Game Design needs more than just programmers

[Bobtheduck]

So, many of us here want to start up a Game company. I have spoken my views on one way to start that out, but after drooling... I mean, uh, watching Adobe Audition sales pitch and demonstration, I go to thinking... To have a game company, we need to have every aspect of game creation at our fingertips...

I. Designers
...A. "Gameplay" story writer
...B. Concept Artist
...C. Planners
II. Production Team
...A. Directors
......1. Overseer
......2. Art Director
......3. Scenario Director
......4. Sound Director
...B. Artists
......1. Concept Artist
......2. Character Modelers
......3. Background modelers
......4. Character animators
......5. Additional modelers
......6. Additional animators
......7. Character mapping
......8. Environment Mapping
...C. Sound design
......1. Musicians
.........a. Music Director
.........b. Additional musicians (optional)
......2. Recording engineers
......3. Foley Operator
......4. Sound Director
...D. Programmers
......1. Hit detection
......2. Battle/quest programmers (getting the game to be a game)
......3. Optimizers
......4. Beta-testers and error correction
......5. Development Tool programmers
III. Business & Support
...A. Lawyer(s)
...B. Accountants
...C. Researchers
IV. At Volt's request, renaisance men AKA I got a C- in EVERYTHING ^_^

In any case, to make a Video game will require a lot of different complimentary skills, so we need people to focus on different aspects. Get as good as you can on those aspects, and get enough people to fill all of those requirements (and having ourselves established in the industry long enough to not be laughed off the face of the earth, if only laughed out of our home countries) There are LOTS of programmers needed, but there are a lot of other people needed as well... Anyone know what other sorts of people we'll need for a serious game project? There are at least 22 jobs, and some of the jobs require several people, but If we get into this industry, we have to be BETTER at it, so there will need to be excelent musicians, sound engineers, storywriters, artists, and programmers, and also have more than at least the average game company... Besides that, we need to avoid mediocrity or middle ground as much as we can, and go for excelence and orginality. So... For those of you who, like me, feel called to this, find out what area you could focus on getting trained in, and for those who have skills in sound recording or animation but don't see video games as your future career, consider if you may want to some day help us out.

Anyhow, this is just up to get people's eyes... Many of these jobs can carry into other areas of work, and other areas of entertainment as well, so a game production team could understandably have members in an animated TV show team or in a film production team. The video game takes aspects from every other form of entertainment, so having a video game team in the center would be the perfect hub for other things as well, including music.

Any thoughts?

EDIT: I added a new branch and added more programmers' jobs.

[Saint Kevin]

If you are looking for someone to help you with your company (On a volunteer long distance basis if possible), I am willing to help you out. I am willing to do just about anything (see intern), but don't really have any skills when it comes to the creation aspect of video games.
I do have one thing to say to you though. A video game company is just like any other company, and will need administrative personnel, legal advice, accountants, and the like. I know some people have avoided the need for these things when they have started out, but this is only possible with an extremely small and dedicated team. Regardless of how big your team may be, keeping detailed records, doing research, and having everything organized is probably the most important thing in making a business work (other than having a product consumers want). Food for thought.

[Benu]

Amen my brother Bob!!!!! I feel the same way. I think too that it's not a funny thing that I got lead back too CAA again because I was not around for the past couple of months. Anyway I'm asking for artists right now for a game project I want too get out soon but no luck yet. But you know we need too be realistic here about how many people we can get too help work on a game too make a good one.

But yes I feel there are alot of talented people here on CAA that can help and we can make a great game. Anyway I'm down for the whole production design part. But I'm trying too get my artistic skills up and my programming skills up too. But I'm also pretty good in the sound music area too. I'm not great at writing music but I can do it or at least help. But come on people here at CAA let's do somthing and not just talk.

We have so much we can do and little time in wich we can do it. Because we don't know how much longer God will terry. So hey I'm willing and ready. We should try too make a little game team and work our way up from there. Come on let's get too work for God and make an impact in the gaming and anime communitys.

