of some. but I hope to continue learning about all the opportunity's the industry has to offer. But in the meantime I am aware of alot of opportunity's that interest me.

Career choices

Game Tester

You will be expected to play games looking for problems and accurately report errors through our database to ensure superior game quality before release.

Qualifications

Successful applicants will have excellent written and verbal communication skills and be able to observe attention to detail. You will have good general computer skills and be a confident learner working with word processing, databases and spreadsheets.

Candidates must be 18 years of age and above and provide two references. Applicants will preferably be educated to further or higher education standards.

Game Analyst

Self-motivated game enthusiasts

Role will involve working alongside developers. To do this effectively successful applicants will be required to demonstrate excellent written and verbal communication skills. Will be required to pay close attention to detail. You will have strong computer skills and be confident learner working with word processing, databases and spreadsheets.

Qualifcations

A good knowledge of the video game industry and the processes involved in creating a game would be beneficial.

Game Designer

Game development is a collaborative process involving multi-disciplinary teams. Designers must be able to communicate their vision to artists, programmers, producers, marketing staff, and others involved in the development process, and accept feedback on their work.

This involves presenting their ideas both verbally and on paper, for which they need writing and basic visual design and drawing skills. They should also be reasonably fluent in a range of 2D and 3D graphics and animation packages, such as 3D Studio Max or Maya.

Good technical knowledge is required, with some programming skills at least at ‘scripting’ level and awareness of the various games platforms and technologies. This is a multi-skilled role, requiring:

·         thorough understanding of game play theory;

·         storytelling and narrative development skills;

·         information design and user interface design skills;

·         excellent communication and presentation skills;

·         the ability to work as part of a team and independently;

·         systematic and strategic thinking;

·         imagination and creativity;

·         knowledge of the requirements of the relevant Health and Safety legislation and procedures.

A common route into the role is via a developer or publisher Quality Assurance (QA) department working as a Game Tester. This offers a good grounding in the development process, access to software and tools, and an insight into the different job roles.

Youtube Partnerships

As part of my hobby, I could gain a partnership on YouTube for the allowance of advertisements on my videos.

My videos will be Gameplay videos, commentary’s and possibly game reviews. This could lead to a partnership with Machinima. Meaning I could have an income from this.

I believe the Amount of money you get depends on the amount of views you get on video.

All that is required is a passion for gaming, committed to recording, editing and uploading videos regularly. A basic knowledge of editing software for videos and sound. And possibly a certain amount of YouTube subscribers

Level Editor

Working from the overall game design documentation, the Level Editor designs a portion of the game usually referred to as a ‘level’, specifying in detail all the possible actions and game play events which take place within that level; the environment, including locations, general layout of the spaces within the level, and thoughts about visuals, eg lighting, textures, and forms; the characters and objects involved, whether they are player controlled or non-player characters; and any specific behaviours associated with the characters and objects

Level Editors must have good spatial and layout design skills, knowledge of 3D modelling, and a firm grasp of game design principles.

They also need to be very well organised. Game development is a collaborative process and Level Editors work both independently and as part of a team and they must be able to accept and give direction.

They train the testers to play the game and also work closely with artists and programmers, for which they need a practical understanding of programming and preferably some scripting language competence. This is a multi-skilled role, requiring:

·         spatial awareness and the ability to visualise layouts; imagination and creativity;

·         excellent communication skills (both verbal and written);

·         IT skills and competence in the use of world editing tools;

·         attention to detail and the ability to evaluate quality;

·         knowledge of different platforms;

·         a passion for games and knowledge of game design theory;

·         knowledge of the requirements of the relevant Health and Safety legislation and procedures.