EDGE #1XX (2004) - Supplement: Get into Games - Deep Silver

26.9 MB·English

by  Future

D :::=P SILV:=R
In association with Deep Silver, a division of KOCH Media
GET INTO GAMES
A guide to working in the videogame industry
DEEP SILVER
In association with Deep Silver, a division of KOCH Media
GET INTO GAMES
□ t's the most exciting industry If you're already working, some
in existence. Exciting enough of skills and experience you have may
that just reading about it can match up with the requirements of
be a buzz. Hearing about it, even one of the areas of the videogame
thinking about it, can be enough to industry. But which area? How do
quicken your pulse. So who can resist you pick out the role that might suit
the idea of working in it - getting an you best? We've brought together
insider's perspective at the same time eight industry insiders, representing a
as helping to shape its future? Most wide range of jobs the industry now
people write the idea off as a hazy offers, and asked them some of the
pipe dream or simply talk about it but questions you'd ask them if you had
do little else. But it's an industry the opportunity. From the familiar
that's growing at an extraordinary roles of coder and artist, to emerging
rate, and that growth can be jobs like community manager, and
explained by one factor: more and the one that's thrown around every
more people are making that move week via 'How do I become a
from fantasy to reality. Why not you? videogame journalist?' emails we
It's not a straightforward move; receive at Edge, it's a chance to see
it's an increasingly competitive space, experienced people speaking frankly
and turning your hobby into a career about the pitfalls and pleasures of
is never without its risks - but it's the jobs they once dreamed of.
becoming increasingly feasible. The Once you've picked your role, you
growth of the videogame industry still have to decide how to get there:
means that roles within it are embark on a course, work with a
becoming increasingly specialised. recruitment agent, or strike out on
Where once you needed to be artist, your own. In the final section of this •
coder, composer, PR and MD rolled guide we pit veterans of each path
into one, now you can target a against each other and ask them to
specific job. If you're starting out, explain why theirs is the best route
there are more and more courses into the videogame industry.
designed to prepare you with the Whoever you decide you agree with,
skills you need, and our selected it could be time to swap your fantasy
listings (see page 19) can give you for reality. After all, it's the most
some ideas of where to start. exciting industry in existence.
04 The state of play
Before we go anywhere, let's take a look
at how the videogame industry exists today
06 Profile: Designer
What does the role of game designer
mean, and how can you become one?
08 Profile: Artist
Bit handy with a pencil? Nowadays you'll
need a little bit more to make it in this area
09 Profile: Producer
Often misunderstood, the producer's role is
one of the widest-ranging in the industry
10 Profile: Programmer
A look at of the heart of the development
process, and how it has diversified
14 Profile: Journalist
Every week you ask us about it, so we hand
over two pages to writing about games
16 Profile: Community manager
The rise of 'social gaming' via online play
is creating countless new opportunities
17 Profile: Localisation
Language skills under your belt? Here's one
avenue into the industry worth considering
18 Profile: Tester
Often seen as the easy way in, the role of
tester is actually one of the most valuable
19 Higher education
Want to study videogames? These are
the courses you should be considering
26 Opinion: Academia
David Surman examines the current
state of game development courses
28 Opinion: Recruitment
Recruitment agencies offer a good method
of entering the industry, argues Stig Strand
30 Opinion: The indie
Chris Delay looks at the business landscape
populated by the independent developer
D ::::P S ILV::R
In assoc.iation with Deep Silver, a division of KOCH Media
The state of play
Like playing games? Want a job? If only it were so simple. But thanks to increasing
professionalism in the industry, there are clear entry points for the right candidates
[9 ike a drop of incandescence every task is being broken down into means fewer still retire. In contrast, the
spreading across a sheet of more specialised pieces. university system is churning out a
plain blotting paper, games are It's both good and bad news for the couple of thousand game-related
slowly working their way into all prospective employee. Clearly, unless graduates per year. It doesn't take a
aspects of society and culture. you are exceptional, it's unlikely you're maths PhD to work out that the figures
Costumed students play out the role of going to walk into the position of being don't add up.
