In this article, we will learn what game writers and game designers are and how is a game designer different from a writer. Did this thought ever cross your mind that what went into the developing process of the game you have been playing? How were all these characters developed? Who decided their storyline? And why does a video game include snippets of a story? If yes, then the answer to your questions is the recipe for a good video game. For a game to be exceptional and captivating, it includes the ingredients of creative game writing, an eye-catching game design, and, finally, game development.
Brief Background History Of The Gaming Industry
With the advances in the technological and digital industry, the world witnessed a substantial evolution in the gaming industry as well. We all remember the kinds of video games developed in the 1990s. Though they had great hype, they still lacked a lot of graphical and technological advancements. Coming back to the 21st-century of gaming industry, we have a wide variety of games that follow the latest technological trends and have highly developed graphical features. The statistical reports and comparative predictions in the gaming industry are shocking. It is now predicted that the video game industry will rise by $300bn by 2025.
What Is A Game Writer?
Did you ever play the famous video game Tekken? Or did you get the chance to play Resident Evil? Did you notice that the former had a trailer of the characters being played at the beginning of the match and that after every few rounds, the storyline continued with the game? Or did you find yourself being interested in the storyline Resident Evil followed throughout the game, which the player had to follow to reach the end of the game? All these instances and many more examples of a storyline included are an example of the work a game writer does. Video game writers are professionals who are interested in developing the narrative and dialogues of the players in the game. By following these narratives, the events in the game are linked hence completing the story of the game, be it the background story of a single character or the complete game. Their task demands creating exciting and immersive storylines so that players can feel connected to the characters and can engage and thoroughly enjoy the whole gaming experience.
The Basic Requirements Of Becoming A Good Game Writer
Even though game writing might sound attractive to many gaming enthusiasts, it is not everyone’s cup of tea. The reason is not because it is a complex or complicated task but because there are specific built-in skills that play a huge role in becoming a game writer. For instance, creativity and imagining a world that does not exist in the first place is something not everyone can do. Just like that, having the snippets of a storyline but being able to connect them excitingly is also something only limited individuals can achieve. The purpose of mentioning this is not to demotivate you but to clarify that becoming a good game writer demands time and effort. Suppose you are someone who thinks that you have creative writing skills and can write engaging stories with proper character descriptions and detailed surroundings. Then all you need is a pen and paper, or in the modern world, we can say a computer is enough to kick start your journey. It is not necessary for you to write a complete storyline. For starters, you can start with small chunks of stories, character descriptions, etc. The goal here is to practice as much as you can before you create a portfolio and enter the gaming industry. Some other options include writing an e-book and getting it self-published or writing an online gaming blog.
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What Is A Game Designer?
By understanding the tasks of video game writers, it is easy to understand what a game designer has to do in the game development process. Writing a good storyline and characters’ features or the whole image of the game is just not enough to develop an exciting game. Instead, what really puts the written part into a visually appealing reality is what a game designer is assigned to do. With skills like a good grip on graphical designing, information regarding programming languages, coding, software development skills, a creative mindset, and a look for the eye, a game designer elevates the whole experience of gaming by developing an epic gaming world along with the characters of the game.
The Basic Requirements Of Becoming A Good Game Designer
It is obvious that becoming a game designer requires more than being a game writer, as the job requires staying connected with the technological and graphical world. There are some steps that will help you in starting your career in video game design.
- The first step is to obtain a high school diploma to get the essential information. Fields like computer science and graphical design can help you start from the basics and get enough knowledge to advance.
- The second step is to acquire a bachelor’s degree. This step depends on the job requirement of companies. Some of them ask for a bachelor’s degree. Meanwhile, for others having a diploma is enough. But gaining knowledge is not something harmful. Fields related to graphic design or multimedia design are the best options to opt for at this stage.
- The next step is enrolling in an internship program at the beginning level so that you can work with professionals and get hands-on experience in the field. After that, you will have to world for a few years to get relevant experience and learn skills.
- The next step is building an attractive portfolio and a strong resume so that you can aim for higher positions. Your resume should include your progressive developments in the field, and the portfolio should include screenshots, links, videos of the game developed, examples of graphical inventions, etc.
- The last step is never-ending as it requires you to learn new skills and gain information regarding the graphical advancements and tech world. It is also necessary for you to stay connected to the people in the industry as this will widen the chances of networking and will open new doors of opportunities for you.
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The Difference Between A Game Designer And A Game Writer
In the last section of the article, we will review how a game designer is different from a writer. It is essential to know and understand these differences to get a deeper insight into the game development process or look out for career opportunities if you are interested.
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Differences In Job Roles And Responsibilities
The job roles and duties of video game designers are different from that of game writers. Game writers are responsible for writing the storyline, dialogues, plot twists or climax, character background or descriptions, and the overall theme of the game. In contrast, a game designer has to transform all the written details, captions, and dialogues into a living game reality. They have to create an immersive gaming experience for the players that game writers have only written using their creative writing skills and imagination.
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Differences In Job Requirements
There is a huge difference in job requirements for game designers and writers. Their fields are entirely different. One requires the use of creative writing and is related to backgrounds like writing and English, while the other requires a good grip on graphical designing tools and software. The process of growth and progress is also different in both areas. The former is related to writing more and more gaming content, whereas the latter includes developing more and more games.
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Difference In Skill Set
Up till now, it is pretty evident that there is a visible difference in what video game designers and game writers do. Therefore, their jobs require different skills for efficient and effective working. Where skills like creating writing, details, continuation, and intense story building are necessary for game writers to have, skills like having an imaginative mindset, a good grip on software building, programming languages, and graphics are necessary for a video game designer to have.
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Differences In Conditions Of Employment
Soft skills like problem-solving, teamwork, cooperation, and communication skills are essential for both a game designer as well as a game writer. But what makes their working environment different? Video game designers have to work closely with the development team so that they can monitor the whole process of game development and work simultaneously to save time and effort. At the same time, game writers have to work closely with game designers so that they can communicate the concept and image of the game they have in their minds.
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Differences In Job Titles
A difference in job titles is also observed when we talk about how is a game designer different from a writer. Some of the job titles for game designers in the market are a game tester, graphic designer, CAD drafter, computer programmer, concept artist, etc. On the other hand, game writers can acquire jobs like gaming bloggers, video game scriptwriters, video game guide writers, video game copywriters, etc.
Conclusion
No matter the difference between a video game designer and a game writer, it is necessary to have both professionals on a game development team to develop an attractive and proper working gaming app. With the rise of demand in the gaming sector, game app developers are now making their position and name in the market. Digital companies continuously provide their services and solutions to app developers and work collaboratively to facilitate the whole process. They continue to seek skilled writers and designers to work on their game projects. In turn, the games these agencies develop have a higher chance of success if handled by a robust unit of developers, writers, and designers. Interestingly, if their roles are defined prior to commencing work on the project, it makes things much smoother. The developers optimize the game, the designers make it aesthetically pleasing, and the writers pen down a story worth exploring. All three aspects are equally important and contribute to making the game that the audience love and makes stakeholders invest in it.
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