The Crunch

This is a relatively short post, but one that reflects my reading for the afternoon.

I've heard the EA Spouse letter referenced plenty on gaming forums and comment threads, but only got round to reading it today.  And all the comments in response.  And then ninjadan's take on the topic.

It seems that I shouldn't be blindly aspiring to work for one of the development giants (EA, Rockstar, etc...) without doing my homework first.  The catch is that they are more likely to take on fresh meat, whereas smaller development studios will only consider applicants with proven experience (10+ shipped titles).

It certainly hasn't tainted my aspirations any, but it has opened my eyes somewhat.

Conversely, some studios manage to get it very right, like Naughty Dog.

Requirements of a Games Designer

Now that I have established both the what and the why, I thought that it would be appropriate to take a deeper look at what exactly a games designer is and does.  To achieve this, I have utilized various sources across the internet, as well as taking a look at the job listings for some of the major publishers, including EA, Epic, DICE, Rockstar, et al.

“The job of games designer is not just exciting, it is one of the most challenging in the world,” shouts this article at buzzle.com.  Sources are unanimous in their assessment that the role of Game Designer is rewarding, whilst extremely demanding.  EA consider game design “a highly creative and specialized craft” in their job listings.  Ryan Shwayder concedes that “a game designer doesn’t get paid as much as someone with his equivalent skills in the business world,” that it’s going to be the creativity and passion that will propel you through your games design career, not necessarily financial reward.

Requirements

“Creativity” and “imagination” are two words that continuously lace every article and job description I read on the subject.  Interestingly though, EA DICE declare that knowledge of target audiences and markets are equally, if not more, valued.  They also consider a deep understanding of hardware platforms as well as relevant technologies, techniques and software packages to be of high value.

For a game design role with People Can Fly at Epic Games, they require "excellent theoretical knowledge of game design practices," alongside other common design requirements, including; excellent communication and presentation skills, displayable experience of creating Game Design Documentation, problem-solving skills, and the candidate is to be self-motivated, hard-working and team-focused.  They also expand on the management of staff, requiring tasking and scheduling production teams whilst managing and organising design meetings.

Playfish (an EA company) echo many of these requirements, specifically requesting demonstrable experience from concept to completion.  Jagex Games Studio require a strong knowledge and experience of game design, as well as a strong track record of prioritizing conflicting demands, from a candidate who displays "passion, experience, energy and commitment."

All roles require a portfolio of work, which I will look to consider and discuss in a future post.

Software

Some openings require experience with specific software packages that I would do well to gain familiarity (and later competence) with.  Below is a list of programs specifically mentioned;

• 3D Studio Max
• Maya
• Microsoft Excel

What I Want to Achieve and Why

I've been a little off of the track when it comes to my studies recently.  I can't quite put my finger on why, though I will admit to being pretty deluded with how I'm being played by the RAF.  After working so hard and seeing no tangible reward, it makes it difficult to pluck motivation out of nowhere.  So I'm going to use this post to rectify things by realigning myself with my goals and determining my motivation for achieving them.

What do I want to achieve?

My aim is to change careers to become a videogame designer.  I've been passionate about playing games and following the videogame industry for the majority of my life.  To be employed within the sector has been a longtime ambition, and now feels like the right time to really put in all my effort in a direction that will give me the best opportunity to fully realise this goal.

If things were to go perfectly to plan, I'd like to leave the UK and work with a major studio on AAA titles; I'm thinking EA in Montreal, Canada, Epic Games in Cary, North Carolina, Rockstar Games in NYC, or DICE in Stockholm, Sweden, or whoever else is hot at the time.  I was completely absorbed by the American culture on my recent holiday, and would love a chapter or two of my life to unfold overseas.

Perhaps the option to found or co-found my own studio might one day present itself, which would also be something I'd be very proud to achieve.

And why do I want to achieve it?

I briefly touched upon the 'push' and the 'pull' in my first post.

To be realistic and frank, it is looking like I'll be out of the RAF by July 2013.  Since I'm being refused extension of my nine year contract, and am being denied any kind of promotion, it looks like I perfectly fit the bracket of "natural wastage."  In essence, the RAF neglects me promotion (and therefore extension of my contract) and in return doesn't have to compensate me for dropping my employment.  It makes financial sense for them, even if it is a slap in the face on a personal level.  I'm a victim of timing and budget cuts.

So why then the videogame industry?  I would be a much better candidate for something aerospace related; perhaps pursuing Air Traffic Control with NATS, or Air Defence contracts with IBM, for example.

In short, I want to work in a creative industry that produces entertainment products for commercial release.  I've always been creatively minded, and think that I would thrive in such an environment that would much better match my personality than my current employment.  I appreciate that it's a demanding sector, where success and failure hinges on sales, but I know I would relish the challenge.

To work in one of the top studios would improve my lifestyle ten-fold.  The option to live in another country with a working visa, to travel around the world with teams in aid of research, to work alongside and be inspired by some of the industry's best, to work in some of the best facilities and campus' with premium equipment, and to be rewarded financially for my efforts...

The why speaks for itself really!

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…