Education, Training, and Working in Games - Game Design Essentials - page 258

entry-Level Jobs
Entry-level positions include the following:
Testing (part of the Q/a Team) Many companies accepting applications for
jobs or internships in the testing department require the applicant to submit
their review for a game or games they have played. Do some research on how
reviews are written. One of the best sites to find reviews is www.gamasutra.com .
Customer service Entering into this area lets you learn some of the behind-
the-scenes aspects of how gaming companies are run. Primary duties include
interacting with customers who have purchased products (you'll need to learn
about how the game is run, and help troubleshoot problems from FAQs prepared
by the game makers) and passing along to the production team information
about issues customers are having so they can be addressed.
Clerical Pretty much any department in a company has clerical duties, and
accepting a position here lets you interact with the producers, art directors, ani-
mators, and so on. Primarily, these jobs involve filing assets related to games,
double-checking that naming conventions and formats are correct, and manag-
ing office supplies.
Junior programmer In order to enter into game programming, you're expected
to have knowledge of computer game languages (basic C++ and Visual Basic
are good examples) and a demo portfolio (information about preparing demos
is covered later, in the “Applying for Jobs and Internships” section of this
appendix).
assistant producer Also known as a junior producer, this person typically
facilitates communication between teams, helps the producer keep schedules to
ensure timely delivery of assets during different phases of a game's production,
and assists with the day-to-day running of the project. It's typical, especially on
large projects, for an assistant producer to be assigned to one area of the game
to monitor production and communicate information between the producer and
team leaders.
internships
Internships are another way to enter and gain experience in the field. Internships
are sometimes paid, although most are non-paid but allow the intern the