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Who needs to learn to make games. Where to get education in the field of game development. Why you need education in the gaming industry

Game developer or gamedev- a specialist engaged in the creation of program code, visualization and the concept of the game, as well as the choice of tools for the implementation of the tasks. The profession is suitable for those who are interested in computer science (see the choice of profession by interest in school subjects).

Short description

The developer can work both independently and in a team that consists of managers, game designers, sound engineers, testers and other IT specialists. The composition of the team directly depends on the project budget, but if the funding is minimal, then the game developer performs the functions of all the above specialists or the tasks that he is able to do.

Representatives of the profession can be conditionally divided into several groups:

  • real masters who are developing popular games in well-known companies;
  • development professionals quality games middle segment;
  • specialists who develop simple games (browser, mobile and others);
  • gamers and hobbyists who release add-ons and indie games.

To work in this area, you need a programmer diploma. Designers can also develop games. mobile applications, game designers and other IT professionals, after completing a short preparatory course.

The specifics of the profession

For creating simple games a specialist must know programming perfectly, but if he wants to earn more, then a lot of time will have to be devoted to gaining new knowledge:

  • Unity tool and other engines that are needed to create 2D and 3D games;
  • object-oriented programming;
  • learning the programming language C #, Ajax and others;
  • optimization of 2D and 3D games;
  • 3D editors;
  • stages of gameplay design, drawing, rendering, animation, physics and other aspects of the game;
  • game development fundamentals for mobile devices and much more.

Gamedev is a versatile specialist who, after training, should be able to create animation, visual effects, the concept of the game, design, know the basics of modeling and jurisprudence. Yes, a developer who works for himself must be able not only to protect, but also to patent the developed game or software for it.

Many students today strive to master this specialty, but not all are successful. Only the most creative and talented can get jobs in well-known companies, while the rest of the graduates are engaged in the development of simple games and receive a solid reward for this work.

Pros and cons of the profession

pros

  1. An experienced and talented programmer will receive a decent salary for developing games.
  2. There is a chance to find a job in a well-known company and gain popularity in certain circles.
  3. Self-employed professionals can be creatively realized.
  4. Games for PC and mobile devices are popular, so investors are willing to invest in the promotion of gaming software products.
  5. The profession makes it possible to work with different platforms (OS, IOS / Android and others).
  6. Knowing programming languages, programs for creating 3D graphics, the basics of developing mobile applications and other areas related to the profession, a specialist will be able to try his hand at each of these areas.

Minuses

  1. The developer should push his ambitions and creative ideas into the background, putting the requirements of the investor or customer first.
  2. Serious requirements are put forward to the experience and knowledge of a specialist, because the success of the project depends on his professionalism.

Personal qualities

A game developer must understand that creating a game is the first step on the path to success, because you need to assemble a team, find an investor, and conduct an advertising campaign that will actually sell the created product. Therefore, the developer must differ in the following character traits:

  • stress tolerance;
  • endurance;
  • lack of psychological problems;
  • tendency to work for a long time;
  • the makings of a leader;
  • ability to work in a team;
  • entrepreneurial streak;
  • well-developed fantasy.

Game developer training

If a student wants to engage in game development after completing his studies, then he must initially master either the profession of a programmer or the specialty of a game designer. There is no specialty "game developer" in CIS universities, but after receiving higher education, you can take an additional training course at a private IT academy.

The course consists of. The first block is devoted to mastering the basics of programming in C #, and from the second block you will start creating your first games. Immediately after mastering the basics, you start programming the games yourself. After training, you already have something to show in the interview.

GeekBrains Online Courses

In just 4 months, people without additional training can master the profession of "game developer", doing practical work. The course consists of a multi-level program, so students find work at the stage of study. After completing the course, the student is left with a portfolio, an excellent resume, work experience and a certificate!

Scream School

In this school, students will be able to receive a full-fledged education or take preparatory courses, as well as improve their qualifications. School graduates are highly regarded in the labor market, so they quickly find high-paying jobs. The term of study depends on many factors, including the specialization, the chosen program, and others.

Place of work

Modern business is gradually moving to the Internet, so game developers are in demand in the labor market. The fact is that mobile and browser applications are becoming a platform for advertising a particular product, while network and ordinary computer games have long been bringing stable income to their owners.

