Game development is a broad topic that can be broken into many different categories, from 2-D to 3-D art design to programming. While landing a dream job in a game development company is thrilling, you may also harbour dreams of starting your own venture someday. In such a case, you’ll want to form an LLC to protect your personal assets. If you’re unsure of where to begin, check out this roundup of the best LLC service options to help you lay a strong, legally sound foundation for your dream gaming company.
Possible positions to take in game-developing companies
Companies hiring new graduates or those with a few years of experience may offer entry-level positions such as associate producers, junior programmers, designers, or concept artists. As a part of this company’s crew, you will gain valuable insight into how a project comes together from beginning to end after being assigned your own set of responsibilities on existing projects.
Another is a production assistant or an administrative assistant. These positions are a part of the larger fabric that keeps a company running by performing many tasks from filing to ordering supplies and keeping track of various meetings.
You can also consider being a level designer or a technical artist. You’ll have an opportunity to create new environments and place lights and textures according to specifications delivered by artists and programmers. In this position, you may work with one group within the team, such as motion capture animation. In other teams, you might be responsible for creating unique props or setting up control panels that will be sent into the world for players to interact with.
Finally, becoming a programmer is definitely a dream job in game development companies as it’s where many start their careers by first learning coding languages such as C++ and C#. After gaining a large amount of experience, you can switch to any other role that interests you by moving into management or team leadership roles.
Most successful designers, artists, and programmers tend to stay in the same company for an average of five years to get a feel for the business and learn from veterans with many years of experience. However, there are plenty of opportunities out there, no matter your speciality, so don’t be shy about applying to several different companies at once while still completing work on existing projects.
Best game development companies in the world
The following companies offer some great jobs available all around the world:
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts (EA) is a multinational video game developer and publisher that offers various media forms such as games and additional content both online and through retail outlets. EA has worked on some of the most popular franchises in gaming today while maintaining over 600 million active players across all its titles.
Activision Blizzard
With studios worldwide, Activision Blizzard’s mission statement is to create entertainment experiences for everyone who loves games, whether online or mobile. Through their subsidiaries, they are responsible for many notable IPs including Destiny, Call of Duty, Warcraft, and StarCraft.
Naughty Dog
Although not publicly traded, Naughty Dog has been listed multiple times among the best companies to work for by the International Game Developers Association. In addition to creating their own IPs, Naughty Dog has been heavily involved in the overall development of the uncharted franchise while also producing The Last of Us.
Nintendo
This gaming company is unique due to its complete control over a hardware and software platform while still releasing titles from third-party developers such as Bethesda and Ubisoft. While their technology choices have been met with mixed reviews, Nintendo continues to push for innovation in game design by using new technologies within their Wii U console.
Valve Corporation
Based out of Bellevue, Washington, this privately held company creates games for all platforms, including PC, Mac, Linux, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. Valve was founded by former Microsoft employees responsible for most of the operating systems and software used by PCs today. This company is known for its highly creative and unconventional work culture, as they’ve made it a point to focus on employee satisfaction and productivity through open communication with management.
Some of the perks game development includes
The first perk of game development is the ability to create new worlds, characters, and experiences that players can enjoy worldwide. You can’t beat the feeling you get when people start loving your ideas and expect more from you every time a new game is released.
The second is the opportunity to work with like-minded individuals on incredible new titles. Making games isn’t easy as it takes the efforts of numerous people to make something great come together. However, it’s rewarding knowing that others out there share your passion for interactive entertainment.
The third provides an opportunity to travel worldwide to attend conventions, meet players, and network with other developers. This perk is great if you’re looking for inspiration or trying to find an artist, sound engineer, or programmer that fits into the current project you’re working on.
Number four includes award-winning titles that ship millions of units worldwide. The satisfaction you get from knowing your title won numerous Game of the Year awards can’t be beaten. In addition, it’s exciting to see each new project do better than the last one.
Last but not least is innovation in the industry: Not only can you create new gameplay mechanics, but you’re able to try out different pricing models from Season Passes, Free-to-Play, and Midrange Pricing.
A look at some of the downsides in game development
It’s important to be passionate about this career choice, or most of these perks won’t seem that appealing: while you may love your job, there are moments when deadlines become tight, revisions need to be made, and you have no time to go home and relax. If this is a problem for you, it might not be a good fit for your lifestyle.
The industry can also feel very unstable as there are plenty of layoffs and studio closures each year. Recent years have seen many large publishers acquire independent studios, but companies such as Zynga have been forced to shut down multiple locations due to poor performance from their titles. The gaming market is highly volatile, and even established companies might be forced to shut their doors unexpectedly.
The number of available jobs is limited as this career choice is very competitive. Millions of people play games these days. Since everyone wants to create them, game development can quickly feel like a sink-or-swim environment. If you’re not willing to put in the work, then it’s unlikely that you’ll ever find success in this industry.
Final words
It is clear that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, which is the same case with free pokies (if you enjoy online casino games). Nonetheless, no matter what type of games you’re interested in making, it’s essential to understand the business side and the technical aspects involved with keeping a successful studio running over time. Also, to get a dream job in game development, it is crucial to look up its mission statement or check out its social media accounts for news about upcoming IPs or projects they plan on working on shortly.
In addition, looking at sites like Game Developer Magazine can be a great way to learn what trends are popular in the industry and understand who your target demographic is going to be. You can also join groups created by other developers, such as Indie Game Developers, which helps people find like-minded individuals and provides an outlet for their work.
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