Basics of Video Game Design

So, you have an idea for a great video game. You've played all the top games and you have more video game consoles than you have inputs on your big screen TV. You are sure you would be a great video game designer. But, how do you break into the industry?

First, it is important to realize that in the video game industry, much like in the film industry, an idea is a miniscule part of the whole package. There are lots of great ideas, but only a few get made into games. Video games are made by multi-disciplinary teams including software engineers (programmers), artists and designers. In addition, audio specialists, production assistants and managers are all involved in various facets of each video game.

In the very early days of video game development, the programmer, designer and artist on a game development team were often the same person. As the industry grew and games got larger, game makers specialized and formed development teams. Today, most video game projects have large teams; a premium game can even have more than 50 people working on it for a period of multiple years. Most games are extremely costly to make and just as costly to manufacture, market and distribute.

Given this complex market, the best way to make your game is to get some experience at an established video game development firm. As you progress into a design role, you might get to pitch your idea and see it made into a game, or if you wait long enough, you may learn enough to make it with your own team someday.

Most projects have a lead designer who is responsible for coordinating with engineers, artists and producers. The lead designer works with other designers and level layout people to create the design of the game, from the basic plot and backstory to the layout of every level map. Some companies even assign specific designers to focus on the script and writing dialogue for their games, especially when a game is story and spoken audio intensive.

Of course, every developer is a little bit different. At some companies, artists may be responsible for creating the level layouts while other companies employ level designers for this purpose. At other firms, the lead engineer or a producer (a project manager) may be responsible for leading the design vision on a project.

Most designers start in very junior roles on a game development team. The good news is that it is fairly easy for a junior designer to move up through the ranks of a game company by demonstrating hard work and creative ideas. Just remember that even if you know a lot about games, you are vying against other designers who have worked on published games.

So, what things can help you get that first job in "the industry"? First, be willing to accept a role other than that of designer. While you might be able to start as a level layout person, many designers got their starts as production assistants and testers. What is a tester? Most game companies have testers, responsible for playing the games, finding bugs and contributing to the overall quality assurance process of the video game development process. This is one of the easiest roles in which to enter the video game market.

Before you get that first job, you need to be able to demonstrate a love of video games. Can you speak knowledgeably about a lot of different games or do you only play one or two titles? Are you familiar with the differences between the different video game platforms? If you would like to do level layout, have you played with any of the public domain or shareware level layout tools? There are several available for download. If you do not have professional experience, having self-generated samples is the next best thing. Another way to educate yourself is to enroll in one of the college level video game design programs. While many of the designers in the industry today got their video game education on the job, courses in video game design can quickly familiarize you with many of the tools and skills you will need to move ahead in the industry.

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