Game Design VS Game Programming

Keywords:

Game Programming | Game Design | AAA companies | Indie Companies

Introduction:

What is a Game? A better question to ask would be who makes the games and what does it take to make a game. What makes a game fun is subjective and it’s the game designer’s job to know how to orientate the game around that. But what makes a game work? Well, that would be a game programmer’s job of course and knowing how different components work within a game is massively important for creating a smooth and streamline game creation experience.

A Game Designer, like previously mentioned, is a person or people that create the ideas for a game and flesh out the creativity for what the game can be. They would be responsible for concepting what the game should be like, how the audience will perceive that game, where to go in the game, what to do and anything to do with the creativity of a game. Game Design however is not just one job and can be broken down into sub-sections.

• Level Designer: Responsible for Designing the Level.
• Narrative Designer: Responsible for Designing Narrative and Story of a Game.
• Art Designer: Responsible for Designing Game look and be Perceived.
• Gameplay Designer: Responsible for Designing how the game is going to play.
• Mechanic Designer: Responsible for Designing mechanics for Game Programmers.
• Character Designer: Responsible for Designing characters and people.

They are responsible for what you see and interactive with and they will go through many iterative processes to make sure the game is overall fun and playable. They will also think about how games can accommodate for those with different needs and research how these can be implemented within the games to make the user’s experience better overall.

Somewhat opposite to this would be Game Programming. Game Programming is said to be a harder discipline then that of Game Design due to the learning that needs to go into learning how to program and specialising in a certain aspect of Game Programming. Due to this, less people would want to practice of even try Game Programming and go for Game Design however, Game Programming can be as rewarding as Game Design if done properly. Game Programming, like Game Design, has many roles that are encompassed by it.

• Audio Programming: Responsible for Programming Audio for the Game.
• Graphics Programming: Responsible for Programming Graphics for the Game.
• Tools Programming: Responsible for creating tools used by Game Designers and programmers.
• Network Programming: Responsible for creating and maintaining network code.
• AI Programming: Responsible for creating Artificial Intelligence for games.
• Gameplay Programming: Responsible for creating gameplay mechanics for games.

Game Programming have a lot of jobs, and this can be due to the company, game requirements, team size, etc. Usually in a bigger company game programmers will be given specific roles and be put into teams and have a manager. However, in smaller companies this may not be the case and the game programmers may have multiple roles to fill such as audio, graphics, gameplay, etc. However, this allows them to gain skills they would not usually be given at a AAA company. Although some may say they are opposites. They have many similarities in the fact that both game designers and game programmers must go through iterations of work to make sure that the game is functional. A game designers can help the game programmers at time and vice versa, they both can assume each other’s roles if it calls for it and, if you were to go the indie game development route, you may need to be a game designer and game programmer.

Within this article I will be explaining the pros and cons of both Game design and game programming, and which route you should go down depending on what job you would like to do in the future. I will be going over the different professions in relativity to AAA companies and Indie game Companies and what that may entail. I will be also going over the benefits of each job in terms of job availability, location, and salary. 

Main Section:

Indie Development differs from person to person. Some people will have more design orientated workflow and others will have a more programmatical approach to how they develop a game. Depending on the scope, time frame and audience of the game. Roles may need to be done more frequently compared to others for example programming the game more than designing or making sure the designs are done for a simple programming implementation. As you will be doing majority of the jobs in an indie studio or making the game, it is up to you too choose how much you priorities when making the game. If you are stuck with which role in an indie environment will fit you more, than I suggest making a simple 2D or 3D games and see which aspects of the development process you enjoy the most, designing or programming. This will help with informing you in the future what role you would be better suited to. The work conditions of the two roles differ as one will be dealing with the games more (Programmers) than the other (Designers). Designs need to make the game fun, yes, however programmers must implement everything the designers want within the game, and this can be a long process meaning they will have to work on the game more. The opposite is true in post-production as game designers need to be looking into how to make the game better and the programmers will more so have little jobs to do with maintaining the game and code, which if the code is written properly, that will be an easier job. It is more so up to the scope of the game that the work conditions can change and the time it takes for implementations to be made.