Representatives of the profession will be able to find employment in agencies and companies that develop all types of games.

Salary

These specialists are usually paid in stages based on the work performed. The amount of the fee depends on the developer's level of training, his responsibilities and the project he is working on, as well as the number of people in the team. But if a specialist wants to get a stable income, then he should pay attention to the segment of browser and social games, mobile apps, and PlayStation games.

Salary as of 01.01.2020

Russia 22000-65000 ₽

Moscow 80,000-220,000 ₽

Career

A game software developer is able to realize his talent in any IT specialty, so all the doors are open to him. He can open his own companies, create products that are interesting to him, and then look for investors, work for a company or agency, receiving a stable profit.

Professional knowledge

  1. Programming languages.
  2. Knowledge of English is a must.
  3. Ability to draw by hand or using special programs.
  4. Knowledge of Unity and other game engines.
  5. Ability to work with 3D editors, 3D modeling programs and other tools for developing game software.

Famous representatives of the profession

  1. American McGee.
  2. Will Wright.
  3. Hideo Kojima.

Before I became a game developer, I (and everyone in my environment) considered myself a website designer.
Not bad, by the way, but a website designer. A profession that is almost never used in game development.

There is such a stereotype - when someone says that he develops games without a team, everyone immediately imagines him as a programmer. In fact, the stereotype is not so far from the truth: most likely, the developer described above really knows how to program, but he may not consider himself a programmer.

After one game project with a stream of the entire development process, novice developers often write to me, ask something, show something, and complain about something. Recently I had to get into a dispute between two guys, where the topic of the dispute was: “What is cooler to know 3D modeling or programming if you are going to develop games?”. I got into a dispute with them with a proposal to take the first step out of the scheme that was born in the process of participating in game projects and creating my own.

Step 0. Become a game developer

It is the first, or rather even the "zero" step that will make you immediately a game developer. These are not projects that you may already have behind you, not skills that you may have, but a simple but very important step: tell yourself, and at the same time the whole world, that you are a game developer. As soon as the answer to the question of what you are doing - game development - settles down in your head, you will immediately become a game developer for yourself and those around you.
How do you say this to yourself and others?
I am sure that you already have some kind of profession. I am also sure that every day you visit websites / forums related to your profession, read blogs and maybe even books.
The first things to do to become a game developer:
  • Start visiting sites related to games and game development.
  • Subscribe to blogs from developers whose work you enjoy.
  • Buy a couple of books from the Kindle on Amazon, for example about game design.

Everyone, you are a game developer... Indeed, an elementary step can give you access to such a “closed” profession as a game developer. True, without experience and regalia, but no one ( neither you nor others) will no longer dispute that you are a game developer.

Step 1: find a use for yourself as a game developer

Now that you can safely consider yourself a game developer, you need to find a use for yourself. Just as writers can be in two states: looking for an idea for a book, writing a book, so are developers: looking for a project (idea), making a project. Sometimes, of course, they also support the project, but personally I always combine it with the process of finding a new one.

The words “find a project” mean different for each game developer, here is a list of popular ways to find projects:

  • find a project that is close in spirit, with an interesting idea, invest in it your skills and / or money, and maybe some other resources;
  • take a couple of games and make a mix out of them;
  • make a clone of the game, which can bring good profit;
  • come up with a brilliant idea and try to find enthusiasts;
  • make a remake of your favorite game;

    And many other ways.

Exit the "project search" state need as soon as possible, and it is desirable to enter the state of “doing a project” and make a project with chances of success: release and popularity.

This stage is the first check for a novice developer. It is very difficult to make a choice in the absence of experience, but fortunately, any choice will bring us experience.

