You have to be able to get your ideas across in a video, prototype or on paper, and communicate your ideas to programmers and artists.
What is your job?
I'm a Games Designer for Electronic Arts.
What does your job involve?
It involves pitching the initial ideas, how the game will work, the flow for the game, its mechanics and feel, and essentially the heart of how the game will work. I then communicate these designs to the programmers and artists who have the skills to make my ideas a reality. I see the game from concept to final which entails many tasks from designing mechanics to tweaking them, building levels and then testing and reporting bugs, and in the final stages ensuring changes to the game and design do not cause any issues.
How did you get to this point in your career?
I studied A levels in Music Tech and English, then fell into working in an office for some accountants. After a couple of years, I wanted to do something more creative. I saw a job in customer service at EA, so started off there, then helped start a testing department for global releases. I then worked very hard for a few years learning the industry, taking opportunities to help out on the creative side of things before a chance came up to work for the UK studio. Once I had a temporary role in the studio I worked really hard to prove what I could do, and was then offered a full time role as a designer.
What training did you do and where?
I’m pretty much self-trained in the industry. With the help of my employer, and my passion for video games, I gathered the skills I needed to do my job.
Which piece of work are you most proud of?
The most recent game that I worked on - Hasbro Family Game Night. I’m very proud of what the team achieved - and seeing my parents and family play it easily and just understand it instantly was a great feeling.
What do you need to succeed in your industry?
You need an incredible amount of passion and understanding of video games, and being creative and problem solving helps too. But communication holds it all together. You have to be able to get your ideas across in a video, prototype or on paper, and communicate your ideas to programmers and artists.
Who’s your work hero / heroine?
So many people in the EA Bright Light studio have inspired me, but if I had to pick one person, it would be Matt Birch, a Creative Director. He gave me my first break into studio, has been a constant inspiration and his positive energy and understanding really come across when you discuss ideas with him.
What inspired you to do this type of work?
Growing up with video games has a lot to do with it. I always knew I wanted to do something creative and as I loved video games so much it seemed to fall into place as my dream job.
What do your friends/family think of the work you do?
My parents are very proud of me. I think they were a bit worried when I wasn’t doing so well in school and didn’t want to commit to a career. But when I started at EA, they were very supportive and they’re really happy I’ve found a job I love, in a company that treats me really well, in an industry that I feel I belong to.
What are your tips for anyone wanting to do your job?
Play as many games as you can. Try to figure out why bad games are bad, and why good games are good. Spend your free time working with, tweaking or creating games. Learn how they work, learn what you like about them and then take your ideas and see what you can do with them. The more passion and understanding you have, the better things will be. A lot of the people who come into EA as graduates are either artists or programmers, but most of the designers come through the testing environment. Very few designers have done video game design courses.
Creative inspirations
Video games
I could easily fill this list of 10 things with games, so here are my favourites. Zelda: a Link to the Past, The Halo Trilogy, Mass Effect, Frontier Elite 2, Flashback, Starfox, Cannon Fodder, Wing Commander, Final Fantasy 7, Super Mario World, American McGee’s Alice, Luigi’s Mansion, Beyond Good and Evil and Metroid.
‘A Child’s History of Noodle Island’ by Annette Tison and Talus Taylor
This book is essentially a worrying tale of planning ahead, profiteering, leadership, dictatorship, fascism and insanity. It’s written by the same people who created ‘Barbapapa’.
Akira
I saw this film late one night on Channel 4 and it blew me away. I own five different box sets of it, several toys, the original comics and even a few original film cells.
Spike Milligan
Listening to Goon Show tapes and 45rpm records of ‘I’m walking backwards for Christmas’ and the ‘Ying Tong’ song, I discovered my absolute love for abstract, random comedy at an early age.
My friend Jodie Cox
Jodie is an incredible friend. He books tours for bands all over the world, he loves what he does and has really made something of his life without compromise. He’s an inspiration to know. Even if he has got a girl’s name.
12 Monkeys
This film is one of my all-time favourites. It constantly impresses me and moves me every time I see it.
Cult films from my childhood
Ghostbusters, The Goonies, The Explorers and Star Wars. As a kid I’d watch these films and want to be in them.
Samurai Jack
Very few modern cartoons have me staying up all night or hunting down box sets from abroad. The incredible use of sound, visuals and story telling makes this series a must watch for anyone. Start with ‘Jack and the Three Blind Archers’.
Music
I love so many types of music and maintain that at least 5% of all music genres are worth listening to. My favourite bands are Primus, Clutch, Shai Hulud, Tool, and Poison the Well, and right now I’m listening to Torche, Zozobra and Old Man Gloom.
Homestar Runner
This website - http://www.homestarrunner.com/ - is a thing of beauty. It’s a Flash internet cartoon, and the brothers who run it have never let any advertising on the site. It’s really original, incredibly funny and a joy to watch.
If you would like advice on creative careers and courses, contact a Creative Way Careers Adviser - either Matt Ball on m.ball@uel.ac.uk / 07889 001764 or Sarah Comerford on s.comerford@uel.ac.uk / 07515 051509.