Pac-Man and ghosts in Central Park, lead designer on a £10 million game This doesn't mean a good degree is
burns victims use Game Boy Advances straight from university. Specialised useless, of course, only that it's become
to help skin regrowth and, on BBC2, roles demand years of experience; a an assumed starting point. What's more.
the technology behind the Rome: Total lesson veteran developers who haven't important is what you've done with the
War strategy game is used to bring continued to improve their skillsets knowledge accumulated. The variety of
historic battles to life. In the hard world have learned thanks to a P45. free tools available on the internet, plus
of business, media moguls and bankers On the positive side, though, game the scope of experiences available
have woken up to the fact that games recruitment is taken extremely seriously. within the madding community, means
such as GTA: San Andreas and Halo 2 With global players such as EA, Sony there are more than enough
turn a bigger profit faster than and Microsoft continuing to expand opportunities for any prospective coder,
Hollywood blockbusters. Equally, it's their operations, there exist full-time artist or audio engineer to show what
the billions of dollars of investment in members of staff whose job is to they can do under their own steam.
semiconductor R&D by Sony and recruit graduates. They offer well And it's a similar situation in other parts
Microsoft which is creating the future structured training and career of the industry, with biogs, clans,
of networked entertainment. Games development as well as all the usual websites and forums acting as
are even having a profound impact on pension, health and other benefits opportunities for gaining experience
our personalities and how we choose to you'd expect from blue-chip companies. and building contacts. It will also go to
represent ourselves to others as we But with such high levels of prove your ability to work well within a
shift between real life and the game
style avatars we use to become In the hard world of business, media moguls and
characters in online communities. bankers have woken up to the fact that games
But what's this got to do with a
turn a bigger profit faster than Hollywood
supplement about getting a job in the
videogame industry? The fact is, as
games spread, so the number of roles professionalism involved, competition is team - something which should be any
available grows and changes too. extremely fierce and only the best get employers' key requisite, considering
Whereas five years ago a perfectly selected. For example, we know of one the potential for 100-strong
adequate game could be knocked out recruiter for a large publisher whose development teams over the next
by a programmer, a couple of artists task for 2004 was to hire three couple of years.
and a part-time audio guy, now there graduate animators, but failed because It's also important to realise that the
are a huge number of specific roles to she couldn't find the level of quality videogame industry doesn't just consist
be filled: pathfinding coder, shader required. The days of filling new of what's usually considered to be
tool developer, concept artist, facial development teams with the output of traditional game companies. The rise of
animation rigger - and that's just on the local college are long gone. the mobile phone means there are
the development side. Start taking This does make the task of breaking plenty of telecom companies, including
into account the various support into the industry more challenging, the likes of Vodafone and Orange,
roles required for a successful game however. Certainly in terms of the UK, which have gaming departments. Other
and job titles such as online the consolidation of development companies in which gaming slips into a
communities manager, marketing studios means there's less opportunity more massmarket form of
events coordinator and brand to get a lucky break at a conversion entertainment include satellite
evangelist become commonplace. house down the road. It's either gone broadcaster Sky, internet service
As with factory production lines, bust, been taken over by Take Two or providers such as Wanadoo and BT, as
relocated to the nearest big city. The well as countless media, advertising and
whole of the UK games industry is only web design outfits. There are even art
reckoned to be around 10,000-strong, collectives and university research
anyway. Few people ever seem to leave, departments experimenting with new
while its members' relative youth ways for games to spread further into
culture. In fact there's pretty much
every job imaginable. You just need the
skill, enthusiasm and determination to
go and get the one that's right for you.
Good luck.

