Game Art and Design

Unit 2 Lesson 1
Skills in the Game Industry

2014 International Technology and Engineering Educators Association

STEMCenter for Teaching and Learning

Big Idea
Specific skills are necessary in order to
obtain and keep a job in the competitive
design industry.

2011
2014 International Technology and Engineering Educators Association
Association,
STEMCenter for Teaching and Learning

What Skills are Needed in

the Game Industry?
Communication
Creativity
Problem Solving
Teamwork
Gantt Charts
Team roles

2011
2014 International Technology and Engineering Educators Association
Association,
STEMCenter for Teaching and Learning

Game Team Skills

Communication skills
listening and
speaking
Good communication
requires effort
Need to clearly
communicate ideas and
have all members of
the team understand
2011
2014 International Technology and Engineering Educators Association
Association,
STEMCenter for Teaching and Learning

Game Team Skills

Creativity
Each new game needs to be different
and exciting to attract customers
Studies suggest that creativity is innate
and cannot be taught - others believe
creativity can be nurtured
So how do you know if you are creative?
There are several online tests or
evaluations you can take
2011
2014 International Technology and Engineering Educators Association
Association,
STEMCenter for Teaching and Learning

Game Team Skills

Problem Solving
A mental process used to find a solution
to a complex or simple task
What makes a good problem solver?
There are several online tests or
evaluations you can take to find out how
you solve problems

2011
2014 International Technology and Engineering Educators Association
Association,
STEMCenter for Teaching and Learning

Game Team Skills

Technology competence
Creating games requires technology
skills such as 3D modeling, game
scripting, applying materials and
textures to scenes, and creating
documents and spreadsheets
Many game cells have divisions of labor
where one might specialize in one or
more skills
2011
2014 International Technology and Engineering Educators Association
Association,
STEMCenter for Teaching and Learning

TEAM ROLES

2011 International Technology and Engineering Educators Association,

STEMCenter for Teaching and Learning

Team Roles
Game teams- called cells
Cells work together is a
secure environment for
very long hours
During development the
idea should be guarded
Each member has specific
roles and/or
responsibilities
2011
2014 International Technology and Engineering Educators Association
Association,
STEMCenter for Teaching and Learning

Team Roles: Producer

Person in charge
of the project
He/she manages the
development team,
schedules, reports, hires and assures
quality control
The producer keeps the team on
schedule so the game can be completed
on time and under budget
2011
2014 International Technology and Engineering Educators Association
Association,
STEMCenter for Teaching and Learning

Team Roles: Programmer

Software engineer
concerned
with the
core mechanics of game
play
Programs the game
engine, scripting various commands and
develops the User Interface (UI)
Writes code for the Artificial Intelligence
(AI) algorithms that control computermanaged opponents
2011
2014 International Technology and Engineering Educators Association
Association,
STEMCenter for Teaching and Learning

Game Team: Lever

Designer
In charge of creating a
game level
Makes sure all assets
and actions of the level
work together as
designed

2011
2014 International Technology and Engineering Educators Association
Association,
STEMCenter for Teaching and Learning

Game Team: Writer

Responsible for the
storyline of the game
Makes sure the dialogue
is appropriate for the
characters and the
scenes are themed to
follow the storyline set
forth in the storyboard

2011
2014 International Technology and Engineering Educators Association
Association,
STEMCenter for Teaching and Learning

Game Team: Art Designer

Responsible for the visual
elements of the game
Keeps track of assets,
sprites, models,
backgrounds, and
polygon count
Ensures the theme carries
over into scene layouts and
character designs
2011
2014 International Technology and Engineering Educators Association
Association,
STEMCenter for Teaching and Learning

Game Team: Audio

Responsible for all
sounds, musical score,
background music,
ambient sounds and
voiceovers
Ensures the sounds
match the theme and
mood of the game

2011
2014 International Technology and Engineering Educators Association
Association,
STEMCenter for Teaching and Learning

Game Team: Tester

Responsible for testing and analyzing
the game for defects, glitches, and bugs
Cheat codes are built into the game to
help the testers
Should be a good game player with a
working knowledge of the design, game
play, and programming of the game
Good entry-level position

2011
2014 International Technology and Engineering Educators Association
Association,
STEMCenter for Teaching and Learning

TEAM STRUCTURE

2011 International Technology and Engineering Educators Association,

STEMCenter for Teaching and Learning

Game Team Skills

Teamwork - part of a design team
Successful team = players doing their
part in a timely manner
Teamwork requires

Responsibility
Initiative
Dependability
Dress
Respect
2011
2014 International Technology and Engineering Educators Association
Association,
STEMCenter for Teaching and Learning

Game Team Skills

Divisor of Labor - allow
members to specialize in
certain areas
Roles may be group leaders
with several other team
members working together
Good communication skills
and a strong work ethic are
essential

2011
2014 International Technology and Engineering Educators Association
Association,
STEMCenter for Teaching and Learning

Game Team Skills

Gantt chart shows a project schedule
including
start and finish dates
who is responsible for what
overall progress
Shows planned and actual completion
dates
Can be edited daily

2011
2014 International Technology and Engineering Educators Association
Association,
STEMCenter for Teaching and Learning

MAKING A GANTT CHART

2011 International Technology and Engineering Educators Association,

STEMCenter for Teaching and Learning

Making A Gantt Chart

Order of production (What happens first)
1. Preproduction
2. Production
3. Post production

2011
2014 International Technology and Engineering Educators Association
Association,
STEMCenter for Teaching and Learning

Making A Gantt Chart

Order of production (What happens first)
1. Preproduction: The design phase

assemble team
game idea
brainstorm
sketching

2011
2014 International Technology and Engineering Educators Association
Association,
STEMCenter for Teaching and Learning

Making A Gantt Chart

Order of production (What happens first)
1. Preproduction: assemble team, game
idea, brainstorm, sketching
2. Production: create characters, levels, UI,
programming, sounds, and other game
components, test and correct, add final
touches, ship
3. Post production: maintenance,
marketing, outsourcing
2011
2014 International Technology and Engineering Educators Association
Association,
STEMCenter for Teaching and Learning

Making A Gantt Chart

Steps to creating a Gantt chart
1. Identify the list of required tasks.
2. Estimate the time requirements (hours)
and responsible person for each task.
3. Determine the order of completion for
each task and if there are any
dependencies (task one must be
completed before task two).

2011
2014 International Technology and Engineering Educators Association
Association,
STEMCenter for Teaching and Learning

Making A Gantt Chart

Steps to creating a Gantt chart
4. Create a rough draft of the chart.
5. Update the chart as needed.

2011
2014 International Technology and Engineering Educators Association
Association,
STEMCenter for Teaching and Learning

Big Idea
Specific skills are necessary in order to
obtain and keep a job in the competitive
design industry.

2011
2014 International Technology and Engineering Educators Association
Association,
STEMCenter for Teaching and Learning

Game Art and Design

Unit 1 Lesson 2
Skills in the Game Industry
Images
Reproduced with permission Unity. Microsoft clipart.
Photo by Phyllis Jones. Student images.

2014 International Technology and Engineering Educators Association

STEMCenter for Teaching and Learning