Working in Game Industry

Smartphones, PCs and consoles have slowly become one of the must-have items for everyone, people have been spending their time greatly on these and especially on gaming. The game industry has been growing rapidly too, where many youngsters start to dream of making a living in the game industry.

If you wish to join or pursue your career in the game industry, there must be a few things you need to know before you join the party. The first thing will be the understanding of the job scope and requirements. Here we will tell you about the positions of the game industry, what they do and what are the requirements!

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The developers

They create games! Everything from a concept to the full game is developed by them.

 Yiwei P’ng | Kurechii – Founder

“Don’t just simply make a game and hope for luck in the local market. Instead, set your mind for the game to be pushed out into the global market.” – Quoted from our previous interview with Kurechii.

• Game designer

They come up with concepts and make them into games. They define the core elements of a game such as storylines, characters, levels and guide the development team through production.

To be a game designer, you need to be imaginative and creative while fully understands the gameplay theory. You will need to have strong storytelling and narrative development skills, some programming skills (at least the basics) and knowledge in information design and user interface design. Strategic and systematic thinking is also important for a game designer, same goes to the awareness of the various games platforms and technologies. You will also need to be able to collaborate with a team, present your ideas and communicate your vision to them clearly. Good basic visual design and drawing skills are required too.

• Game programmer

They will collaborate with the game designers, implementing their visions for the final product. They also design and write codes (instructions) that run and control a game.

Other than being creative, you need to possess strong programming skills in various (or a specific) programming languages such as C++ and Java. It is better to have experience on a specific platform such as PlayStation or Xbox. You should be a systematic and highly organised person and has good communication skills to work as part of a team. Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to take instruction and work to deadlines are important too. Lastly, you should have a good understanding of the gameplay.

• Game Artist

They create concept arts and visual elements of a game, including characters, scenery, objects and clothing.

The game artist is of course suitable for those who are artistic, creative and imaginative. You need to be knowledgeable in anatomy and architecture while possess a strong flair for colour, modelling and texturing techniques, composition, perspective, mood and lighting. Teamwork is important for a game artist, you need to be able to communicate and work as part of a team (independently too). Ability to draw from life, conveying facial expressions and emotions are both required. You need to have strong observation skills and ability to pay focus on detail. As an extra, you have to be skilled in storyboarding as well.

• Animator

Animator is the one who gives life to the characters and elements in the game. They are responsible for the portrayal of movement and behaviour.

Similar to the game artist, creativity and imagination are very important for an animator. You need to know the full motion video, 2D and 3D animation techniques (both traditional and computer). Besides of creating appealing characters, you will also need to be able to express a character’s attitude, emotions and mood through movement and behaviour. You will need to work as part of a team and independently, so good communication skills will help you standing out.

• Audio Engineer

They create the audio for a game, including the soundtrack, sound effects and character voices.

Aside from being creative and imaginative, you need to have strong knowledge in sound engineering. You must be able to compose or perform music. You should possess ‘aural skills’ and a sense of timing, have a feel for the game’s atmosphere. A sense of fun and thinking laterally is important here, as well as the ability to pay focus on detail. You will need to have good communication skills as you will be working in a team (and independently).

• Narrative Copywriter

They design the narrative structure of a game, such as writing dialogue, story and tutorials.

To be a narrative copywriter, you need to have a strong understanding of the deep and varied aspects of interactive digital storytelling. and also the strong understanding of how to make a game appealing to a specific audience. You will need to have a creative and intelligent writing style. Excellent imagination, creativity and problem-solving skills are important too. Other than these, you need to have excellent communication and presentation skills, as well as the ability to create text and dialogue that fits the tone and the world of a game.

• QA Tester

They test a game before it goes public, finding all the flaws and debug them to ensure its quality and playability.

It is quite a boring job for anyone who is not persistent and patient enough as you will have to play a specific game for long periods. You should be analytical and methodical, understands the process of producing a game and how the different elements contribute to the playing experience. Knowledge on your competitor games are important so you could evaluate a game against them. You will need to be able to pay focus on detail, identify a problem and find out the cause of the problem. Excellent communication skill is required too.

Yiwei P’ng | Kurechii – Founder

“You don’t learn only by applying your skill in making the game but you learn by completing it and getting feedback from players to improve.” – Quoted from our previous interview with Kurechii.

