Many people think of “game development” as being some kind of all-encompassing job. A game developer is someone who develops games, right? Wrong. There’s actually a lot of different aspects of game development. “Lone wolf” game developers; the ones that handle everything by themselves, are actually few and far between. Here’s a look at all the people involved in developing counter strike games.
The Programmer
The programmer is the king of game development. They are the ones taking on the unrealistic expectations and making all those last minute changes the producer demands. The programmer is the one picking up the slack for everyone else, and forms the backbone of game development.
The Artist
The artist is just as important as the programmer. In fact, the artist can be more important than the programmer in artistic games. These games are just the exception though. The programmer is still the backbone. Whether you’re an “artist” or an “animator” it doesn’t really change your job; you’re the one bringing the vision to life and creating a visual representation of the game world.
The Musician
No game would be complete without a soundtrack. This includes background music and sound effects. There are many musicians out there, but not really enough work to go around for them all. If you’re going to be a musician, then get yourself signed to a company to avoid becoming a starving artist.
The Producer
The producer is the one who keeps an eye on everything and ensures the game develops properly. Producers can find themselves acquiring resources for artists and programmers, and they could be the ones giving out the orders and money. Sometimes artists or programmers also assume the role of producer, and there’s nothing wrong with this. What there is a problem with, however, is using a producer who micro-manages everything despite no skill or knowledge about game development.
The Designer
The “designer” of a game can be up for debate sometimes. The producer might feel that they are the designer, but it’s the programmer. “Designer” sounds like a perfect term to describe the creative artist, but no one is willing to take orders from an artist. Then you have people who declare themselves the designer of a game and demand plenty of money to get things done, which is just ridiculous.
A good designer is there to help programmers who need design help. There are some designers who are great at particular tasks, such as designing levels, likeable characters, and great storylines. They can be rare, but they can also be worth it to bring on board.
Play Tester
The play tester is someone who is does a slightly different job than a beta tester. The point of beta testing a game is to check for bugs or other problems, while play testers test the game for, well, playability. Because there are far too many underfunded games out there many companies combine the play tester and beta tester into one person. Becoming a play tester is one of the easiest ways to break into the game development world, but it’s essentially the same thing as being the roadie for a band before becoming a rock star. You’re in the industry, sure, but you aren’t really the star. Even so, play testers play a vital role. Before a game is ready for bet on sport it must be thoroughly play tested to ensure it can be played.
The Publisher
The publisher has the best job of all. They are the guys in the suits with the cigars. They are great at pretending they do all the hard work, and that they should have all of the money. They’re also great at ensuring that they do, in fact, keep all the money. Being a publisher is a pretty sweet gig if you can get it.
So now you know all the different people involved in developing a game. Keep this in mind when you ask yourself if you’re ready to develop a game.