Got an idea for a brilliant game and want to assemble a team of game development Avengers to make one for you? Well, just like the Avengers can’t do without Captain America, Thor, and Iron Man there are some team members that you absolutely can’t do without. Especially team members familiar with gaming technology.
In this article, we’ll talk about the essential IT jobs in the gaming industry as what companies look out for in potential candidates.
Important Jobs in the Gaming Industry
Game Designer
Game designers are the backbone of a gaming development team. They handle the creative elements of a game like characters, storylines, game rules, and challenges. Sometimes they also do the programming work. A senior-level designer leads a team of junior designers, level designers, graphic artists, and writers whose roles are decided before project commencement.
What to look for in a video game designer?
- Qualifications: There are plenty of certifications and diplomas in game design, so someone with these is an excellent candidate to consider.
- Work experience: Since game designers are central to your team, it’s better to hire someone who has worked on games before.
- Computer science knowledge: People with expertise in computer science make for valuable game designers. These people don’t demand impossible requests from people who work for them. They understand the constraints in technology.
- Programming knowledge: Knowledge in programming is essential, as you may want your designer to also be a developer from time to time.
- Mathematics and logic: A solid grasp of mathematics and logic is also a bonus.
Some roles and responsibilities of a game designer:
- Developing game mechanics and finding creative ways to implement the design vision of the team.
- Designing fun and challenging gameplay that will entertain the player base.
- Overseeing prototyping, balancing, testing, and bug fixing throughout the development cycle.
- Coming up with gameplay ideas, characters, storylines, and scenarios.
- Creating game user interface.
Game Programmer
A game programmer brings video game concepts to life, and they write code that eventually becomes a playable video game. Programmers collaborate closely with designers and developers, in the gaming industry, throughout the process and ensure that production is successful.
What to look for in a game programmer?
- High-level mathematical skills: Coding is the process of instructing a computer to do certain things, therefore mathematics is a required skill for any programming job. Trigonometry, calculus, and algebra are the most important mathematical components utilized in game creation.
- A bachelor’s degree: A bachelor’s degree in computer science or engineering helps programmers become familiar with computer algorithms, C++, object-oriented design, and more.
- Experience in the gaming industry: Even if you plan to hire entry-level programmers, you should look for one that has a portfolio. This will help you get candidates who have proven themselves in practice.
- Experience with gaming technology: Experience with engines like Unreal Engine and Unity is a big plus.
Some roles and responsibilities of a video game programmer:
- Writing clean, readable code that other team members can easily edit.
- Designing APIs(Application programming interface) for fellow programmers so they can work more collaboratively on different elements of the game.
- Helping artists optimize their work by making sure their 3D models fit into memory and run on target platforms within budget constraints.
- Creating tools for the team to improve the speed at which they make content. For example, a programmer may create scripts that generate art assets or audio effects automatically rather than have an artist or sound technician do it manually.
Level Designer
A level designer in the gaming industry is a person who builds levels and scenarios for video games and other virtual environments. They decide what happens inside the game setting; for example, they choose where characters can move within the game.
What to look for in a level designer?
- A bachelor’s degree: A bachelor’s degree in game design, computer science, or computer engineering is preferable.
- Storytelling: In the simplest terms, a level designer will have to design new scenarios and settings for players to complete quests. For example, level designers who work on RPGs typically create a wide variety of world locations that tell a story.
- 3D modeling skills: Modelers use software such as Maya or Blender to build all objects that appear within a given map.
- A strong imagination: A level designer must have a strong imagination. If designers don’t provide players with exciting gameplay experiences, players will quickly turn away from the game in favor of something more engaging.
Some roles and responsibilities of a level designer:
- Implementing level designs using appropriate software, including 3D modeling tools, Photoshop, etc.
- Collaborating with the art team to achieve a cohesive look and feel across all levels and environments.
- Utilizing scripting tools and flow charts to enhance level design.
- Maintain positive relationships with programmers who are responsible for implementing their level designs.
Sound Designer
A video game sound designer designs and creates all audio elements (sound effects like in-game footsteps, rain, gunshots, etc) for a particular title that enhances the player experience. They are also (sometimes) responsible for creating the music and soundtrack for the game. Using sound, a good sound engineer adds a lot of emotional depth that makes the game more immersive.
What to look for in a sound designer?
- Experience using industry software: Sound designers should have experience with different industry-standard DAWS (digital audio workstations) such as Pro Tools or Reaper. They also need experience with WWise, FMOD, and other audio engines.
- Sound skills: They must have experience with audio editing, processing, synthesis, and mixing of sound effects and dialog.
- Good communication skills: Sound designers must frequently collaborate with game designers to match the audio element to the visual, so good communication is a must.
- Good grasp of music: Sound designers should know as many genres of music as possible, and they should be familiar with the available sound libraries.
- Creativity in the gaming industry: It goes without saying – sound designers should have excellent audio creativity.
Some roles and responsibilities of a sound designer:
- Using sound effects libraries to create the right music for a video game genre.
- Ensuring that the overall music aligns with the desired mood set by the designer. For example, a horror game should have slower tempo music that builds tension as it progresses.
- Collaborating with other development team members to ensure that they implement sound effects and musical compositions in a timely manner.
- Asking for assistance from programmers in the gaming industry to program in-game music and sound effects.
- Working directly with 3D designers and level designers to identify areas requiring different kinds of background music.
How Do I Find People To Make Games?
Here are some ways to hire people to make your game:
- Job Boards: Sites like Indeed.com, Glassdoor, and Monster are great resources to find the right kind of people to work for your game development team.
- Freelance Platforms: The second best option after job boards is to hire freelancers through platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, and Freelancer.com.
- Communities in the Gaming Industry: Game development communities like IndieDB, Develteam, and TIGSource are also fantastic options.
But the absolute best way to hire a game development team is a recruiting agency (especially one specialized in IT). That’s where we come in. We at Eleven Recruiting have helped large gaming companies like EA Sports and Riot Games hire highly qualified professionals for their teams.
Once we understand the kind of jobs you need to fill, we use our 20+ years of experience to find the perfect candidate within your budget, so you won’t waste time and money hiring the wrong person.
If you want to hire people for your game development Dream Team, visit our website here and get in touch with us. We’ll get back to you ASAP.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to hire someone to make a video game?
It costs anywhere between $40,000 to $900,000 to make an indie game, and AAA games generally cost around tens of millions of dollars. In the latter case, 100s of people work together to make a single game, whereas, in the former, the game is made by one person or a small team.
Can 1 Person Make a Video Game?
Yes, one person can make a video game, but it is challenging. The more ambitious the game you’re trying to make in graphics, gameplay, and sound elements, the more people you will need to hire. One person can make indie and mobile games, but AAA games usually require a larger team.
How Long Does It Take To Make a Video Game?
AAA video games take anywhere between 3-5 years to make, indie games take a few months to a year, and mobile games take a couple of months. The duration also depends on the number of people you hire and the scope of the project.
