Careers in the Game Industry

Course details

Interested in turning your love of video games into a career? This course will introduce you to the concepts and skills required to make it in the modern game industry—whether you want to build and finance your own game or land a job at a triple-A studio, with an indie team, or in mobile gaming. Learn about the history of video games, the structure of a typical game studio, the distribution paths for different types of games, marketing trends, the various roles (both artistic and technical), and the skills you need for each job. Christian Bradley provides practical, real-world advice about the game industry, and tips for getting your foot in the door. Plus, explore the courses and learning paths we offer to help get you started.

Learning objectives
A brief history of video games
The phases of game development
Roles in game development
Essential programming, art, design, and audio skills
Choosing a game engine
Funding options outside the game studio system

Concepts

0. Introduction

01 - Welcome

1. Game Studios

02 - A brief history of video games
03 - The studio model
04 - Phases of game development
05 - Developers and publishers

2. Roles in Game Development

06 - The game designer role
07 - The level designer role
08 - Level design skills
09 - Game programming roles
10 - Game programming skills
11 - Game artist roles
12 - Game artist skills
13 - Game audio roles
14 - Game audio skills

3. Game Design and Development

15 - Game theory
16 - The concept of fun
17 - Define your player
18 - Platform and distribution model
19 - Choose a game engine

4. Alternatives to the Studio Model

20 - Indie game development
21 - Start a game studio
22 - Funding options for games

What Is Your Next Step

23 - Next steps for designers
24 - Next steps for artists
25 - Next steps for programmers
26 - Next steps for audio engineers

Careers in the Game Industry

Authors

Brian Bradley