Here are some tips for getting through this step:

  1. Start something of your own... Your own from idea to implementation alone. Even if you have programming skills or are good at drawing, don't join existing projects. Do something small that doesn't require serious skills.
    For example, I gave my mother a gift for NG - a 3D game according to the psychological method:
    I had no experience of development in C # and I didn't really know how to program (I knew a little python) and had never modeled before.
  2. Tell yourself the passphrase: “ If someone could, I can too”. However prepared you are for a game project, there will always be a challenge you have never faced. For example, even experienced programmers software, there is often no experience in creating shaders. Tell yourself the passphrase and learn as you go.
  3. Find like-minded people... They helped me a lot in my development: Skype chat for social game developers(now the creators: Voice of Pripyat 3D, Tanks Heroes, Contract Wars, Battle and many others), as well as classmates from Scream School for Game Design Course... Their success will push you, and sharing experiences will speed up the development process.
  4. Choose your development platform... Determine the platform that suits you. This could be, for example, Unity- for its capabilities, huge community and relatively low entry threshold. Regardless of the platform, become her evangelist... This will allow you to establish communication with other developers and develop faster.
  5. Don't let your emotions take over... Errors and failures will become your companions for a long period, and if you share the development process with Russian-speaking developers, be prepared for tons of shit and a lot of negative reviews. Don't let your emotions take over: listen to any feedback and suggestions, but treat everything with the necessary criticism. Maintain a critical mind.

Step 2. Help yourself complete at least ONE project!

If you finished your first project as a game developer, chances are you were doing something wrong. Even an epileptoid will not be able to finish his first project, and by the first release he will have a couple (at least) frozen projects in his archive. This is normal... We learn from our mistakes, and not only idiots or those who do nothing make them.
But at some point you will need to collect all your experience gained from trial and error, and, finally, make your first release.
Each developer has their own story of the first release, but I have a couple of tips that will definitely help you:
  1. Drive yourself into extreme conditions, and release from them. Set yourself a real but very tight release date, for example 48 hours or a week, but you will sleep 4 hours a day. This will give you a strong boost, make you make the best use of your time and focus on the result.
    • Short time
      As you squeeze deadlines, don't leave yourself time to take risks. Squeeze to the last, 48 hours example is good.
    • Lack of sleep
      The complete or almost complete lack of sleep is a good motivator, but don't go to extremes. Practice shows that even a young body should be given rest.
    • Time management
      You shouldn't spend a lot of time managing time, but remember to set yourself milestones. For example, tell yourself that in 5 hours you need to make a playable prototype.
      For example, in my first 48-hour marathon (I only drew on it), in the first third of the time I found the style of the game, drew the main, game screen and all the sprites of the enemies. And in the remaining time I made 170+ animation sprites and completed the interface.
    • Contests, especially events like HackDays or Ludum Dare, where there is no time to think and you need to rush to work right away, are a great help for the points above.
  2. Set yourself a box... For the first release, especially with a tight deadline, it is critical to know the scope of the project. Write down the minimum you need for the release, and don't leave it. Of necessity:
    • Truncate the list of possibilities
      It would be great to be able to fly planes, but if you're making an infantry shooter, focus on shooting.
    • Reduce your game time
      You probably expected to make a single player for 5 hours of play, but you will remain the winner with a demo for 20 minutes.
    • Remove some of the content
      Sure, additional card will not be superfluous for your tactical shooter, but the release will remain a release even with one map.
  3. Look for easy ways... Remind yourself that you a release is needed, not a masterpiece... You still have the right to make a mistake, but you have lost the right to freeze the project.
    • Use crutches and hardcode
      Don't focus on code versatility or performance. Optimization will wait too. Just go for the result.
    • Copy, not invent
      If you have difficulties with the answer to any question that has arisen before you, copy the decision of your colleagues.
    • Use experience 150%
      Taking into account the mistakes made is undoubtedly good, but while you made them, you have collected the baggage of best practices. Try to use something from it.
    • Connect all resources
      If you have friends who are ready to help, do not refuse, and if you have a financial resource - invest (buy ready-made solutions, content and work hands). Your investment will pay off in the future.

Step 3. Make a full release

When the past steps are behind: the release is behind you and you already have some experience, you want your hobby (not an income-generating occupation) to grow into a real profession and a source of good, permanent income. Each developer understands that for this he needs a full-fledged release, not the one (s) that we received from the second step, but a full-fledged release with a chance of success. Alas, the release from the last step is needed only for the feeling of victory, not success.