D ::::P SILV::R
In association with Deep Silver, a di'lision of KOCH Media
Profile: Designer
The creative spark behind a game, the designer ensures the
finished product contains the excitement of that first inspiration
ow does this role exist
Role overview today? What's expected? Q&A: SaiTong Man
It's tempting to advise Designer at Ninja Theory
The role of the designer is to
people to forget about trying
to become a game designer, give shape to a game. As each team is
at least at the graduate level. made up of such a diverse collection
In terms of Reservoir Dogs, of disciplines, designers must ensure
it's the Mr Black role
that all the elements of a game fit
everyone fights over. Even
worse, while a development together as a whole. 1/-/,e need to
team might be 30+ strong, it ensure that what is delivered to us is
will probably only have a fitting of the game and is in a state
couple of designers, and they
where we can balance the elements
may be working across other
projects at the same time, so together to produce a balanced gaming
competition for jobs is experience. A designer really needs to
extreme. Indeed, it's easier to have an understanding of all the
say, in most cases, that
disciplines within a development team What tools do you use, and for
designer is the one role in
game development that so that they can make solid decisions what purposes?
you're born to, not trained when requesting content or work Pretty much anything you can get
for. On the positive side, from others. your hands on to make life easier.
however, it's also easy to
You have to communicate yourself
over-estimate the importance
of the designer within the What are the common through whatever means, and that
creative process. Everyone in misconceptions about game includes office applications (Word,
a team, from the junior design as a career? Excel), 2D/3D packages (Maya,
coders to the concept artists,
Many people who are entering the Photoshop, SketchUp) or just a pen
should be able to input into
their game's design, so it's industry have little awareness of how and paper. Most importantly, you
not as if you have to be a the time of the designer is split up over need to grasp what tools you're
designer to get involved the course of a project. Sure, there are going to need yourself to set up the
in design.
periods where we research games, chat game, to help develop in-house tools
Of course, one area
where the situation is about what would be good, sit down to enable you to handle the massive
different is level designer. and design the thing. All that time amounts of data you have to manage
As typically seen in the spent, be it days, weeks or months, is and balance.
firstperson shooter market,
nothing compared to the time spent Visual debuggers are vital, normally
this has long been an entry
level position where getting tuning and refining the experience requested and produced in-house so
involved with the madding once some code and content is laid you can see how the game is behaving
community and creating down in front of you. The largest part or not. Using these tools enables us to
some well-paced deathmatch
of being a games designer is learning spot problems with the setup of the
levels for Counter-Strike or
Unreal Tournament becomes how things should be done, or set up, game and help iron them out.
a calling card into or displayed, or communicated - the list
professional development. goes on. When you make it as a "The most rewarding part of the job is seeing
designer you still have everything to do
other people enjoy the game you helped put
and learn in order to produce the best
game you can. together. Nothing gives you more satisfaction"
What experience is needed?
I think the best experience an aspiring
designer can have is a great, intimate
knowledge of a variety of games. To be
able to draw from games, why and
how they have been made the way
they are, without cynicism, and to learn
how to do better, or at the least
imitate, simply by playing the games.
What are the common pitfalls
designers face on projects in
production nowadays?
The hardest aspect of the job is
probably keeping the design up to date ·
for all the people it involves. It is easy to
forget to update design documentation
as designs incrementally evolve and
end, leaving the documentation to
become completely obsolete.
Which parts of the job are most and
Next-generation titles, such as Ninja Theory's Heavenly Sword, require an enormous amount of art assets,
but while art staff headcounts continue to rise, designer headcounts do not. This is a competitive field least rewarding?
6
The most rewarding part of the job is At times of stress the questioning can
obvious - seeing other people enjoy the be relentless and finding peace to do
game that you have helped put your own work can be difficult.
together. Nothing gives you more Overcoming these issues can be taxing,
satisfaction than the enjoyment of but we all need to be level-headed and
others. What is probably the least patient - most of the time people are
rewarding aspect is not having the only trying to help.
game reach the gamers. After working
night and day to create a game,· What makes a good designer?
