@2003 Troy Dunniway – All Rights Reserved.

The Development Team

By Troy Dunniway
troy_dunniway@hotmail.com

It is very hard to design a game, let alone create a game in a vacuum by yourself. Most
game-development teams are made up of anywhere from 10 to 40 people, with some
even as large as several hundred. These teams are made up of management, producers,
programmers, designers, artists, level designers, and sometimes testers. A publisher
might have another large part-time team and a few full-time people who help test the
game, make sure that it is done on time and on budget, market it to the world, and make
sure that it is a successful product.

Many publishers won't sign off on a new game, especially from an unknown developer,
until all of the preproduction work is done. This means that the game is not truly a "go"
until the publisher has approved a working prototype and a (mostly) finished design.
Most publishers will initially fund a game idea that they really like, to get the prototype
created. However, the riskier the game idea is, the less likely a publisher is to fund the
prototype. This means that if a small developer wants to develop something that is really
different, he often will have to develop this on his own dime until the prototype is
completed and he can show what the game play is really like. Some small independent
companies and individuals have created game prototypes on their own time and have
managed to get them sold to a large publisher. Then they quit their day jobs and start
making their games.

Sounds great, right? The risk in following this path is that if your game slips in schedule,
is deemed too risky by anyone from marketing to upper management, or develops any
kind of problem, it can easily wind up on the chopping block, sinking your entire
investment in time and money. Many publishers also cut games that don't live up to their
expectations, to cut costs or because they feel that the market has changed and your
product is no longer feasible. Therefore, always make sure that you have a backup plan in
place before trying to create your first game on your own. Making games is a risky
business; few succeed, and many fail.

The days when a single person or a few people worked out of their house to create a best-
selling game are largely over. Today, most games are big business and require huge
productions. Development teams consist of designers, programmers, artists, and many
others. Later in this article, I talk about the different roles that exist on the development
team and at the publisher. A team of 20-50 people often labors up to three years to create
a game. If a team of 5 people was working on a similar title, then it might take them 10-
15 years if they worked full-time at it. For this reason, this book concerns itself with
game designs that are meant to be professionally developed by an average-size team (20-
25 people) in an average amount of time (1.5-2 years). It is important to understand this
so that, even if you are hoping to take what I show you in this book and create a game on
your own, you'll understand how to scale it to fit your project needs.

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The People
The game industry is a cool place to work. Many people from all walks of life work here.
Jobs are available for people with almost every kind of skill set. Smaller game developers
tend to have the majority of their people either programming or creating art, but that
doesn't mean that there are not managers, testers, producers, writers, and, of course,
designers working there as well. In the game industry, you'll also find people who make
the deals, market the games, and create the packaging and manuals, along with a whole
slew of administrators, specialists, or contractors who see to the all the other myriad tasks
that a game project demands.

Programmer
Programmers are also known as developers (or devs, for short) or as engineers. (The
majority of people just call them programmers, but some companies do call them other
things.) A programmer is someone who writes or contributes to the code base that
underlies the game. Without programmers, there is no game.

At smaller companies or on smaller projects, programmers tend to be more generalists

and handle a variety of systems and tasks. Larger projects need specialized programmers
to handle specific aspects of the game. These tasks might be divided into areas such as
the 3D engine, the audio engine, AI, path finding, tools, exporters, animation, physics,
terrain, packaging and loading systems, 2D systems, collision detection, special effects,
particle systems, and game-play mechanics, to name a few. Some systems, such as the 3D
engine, are big enough on some projects to require multiple programmers, while other
systems are small enough that they can be handled by a single person.

Each project tends to have a lead programmer who oversees the entire technical
development of the game and who also handles schedules and other management and
personnel tasks. The lead programmer could be someone who works on a specific part of
the game, but this person needs to have the knowledge and experience to understand the
total technical architecture of the game.

Today, programmers tend to work in a variety of ways. Unlike many other commercial
software projects, games are often created entirely from scratch. C and C++ seem to be
the most common programming languages in use these days, but some developers still
work in everything from Java to other highly specialized languages. Some developers
also build custom game-development environments. These systems, are highly adaptive
development systems that allow developers to create a wide variety of games more easily
using a customizable scripting system.

Some programmers also work at a lower level, in assembly language, and write directly
to the hardware. This was especially prevalent in the early days of console development,
when hardware constraints were the predominant factor in developing games. Some new
features in next-generation consoles and on high-end PCs have required 3D engine
programmers to go back to lower-level coding to support things such as pixel and vertex
shaders in DirectX or vector units on the PS2.

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There are many books on game programming out there, and schools even have curricula
dedicated to game programming. So, it's getting much easier to learn how to program for
games. Every company out there requires a programmer to have at least a Bachelor of
Science degree or some kind of advanced degree, and usually industry experience is a
prerequisite for most positions.

