Let me explain the situation. I wanna be a game designer, but there are no colleges with Game Design degree course next to me or that I could afford. Actually I don’t see myself being just an artist or programmer, I have always been between them - even with almost none practice in programming. I like to plan the game as a whole. The rules, atmosphere, levels, story, etc. Before I intended get into a college, I’ve been into arts and graphic design courses, but basically, what I’ve learned about gaming, I did it by myself - some game theory included.
This year I finally decided to put my ideas into practice. I’ve been trying some basic stuff but I know I need to get deeper into programming if I want to do something better. It was when I decided to get a degree in software engineering or similar - as I said, no cheap GD courses around - , since I have a lot of experience in graphic design, I don’t see the point in spending 3 more years and a lot of money in a college just to get a certificate. Also, do something software dedicated is a good way to get rid of my weaknesses.
So, since I’ll be graduated in something software related and probably be professionally involved with this for years, I wanna know: How could I possibly apply to a Game Designer job with a huge professional background as a programmer?
How can I migrate from one to another into a studio? And how common it is?
You don’t apply for a game designer job. You get recognized for your other talents and ability to meld the various facets together into a working paradigm. Get the software degree but focus your thesis on game related material, new systems that gaming could use and use your related grfx arts skills to enhance your software degree and term papers and class projects. The game designer is the idea guy and all programmers and artists despise the idea guy if he ain’t got the chops. If he does they will readily comply with his vision. Can’t lead a team if they all despise you for lack of skillsets, not understanding exactly WTF you just asked them to implement and it’s relative ease or difficulty.
Many of them from Ubisoft, Capcom and SEGA. I know they are AAA companies and require years of experience, but the fact is that you can apply directly to GD occupation. They usually ask for college diploma in video game design or production. That’s why I was worried about my graduation and work experience as a programmer.
Maybe I’ll have the chance to prove myself as a game designer in a smaller studio before I try those giants.
But anyway, thank you for the advice man! It helped a lot.
My advice is to prey on kickstarter projects that have funding but are lacking in staff. Send your resume & some work you’ve done to their emails and work for whatever amount of money they ask. What you’re really after is experience in the field.
That’s a brief summation of my success story. I’m about to start my masters program for IT, and I’m most likely going to be a teacher before I even finish my masters because my school (and others, I’m sure) make exceptions for people with experience in the industry
Also don’t forget that battlefield bad company 2 had a lot of modders from previous games working on it. If you’re talented enough, there’s lots of things you can do to stand out and get hired. Preying on kickstarter & steam greenlight is the best starting area. Or you could even find jobs on the unity forums.
If you come from one, sure. When applying for such a job they don’t look at your qualifications, they look at your prior jobs and the projects you’ve shipped, and whether or not you were in a design role for them. You get your first design role by demonstrating consistently good design and multi-disciplinary teamwork as a part of your other roles.
??? It ain’t about pickin’ yer nose. You ain’t got an idea then you have no design. You got bad design you got a bad idea. You got no idea you haven’t got any design. You have an idea and don’t understand the tech and the tech cannot do the idea then the design is basically worthless in context. If it isn’t about ideas then just exactly what is it about? Seems to me it is a creative endeavor coupled to an understanding of the underlying tech and the assets that can be developed. I have been designing in a number of fields for 35+ years and it is always about an idea and implementation.
Design. I mean, it’s called “Game Designer”, not “Game Ideator”.
Almost everything involves ideas. Design is about how you achieve objectives, and while ideas are important they’re not the focus, and coming up with them (which is what I see an “Ideas Guy” as doing) is only prominent in one part of the design life cycle (though of course in an interative design you’ll visit that part of the cycle many times).
Also, please note that I said it “isn’t about having ideas”, not that it “isn’t about ideas”.
