As complex as the process of making a game can be, it's important to note the responsibilities of each team member involved. Here's a quick breakdown of some key jobs in the gaming world:
Game artist. Game artists are specifically responsible for the front end designs in games. This may include 2D or 3D models of characters, creatures, vehicles or virtual environments.
"In the online BA in Game Art and Development degree program, we'll teach students how to create art designs and assets for game design concepts," said Max Callahan, associate dean at SNHU.
A game art degree is designed to help you fill any number of roles as a game artist – including concept designer, modeler, texture artist, rigger and animator.
Animator. An animator is someone who takes a static drawing or 3D model and brings it to life. As mentioned before, animation is a sub-specialization of game art.
Like many roles in gaming, this is a highly collaborative job. In many cases, your designs will come from a 3D modeler. You'll then likely work with designers under the direction of an art director to figure out exactly how a character, creature or object should move.
You'll almost act as a stage coach – helping understand a character's motivations and giving personality to the way they move. Plus, your skills will be transferable to a number of other industries – such as film, television, marketing and more.
Game designer. What does a game designer do? These are the pros who have a deep understanding of their industry and what gamers want.
As a game designer, you'll spend a lot of time analyzing and talking about competitors' games. It can be helpful to start out as a QA tester or production assistant, as a good portion of your job will be dedicated to noticing design flaws to help improve gameplay mechanics.
Game designers may also hone in on a particular area of a game. You could be a level designer – where you essentially create blueprints of level maps. As a content designer, you could help create the narrative of a game, including character names, dialogue, quests and stories.
Game producer. Every team needs a person to keep projects on task – in the gaming world, that's the producer.
These are the folks who schedule out the work, communicate with stakeholders, manage budgets and check in with teams to make sure everything's running smoothly. It's all about communication and organization.
Those in the entry level are often given the title of associate producer. Upon reaching a more senior level, you'll likely become a product owner.
Game programmer. We've talked about the artists of the gaming world – now let's talk about the scientists.
Programmers are highly technical. They'll use programming languages like C++, C# and Java to define the mechanics and logic of a game. They'll build their work on a game engine like Unreal for various platforms.
Specialized game programming roles include tools programmer, simulations programmer and software applications developer.