To make a full-fledged release is already a task with a million ways to solve it, and you will definitely have a solution by the time you have the opportunity to create it. But here are some tips for real indie (guys who live in hardcore and develop their games without the investment and money of the publisher):

  1. Do a project every day... All indie beginners have activities with which to combine development. But don't forget to add at least one line code or a new sprite into the game every single day. This is very important, this is point number 1.
  2. Set yourself small tasks and try to do them every day. A long-term open-ended task such as “design an inventory system” can quickly turn into a very low priority “hang”. Set the task “Interface of the main inventory window” and close on the same day, and then enjoy the progress.
  3. Two steps forward, one to the side... No matter how varied you are planning the game, you should not make 50 types of enemies and thousands of levels at once. Focus on realizing the player's capabilities, not how they manifest. Doing slasher? - Implement the ability to chop the enemy, and clone the enemies.
  4. Prototype... When you are focused on a real release, you need to be aware that the game should be good... You can check this by prototyping.
  5. You make a game... You shouldn't make an engine or a framework out of your game. No, I'm not talking about the cleanliness of the code or the ability to reuse it. Work well and the result will be good. You should not implement opportunities before you realize that your game really needs them.... For example, if you are not sure that it will be possible to change the color of the hero's clothes, you should not draw a mask to change the color in the shader. Make sure your design includes items before creating the Item class.
  6. And most importantly ... Don't be afraid to go back to step 2... It may not be time for a real release yet.

The main thing is to find out at the very beginning what awaits us, so as not to turn off halfway, go through all the stages and release the release. We teach in detail all the subtleties, skills and tricks on the course "". Here we will consider the first steps that await the developer.

Where to start developing a game

We hope that you have already figured out what the game will be like, developed a concept and are already looking for ways to develop it. It's time to realize your ideas. There are several options for how to do this.

  • Writing everything from scratch is a tricky way, but it’s better to start with it to understand the languages.
  • Using engines is an easier option. Even a beginner, armed with manuals from the Internet, is able to create a game on one of the popular platforms.
  • Find blanks - ready-made templates are sometimes enough to pass off the game as your own, changing the components for your own.

All three methods imply some kind of programming, so you definitely have to know at least the basics.

Programming languages

Anything from Python and C to Pascal and Java will do. The choice depends on how long it will take for the game and for which platform the release will be. Also, the language affects performance.

C ++, for example, is written for any platform, but PHP or JavaScript are better suited for browser games. If you use one of the engines, then it is better to learn C # in addition - scripts are written on it. The main thing is not to underestimate languages. Unity is also JavaScript friendly, and MineCraft was written in Java.

Game engines

Among the modern ones, we will single out:

CryEngine

Crysis, Far cry, Sniper II: Ghost Warrior.

Unreal Engine

Gears of War 4, Dead Pool, Mortal kombat X, Tekken 7

Outlast, Assassin's Creed: Identity, Temple run, Deus Ex: The Fall.

Very popular Unity, it is designed for both 2D- and on 3D games... It is suitable for different platforms and languages. Most mobile and indie games are created on it. It's free, but if you make more than $ 100K a year from your games, you'll have to share it with the Unity developers.

How the game code is built

Let's say you have chosen a language and an engine, made a plan. What's next? Think over everything inside and out. Depending on the path you choose (pure language or using the engine), what awaits you at different stages of development will also differ.

If you do everything on your own, then work on physics, mechanics, graphics will fall on your shoulders, artificial intelligence and balance. If you have chosen an engine, you can breathe easy.

Physics

Physics is how the game world reacts to the actions of the player or objects within the world. Physical actions can be:

  • walking;
  • riding;
  • jumping;
  • blows;
  • shots;
  • falling objects and so on.

If you write yourself, then for a normal jump you will have to:

  • check if the player is on the ground;
  • change the Y coordinate so that the player goes up;
  • finish the ascent after a while;
  • start and continue falling until the ground is under the player's feet.

Not to mention the need to work on animating it all.

function jump ()(If (gamer.jumpTimer> = 1) (gamer.y ++; gamer.jumpTimer -;) else (If (gamer.y> = ground.y) (gamer.y--;)))

Physics is already written in the engines, and you just need to adjust it to fit your needs. For example:

  1. You have placed an object on the Unity Stage.
  2. They pointed out that physics should be used for it.
  3. When the game starts, the object will fall.

And you don't have to write any code for this - everything is already provided.

