🎉 Celebrating 25 Years of GameDev.net! 🎉

Not many can claim 25 years on the Internet! Join us in celebrating this milestone. Learn more about our history, and thank you for being a part of our community!

Game Jobs Differences

Started by
1 comment, last by Tom Sloper 14 years ago
Hi!

I'm a little confused about some jobs in industry.

I know that sometimes it deppends on the company, like there`s someone who only do the textures and other who do the mesh or someone who does both.
Like for example, what is exactly the responsabilities and the tasks of an creative director and then, what's the difference about with a Game Director or a Game Designer, because I thought the game designer (lead, senior, etc) was the leader of the project, but I just don`t understand anymore.

So basically, I just want to know the differences of this jobs, if the same person could be with the 3 positions or just 2:

Game Designer (sometimes writer and designer of the game design document and/or pitch document, etc)
Creative Director (?)
Game Director (lead of project?)

Also, if can anyone please help me with a list of positions/jobs in production/development process (for example, this "hybrid job" called technical artist with responsabilities and task)

I'll have this:

Game Designer (also could be writer)
Concept artist (concept, 2d artist, interface artist)
Game artist (modeler, texturing)
Animator(camera, characters, riggin)
Game developer/project manager/producer
Techincal artist(shaders, particles)
Programming (IA, engine tool developer, etc)
Level Designer (layout, lights, scripting)
QA/Ergonomy (game testing)


Thanks for reading this message
Advertisement
A "director" role is a management role.
A "creative director" oversees design and art.
A "technical director" oversees code.
A "game director" oversees whole development teams - this is somewhat simmilar to a "producer" or a "project manager" - they keep everyone focussed and on schedule.

"Game developer" is not a role. Everyone is a "game developer".

"Technical artists" are people who can use art tools like 3ds max, but can also do some programmery things like write scripts and help set up tool-chains or help design your art pipeline (e.g. export in this format from that tool, import into this tool, export in that format, run through this coverter, import maps from that other tool, etc...).

Tech artists might do shader and particle work, or there might be a seperate group of "effects artists" for that. Or maybe "effects programmers" even...

Some places a level designer might do scripting, at other places that might be the job of the game programmer. Level designers might do environment meshes, or there might be environment artists for that (and LD's just assemble the env artwork). LDs might light their levels, or there might be a "lighting artist" for that.

User-interface artist is probably seperate from "Concept artist", and they might work paired-up with a user-interface programmer.

Animators might do rigging, or there might be a dedicated "rigger", or the modellers might be responsible for rigging.

The modellers might do texturing, or there might be deidcated "texture artists".

Programmers are likely split into "game", "tools" and "engine" programmers, and there might be sub-groups like "graphics", "audio", "AI" programmers as well.

It really changes a lot from company to company, but you can at least be sure of "art", "code", "design" and "production".
Quote: Original post by treyvos
I'm a little confused about some jobs in industry.

That's because you didn't "View Forum FAQ" yet.
So... View Forum FAQ.
The Forum FAQ is above.
Come back with a revised question after you've read the FAQ on job types.

-- Tom Sloper -- sloperama.com

This topic is closed to new replies.

Advertisement