Game designer: who is this and how to become one?

Game designer is one of those professions that has appeared on the labor market relatively recently, and, perhaps, is only gaining momentum. A person who has chosen this profession must understand that it is he who, creating a unique game universe, is, in fact, responsible for making the new project attractive to consumers.

In simple terms, a game designer is a specialist in charge of creating computer games. Its main tasks include:

• coordination of all specialists involved in the work process;
• thinking through and developing a key idea;
• bringing to life a complete gaming product that will attract the attention of buyers.

The advantages of being a game designer include the creative nature of the process, the ability to work from home and get a good salary. In addition, every year the profession is becoming more and more in demand on the labor market. The specialist will never be bored, since most of the tasks performed are creative. An employee can gain a wide variety of experience in creating the gaming world, build a successful career, and even become popular in the gaming environment.

The list of responsibilities of a game designer that determine the specifics of the work is quite extensive. The most interesting is the direct generation of ideas needed to create a game, as well as their integration into a coherent concept. It is the responsibility of a specialist and the writing of project documentation, which usually takes up most of the time.

Each game mechanism must be presented in as much detail as possible. A process such as creation of sketches of the game interface.

Throughout the entire work, the game designer has to communicate with developers, since the same data specified in the documentation may be perceived differently by individual employees. Of course, you cannot do without completing tasks such as thinking through the plot, writing dialogues and other texts that are present in the game. Moreover, a game designer is often expected to calculate both combat and economic systems.

The specialist adds all new game content to the system, from hints to characters and enemies, and also works on individual levels, forming locations, terrain and living creatures. At the end of the project, a professional be sure to test the game, identifying problems and quickly solving them.

I must say that abroad, each game designer has only one task, while in Russia, quite often, almost the entire layer of work falls on one specialist. If you look at actual job openings for game designers, you will find responsibilities such as designing and releasing updates to existing games. The specialist must not only maintain all project documentation, but also be able to work in a special admin panel.

Since a game designer has to deal with very diverse tasks, the requirements for such an employee are also numerous.

Despite the fact that this point seems banal, it is important for a game designer to know Russian well, since writing various texts is part of the range of his duties. A specialist will not hurt at least a basic knowledge of English, since the active development of the game industry is taking place in the West. Of course, a great gaming experience is also important for an employee, but only when it is combined with analysis and critical thinking. A professional can soberly evaluate both a favorite childhood game and a "loud" novelty, revealing all the pros, cons and catchy moments.

By the way, being able to program, script and work with XML is not so important for a game designer. Nowadays, it is much more important to be an expert in your own field, so instead of diving into software codes, it is better to broaden your cultural horizons. Today's game designer doesn't even need to be able to draw. Of course, the ability to sketch out a sketch to explain your idea is important, but the main drawing of characters and locations will still be done by professional artists. However, the basic knowledge of some specialized programs will be a clear plus for a resume. In this case, we are talking about Adobe Photoshop, 3ds Max, Unreal Editor and Unity.

If you look at real vacancies presented on the Internet, you can find such requirements for an applicant as a rich gaming experience in MMORPG and a wide outlook in this area. The specialist must be proficient in a technical foreign language and demonstrate literacy in the use of the Russian language.

One of the main qualities that a game designer should have is rich imagination. The specialist must constantly replenish his "collection of knowledge" by reading works of classical and modern literature, watching high-quality films, listening to music, getting to know the cultures of different countries and, of course, playing video games. As a result rich experience will lead to the generation of unusual and striking designs.

In addition to being creative, it is also important to be able to analyze the games already on the market. Only by understanding what gives zest to popular products, you can understand what feature is required for your own project.

An important quality for a game designer is logical thinking, which is indispensable in negotiations with colleagues and opponents to promote their own ideas. Of course, it will be possible to successfully interact with team members only if you have communication skills, patience and a positive outlook on life.

To become a game designer, you must first obtain higher education in a related discipline, after which you will additionally have to study in specialized courses. For example, you can first get an education at the Moscow Humanitarian and Technical Academy or the State University of Land Management, again in the specialty "Design".

Further, the future specialist will have to decide on the courses. For example, you can enter the STEP Computer Academy. Since 2014, the Higher School of Economics also allows you to get a professional education in game design, confirmed by a diploma. It is important to add that self-education is also important for a professional in the gaming industry. The specialist is recommended to regularly attend conferences and exhibitions, as well as study articles in such publications as VC, "Habrahabr", Gamedev and others.

As for wages, in Russia it ranges from 25 thousand to 120 thousand rubles. In Moscow, this figure is slightly higher: specialists receive from 60 thousand to 220 thousand rubles. A game designer can get started as a tester or in non-commercial projects of amateur enthusiasts... In any case, filling the portfolio with interesting projects will benefit the specialist.

Many aspiring game designers who have just completed the required education are concerned about how to get a job, if in most cases a specialist with relevant experience is required. Currently, an independent movement is actively developing in the CIS, whose members hold various competitions and conferences. By participating in these activities, the newcomer can join existing indie teams to gain experience together. However, becoming a part of such a team, one must honestly assess whether the team intends to work or just have fun. Plus, you can't make money by participating in the indie movement.

Another way to gain experience is participation in game testing... As a rule, there are no special requirements for this vacancy, and therefore it is much easier to get a job as a tester than as a game designer directly. A beginner specialist will be able to not only receive a salary, but also plunge headlong into the games industry, interact with professionals and study game projects as deeply as possible.

When it comes to career prospects, there are several options for a game designer. First, he can move up the career ladder, becoming a creative producer and literary editor, and then a full-fledged leader - first divisions and then studios. Second, he can advance to lead game designer and then develop as an expert. Finally, he can work for himself, at first as an individual entrepreneur, and then as a studio owner.