This document provides an overview of careers in the computer games industry. It discusses the game development process including pre-production, production, and post-production. Key roles discussed include game designers, programmers, artists, writers, audio engineers, animators, producers, and quality assurance testers. The document also briefly outlines the history of game technology and popular game engines.

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Computer games careersComputer games careers
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2. What are video games?
• A video game refers to any interactive
content played by electronically
manipulating images produced by any
computer program or application on any
display.display.
– Mobile & Tablet Games
– Web Games
– Console Games
– PC Games.
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3. A Brief History of Game Technology
1972 Pong (hardware)
1980 Zork (high level interpretted language)
1993 DOOM (C)
1998 Unreal (C++, Java-style scripting)
2005-6 Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
with 6-8 hardware threads
2009 Next console generation. Unification of the
CPU, GPU. Massive multi-core, data parallelism,
etc.
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4. Game development process
• Pre-production
• Production
• Postproduction
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5. Production
• Game Design
• Game Art
• Programming
• Audio
Game Genre.
Design Documents.
The content and the rules of the
game.
Describe what the game what looks
like and acts like.
• Audio
• QA
Game Engine
Gameplay programming
AI Programming
Graphics Programming
like and acts like.
Game design is very critical and
require experience and knowledge.
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6. •Game Designers
•Programmers
•Artists
•Scriptwriters
SOME ROLES WITHIN GAMES
•Scriptwriters
•Audio Engineers
•Animators
•Testers
•Producers
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7. •Designers develop the game concept and
decide what the player gets to do as well as
GAME DESIGNER
KEY SKILLS: Computing, C# Scripting,KEY SKILLS: Computing, C# Scripting, Creativity,Creativity,
analytical attitude, problemanalytical attitude, problem solving and communicationsolving and communication
skillsskills
decide what the player gets to do as well as
the basic story.
•The lead designer defines the gameplay, the
world, story, characters, enemies, controls
and all other game design details.
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8. GAME PROGRAMMER
KEY SKILLS: Maths, Physics,KEY SKILLS: Maths, Physics, ComputingComputing
C, C++, Assembly,C, C++, Assembly, JavaJava
• Programmers have
various roles and
specialisms:
• AI (artificial intelligence)
• In game physics
• AI (artificial intelligence)
• Engine development
• User interface
• Tools development
• In game physics
• Tools Programming
• Graphics Programming
• Network programming
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9. A look at Engines
• Rendering Engines
– Licensed: C4, XNA; Open Source: Irrlicht, Ogre 3D
• 3D Game Engines
– Unity, UE, ..
• 2D Game Engines• 2D Game Engines
– Game Maker, Torque,..
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10. Game developer needed skills
• Math , Physics
• AI
• Very good programing Skill (C, C++, C#, Java, Lua)
• Graphics (OpenGL, XNA)
• Algorithms• Algorithms
• Data structure
• Networking
• Game engines (Unity, Cocos2d-x,YOYO, …)
• Passion
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11. •Concept artists design the look & style of games
•3D Artists model everything using 3DS Max or Maya.
•Color and detail are added with 2D textures (skin) created in
Photoshop.
•Artists at bigger studios will specialize in:
• Characters, creatures or vehicles
GAME ARTISTS
• Characters, creatures or vehicles
• Environments, buildings, street furniture
• Textures
• User interfaces
• Concept art
• Technical art
KEY SKILLS: Traditional art, 3DS Max/Maya, Photoshop
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12. A games writer’s job can involve:
•Writing the overall story
•Scripting everything the characters say during the game
and animated scenes
GAMES WRITER
•Giving characters personality, depth and story arcs.
•Auditioning and coaching/directing the voice actors
KEY SKILLS: English Language/Literature, Scriptwriting
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13. Musicians create the game’s soundtrack.
This can include everything from music and
speech through to sound effects such as footsteps,
gunshots or explosions as well as crowd noise,
cars and rain.
AUDIO ENGINEER/MUSICIAN
They also audition and record voice actors as well
as composing, recording and mixing music.
KEY SKILLS: Music, traditional and digital
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14. Games Animators set up games characters for
animation (rigging) and design how everything
moves.
An animation must be created for everything every
ANIMATORS
KEY SKILLS: Traditional art, 3DS Max/Maya, Acting
An animation must be created for everything every
character and creature does in a game.
• Body movements and hand gestures
• Facial animator - expressions and lip synching
• Cut scene animator
• Motion capture animator
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15. •The Producer ensures the game is on time
and on budget.
•They liaise between the publisher and
developers and make sure that the team are
making a good quality game.
GAMES PRODUCER
making a good quality game.
•Producers often present and promote the
game to the media.
KEY SKILLS: Management, people skills, Agile/Scrum
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16. Quality Assurance Tester
• Creates test plan, manages bug database
• Looks for crashes, typos, and other bugs
• Compatibility testing, customer service.
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17. BONUSBONUS
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18. “Game Design” Schools
DigiPen Full Sail
2-year Associate
4-year Bachelor
Macintosh/SNES
1-year Associate
2-year Bachelor
Windows/LinuxMacintosh/SNES
Strict admission
$ 26,000+
Windows/Linux
Cutting-edge tech
$32,000+
24/7 class structure
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