GAME FOR MORE!
If you’re a gaming enthusiast, armed with creativity and programming know how, you could emerge a winner. Arwa Saifi explores
You may find this hard to believe, but playing video games could be the first step to a career in the field of game designing and development. In the broadest sense, game designing mainly refers to the idea behind a game. In larger games, it is the central theme of the game as well as the story, the plot and the characters. In games with no significant characters or plot, game designing refers mainly to the rules of the game, scoring or levels of difficulty. The role of game designers “Game designers create fun!” enthuses Amul Loke, Game Designer and Tester, India Games,a company that designs and develops games).He adds, “Game designers write the blueprint of the game. They decide the mission, theme and rules of play.” Most development teams have a lead game designer, responsible for the overall concept and feel of the game. Level designers work with artists and programmers to lay out smaller sections of the game. Some designers are actually writers who write game text and dialogue. The early stages of game design involve brainstorming,collaboration and revision. Designers test their ideas by writing short scripts, narratives and sketching rough storyboards. The storyboards describe the action of the game with a sequence of pictures. Later, designers supervise the production of working video game demonstrations. After designers decide on the game concept, they write a detailed plan called a design document, which lays out every aspect of the game. It includes maps of each game setting and flow charts to show how events unfold. So, you want to be a game designer? Loke avers, “If you want to succeed in this field, you must start by being an avid game player. Ideas and inspiration are spawned by playing games.” He further adds, “A game designer should also be exposed to art, literature, philosophy and history. After all, how can you create a game like Civilization without knowing anything about history? Even the study of psychology is relevant to game design because studying the mind and how people react or interact provides valuable insight for good game design.” Job prospects If you pl an to pursue a career as a game designer, you have to be innovative and creative. Knowledge of the software used in designing games is a must. In addition to this, knowing basic programming and being familiar with 3D modelling software like 3D Studio Max, proves to be an added advantage.Aditya Gaikwad, Game Designer and Tester, Jump Games, says, “If a student has complete knowledge of game designing, he/ she can be placed as junior game designer, level designer, game designer, lead designer, content designer, user interface designer, game tester, writer, etc, in leading game designing and development studios or companies. The pay packet is excellent.The start itself is approximately Rs 7000 to Rs 10,000 per month and a professional in this field can easily earn between Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000 per month.” Future Says Amitaj Ram, Game Designer, “In future, we hope to see more scriptwriters, artists and board game designers enter the field of computer game design, which will certainly revolutionise what we expect from entertainment software. These individuals, along with their development teams will deliver games that are astoundingly different from anything that we’ve seen before.” He adds,“If you are creative, innovative and have a passion for games,a career in game designing is for you.You may join a course, though experience is the best teacher.” Institutes Meteor Institute of Digital Design Studies, Mumbai (15-month Advanced Diploma in Game Design) Image College of Arts, Animation and Technology, Chennai (12-month PG Diploma in Game Design)