Many game programmers also have made the transition to game designer. Chris Taylor
and Brian Reynolds are two famous programmers who now tend to do more game design
than programming (when they're not busy running their companies). Some companies
still approach game design from an engineering- or technology-driven approach.
Programmers getting into game design need to understand what it takes to be a designer
and must realize that game design is much more difficult than it might first appear. Some
types of games, such as real-time strategy games, are more suited to engineered design,
whereas other games require a much more creative approach that resists an engineering
mind-set.

Artist
Positions that fall under the role of artist include art director, concept artist, animator,
modeler, texturer, character designer/production designer, background artist, and creative
director.

Like programmers, there are a lot of different kinds of artists out there. At small
companies and on small projects, artists will need to be able to perform a wider variety of
tasks and jobs. On larger projects, artists might be responsible for a single part or aspect
of the whole.

Some companies are much more art-driven than others. This usually happens at
companies that have a talented art director or some kind of senior person who comes
from an art background. Some senior artists in the game industry have come out of the
film industry and brought with them a lot of film production experience and a higher
artistic standard than many gamers are used to. For example, the company Oddworld
Inhabitants is driven by a director who comes from many years in the special effects
industry. He has not only a superb artistic eye and skill, but also a vision to incorporate
this into his games.

An art director is someone who oversees the artistic vision of the game and manages the
art team. This person might do actual production work or concept art, depending on his
skills. Finding a good art director who is experienced and really understands art is very
difficult. Many people think of themselves as excellent artists, but sometimes finding a
person with the skill to take a project to the artistic limits and beyond is very tough.

The person a designer probably has the most contact with, (besides the art director) is the
concept artist. The concept artist creates all the drawings of the characters, items,
mechanics, environments, vehicles, and so on before they are manifested in the game
world. It is important that the visual vision of the game fit with the game designer's vision
of the game.

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The biggest distinction between artists right now is between those who do the in-game,
real-time 3D art and the technical directors who create the pre-rendered movies for the
game. Because the power of the next-generation systems has become so high, fewer
game makers are choosing to use pre-rendered movies, but they still exist in the vast
majority of titles shipping today. In years past, the skills needed to do real-time art and
pre-rendered art were very different: The real-time artist had much less computing power
to work with and needed to primarily be concerned with economy. With the higher level
of rendering power available on next-generation consoles, however, the skills needed by
the real-time artist are much more similar to the skills of artists working on pre-rendered
material.

Designer
Titles and jobs here include lead designer, senior designer, level designer, scripter, and
usability specialist.

As you'll learn in this book, there are a multitude of game design specialists. Some games
are small enough to need only a single designer, whereas others might need a half-dozen
main designers, along with level designers and others to help. Role-playing games and
more complicated games need the most designers.

Every project should also have a lead designer, who is responsible for maintaining the
overall vision of the game. The lead designer is the one who puts the design down on
paper; oversees the overall design, flow, and ramping of the game; and maintains the
iterative process of the game design as it is produced. The lead designer also manages the
design team and makes sure that all the members are doing what is necessary to create a
great game. Overall, the most important job of the lead designer is to make sure that the
game is fun, so he's responsible for making sure that the features are implemented
properly and to his specification on the technology side of things. Ideally, the lead
designer should able to fully use 3D Studio MAX, Maya, or other art and design tools; he
also should understand scripting. However, the lead designer is not necessarily someone
who performs these tasks day to day.

In a perfect world, it is good to have a Senior Designer to aid the lead designer, but at
many companies this is the same person. The senior designer (sometimes known as the
lead level designer) should be the right-hand man of the lead designer. This is someone
who is dedicated to the construction of the game levels but who is not necessarily
working on specific levels himself. He is the one making sure that the game is properly
paced, consistent, and well thought out. It is the senior designer's job to fill in all the
blanks that the lead designer leaves open. His job isn't about defining game play, but in
overseeing the creation of the levels, making sure that the team lays them out to the lead
designer's specification. The senior designer also needs to be able to fully use 3D Studio
MAX, Maya, or level-building tools.

A level designer or mission builder is someone who uses an art package such as 3D
Studio MAX or a custom set of mission-building tools to create the levels of the game.
Some games don't have levels, per se. A sports game or a puzzle game might have only
arenas or a small area in which game play takes place. RPGs, action games, and RTS

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games typically have the most need for level builders. The level builders might use basic
building blocks to create the levels or might create them on paper so that an artist can
build them. Level designers also might be responsible for scripting game-play events. In
addition, they might place units and characters into the game and manipulate them
through a scripting system or some kind of customized programming language. It's
important for level designers to have some technical aptitude and the ability to do basic
programming.

