Ultimate Game Design : Building game worlds

Building Game Worlds
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U L T I M A T E G A M E D E S I G N
software too. Game companies have always tended to value programmers the most. It’s a wide
range. They can make anywhere from $35K to $100K+, dependent on experience and expertise.
Artists tend to make less, at about the $30K to $70K range. Keep in mind that there is wide variation
in pay dependent on the size of the developer, developer/publisher, and so forth. Producers can make
$30K to $90K and designers probably average about $30K to $60K, but again, there are many
factors to consider. You can make less or more than each of these ranges would suggest.
TM: In today’s market, how do you best prepare to work in games?
MW: There are the obvious requirements, like playing as many games as you can get your hands
on. If you want to be a programmer, get a B.S. in computer science or mathematics. If you want to be
an artist, finish your B.F.A. Same thing goes for designers. More and more developers are requiring
degrees, simply because they can. The applicant pool is so large that they can pick and choose. You
need to demonstrate that you can learn quickly in a challenging environment.
TM: Based on the numerous developers you’ve hired into companies, would you say they are happy
working in the game industry?
MW: Some are happy and some are not. Some try it for a while and leave. Some last many years
and have simply had enough. Some of the real pioneers leave. It’s sad, because they are leaving an
industry that they helped to establish. Despite its growth, the industry is still very young. For a long
time, game companies haven’t really known how to hire. It’s been a very mixed-up process. Honestly,
many of the hires I’ve seen defy any kind of logic but this is not entirely unusual in any industry. The
seemingly best candidates, with the most relevant backgrounds, simply don’t get the jobs for political,
trivial, irrelevant, silly, or inexplicable reasons.
TM: What do you think about the growing trend of sending entire game development deals
overseas for development?
MW: This is a serious issue. It has impact for everyone reading this book. It might very well be their
job going away. However, it isn’t shocking. Many industries, not just games, are taking a similar
approach for fiscal reasons.
TM: As a person who hires developers every day, beyond a résumé and relevant and applicable
experience, what do you look for in a candidate? What moves you to want to hire someone?
MW: A résumé is not an accurate representation of the person. There are factors that impact a
person’s success or lack thereof; for instance, layoffs, the economy, politics, or infrastructure of a
company. A person’s “soft skills” aren’t evident in a résumé, and these are skills that you explore
during an interview. Can this person communicate effectively? Can they express ideas succinctly? Can
they write well? Can they collaborate with a team? Lead a team? Can they fit in culturally? Can they
handle pressure? If a person has a formal college education, this generally indicates that they have the
discipline to complete assignments and, depending on their area of study, the ability to think clearly
and analytically.
TM: When you get out of school and are looking for that first game job, should you take one even
if there is no pay involved?
MW: If you can afford to do so, yes, because it is experience. Then, of course, you can build upon
this experience in your next games opportunity. There aren’t too many internships in games, so these
nonpaid experiences would probably be equity based or entirely without pay.