How to get into the games industry

A perspective from Eurocom

• Introduction
• The games development process
• A perspective from Eurocom
• The Project Manager
• The Producer
• The Designer
• The Artist and Animator
• The Programmer
• The Sound Designer
• The Games Tester
• In Final - links and resources

So what now? Consider your career aspirations and your key skills and strengths. In the earlier days of the video games industry, it was possible for one person to develop a whole game! As technology has developed and advanced to a much higher level it would be impossible for one person to tackle the whole project themselves. Large development teams are now required to work on key areas to bring specialist skills to the game development process.

So what are you good at doing? You could be a Programmer (are you a logical thinker? Do you possess a keen understanding of what works well in a game and why?); an Animator or Artist (are you a budding Artist? Were you good at art at school?); a Designer (are you a creative thinker? Is your imagination flooding with ideas?); a Games Tester (do you have the persistence to play a game again and again?); or a Musician (are you a Musician with a good ear for sound design?)

'Lead' Artists, Animators and Programmers will have additional responsibilities, such as guiding their team, offering advice, providing feedback and liaising with project managers on work schedules. Individuals in Lead positions have usually gained a few years industry experience and have strong leadership, organisational and technical skills.

There are now many good degree programs that can gear you up for the different jobs within the games industry. As the industry expands, a greater scope of specialist degrees are taught at a wider range of universities. However, experience and a demonstrable talent in any of the areas is more beneficial. Ultimately, it's raw 'talent' that we look for, so a portfolio demonstrating your ability is a key factor in defining a successful applicant. Where now?

Now we've touched on the process itself, let's focus on the key ingredients: the team of people that make games a reality...