finishing it, receiving praise by the All designers must be completely
reviewers but then having the game passionate about everything they do,
ignored by the world as a whole due regardless if it is actual game design or
to lack of exposure or whatever, can not. The role of a designer touches so
be disheartening. many different things, and a good
designer must approach everything that
What's the most difficult part of they do with a passion. But we must
The team behind Counter-Strike started out as amateurs: working on an FPS
your job as a designer? also be realists, we have to understand
mod is an avenue into professional game design that's well worth considering
Trying to accommodate everyone and constraints and time scales, and we
forgetting about myself and sometimes must have a definitive goal with respect ideas to enable yourself to attain these
only thinking about what I want and to what we are achieving. Aimless, goals, then go for it one hundred and
ignoring others. It is difficult to keep unconstrained design can get you ten percent. Some people have it easy
everyone happy. We are all enthused nowhere very slowly. getting into the position of designer,
within our work. Ideas clash - some some have a hard graft getting there,
work, others don't have a leg to stand What's the best piece of advice but if you have what it takes then it will
on - and saying no can be hard. you could give to aspiring happen as long as the passion never
Designers have fingers in all the pies, designers out there? dies. Take in and enjoy everything that
and as such many people depend on If you know what you want to achieve comes your way - at the end of the
your answers to progress on their work. in the games industry, and you have the day, it's all good.
0
JJ
0 D ::::P SILV::R
Tl In asso<.iation with Deep Silver, a division of KOCH Media
r
r
Profile: Artist
With graphics continuing to be the basis on which games
are sold, there will always be a place for the talented artist
Role overview
Using the term 'artist' in
the context of game
development is now
tantamount to a display of
ignorance. No one is an
'artist' in these days,
although there are plenty of
texture artists, environmental
artists, character artists,
concept artists and effects
artists, not to mention as
many different flavours of
animators and modellers. OK,
lesson over, but the point is
that - perhaps more than any
other position -the
increasing size of game
development teams is being
driven by a need for lots of
different art-driven roles.
In many ways, this is
good. For one thing it means
there are plenty of
opportunities for the well
trained graduate. Conversely,
it means art is the most
production-line part of game
development, where dozens
of creatives will end up
toiling repetitively for 18
months to generate the huge
background level of detail
required to fill the gaping
maws of the next generation
of consoles. With this in mind,
the smart money will be on
ow should budding artists can attract these skills externally or
those artists who can Q&A: Lee Carus
overcome the stereotype present their portfolios to grow them from within the studios is
Sony Liverpool veteran, his most
and demonstrate a technical development studios, and a matter for debate.
recent project being Wipeout Pure
bias. The ability to code, if what should be in them?
only in terms of MAXScript
The presentation format really depends What software experience is
or shader languages like
Nvidia's Cg, will mark you on the skills sets the artist brings with essential in a candidate?
out from the rest. them and the job they're applying for. The usual suspects - from this studio's
If they're applying for a job as a perspective, anyway - Maya, Photoshop
concept artist I'd expect to see some and Painter, but if a quality candidate
hand-drawn work with printouts of any turns up straight from art college
digital painting. If they're applying for there's always the training route.
animation or CG work then I'd expect
to see a DVD or video showreel. So much game art is 3D, but what
Again, the content is dependent on opportunities are there in 2D?
the job, but the things I look out for My team is split up into two segments, overall project for you to be enthused
are good attention to detail with a CG cinematic team and graphic design. about your personal responsibilities
good understanding of lighting theory I think the 2D and graphic design (although being into both would be
and proportion. aspect of games is often either ideal). Using F1 as an example, I think
overlooked or not given the level of a car modeller can take great pride in
What skills are really in demand importance it deserves. Huge amounts the quality of the geometry that they
right now? of research is done on human/computer create without being a complete F1 fan
With next-gen technologies just around interaction and how it's represented. who never misses a race. The wide
the corner I think character building We as an industry need to think of range of skills sets in the industry
and animation is going to become even more adventurous ways of relaying nowadays means that not everyone
more prolific. The quality of information to the user - thankfully, I needs to be a gaming addict.
characterisation in realtime CG is going work with a great graphic design team
to go right up, meaning the dev time and we're looking at this now. What's the best piece of advice
for creation is going to be longer. I you could give to a budding artist?
suspect overall dev timescales will What effect does actual enthusiasm Really think about your portfolio
remain the same, hence the need for for games have on, first, getting a content and format - are you 100
more character/animation staff. job, and then performing well in per cent happy with what you're
With some games leaning towards the work environment? presenting and the way you're
a more cinematic experience, I think Enthusiasm is .obviously a great presenting it? If not, think of your
there will be a call for more art directors motivational factor but I don't think portfolio as a pet project and really
and cinematographers. Whether we you have to be 100 per cent into the spend some time on it.