[Bobtheduck]

If you are looking for someone to help you with your company (On a volunteer long distance basis if possible), I am willing to help you out. I am willing to do just about anything (see intern), but don't really have any skills when it comes to the creation aspect of video games.
I do have one thing to say to you though. A video game company is just like any other company, and will need administrative personnel, legal advice, accountants, and the like. I know some people have avoided the need for these things when they have started out, but this is only possible with an extremely small and dedicated team. Regardless of how big your team may be, keeping detailed records, doing research, and having everything organized is probably the most important thing in making a business work (other than having a product consumers want). Food for thought.

Ooh! Thanks, Kevin! I'll add some of those to the list. Lawyers and accountants and such are VERY important.

And to Benu, I wish you the best of luck and blessings. ^_^

[Straylight]

Bobtheduck, I'm so encouraged by your enthusiasm man... along with your sense of organisation. I really believe something great will come out of all this, with God's help.

I can do music production / sound engineering if you want a hand with any of that kinda stuff. As far as programming goes, I don't know the kind of languages that you would need.

Check out the link to my blog thing, there's a couple of mp3s that I've made there.

[Fsiphskilm]

LOL, well of course!

[chibiphonebooth]

oo oo i could do character designs and such!

[Felix]

I wish I could help out somehow, but I'm 14 with only a small education with computers, maybe in the future I can fit in somewhere though. ^^;

[meboeck]

Bobtheduck, I'm so encouraged by your enthusiasm man... along with your sense of organisation. I really believe something great will come out of all this, with God's help.

I can do music production / sound engineering if you want a hand with any of that kinda stuff. As far as programming goes, I don't know the kind of languages that you would need.

Check out the link to my blog thing, there's a couple of mp3s that I've made there.

In terms of music, I write music, and I would love to put that skill to good use.

[Slater]

Of course the world of gaming needs all that, but... they brought this up when I went to Digipen. With teams that get as large as that, organization/synchronization/communication becomes very difficult. That's why they teach their students multiple areas that are required for the game world... you'll get coding, art, and music.

[Warrior4Christ]

You could borrow my programming skillz... provided I can find the time...

[Myoti]

I. Designers
...A. "Gameplay" story writer
...B. Concept Artist
...C. Planners

This is my forte. While I probably could do some programming (I just took a Website design class and know alot of HTML and I'm interested in learning Java/C++), I'm just better in the whole "creativity" department.

I know what it takes to make a game and not just an idea, and I always apply that, making sure to avoid any cliches and make things as unique as I possibly can (whether it really is remains to be seen, however).


I'm still a Junior in High School, but I plan to try and get into Digipen (not matter what it takes). Still, nothing stops me from sharing my creativity.

[uc pseudonym]

It is worth nothing that this thread is about 1.5 years old. I am uncertain as to Bobtheduck's current plans regarding this, but they would matter somewhat.

[Azier the Swordsman]

Any of you guys interested in Game Design; I highly recommend picking up a copy of the book "Break into the Game Industry" by Ernest Adams. It's pretty much essential reading.

[Myoti]

Any of you guys interested in Game Design; I highly recommend picking up a copy of the book "Break into the Game Industry" by Ernest Adams. It's pretty much essential reading.

Gotta find that... somewhere.

[Bobtheduck]

It is worth nothing that this thread is about 1.5 years old. I am uncertain as to Bobtheduck's current plans regarding this, but they would matter somewhat.

Well, after a dissapointing attempt at Intermediate Algebra (which I actually passed with a B in HS) in college that very semester, I was greatly discouraged from taking the programming route... I think I'll go the writer route, actually, but I'd like to direct a game as well... *sigh* I don't know, I need to decide someday, for sure.

I think I'll go for an English major with TESOL and Writing dual focus, and a minor in Japanese studies... Or "asian studies" though I'm only really interested in Japan... I guess there aren't degrees for Japanese studies, so I'll just take all 5 semesters of Japanese, which means I have 3 more to go. But, I'll take writing and TESOL courses and use that as a foothold to get into Japan, start writing stories, and... Well, I don't know... I'm going to get into the Game industry, it's just gonna be a long road which I'm still pretty much at the beginning.

Oh, I was gonna take the art route, but I think my artistic skill for visual arts is mediocre... I'd still like to take computer animation courses, but I'm not that artistically minded... *sigh* I suppose that is something I can develop, though...