Mechanics

Game mechanics are the ways in which the player interacts with the world. The set of game mechanics is game process... For example, you have already implemented the ability to walk and jump. This game is more of a platformer.

And if you add the mechanics of gaining experience, leveling up, pumping skills, the game will become like an RPG. Mechanics are just as important to a game as plot or graphics.

Another example: you wrote a script for a game in which you have to escape from prison. Even if the game is the most linear in the world, game mechanics can change everything:

  • if you add shooting, then there will be action;
  • if the player is unarmed - stealth;
  • if locks also need to be broken, then this is already a puzzle or a puzzle.

As a programmer, you have to devote a lot of time to mechanics.

Graphics

Previously, graphics were created using program code, then textures and sprites were invented, and models are used for 3D games. Having prepared all the textures and models, you need to add them to the game.

In the engine, you just need to load the required files and attach them to the required models. Otherwise, you can write everything manually, including animation.

2D Character Animation Example

To animate 2D objects, a texture is created similar to the one in the image above. It is divided into equal parts, which replace each other. That is, the player first sees the first frame, which then changes to the second, and then to the third - this creates the illusion of movement.

Animation in action

If we take a 3D model, then skeletal animation is used - the model is, as it were, strung on a special frame (skeleton) with moving parts. The movement of these parts is written in the code.

The screenshot shows how the character bends his arm in places with points (vertices). There can be a lot of such points if complex animation is required - gestures, facial expressions, and so on.

The animation is created as follows: coordinate points are written or the movements of a real actor are captured.

The first method is difficult, but cheap, because the programmer is only required to register the movements - shift point A1 by coordinates (50,240).

The second is easier, because it is enough to dress the actors in special costumes with beacons, shoot it and transfer it to the game. But here, of course, you have to pay for the costumes, the pavilion, the work of operators, directors and actors.

Balance

To play was fun, you need a balance. This means that each opponent must have strong and weak sides... This way the gameplay doesn't turn into killing dandelions or ten hour shootouts with the boss.

For example, if a shooter has a weapon with high damage, it should have a long reload time. If the damage is small, reloading can be quick. Armored enemies have low mobility, and nimble opponents die with a few hits or shots.

Artificial Intelligence

If the gameplay involves interaction with NPCs, then they need to prescribe patterns of behavior: reaction to the player's actions, aggressiveness, the ability to conduct dialogues or trade.

Working with AI is one of the most difficult, because there are many situations to consider for which the reaction is designed. For example, when you try to walk through the door, your companion must block your path so that life does not seem like raspberries.

What platforms to target

Having figured out how everything will be arranged in the game, you can start developing. But for the project to be commercially successful, choose popular platforms. There are four in total.

The Russian game development industry is relatively young. First commercially successful games appeared abroad in the 70s of the last century. And despite the fact that in Soviet times we produced our own game consoles, in the 90s we completely lost this market. There was no time for games. Towards the beginning of the 2000s, fairly large teams begin to form in Russia, which undertake the creation of domestic games... And in 2011, according to analysts' reports, the turnover of the computer games market in Russia exceeded one billion dollars. Growing game development companies are driving the demand for talent. The market is formed spontaneously, and the main qualities that employees value are sound thinking and great practical experience.

The situation is gradually changing. Requirements for the level of developers are growing. And while the artists and programmers who create games already have the opportunity to learn not only on their knees, then game designers still rely only on their own experience.

Who are game designers?

Trying to understand the role of this specialist in the development team, it is better to leave the word "design" out of your head. Most of us associate it with graphics. The game designer has almost nothing to do with her. His work is best described by the kind Soviet word "engineer". Yes, a game designer is a kind of chief engineer of a game project who designs the logic of any game. The range of his tasks is extensive. He must have good level logic, know mathematics, information technology, Russian and English and a lot of other items. In other words, game development requires a wide range of knowledge. The specialist understands program logic, game psychology, knows the theory of probability and is able to solve differential equations. And yes, we're still talking about game development, not PhD defense.

Finding people with such a wide range of skills is not easy. And there is a demand for them. This dictates rather high wages that motivate the right people to choose the creation of games as their profession.

Why do you need education in the gaming industry?

