Roles within the Games and Interactive design industry

Video Game Tester

Becoming a Video Game Tester is a seen as one of the best entryways in the video game industry. Game Testers are largely responsible for detecting glitches, bugs and digital flaws – in short when they play the game they’re playing to break it. Entering the industry through this route is also a great way to learn about how video games are created because you’ll be expected to work closely with the Dev team.

Developer

Being a game Dev is seen as one of the highest roles in the industry, especially in recent years with the decreasing amount of openings for becoming a game developer (dropping by 65%) the challenge of getting one of these Dev positions without prior experience in the industry is near impossible.

Multimedia Artist/Animator

Being a Multimedia Artist makes you responsible for designing, visualising and creating graphics and animation for video games and other multimedia. You are responsible for bringing the writes’ ideas to life.

Getting into the industry

Video Game Tester

what to learn: Computer science, game play, hacking, and quality assurance.

Game Developer

what to learn: Code, computer science and game development

Multimedia artist/animator

what to learn: Graphic design, art (portfolio more important than a CV), computer science and game design

Apprenticeships in videogame programming

Junior Unity Developer, at The Open University UK Milton Keynes

The role: VR

“We are a small team dedicated to supporting the uptake of new educational methods, practices and technologies. As a Junior Unity Developer, you’ll have a games development degree (or equivalent experience) and join us at an exciting time as we expand the team and help us bring to life the possibilities of virtual reality (VR).”

Skills and experience

Can develop in Unity and C+

Can implement well designed, structured, code

Comfortable working and communicating with others in a team

Comfortable prioritising and managing own workload

Experience in any related areas such as 3D modelling, animation is advantageous

Junior Game Programmer for Playable Ads Leamington Spa

The role: Playable Ads

“As Junior Game Programmer for Playable Ads, you love coding and have a passion for games. You understand design and what a potential player might want to see from our games in order to install them.”

Skills and requirements

Some experience as game programmer with C# even if it’s in personal projects/game jams.Experience with Unity.

Excellent communication skills.Knowledge/experience with HTML would be a plus.

Android / iOS / Amazon or UI experience would be desirable.

Interest in design and how marketing works in games would be ideal.

An avid interest in either console or mobile games, preferably both.

University courses available:

Games design and development, Manchester Metropolitan University

What does the course offer?

This course offers typical design-based studies along a broader focus on elements, including mobile and social gaming. + Manchester is a growing hub of creative industries. The uni also allows for a third years’ study to be deferred while you take on a placement before finishing the course.

Computer games design and programming, Staffordshire University

What does the course offer?

It covers more than one discipline in the field, design and programming so in theory by graduation you’d become a ‘jack of all trades’. This is useful for established studios who are looking to hire multi-skilled employees and for graduates who want to build their own studios from scratch.

Additional information:

Staffordshire’s game design studio is sponsored by Epic Games. Also the uni holds regular events which are visited by industry professionals; these are perfect for picking up pointers and potentially being discovered while you’re still studying.

Work Experience – 3D modelling

Junior 3D Artist position at Archilime Visualisation

This company dedicated mainly to producing high-end photo-realistic architectural visualisations.

Open to applications for aspiring junior creatives, who will be primarily tasked with creating 3D models, these models range from being used for attaining planning permission, to creating marketing material to help sell a scheme to the wider public – meaning that now two modelling jobs are never the same.