When in an Indie Environment it also depends on your motivation when it comes to creating a game. Some may be more motivated to do designs as that is more of the creative aspect of the game however, others may not want to do that and instead they may want to work on the functionality of the game, again it depends on which part you enjoy more, and which must be done. But due to motivations, programmers may work on the game more as they need to refine the game to the best of their ability whilst designers may not need to work on another design until the programmers are finished so they may be less motivated to work.

In bigger games companies, the roles of designers and programmers are more absolute and specific job titles will be given to you once you join a team, like previously mentioned. Game designers and programmers alike will be broken down into small categories to work on specific parts of the game due to the massive work force that is part of the company. However, like indie studios, they will still have to communicate with each other to make sure that the game is being developed properly. The work conditions will be different for each as they are both on a paid salary however, the amount of work will differ in different stages of development where the programmers will be working more during the production stage however designers will be working during the pre and post production stages as they need to work out the concepts for the game and additional features once the game is released to make sure their target audience continues to play. The benefits of working in these environments are that you have a team to help you with any problem you may have such as a programmatical mistake or a design error that may occur during any of the stages of production. With bigger companies, depending on their company design structure, you will be fitted into a role in a structure. Entry levels positions will be referred to as junior for programming and designs and moving up the company ladder is more orientated around the work you put in and the time you have worked in the company.

The responsibility of both roles will also differ in bigger studios. Programmers will have to maintain the game whilst the game designs will have to make sure that game is playable and runs smoothly for others to play. In bigger companies, due to the wider audience, this is very important due to the scrutiny the game can go under if it is not kept to a high standard, especially if the game company is known to produce good games. Responsibilities are not interchangeable within bigger companies meaning game designs will not work on what the game programmers will work on unlike that of a smaller or indie studio.

Game Programming:

Pros:

• Job Availability.
• On average higher pay then other roles (Depending on Country/Role/Experience).
• Easier to work remotely.
• Can move into other industry if game development does not suit you.
• Gain experience and new skills at the company you are working at.

Cons:

• Steep learning curve to follow.
• Can be stressful if you are stuck on a problem.
• You can be the only one working on a game if you are in an indie environment.
• In AAA less likely to make decisions that impact the game.

Game Design:

Pros:

• Follow your passion.
• Express creativity in a Game Environment.
• The work that is produced, you can see.
• Easier to get into this job position.

Cons:

• High Level of Job Competition.
• Layoffs due to job viability.
• Very long hours in the postproduction of the project.
• Lack of understanding of other departments can cause unwanted confusion.

Future research:

There are many resources that can be used to gain more knowledge on what you would like to do in the games industry as there are a lot of pathways into the game industry. What I would suggest is creating a small game following some tutorials and see which one is best suited towards your skills sets. If you prefer programming and making the game, then the game programming route may be a better option. If you prefer making the art for the game and focusing on what the game looks like, then game design may be a better option in that case. Watching videos about what a game designer/game programmer does within the game industry and the tasks that they must do will be very important to understand as even if you enjoy it now, you may not know how a work environment will affect you.

Cold Calling game companies can also help with working out what skills you need and getting into contact with a recruiter that knows what skills you would need can be very advantageous as they will tell you specifics about getting a job. Thinking about why you want to join the game industry is also important as a reason will help you drive you to working harder to get the goal you want.

Conclusion

In Conclusion, it is all down to what you want from the games industry and what you want to make and what role you want to play in the creation of a game. Games can take heaps of teams or a single person to develop so it is important to understand why you want to join the games industry and in what department because each of them will have different experiences to share. The information that I have presented is meant to explain to you what roles you should choose based on what you want to do in the games industry and what role would suit you best. I have explained the pros and cons, the difference in environment depending on if you go the indie game route or the AAA studio route, future research that you can conduct if you would like to learn more and explained in a clear manor. I hope this has helped and that you have enjoy the article. Feel free to leave feedback and I will respond to it.