Some companies use an artist/designer (AD) mix. AD designers are responsible for
building environments and placing assets in the game. The AD designer needs to be first
and foremost an artist, but he also should understand game play and should have level
design aptitude. The AD designer lays out the levels in collaboration with the senior
designer and is in charge of creating the art, assets, collision, navigation, and tag
placement, as well as making sure that each level is as good as possible. The AD designer
usually "owns" a few levels of the game that he is completely responsible for. The AD
designer needs to be an excellent artist and must be able to fully use 3D Studio MAX,
Maya, and any of the art and level-design tools.

The scripter(s) is the person(s) responsible for implementing the AI and making sure that
it works in the game. This person is usually different than the AI programmer who
creates the overall AI architecture or scripting language. The AI scripter is the person
who actually builds the behaviors of the characters and units that the AI is driving. The
AI programmer and the AI scripter are sometimes the same person, however, and, in any
case, work very closely together.

With the plethora of game design positions out there, people who are interested in doing
game design can start off in an entry-level position and work their way up the ladder.

Writer
Some game designers also function as the writer for a game. The writer is the person who
writes the story and the dialogue for the game. Unfortunately, not many game designers
are skilled writers, and this really shows in some games. Writers more often than not are
independent contractors, not full-time employees.

Producer
The producer is the person who manages the schedule of the project and makes sure that
everything is running well. The producer's main job is to facilitate communication among
all the different groups and make sure that things get done on time.

An executive producer is generally someone who oversees the project at a higher level,
so this person often is working on more than one project at a time. The executive
producer typically makes sure that the product fits into the company's overall plan, that
assets are shared, and that the project is staying on track in relation to other projects.

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Tester
A tester is someone who plays games for a living, to find the bugs in them. Most of the
bugs that the testers are looking for are programming bugs, but this doesn't mean that
they don't find problems with the art and design that also need to be fixed.

A tester is often an entry-level position at many companies. At companies such as

Microsoft, though, many of the testers do testing as their career, not as just a way to get
their foot in the door. Many testers eventually become producers or game designers.

Manager
Many management jobs in the industry have titles such as CEO, vice president, and
general manager. Most of these positions are filled by people who used to be producers or
businesspeople in the game industry. Many smaller companies, however, are run by
programmers, designers, and artists who spent a long time in the industry before they
decided to start their own companies. Like any industry, it is necessary to have some
level of management to ensure that your project and the company are running smoothly.

Audio Engineer
An audio engineer is not the person who programs the sound, but the person who creates
the music, sound effects, dialogue, and other audio for the game. At some companies, the
audio engineer is a programmer who writes the code for the audio system. The audio
engineer might then be just known as a musician, but because he is usually someone who
does a variety of tasks these days, there is no way to simply call someone who handles
the audio for the game a musician; this has become a very technical field. Some games
have very simple sound needs, while others have extraordinarily complex sound
requirements, with interactive music and other very technical needs. Sound design and
music are becoming increasingly important to next-generation games.

Sales and Marketing

Someone always has to sell and create a buzz for your game. Generally this person works
for the publisher, but a smaller, more independent company might need its own
marketing expert or firm.

Planner
Someone has to sign up new projects. The title of planner is very different at various
publishers. This is someone who is responsible for acquiring new projects, signing the
contracts, paying for the project, and handling other businesses issues and problems. At a
publisher, a planner is the person who goes out and finds new projects and signs them.
The planner is also the person who creates the contracts, handles the money, and makes
the initial deals for the game. A small company, on the other hand, usually has to pitch
new concepts or find a project that a publisher wants developed. Here, this task is similar
to that of a planner but is usually handled by the president of the company or someone
else high up who has connections.

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User Education Specialist

This job is known by different names. At Microsoft, the people in this role create all the
packaging, help write tutorials, and perform other tasks that help the project relate to
people. They work closely with the designers to achieve their goals.

Others
Many other people also help work on a game at some time, including lawyers,
accountants, and human resources personnel. These people generally work on the side of
the publisher, but some development companies have people who do these tasks as well
either on their own or in conjunction with the publisher. Creating a game usually requires
a company, and a company usually requires some kind of infrastructure to support it.
Most small companies use outside firms to help with these needs.

Becoming a Game Designer

People always ask me how they can become a game designer. Everyone is different, but
the most common thing about game designers is that they must play games and play
some more[el]. Not only must they play games, but they also must understand them. It's
important to play both good games and bad games. In fact, I find that often it is more
important to play bad games, to find out why they are bad, than to play good games that
might have just perfected an obvious formula.

The best advice I can give someone is to try and just get into the industry. Get some
experience, even if this means making your own games at home or pairing up with some
friends or people on the Internet. Don't expect to be able to just take some classes, get a
degree, and then get a job as a designer. Most designers have risen through the ranks of
other jobs and learned how to become designers while they were at it. I worked as a 3D
artist and animator for years before doing any game design, and even then I began
slowly.

