© 2014 international technology and engineering educators association stem center for teaching and...

© 2014 International Technology and Engineering Educators Association STEMCenter for Teaching and Learning™

Game Art and DesignGame Art and DesignUnit 2 Lesson 1Unit 2 Lesson 1

Skills in the Game IndustrySkills in the Game Industry

© 2011 International Technology and Engineering Educators Association, STEMCenter for Teaching and Learning™© 2014 International Technology and Engineering Educators Association STEMCenter for Teaching and Learning™

Big IdeaSpecific skills are necessary in order to obtain and keep a job in the competitive design industry.


What Skills are Needed in the Game Industry?• Communication• Creativity• Problem Solving• Teamwork• Gantt Charts• Team roles


Game Team Skills• Communication skills

listening and speaking

• Good communication requires effort

• Need to clearly communicate ideas and have all members of the team understand


Game Team Skills• Creativity • Each new game needs to be different

and exciting to attract customers • Studies suggest that creativity is innate

and cannot be taught - others believe creativity can be nurtured

• So how do you know if you are creative? • There are several online tests or

evaluations you can take


Game Team Skills• Problem Solving • A mental process used to find a solution

to a complex or simple task• What makes a good problem solver? • There are several online tests or

evaluations you can take to find out how you solve problems


Game Team Skills• Technology competence• Creating games requires technology

skills such as 3D modeling, game scripting, applying materials and textures to scenes, and creating documents and spreadsheets

• Many game cells have divisions of labor where one might specialize in one or more skills

© 2011 International Technology and Engineering Educators Association, STEMCenter for Teaching and Learning™

TEAM ROLES


Team Roles• Game teams- called cells• Cells work together is a

secure environment for very long hours

• During development the idea should be guarded

• Each member has specific roles and/or responsibilities


Team Roles: Producer• Person in charge of

the project• He/she manages the

development team, schedules, reports, hires and assures quality control

• The producer keeps the team on schedule so the game can be completed on time and under budget


Team Roles: Programmer• Software engineer concerned

with the core mechanics of game play

• Programs the game engine, scripting various commands and develops the User Interface (UI)

• Writes code for the Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms that control computer-managed opponents


Game Team: Lever Designer• In charge of creating a

game level • Makes sure all assets

and actions of the level work together as designed


Game Team: Writer• Responsible for the

storyline of the game • Makes sure the dialogue

is appropriate for the characters and the scenes are themed to follow the storyline set forth in the storyboard


Game Team: Art Designer• Responsible for the visual

elements of the game • Keeps track of assets,

sprites, models, backgrounds, and polygon count

• Ensures the theme carries over into scene layouts and character designs


Game Team: Audio• Responsible for all

sounds, musical score, background music, ambient sounds and voiceovers

• Ensures the sounds match the theme and mood of the game


Game Team: Tester• Responsible for testing and analyzing

the game for defects, glitches, and bugs • Cheat codes are built into the game to

help the testers • Should be a good game player with a

working knowledge of the design, game play, and programming of the game

• Good entry-level position


TEAM STRUCTURE


Game Team Skills• Teamwork - part of a design team• Successful team = players doing their

part in a timely manner• Teamwork requires • Responsibility• Initiative• Dependability• Dress• Respect


Game Team Skills• Divisor of Labor - allow

members to specialize in certain areas

• Roles may be group leaders with several other team members working together

• Good communication skills and a strong work ethic are essential


Game Team Skills• Gantt chart –shows a project schedule

including• start and finish dates • who is responsible for what• overall progress

• Shows planned and actual completion dates

• Can be edited daily


MAKING A GANTT CHART


Making A Gantt ChartOrder of production (What happens first)1. Preproduction 2. Production 3. Post production


Making A Gantt ChartOrder of production (What happens first)1. Preproduction: The design phase• assemble team• game idea• brainstorm• sketching


Making A Gantt ChartOrder of production (What happens first)1. Preproduction: assemble team, game

idea, brainstorm, sketching2. Production: create characters, levels, UI,

programming, sounds, and other game components, test and correct, add final touches, ship

3. Post production: maintenance, marketing, outsourcing


Making A Gantt ChartSteps to creating a Gantt chart1. Identify the list of required tasks.2. Estimate the time requirements (hours)

and responsible person for each task.3. Determine the order of completion for

each task and if there are any dependencies (task one must be completed before task two).


Making A Gantt ChartSteps to creating a Gantt chart4. Create a rough draft of the chart.5. Update the chart as needed.


Big IdeaSpecific skills are necessary in order to obtain and keep a job in the competitive design industry.

© 2014 International Technology and Engineering Educators Association STEMCenter for Teaching and Learning™

Game Art and DesignGame Art and DesignUnit 1 Lesson 2Unit 1 Lesson 2

Skills in the Game IndustrySkills in the Game IndustryImagesImages

Reproduced with permission Unity. Microsoft clipart. Photo by Phyllis Jones. Student images.

© 2014 international technology and engineering educators association stem center for teaching and...

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