Picking a career can be daunting, especially if you don’t have all the information you need.
Are you a student with a budding interest in game development? Or are you simply considering a change in careers? Maybe you're passionate about games but you're not sure if you'll enjoy making them.
If you’re still on the fence, here are 6 good reasons why you should consider getting into game development.
1. You Want To Make Something People Will Enjoy
“Why should you GameDev?”
Secret 6 Technical Developer Red Quito sought to answer this question during his talk entitled "Starting Your GameDev Journey", presented at UP Cursor’s CSS 5.0 last January.
One of the reasons he gave was simply "to entertain." Most people use games as their primary source of fun and entertainment. Meanwhile, others use it to wind-down after a long and tiring day.
"Being able to sit down, fire up my PC and spend an hour (or five) playing as a bumbling bean person slipping and sliding around is an escape that I am so thankful for," he shares. Game development allows him to share the same escape that he enjoys so much, to others.
Games give a level of interactivity and immersion that few media can match up to.
Giving people an experience that they can truly interact with is a feeling unique to game development. If you're passionate about creating and sharing things that people will enjoy, making games might be right up your alley.
2. You Want To Tell Stories
More than a captivating plot, telling a good story involves good execution.
Video games are naturally interactive. This gives players agency over what's happening and provides a unique way to engage your audience. This allows them to be more immersed and invested in the story you want to tell.
Some successful titles like the Uncharted series, and both parts of The Last of Us have shown how video games are a viable medium for storytelling. Being part of the process of game development could allow you to help bring great stories to life.
3. You Want To Make A Difference In The Lives Of Others
In June 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the marketing for the first game- based therapeutic.
EndeavorRx is a video game that helps children who have been diagnosed with certain forms of Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The app is now typically prescribed to help young patients improve attention function. Games have evolved into mediums that offer more than just entertainment.
Aside from the previous example, several other industries have taken notice of the power that engagement can provide as gamification takes the app industry by storm. This was discussed by our Game Design Manager, Xiao Supapo in her talk called "Pulse Check: Games and Game Dev in 2020 Onward."
Gamification works by taking elements found in games (such as progression, player feedback, reward systems, and etc) and using them to enhance user interaction in apps. Apps like Plant Nanny, Khan Academy, and Habitica all use these different elements to motivate people into doing previously boring or mundane tasks.
4. You Enjoy Learning New Things
Game development involves both creative solutions and technical skills. While it is not expected that a single person would be good at both, the process of game development pushes for these two aspects to collaborate. And no one has all these at the start—it’s an ongoing learning process.
Secret 6 Game Engineer Japam Mateo shared about the process of how video games are created in his talk, "Beyond Playing: An Entryway to Game Development."
Broken down, the process he shared included the following phases:
- Determining your goal. Figuring out what the project wants to achieve and identifying the parameters for success.
- Conceptualizing the Idea. Brainstorming genres, art style, and gameplay.
- Building the Team. Identifying the roles and responsibilities of each member of the Game Dev team.
- Planning. Breaking down the multitude of tasks involved in the project and checking for feasibility of resources and timelines.
- Execution. Actual work on the project, including monitoring and collaboration techniques.
- Submission. What needs to be shown at the end of the project, including complete documentation.
Game development is a complex process with a lot of stages. It is an environment where you are constantly exposed to new technologies, new processes, and different kinds of people. This pushes you to always be on your toes, looking at new ways of thinking.
On this path, you'll end up learning a lot not just from exposing yourself to new trends and tech, but also from your teammates.
If you want to be part of an industry where you will have to not just acquire technical skills, but also be more organized and effective in managing projects, all while collaborating with and learning from different kinds of experts, game development may be for you.
5. You Want To Collaborate With Passionate And Engaged People
The game development industry is a collaboration-heavy industry where specializations are celebrated, but everyone can work cohesively as a team.
It’s an industry that’s constantly evolving with new platforms, game types, breakthroughs, and game engines. Great results are achieved by passionate people who are great at what they do.
Getting things done as a team, and being able to successfully work with other teams are all part and parcel of working in game development. If working at a job where collaboration is key—where everybody’s contribution is integral to the result—there’s room for you here.
6. You're Looking For a Strong And Fulfilling Career Choice
Deciding on which career path to take is a serious choice to make. Game development may initially seem like a frivolous choice, but that’s not the case at all.
In her talk, Xiao Supapo also discussed the state of the industry during the year of the pandemic, as well as what we can expect moving forward. Her take, based on the data: It’s booming, with more people enjoying as well as getting involved with games. She also observed that locally in the Philippines, we are growing alongside the global game industry.
Global growth means the industry is open to creating a lot of new careers: from programmers and game designers. 2D and 3D artists, as well as Producers, Product Managers, and Marketing experts. It takes a lot to bring a game project to fruition, and with market trends indicating a bigger demand for engaging and accessible games, this only means more opportunities for those who are up to the task.
Game development is more than a passing fad. It’s a legitimate and booming industry that’s here to stay. It can be a gateway to an exciting and fulfilling career.
We were glad we got to share this quick roundup of good reasons why game development can be an exciting and viable career path.
It might be daunting at first, but developing your skills and learning more about the industry can open up opportunities for the future.
Over the years, the industry has proven itself to be more than stable. It’s rapidly growing in terms of consumers, revenue, and jobs. It’s in need of both innovative ideas and reliable technical skills to sustain that growth.
This means that opportunities are everywhere, and there is always room for people with the passion, the skills, and the capacity to learn.
Similarly, we here at Secret 6 are looking to expand our roster of teammates. We are always on the lookout for skilled candidates who also happen to be enthusiastic learners, so keep checking our Career Page for opportunities that would fit and interest you.
See you all out on the learning road.