Game design is something that you can't learn overnight. It might even be argued that
many of the best game designers have better instinct than skill. This wasn't something
that they wanted to become, but it's something they found out they were good at and then
just started doing. Many of the game designers in the industry worked in more traditional
game-design fields for a long time before they became video-game designers, while
others have been doing video games since they were first invented. Even if you haven't
been creating games as long as they have, don't worry. There is always room for new
design talent in the industry the tricky part is finding out where, and then proving that
you can do it.

The bottom line is this: Get some experience and practice. Practice writing design
documents and creating levels. Find a game you like that has a level editor, and practice
designing levels for the game. This will also start building your portfolio so that you have
something to show people when you're ready to get a job. If possible, you should also try
to get an internship at a game company in order to make some connections and learn

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something while you are there. Take advantage of the internship, if you get one. It won't
be every day that you get to talk to experienced people and pick their brains.

Most of all, be passionate and be balanced. It's great to be obsessed with games and to
have played every game that has come out, but if you don't balance this with other things,
you'll have a harder time in the long run being a good designer. I recommend reading
books, watching movies and TV, and just getting out and experiencing life. You need to
understand people, which you can't do sitting in your living room playing games day and
night. Games also incorporate stories, visual cinematography, and other forms of art that
you'll get only bad or somewhat decent examples of while playing games.

High School Students

The best recommendation I can give you is to take as wide a variety of subjects as
possible. You don't need to become a computer programmer or an outstanding artist, but
the more general knowledge you have, the better off you'll be.

Take as many general computer classes as possible, along with some intro to
programming classes. It wouldn't hurt to take a class on C or C++, either. Understanding
computers is a very important necessity as well. Also, take as much math and physics and
other sciences as possible these skills can help you understand what people are trying to
communicate to you down the road. It also wouldn't be a bad idea to start learning things
such as website design.

You also need to have some art skills. This should include traditional drawing skills and
computer art skills. Being able to sketch out a level before you create it is critical. If you
have the chance to learn Photoshop and a good 3D modeling or animation package such
as 3D Studio, jump on it. These packages can become instrumental in what you do.

If being both an artist and a scientist weren't enough, the most important thing for you to
study is writing. You need to read and write every day. Study both formal document
writing and creative writing. Practice writing long stories and short stories, and write as
wide of a variety of genres as possible. Remember that a good majority of computer
games are science fiction and fantasy, so having a strong ability to write in these genres is
very helpful.

I also can't say enough about how much taking lots of history and psychology has saved
me. It helps to have a liking for it, but there is no way that I would have been able to
work on historical games as easily if I didn't already have a fairly good understanding of
what it was already about. Not every game is historical in nature, of course, but through
history, we learn many lessons. Even if you're designing a science-fiction RTS, you can
learn a lot by studying modern or ancient military tactics and history. Understanding
people is also very critical in what I do. Whether it involves marketing and trying to
create a game that people will like, or understanding what excites or frustrates people,
you can never have enough knowledge about psychology.

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College Students
As a college student, you must follow much of the same advice for a high school student.
Study as broadly as possible. However, you're also faced with the dilemma of choosing a
major. A high school student must decide what major to choose before entering college,
but you're faced with the dilemma of actually taking the classes. Unless you're fortunate
and already attend a school that specializes in game design, you need to figure out what
major fits you the best. There is no right or wrong answer.

If you are really intent on becoming a designer, get a degree in creative writing, with a
minor in art or film. That's what I'd probably do if I had to do it all over again.

As a college student, you're working toward getting a job in the industry. My best
recommendation is to try to get a foot in the industry as early as possible. It's still often
all about who you know, and only then about how good you are. It's very rarely about
what degree you have hardly anyone teaches design, and nobody has done so for any
length of time. I recommend trying to get an internship at a game company. Get into a
company and learn everything you can. The next thing you need to do is start building a
portfolio (more on this later). Even in high school, you can start to build a good portfolio
that has a chance of getting you a job after college.

Technology Professionals
If you're already working in a high-tech field and you are interested in making games for
a living, you might already have some of the necessary skills. However, becoming a
designer isn't easy. The problem with becoming a designer is that you generally have to
work your way up from the bottom. If you're not experienced, most companies won't hire
you. The problem is that low-end jobs are hard to live on when you have a family and
bills to pay. It's also hard to go back to school. Your road might take a little longer, but it
is possible, with some determination and hard work. You'll need to realize that your
learning and portfolio building will need to be done on your own time and that you'll
need to keep working at it. Taking 10 years to learn how to become a game designer just
won't cut it. You need to force yourself to practice and learn regularly.

The best place to start is with books and on the web. Read as much as possible. Read
everything that you can on game design, storytelling, and the software-development
process.

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