The publishers

They handle the marketing and release of a game.

Alicia Yeng | Gamevil Com2uS MY- General Manager

“You need to be a gamer yourself to understand what kind of data matters for games market research.”

• Market Research Analysts

They design surveys to determine prospective customers’ buying preferences. Then,  the data gathered are used to help video game publishers decide what products and services to sell, how much to charge for them, where and how to sell them.

You need to have excellent speaking skills and strong listening skills along with good writing skills. You will need to understand a large number of documents (eg. research reports, surveys responses) then analyze, understand and draw conclusions from the data. Strong problem-solving skills are required too. You will also need to be able to compare and contrast different approaches in order to make an educated decision.

• Advertising campaign designer

They set up and deliver advertising campaigns to attract users to the game.

To be an advertising campaign designer, you need to have excellent organisational, communication and interpersonal skills. Proactive work ethic and meticulous attention to detail are the requirements too. You should also possess advanced Excel skills and strong analytical skills.

Alicia Yeng | Gamevil Com2uS MY – General Manager

“There’s no one source that have all data related to games, so it is important to meet up with various experts in this industry to gather data and piece them together.”

The Media

They broadcast news and communicate with the gaming community.

Sean Lim | Wanuxi – Founder

“You need a lot of knowledge about games if you want to write for gaming media sites, from artwork to game design to gameplay. In short, you need to be a gamer in order to produce content for gamers.”

• Editors / Journalist

They write and prepare news to be broadcast. Some of the requirements are the general understanding of current events, strong writing, editing and proofreading skills. You will need to able to work within a tight schedule as a team or independently.

Good communication skills (both written and oral) with the ability to delve deeper and multitask are important as well. You should also have an eye for detail and be familiar with photography, video and audio content gathering and editing skills.

• Social media manager

They manage social media channels such as Twitter, Facebook and Youtube. An experience and knowledge of the major social media platforms and social tools are definitely needed, with the passion for social media (keeping abreast of the latest trends and emerging platforms) as a plus point.

You need to have strong Microsoft Office skills and an exceptional eye for detail. Appetite to learn, research and self-teach, along with an aptitude for grasping new strategies, software and processes are what you should have too. You need to be able to communicate through social media platforms with the correct tone of voice and be able to work in a fast-paced, reactive environment.

• Video Producer

The video producer creates authoritative and entertaining videos that appeal to the gaming (target) community. You should at least have some existing video editing skills before applying for this job.

You need to be able to write and edit video scripts. Experience of publishing video to social media, and an understanding of the platform’s features and audience are preferred. A basic understanding of best practice in camera and lighting operation are important too. Besides, you should have strong knowledge of games, culture and technology, along with the ability and enthusiasm to generate fresh ideas and tell new stories about it. Excellent teamwork skills are also required.

Event / e-sports organizers

They organize events for the gaming fans to participate, building up the gaming community.

Firdaus Hashim (Master Ramen) | Mineski Events Team MY – Director

“Not everyone can be a pro gamer but almost everyone can work in esports event. Once the esports industry grows bigger people can make a living from it and make it a career.”

• Event Assistant

They assist in event logistics, maintain communication with event vendors, manage expenses, develop event marketing materials, create and implement on-site attendee experience strategy. By this, it means that teamwork, good written and verbal communication skills are very important.

You should be a detail-orientated person with strong conflict management skills and analytical skills. Ability to multitask and maintain a professional demeanour are the requirements too. Also, you need to have good customer service skills, strong organizational skills and knowledge of Microsoft Office.

• Multimedia Marketing

They put together photo and video for session presentations and marketing. They also run social media, including hashtags and develops branding, theme and visuals of the event.

You will need to have excellent communication and analytical skills. Other than being creative, you must have a passion for multimedia marketing. You need to be able to multitask and adapt to the changes quickly. Willingness to experiment is important too.

• Presenter

They are responsible for the running of the event, presenting the game/event to the audiences.

It is obvious that a presenter needs extremely good presentation skills, but a strong knowledge of the game/event is also required. You should be a cheerful and confident person, while being passionate and organized.

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Of course, working in the game industry is not an easy task. Creativity and good communication skills are much needed for any job in the game industry (and most of the other industries too). So if you wish to join the game industry, make sure you find a job that suits your personality and your abilities. Good luck everyone!

(feature image credits to WatchMojo.com)