Joel Beardshaw
Professional Contexts - Week 5
About the speaker
Works at UsTwo Games
Position: Lead Game Designer
UsTwoGames
This company focuses mainly on mobile games. The reason for it is that they want to bring a new audience of people who never played a game before and show them what is great about games. Their goal is also to create long-lasting memories and experiences through their projects.
Background
Joel was always passionate about games. From a young age, he was making his own mockups of the games he enjoyed, in software called - games factory // similar to game maker. He undertook a games design course at the University of Lincoln. Back then there was no unity so he mainly worked in Unreal and Flash. After he was done with the university he started applying to a lot of junior jobs all over the country.
// Portfolio tips:
include a lot of prototypes showing off a variety of different skills
it doesn’t have to cover only finished work - show them your process
He got his first job as a junior-level designer in a company he never heard of before - Swordfish Studios based in Birmingham
// You don’t have to aim at the companies with big names that already did some amazing games before, smaller and lesser-known studios can still offer you big opportunities. You will gain knowledge about the game making process, polish your skills and will have an opportunity to work with some amazing people.
// Things that most likely will get you a job that you are applying for:
strong portfolio
well written CV
fluency in the games that the company has made before
draw a parallel between those games and what you can make
practical skills
an ability to use different software
understanding of the role you are applying for in the game production
understanding the hierarchy in the production process
be professional and polite
What Joel did was a lot of research about the company so during his interview he was one hundred per cent prepared to sell himself to his best ability. In his opinion what gave him the job was having the right skills (3DS Max) and a good understanding of the design’s role in the production. He was also required to undertake a design test to show his skills.
After working for some time with Swordfish Studios Joel felt like he wasn’t challenging himself enough. Luckily for him at that time UsTwo Games were looking for someone so he moved on there.
// Even when you get the job you don’t have to feel like you are stuck there. You can move on to different projects/companies. All the skills that you learn are highly transferable and can be applied somewhere else.
The other factor that influenced his decision about leaving Swordfish Studios was the small diversity of people that were working there. Most of them were (at that time) straight, white, middle-class men. In Joel’s opinion, the reason for it might have been unconscious biased. The company would make gut calls sticking the things and people similar to them which would make them feel safer.
// Fortunately, things are slowly changing and you can find more diverse studios creating opportunities for women and people of colour. However, representation is still very much a problem. If we look at the proportion of female workers in the games industry, it’s just 28% in the UK and approximately 20% worldwide.
UsTwo is a lot more diverse and they care about the gender balance within the company. For Joel working in UsTwo was a really great learning experience. He got to work with some amazing people and everyone was involved in the design process. They would have these big brainstorming sessions where everyone would pitch in and then the group would take the best bits and put them together to make their projects better.
// That shows how important communication skills are. Even when you are a junior designer you are a valid part of the team so put yourself out there, pitch your ideas, be a part of the creative process. Don’t be afraid to say something about the design, but make sure to listen too. Collaboration is balance.
What does UsTwo Games look for in graduates?
collaborative communicator,
good portfolio
team player
know your lane but also get your hands dirty and take part in the creative process
practical
you have to be used to make stuff in different engines/software
also, enjoy it
creative spark
what drives you to make games that sets you apart
have an understanding of where the design fits into the game making process
An important thing to remember is to try and make yourself interesting to the interviewer.
Apart from your skills they want to know if you will be a cool person to be around with. After all, you will all have to work together.
//Questions that might help you sound more interesting
– asking why do they do things in a certain way
– ask for their plans for their future
– show that you have a curiosity for the role you are applying for
Phases of making a project
concepting
prototyping
//As a junior you often don't get to participate in the concepting and prototyping
pre-production
production
// at a certain point changing things can't happen, so many people would have to redo their parts, rather than changing things try to make them as good as they can be
post-launch support
making new content
keeping a game alive
having a second wave of press
Becoming a lead designer
you have to prove yourself by having experience of working on multiple projects
know how to scope your project properly
make sure your pitches are not over the line if the game sits within the company's vision and fits with the types of games they are making
have a strong set of soft skills
know your audience
your bosses are also your audience
it’s usually a ten years process
Working as a level designer in other companies
The skills are all transferable and processes are very similar in most companies even if you’re not making the same type of games.
You can also get a sense for what companies will make next by looking at all the games they have previously made. So, if you want to work on a certain genre aim for the companies that are already making those type of games because they don’t usually take big turns and tend to stick to their genre.
UI Design/ level design tips for people who haven’t play games before
introduce things to people bit by bit
try not to do it with text
introduce a concept in a safe space where a player can’t fail
Key takeaways
collaboration is a balance
enjoy making your part of the game
get your hands dirty and pitch in when you get a chance
playtesting!
fix bugs as soon as they come up
word count: 1155
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