In Russia, there is a problem of a shortage of professional staff for gaming industry... First of all, this applies to game designers, producers and other specialists who make important tactical decisions on the project. These are people who work out, document and convey to the performers the main ideas of the future computer game... They make sure that the game is developed exactly as it was intended. A game designer should, before starting work, see what the future game will be like and be able to convey his vision to artists and programmers.

Many candidates for the position of game designer often misunderstand what this job is, do not have enough practical experience, but want to go to work in the game industry. Obviously, such employees cannot get a good position in a gaming company. Education, on the other hand, gives an interested person the minimum necessary set of knowledge and sets the vector of development that allows him to become a cool game designer. It forms a big picture and understanding of game development methodology, and also provides initial practical experience in the form of implementing one's own student projects. All this greatly increases the chances of finding a job in a large gaming company.

Western counterparts

A comprehensive education in game design began, surprisingly, with graphics. The Canadian school DigiPen, which eventually moved to the United States, became one of the first educational institutions to open a full-fledged comprehensive education in game development, which resulted in a Bachelor of Science degree. It happened not so long ago, in 2008. And one of the pioneers of this business was the Scottish University of Abertey Dundee, which launched courses for game developers back in 1996.

At the same time, in the 2000s, the dramatic growth of the global gaming industry stimulated the further development of educational institutions dedicated to teaching game development. This includes the Game Academy in Germany, the San Francisco Academy of Arts, and even the Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences. Currently, an important place for teaching game design is allocated in Finland, which until recently was the closest territory to Moscow where there was a higher education in the field of game development. This is largely due to the success of such Rovio Entertainment studios with their hit mobile series Angry Birds and Supercell with Clash of clans. Their success has led to an incredible boom in investment in game studios. People who came from the companies that created mobile hits opened new studios and created a need for producers and game designers in the market, which ultimately led to rapid development professional education in game design in this country. Game education also takes a significant place in Germany, where for a long time they have been teaching almost all specialties in demand in game development: from a community manager to a game designer.

The history of the development of education in the field of game design in Russia

Until 2014, there were no educational programs for training specialists in the field of creating games in higher educational institutions in Russia. There have been a number of attempts to create a whole program and separate short courses. Education in the format of courses was formed, among other things, on the basis of Scream School and Real Time School.

Only in October 2014, the first in Russia comprehensive educational program for training personnel for the gaming industry was launched at the Higher School of Business Informatics of the National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSBI). This is an eight-month professional training program that gives each student the opportunity to develop all the key competencies for working in positions as a game designer, producer, game project leader.

The curriculum is focused on business objectives, therefore, expert practitioners are involved in teaching. A significant proportion of graduates after graduation are employed in their specialty in large game companies, or continue to make their own projects. In the fall of 2015 new set students for a professional retraining program and a new weekly advanced training program "Practice of monetization of online games."

Here is how Dmitry Tabakov, one of the leading teachers of the Higher School of Business Administration, creative producer of Mail.Ru Group, comments on the situation with education in the Russian gaming industry:

Gaming companies are constantly looking for experienced specialists. But where can one get experience if they don't hire them without experience? Comprehensive education is the first step in solving this problem. It gives the listeners the necessary set of knowledge, which can later be applied in practice.

What knowledge can you acquire at HSE?

At the beginning of this summer, the first group of students of the program "Management of Internet Game Projects" completed their studies.

Based on the results of the first year of study, feedback from students and the results of their further work were collected. This made it possible to optimize the program: some disciplines were removed or significantly reduced, and completely new ones appeared, for example, game production. The main focus of the program has shifted to game design. Everything related to game logic, calculations of the mathematics of battles, the economy of the game, the balance of players' capabilities came to the fore. A significant role is highlighted in the monetization of game projects and player psychology.

When preparing this program, we deliberately abandoned subjects related to programming and graphics. The aim of the course is to train game designers and producers. Of course, they need the technical foundations of software development to be successful. Therefore, listeners will receive technical information in relation to game development - these are technical differences between platforms, and features of game engines, and client-server interaction.

Last year, we helped our graduates with employment in gaming companies. But it turned out that for many it didn't matter. People came for knowledge, already having startups or wanting to found them. The knowledge required by game designers lies in a wide variety of areas, and therefore these courses are well suited also for those who wish to develop games on their own.

