* Introduction * Define "video game" * Video Game Industry Overview * Aspects of Game Development * Game Development Community * Careers Available in Game Development * Testimonies * Options for Developing Required Skillset * Other Avenues for Career Development

1. Introduction to Game
Development
Reggie Niccolo Santos
UP Information Technology Development Center (ITDC)
Slideshare: reggieniccolo.santos
Email: reggieniccolo.santos@gmail.com
Twitter: @reggiengfyre
Blog: sm0rgasb0rd.wordpress.com
!
Most content adapted from Ahmed Saker’s set of slides

2. Outline
Introduction
Define “video game”
Video Game Industry Overview
Aspects of Game Development

3. Outline
Game Development Community
Careers Available in Game Development
Testimonies
Options for Developing Required Skillset

4. Outline
!
Other Avenues for Career Development
Why Do I Want to become a Game Developer?
References
Q&A

5. Text
Do you like to play games?
Image credit: InspireKelly via flickr, Creative Commons

6. Text
Do you secretly want to develop
your own games and market them?
Image credit: TeamMeat at GDC 2012, CC-BY-SA 3.0

7. Text
How do you create a complete computer
/ video game from start to finish?
Image credit: TeamMeat at GDC 2012, CC-BY-SA 3.0

8. Text
What are the different elements to a
game?

9. Text
What makes a great game?
Image: (c) Konami

10. Define “video game”

11. define: video game
• a game played by electronically manipulating
images produced by a computer program on a
television screen or other display screen.

12. Difference from Movies and
Software
• Game as an interactive medium
• Difference from movies and other art forms:
interactivity
• Difference from software: content of the game as
a medium
• More fun

13. Games Have Got It All
Art
!
Science &
Tech
Business
Game
Trivia

14. Text
Game Structure
• Start up
• Introductory Movie

15. Game
Structure
• Front End
• Game Options
• Sound Options
• Video Options
• Loading Screen

16. Game
Structure
• Main Game
• Introduction
• Gameplay
• Game modes
• Pause Options

17. Text
Game Structure
• End Game Movie
• Credits
• Shut down

18. Game Loop
// a simple loop in C++
!
int main()
{
initialize();
while (true)
{
process();
update();
render();
}
}

19. What Actually Happens
while (true)
{
/* Process controller input */
process();
/* Update entities */
update();
/* Update graphics */
render();
}

20. Games vs. Movies (in terms of sales)
$239 million
First week revenue
$500 million
First week revenue
Source: Video Game Industry Trends by Ferrarra

21. Text
Games Market
Source: Video Game Industry Trends by Ferrarra

22. Text
Game Development Map

23. Programming Tools
• In addition to Unity3D and UDK:

24. Careers in Game
Development
• Production
• Producer
• Project Manager
• Game Tester

25. Careers in Game
Development
• Design
• Game Designer
• Level Designer
• Writer
Image credit: sezzles via flickr / Creative Commons

26. Careers in Game
Development
• Programming
• Programmer
• Specialized
Programmer

27. Careers in Game
Development
• Visual Arts
• Art Director
• 2D Artist
• 3D Artist
Image credit: Polytron / CC-BY-SA

28. Careers in Game
Development
• Audio
• Sound Engineer
• Composer
• Audio Engineer

29. Careers in Game
Development
• Biz & Misc.
• Administrator
• Marketing and Public
Relations
• Community Manager

30. Difficulties in applying for a local job
in game development: testimonies

31. “Balance of guessing which company is
right for me and getting the right salary”

32. “Skillset”

33. “Companies are expecting for us applicants
to have a year of experience before
applying to them.”

34. “My portfolio before wasn't that good… At
a young age, I didn't realize that portfolios
land jobs, not resumes.”

35. Options in Developing
Required Skills
• Enroll in an accredited program
• For computer programming
• For graphics
• For animation
• For computer systems

36. Options in Developing
Required Skills
• Landing an internship or apprenticeship with a
video game designing company
• Get hired as a freelance designer to invent new
aspects of games
• Build a game development portfolio
• Work as a game tester

37. Other Avenues for Career
Development
• Go to game festivals and events to speak to companies
• GDAP (Game Developers Association of the
Philippines)
• IGDA Manila (International Game Developers
Association Manila Chapter)
• UPLUG (Unity Philippines User Group)
• Philippine Indie Game Developers

38. Other Avenues for Career
Development
• Design own (micro) games and releasing them on
gaming websites or on personal website
• Keep up-to-date through gaming magazines and
websites
• Game Developer
• 3D World

39. Why do I want to become a
game developer?

40. References
www.slideshare.net/AhmedSaker/game-
development
http://ocw.tufts.edu/Course/75
http://iwa-hwg.eclasses.org/courseZGC12/
http://archives.igda.org/breakingin/

41. References
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/video-game-
designer1.htm (August 22, 2008)
https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/advice/planning/
jobprofiles/Pages/computergamesdeveloper.aspx
http://www.ccs.neu.edu/home/marcucci/ccs/skills.html
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/
games_developer_entry_requirements.htm (March 2014)
http://www.gamedegree.com/careers_skills.asp

42. Thank you! Questions? :D