8
O ::::P SILV::R
In association with Deep Silver, a division of KOCH Media
Profile: Producer
A catch-all term, the role of a producer is to be the oil that greases
the wheels ensuring the best game is released in the time available
hat's the first thing disks and screenshots are completed in
Role overview Q&A: Caspar Field
to understand about the time to handling the outsourcing of
Perhaps the view in which External producer at SCi for
producers are generally held producer's role? assets such as cutscenes and art Conflict: Global Terror
can be realised by Mel People need to understand the production as well as localisation tasks.
Brooks' film of the same difference between external and I also arrange things such as focus
name, in which the attempted internal producers; they are vastly testing sessions and classic schedule
tax loss production,
different jobs. Previously, as an internal management tasks, although with
Springtime For Hitler,
becomes a huge hit despite producer [working on Carve for external production it's more about the
their best efforts. Argonaut] I was man-managing a team long-term picture rather than day-to
But maybe things are of 40 people. Now, as an external day issues. I visit the developer, usually
different in the theatre,
producer for SCi working with Pivotal about once a week, to talk through
because in the videogame
industry producers are only Games, I don't manage anyone. So I what they want to do and provide
ever blamed for destroying think people interested in becoming a feedback from SCi.
the vision of a perfect game,
never for facilitating its
"It's one of the those jobs which seems to be What are the steps to becoming a
success. Whether acting on
behalf of the publisher or the filled by people from a variety of backgrounds. game producer?
developer, producers are the It's one of the those jobs which seems
interface between those Probably the bulk come from quality assurance" to be filled by people from a variety
actually making the game
of backgrounds. Probably the bulk
and those hopefully helping
them make the game. It's a producer have to consider what they How is the role of the game come from quality assurance because
pressured role, which can want to do. The process of managing producer changing nowadays? they have been exposed to a lot of
involve a huge range of a team of people is often There are a lot of different approaches the problems producers handle. Also,
tasks; from dealing with
underestimated. Whereas, as an to the job, depending on where you as a senior QA manager, you're
the lead programmer's
inability to get out of bed external producer, it's more like a work. For example, EA splits it between probably overseeing a team of a
before 11 o'clock in the consultancy role. You have more time creative and scheduling, so its dozen people, and hence already
morning to sweet-talking to think about things, which is the producers act like film directors while understand what makes projects
the publisher into pushing
point. The industry needs to change the development directors handle the hard and easy. So if you do well
back a milestone.
And as the scale of game job title, really, because 'producer' just scheduling. There are also technical there, you'd probably get moved
development itself has doesn't cover it. producers. There's one at Pivotal who into an assistant producer role. There's
ballooned, so have the works with the technical director, increasing numbers of MA and
producer's activities. For this
So what do you actually get up to? looking after scheduling and ensuring MBA courses in digital media
reason, the role is undergoing
the same fragmentation as My job spans everything from everyone is getting the right production too, so hopefully we'll see
programmers and artists, coordinating with the marketing information, which is another big part people coming into the industry with
with specialist creatives, man product manager to make sure demo of production. a more structured view.
managers, schedulers and
technical advisers being
bought into play alongside
the usual hierarchy of
executive and assistant
producers. At least this means
that life is seldom dull, and
with the right level of
expertise and balance
between creativity and
rigour the successful
producer is one of the most
sought-after individuals in
the industry.
