This document provides an assignment brief for an online guide about entering the computer games industry. The purpose is for students to understand the organizational structures, job roles, financial issues, market trends, contracts, and legal/ethical obligations within the industry. Students will complete 7 tasks conducting research on these topics and posting the results to their blog. The tasks will be graded based on criteria assessing comprehension, examples, terminology, and formal language used.

1. Assignment brief
Qualification Level 3 Extended Diploma in Creative Media Production – Games Design
Unit number and title L3 Unit 13 Understanding the Computer Games Industry – Partial
Start date 8th
December 2014
Deadline 27th
February 2015
Assessor name Harry Arnold
Assignment title HA3 – The Structure of the Game Guide
The purpose of this assignment is for you to:
Understand the organisational structures and job roles within the games industry
Understand the financial issues and current market trends affecting the games industry
Understand the contractual, legal and ethical obligations in the games industry
Scenario
Following the Next Gen. report published by NESTA in February 2011, it has been established that new entrants to the games
industry need to possess a wide range of specific skills and the ability to acquire new abilities as required.
NESTA is the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts - an independent body with a mission to make the UK more innovative.
You are going to prepare an online guide for starting a career within the games industry. This will involve you carrying out
research, preparing presentations and articles to gain a clear understanding of how the games industry works and subsequently
where you will fit into it.
Checklist
Sector profiles
Job role profiles
Current Financial Issues
Industry and Market Trends
Contracts of Employment
Legal and Ethical Obligations
Professional Bodies Supporting the Industry

2. Tasks Grading
Criteria
Mapping
Each task in this assignment has additional guidance that you will need to follow posted to Unit 13’s Moodle course and all
evidence produced by you must be posted to your blog.
For each of these tasks you will need to use the web to carry out your research. Make sure that you have cited all sources.
Task 1
Structure – The Value Chain
Profile each of the main sectors within the industry:
Developers
Publishers
Console Manufacturers/First Party Publishers
Distribution and Retail
Outsourcing Companies
Press and Media
Each sector has an influence on the type of games that are produced.
You are aiming to comprehensively explain organisational structures in the games industry with reference to
elucidated examples. You should be using subject terminology consistently and correctly.
Unit 13 –
P1, M1, D1
Task 2
Job Roles
Profile each of the main job roles within the industry:
Creative Development
Game Designer
Level Editor
Lead Artist
Technical Artist
Artist
Animator
Audio Engineer
Technical Development
Game Programmer
Lead Game Programmer
Project Implementation
Project Manager/Producer
Assistant Producer
External Producer
Creative Director
Quality Assurance
QA Tester
Business Development
Public Relations Manager
Product Manager
Marketing Executive
Marketing Manager
You are aiming to comprehensively explain job roles in the games industry with reference to elucidated examples.
You should be using subject terminology consistently and correctly.
Unit 13 –
P1, M1, D1
Task 3
Current Financial Issues
Produce an account of why financial planning is so important within the games industry and what the current issues
facing the industry are.
You are aiming to comprehensively explain financial issues in the games industry with reference to elucidated
examples. You should be using subject terminology consistently and correctly.
Unit 13 –
P2, M2, D2
Task 4
Industry and Market Trends
Produce an account of the current industry and market trends are within the games industry.
You are aiming to comprehensively explain current market trends in the games industry with reference to
elucidated examples. You should be using subject terminology consistently and correctly.
Unit 13 –
P2, M2, D2
Task 5
Contracts of Employment
Explain and illustrate the contractual arrangements used within the games industry. Produce a profile for each of
the following:
Contractual
Employment
Development
License
Unit 13 –
P3, M3, D3

3. NDA
Collaboration
You are aiming to comprehensively explain contractual obligations in the games industry with reference to
elucidated examples. You should be using subject terminology consistently and correctly.
Task 6
Legal and Ethical Obligations
Explain and illustrate the legal and ethical obligations within the games industry. Produce a profile for each of the
following:
Legal Ethical
Copyright
Trademark
Patent
Registered Designs
Violence
Rating
Education
Stereotyping
Addiction
You are aiming to comprehensively explain legal and ethical obligations in the games industry with reference to
elucidated examples. You should be using subject terminology consistently and correctly.
Unit 13 –
P3, M3, D3
Task 7
Professional Bodies Supporting the Industry
Explain and illustrate the professional bodies supporting the functions within the games industry. Produce a profile
for each of the following:
Professional Bodies
UKIE
IGDA
Women in Games
BAFTA
MEF
You are aiming to comprehensively explain the professional bodies within the games industry with reference to
elucidated examples. You should be using subject terminology consistently and correctly.
Unit 13 –
P3, M3, D3

4. This brief has been verified as being fit for purpose
Assessor
Signature Date
Internal verifier
Signature Date
Unit 13: Understanding the Computer Games Industry
P1 describe organisational structures
and job roles in the games industry,
with some appropriate use of subject
terminology.
[IE]
M1 explain organisational structures
and job roles in the games industry
with reference to detailed illustrative
examples and generally correct use of
subject terminology.
D1 comprehensively explain
organisational structures and job roles
in the games industry with reference
to elucidated examples and
consistently using subject terminology
correctly.
P2 describe current market trends
and financial issues in the games
industry with some appropriate use
of subject terminology.
[IE]
M2 explain current market trends and
financial issues in the games industry
with reference to detailed illustrative
examples and generally correct use of
subject terminology.
D2 comprehensively explain current
market trends and financial issues in
the games industry with reference to
elucidated examples and consistently
using subject terminology correctly.
P3 describe contractual, legal and
ethical obligations in the games
industry with some appropriate use
of subject terminology.
[IE]
M3 explain contractual, legal and
ethical obligations in the games
industry with reference to detailed
illustrative examples and generally
correct use of subject terminology.
D3 comprehensively explain
contractual, legal and ethical
obligations in the games industry with
reference to elucidated examples and
consistently using subject terminology
correctly.
P4 apply project management
techniques to direct a project with
some assistance.
[SM]
M4 apply project management
techniques to direct a project
competently, and with only
occasional assistance.
D4 apply project management
techniques to direct a project to a
quality that reflects near-professional
standards, working independently to
professional expectations.
P5 prepare personal career
development material using basic
formal language.
[RL]
M5 prepare carefully produced
personal career development
material using generally correct
formal language.
D5 prepare personal career
development material to a quality
that reflects near professional
standards consistently using correct
formal language.