Game Design: Breaking the Wall

Cryptic Studios recently published a two part article on Champions Online called “Breaking the Wall”. The piece details suggestions on how to break into the games industry for those interested in game design and development. It starts with a word of caution to would be game developers:

The most important thing to realize about breaking into game design is that it is very much subject to the laws of supply and demand. There are very few game design jobs of any sort available, and there are a whole lot of people who want to be designers. And many of the people applying for the few open game design positions are not strangers to the industry, either. In addition to people in areas like QA or CSR, it is not uncommon to see programmers or artists want to switch fields… while it is not impossible to come in off the street and get a game design position, it is very, very unlikely.

With the warning out of the way the article goes on to suggest several strategies such as applying for an internship position, or hiring on as QA (Quality Assurance) or CSR (Customer Service). There is a golden nugget of advice given in this article:

Creativity is good, but it isn’t primarily about the creativity.

What will close the sale is the ability to demonstrate professionalism, practicality, understanding of the way development works and the relative costs and risks of different paths. Most importantly of all, however, is the clear ability to check your ego at the door and identify the best approach or design regardless of whether or not you were the one to think of it.

The piece cautions that those wishing to break into game design should remember that it is a job. Like most professions, the “joy” of playing games can quickly become “job” in the face of maintaining professionalism, working long hours and fulfilling responsibilities that come with the title of game designer.

While the article can seem very discouraging, the summation promises that the rewards can be astounding and the risks are worth it.

via Champions Online