Press Start

I thought that it would be appropriate and rewarding to write about my adventures and misdemeanours as a Videogame Designer. Except I'm not yet a Videogame Designer. So… What exactly am I actually going to write about then?

Since I've now finalised my decision and commitment to break into the videogame industry as a Games Designer, I thought that it would be appropriate to start a blog from day one. This practice benefits me; crafting a reflective account of victories, defeats and learning points encountered on my journey, and might also benefit you; assuming you’re here because of an interest in videogame design, I hope that you might glean some information or entertainment from these musings.

So a brief back-story; I am presently serving my seventh year in the Royal Air Force, as an Aerospace Systems Operator. This role has me working with bespoke radar equipment to maintain the integrity of the UK’s airspace and to assist with the control of various military fast-jet and support aircraft. Whilst the RAF has been good to me, I find it stifling and without reward a lot of the time. This is detrimental to personal motivation and productivity, so I decided to investigate what I really wanted to do with my life.

I’ve always thoroughly enjoyed videogames; from Spellbound Dizzy (1990) on my Amstrad CPC up to Battlefield 3 (2011) on my new custom-built PC; I’ve enjoyed countless hours playing a wealth of games across a number of platforms. So to work for a studio to help create videogames has always been a background ambition. I first considered the possibility in 2004, as I was completing my second year in sixth form… But let’s just say that I lacked the authentic passion and drive to convince anyone that that was the right decision for me at the time. So I instead joined the Air Force.

Fast forward seven years, and I’m now in the position where I really want to pursue my career choice again. The RAF has (both intentionally and unintentionally) taught me a lot of lessons over those years, and I believe I am a much more balanced and capable character, now possessing the energy, drive and experience required to press forward toward my ambitions.

Two events helped me reach the above conclusion. The Pull: a friend works as a girl's outerwear designer for Abercrombie & Fitch in Columbus, Ohio. After visiting her campus and studios for a tour, I finally recognised that “I want to work as part of a creative team to design and produce products that people will buy and enjoy.” Upon returning to my job in the UK and learning of certain decisions that had been made, I finally found The Push: that “If the RAF won’t recognise, support and reward my genuine hard work and ambition, then it won’t have it.” I finally knew what I wanted to do and, most importantly, why.

After a brief stint with a couple of the Open University’s computing courses, I discovered Train2Game.com. The company offers videogame-based diplomas in the disciplines of Art, Design, Programming and QA. Backed by TIGA (the UK’s videogame industry trade association) T2G seemed to be the perfect option for me; distance learning at my own pace, offering a qualification in precisely what I want to do, officially backed by the industry I want to work within. I chose to study Videogame Design since I enjoy writing and technical writing; I enjoy the creative arts (drawing, writing, music); I enjoy speaking in front of people, and have experience in communication, leadership and management from my RAF career.

Following an interview with a T2G rep, I was officially enrolled onto the course in August 2011. And that pretty much brings up to where I’m at now. I have my introductory materials to be working through, which use Pogo’s Game Maker software to introduce the basics of games design and development. After submitting an introductory Tutor Marked Assignment (TMA), then I will be starting the main Design course.

I’m looking forward to the challenge of balancing the course demands against the rest of my life; I still want to work hard in my current job, socialize with friends and family, keep myself in shape at the gym, embarrass myself on Battlefield 3 AND get horrendously drunk at the weekends… But I know my time is now a precious commodity. And therein lays the personal challenge for me: I know I’m perfectly capable of completing the course and moving into the games industry, but am I willing to dedicate the time and effort to finally do just that?

Let’s find out…