It is necessary to remind: education in a specialty is not a panacea that makes it easy to achieve success. It only gives a person the right knowledge and lays a vector for further development. Everyone decides for himself what to do with the luggage received.

The material was prepared by the scientific supervisor of the program "Management of Internet Game Projects"

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Many players at some point ask themselves the question "How to become a game developer?" They ask what is needed for this, whether this requires some kind of special talent or deposit, whether it was necessary to lean on mathematics at school, and so on. I'm telling you!

Hi guys!

Frequently asked questions I received from you: What does it take to become a game developer? How to become a game developer? What do you need to learn? Where to begin?

* For those who are not familiar with me in a nutshell: I am programming gameplay in a large game studio in St. Petersburg, I am interested.

I decided to answer your questions in detail. First of all, a "game developer" is not necessarily a programmer. Game developer is a generic name for many professions that are involved in game development. These are game designers, and artists (from the English. Artists), and programmers, and managers and testers. And each of these professions, you will be surprised, is not the final specialization of the developer.

For example, artists are 3d-modelers, artists and animators. Programmers are gameplay programmers, graphics programmers, and tool programmers. And, as they say, in a nursery rhyme - all professions are needed, all professions are important!

Where to start?

First of all: think about it, when you imagine the bright prospects of a dream job, what exactly would you like to do "developing a game"? What exactly do you think you will like the most? Write a script / plot? Draw characters? Planning for levels?

I'm just a word of caution: when you equate "game developer" and "game programmer" you might be wrong. Choosing the wrong profession, spending months or even years moving in the wrong direction.

Why programming? Did someone tell you that programmers get paid big money? Good people get paid. As in any other profession in game development. Both modelers and artists, if they are good specialists, receive excellent salaries.

How to become a game developer quickly and easily?

Answer: No way! No courses - all the more trashy from geekbrains, or courses from "game developers" who do not practice development themselves, can teach a newbie from scratch AT ALL! And even more so - quickly.

If you watch Unity courses on how to make a snake, shooter, etc. - you will not learn anything beyond the scope of this tutorial. And such courses are full of YouTube.

So how do you become a game developer?

Answer: By hard work, diligence. Whatever field / profession you choose. If you're still in school, great! You can still choose the desired branch of development in this RPG :) Choose a university or college with the appropriate specialty and get ready for admission.

If not, look first for books and English-language courses (Russian-language courses are mostly rare shit). and move towards the goal.

But what about indie? How to make an indie game?

Yes, this is completely different. Unlike industrial developers, indie is a man-orchestra. He programs and draws and tests. And, don't be embarrassed by this romanticism, he also pays his own salary (or eats Rollton, his beloved ver-michel) and is very, very at risk.

After reading a few books and looking at good courses:
- Try to develop the game yourself. If everything works out, fill up your own portfolio, and after a while try to remake it, make it better. Show employers your potential. Experience, not a degree, is the key factor in many places. And the best demonstration of experience is the portfolio. So you will break the chain: “We only need workers with work experience, but where can we get it if experience is needed everywhere?”.

- Create game mods, ask stupid questions in game making groups like ours.

- Learn some free engine like Defold, Unity or GameMaker.

- Try to learn the basics as early as possible.

- Try to get a job in some studio as an intern. In some game studios there is an opportunity to take training courses and internship after them.

- Try to endure the falls stoically! The battle is lost, but the war is yet to come!

Interview with game developers: bright professionals, representatives of professions

I ask fellow professional representatives (modelers, artists, testers, animators) about what you need to study in order to master the subject. Where to go to study and so on.

How do you like this idea? After all, the coolest representatives of their professions work in my studio! And I can catch someone out of my former colleagues, now they work in the most famous studios: Nival, Wargaming, Saber.

So, with this post, I want to start a new round of interaction with you guys and my coolest colleagues. I will write about how to become a game programmer myself, and at the same time, here is a list of topics that we can analyze together with you!

Professions in game development

What do you need from you?

P.S.

Seriously, I try very hard to find those who do not mind giving interviews and talking about their profession, prepared many different questions, asked quite a few people, but I understand that everyone is 25/8 busy.