\
/
/
I
D ::::P SILV::R
In association with Deep Silver, a division of KOCH Media
Profile: Programmer
Sitting at the heart of the development process, the programmer
remains the knife-edge upon which great games are won and lost
o how did you become a as well as making sure our
Role overview technical director? programmers are setting their sights Q&A: Chris Keegan
The position of the Technical director at Climax's
programmer is probably the My career path is pretty high and collaborating together to Action Studio
archetypal one in game normal, I think. From a young age I deliver fantastic games. But the most
development. After all, this is always wanted to be involved with satisfying aspect of my job has been
the role where the arcane games, so I started doing demos on the seeing the number of late nights and
symbology of computer
Atari ST, and a bit of hacking - tsk, weekends we work drop thanks to the
languages wrap around art
and audio assets, converting naughty! I started a computer science software development processes we've
them into something that can course, but dropped oi.t of it because put in place.
be understood by a small they tried to teach me COBOL [a
piece of silicon to create a
corporate programming language]. I What are the qualities that make a
moving, breathing virtual
world. In many ways it's a got my first job in the industry through good coder?
magical process, although the a friend who introduced me to the I think it's someone who knows when
long-cherished view of the owner of a small codeshop, and from to ask for help, can tell when
lone coder as a controlling
there I gradually moved from being something is finished, has an eye for you enjoy, and to have done some
Merlin or Gandalf figure of
power is over, if it even ever programmer to senior programmer to detail and most of all can remain research into it while you're studying.
existed. Which is a good lead programmer to technical director. passionate about their game when the I'd advise people to make a demo in
thing, of course, as can be shit hits the fan. that area to send to publishers and
proved by various urban
How is being a TD different? developers along with the source code
myths. A favourite concerns
the programmer who, as well The most striking change is my main How has the role changed sim:e and your CV. But don't bite off more
as writing a cutting-edge work application is now Outlook not you've been in the industry? than you can chew.
game engine, decided to
learn Japanese. As a result he "There are some good game technology courses
wrote his comments in
Japanese, which caused more available, but the bottom line is you have to
than a few problems for his
studio when he departed have at least two years' experience using C++"
halfway through the project.
Now, however, with a
game typically consisting of Visual Studio. The job is about talking There's been a big shift in the level
a million-odd lines of code, to people and writing reports, not of required skills in areas such as
collaboration is most coding. Typically, I'll arrive, check my software engineering and 3D maths.
definitely the name of the
emails and then do the rounds talking The rise of C++ has put pressure on
programming game. Some
studios even employ to various producers and the lead software engineering skills. It's given
techniques such as peer programmers on the project to find out people a lot of rope to hang themselves
programming or extreme if any issues have arisen. Then it might with and created plenty of arguments. I
programming to ensure the
be a meeting to discuss planning a still see arguments between
highest standards are
maintained. And thanks to potential new project or meeting with a programmers about the number of
the widespread adoption of visiting publisher to show them our clock cycles that virtual functions cost.
middleware, other changes technology or original projects. After Also, with the increasing processing
have seen a new focus on
lunch, I might be carrying out a power available on modern PCs and
coders who can make sure a
range of thirdparty tools can programmer appraisal and hassling the consoles comes a concomitant increase
pass data to each other. leads to do their chores, which are in the complexity of the physics,
things like updating the project artificial intelligence and rendering
management system and carrying out systems. This has forced lead
code reviews. programmers to specialise.
Considering you don't code any Would you hire graduates into
more, does the job still excite you? such specialised positions?
On a coding level, it's great to be able If I'm looking for, say, an entry-level
to make a difference to the quality of physics programmer, I would look
the code we write in the studio. I also for a graduate with appropriate
get involved in shaping the qualifications or an in-house
development of our new technologies, programmer who's looking to
specialise in that area.
So what advice would you give to
any aspiring game coders?
Despite my experience, you have to go
to university. There are some good
game technology courses available, but
the bottom line is you have to have at
least two years' experience using C++
and be able to understand assembly
language. Back it up with good maths
larger studios develop in-house production tools
skills. It's also useful to have figured out
(as is the case with Climax, whose Tomcat suite
is pictured): this is work for senior programmers a particular area of games development
10