Jobs, jobs, jobs

Three divisions

After a short preface, and an equally short introduction, which gives a short history and overview of the game industry, Marc jumps right to business. Anyone with a modicum of computer knowledge will be able to grasp the concepts at work here immediately. The author spends a short chapter going over the most common programs and utilities used in the industry for game creation. Everything from Microsoft Office through programming languages to art tools is covered. Marc makes sure to explain everything in a brief, succinct fashion and provide an example. There are code examples for the languages, he shares an anecdote about how Will Wright tests the economic model in the Sims games with Excel, and he even provides links to the developers of the major graphics apps out there. Obviously, working examples of the last are beyond the scope of this book.

From there, we hit the first major section of the book, where all the various jobs found at a developer are detailed extensively. QA, Art, Programming, Design, and Production each have their own chapter. The chapters start with an explanation of the position, how the positions divide into specialties (ie, lead programmer, AI programmer, tools programmer), the tools that you would be expected to know, the skills you’d need and the tasks you’d perform. There are even summary pages that look just like job postings, linsting all the requirements and responsibilities of the position.

These general sections are supplemented with information specific for the position you’re considering. Continuing with the programmer example, programmers have a section which goes over the different platforms they may work on. These are short descriptions of the various operating systems on the PC and the different consoles currently on the market. There are no detailed specifics – few readers of FiringSquad need to be told what a GameBoy or PlayStation 2 are. In keeping with rest of the book, it is aimed at everyone out there who is considering a career in the industry, whether they’re already professionals in other fields or students planning on gaming careers. There is a “how to get there” section for hopeful game programmers that gives a step-by-step for those who know nothing about programming, those who have done some, or experienced programmers working in traditional fields. For designers, Marc goes over what a design document is in explicit detail, with partial examples.

Production

To get the most out of the book, those reading it should read all the sections to understand how the various departments in a company interact, but particular attention should be paid to the producer part. Since this is the only link to publishers, it gives an idea of the dynamic between the two major forces in the industry. More importantly, looking at game development from a producer’s perspective will help potential developers understand their own place within the company.

For casual readers, the Producer section is one of the more interesting spots in the book as they will also gain a better perspective on the industry as a whole. With so much time spent in zoomed detail on designers, programmers, testers and artists, the producer chapter comes at the right spot – at the end of the jobs section – to bring it all together.