Page 37 - Choices Magazine - KS3 Issue 2

STEM JOB PROFILES Responsibilities Salary

Games Developer As a game developer, you’ll need to: • Typical starting salaries are

around £19,000 to £25,000.
• design, develop and deliver systems
and high-quality code using programming • Once you have a few years’
languages, such as C++ and C# experience, you may earn a
• perform code reviews to salary of £35,000 to £50,000.
ensure code quality • One you’re in a senior position,
• refactor code to improve the such as team leader or technical
design of existing code director, your salary can range
• quality test coding in a systematic from £55,000 to more than £75,000.
and thorough way to find problems Salaries vary depending on your
or bugs and record precisely where specialism, as well as on the type of
the problem was discovered company you work for, its size and
• debug programs and solve complex location. Some companies offer
technical problems that occur within bonuses or a profit-sharing scheme.
the game’s production Income figures are intended
• collaborate with games development team as a guide only
members to meet the needs of a project
• work closely with designers, artists and other Working Hours
staff involved in the design process in order
to create a quality product to schedule Developers often work a 40-hour
• perform effectively under pressure and week, although the role offers some
meet deadlines to ensure a game is flexibility and you won’t necessarily
completed on time. work 9am to 5pm. You may have
You’ll need a passion for games, technical skills, and the ability to work to work extra hours when deadlines
on your own and with a team to succeed as a game’s developer Depending on the role you may also: approach. On these occasions
• develop designs or initial concept designs
Working in games development, you’ll be involved in the creation and production for games including game play you could work over the weekend
of games for personal computers, games consoles, social/online games, arcade games, and into evenings.
tablets, mobile phones, and other handheld devices. • generate game scripts and storyboards
• create the visual aspects of the game
With a large games company, you may focus on a particular area of programming at the concept stage
such as network, engine, graphic, toolchain and artificial intelligence. With a smaller
independent ‘indie’ game producer, there’s often much less of a distinction between • use 2D or 3D modelling and animation
the role of developer and designer, and your job may incorporate both software, such as Maya, at the
programming and design. production stage
• produce the audio features of the
The making of a game from concept to finished product can take years and involve game, such as character voices, music,
teams of professionals. There are several stages, including creating and designing a and sound effects.
game’s look and how it plays, animating characters and objects, creating audio,
programming, localisation, testing, editing, and producing. 37 | APRIL 2021

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