Video games are an integral part of our childhood and teenage. It is a fact that all of us have played at least one game in our lifetime or have fond memories of different video games and the gaming environment that was created. Nonetheless, the gaming industry has succeeded in keeping its name and place in the marking for several years. With the launch of different genres, consoles, types, platforms, and features, video games have always looked forward to advancement and growth. In this article, we will discuss two essential aspects of video games, game design, and game development.
The main focus will be to answer the question; game design vs game development which is better?
Progressive And Successful Reality Of The Gaming Industry
As we all know that video games have never failed to disappoint users and have been considered an essential source of fun and entertainment for players. The industry’s journey started off as an arcade game that grabbed the attention of users in no time. With time came the development ad launch of different gaming genres and platforms, so people did not have to stand in lines to play a game and could easily enjoy the experience at their homes with consoles and gadgets. With time and advancement, the gaming industry shifted the interest of people from a source of entertainment to becoming a source of income as well.
Nowadays, we can see hundreds and thousands of people getting indulged in various gaming tournaments and competitions all over the world. In terms of features and trends, the gaming industry has welcomed some shocking and unbelievable gaming features into its domain, like Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), cloud-based technology, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and blockchain technology as well.
It is pretty safe to say that the video gaming industry has evolved over time and has included different professions in its realm. The statistical reports of the industry highlight that there are over 3 billion people who play video games globally. With USA and China being the dominant source of progress in the industry, the estimations show that the USA alone generates over $100 billion in revenue for the industry.
In the upcoming sections of the article, we will be discussing two essential professions in the gaming industry. The first is game design, and the second is game development. We will also focus on the difference between game design vs development.
What Is Game Designing?
Before the development or launch of any game or other technological invention comes the essential need of designing and planning the whole process. Similarly, before a game is developed, it is designed. Video game design is one of the initial steps that requires a game designer to create the whole concept of a game. From selecting the gaming type to understanding and targeting the right audience, video game development starts its basic designing phase.
Once the broader questions and details of a game have been decided, the designers enter the world of detailing. From designing a proper storyline, gaming environment, characters, maps, animations, illustrations, dialogues, script, rules, guidelines, and method of playing, as well as rewards or feedback input, a game designer is responsible for carrying out the whole process of creating the overall look of the game. This also includes the back-end functionalities of the video game.
A misconception that always surrounds this field is that game designing is more theoretical than practical. In some ways, it is true, but that does not mean that a game designer is only responsible for the theoretical aspects of the game. After taking important decisions concerning the game design, a designer will take steps to use technology and see if the features and elements work together or not. In any case of error, the game designing phase is carried out from the start until and unless a possible solution is reached.
What Is Game Development?
After the phase of designing, a video game enters the stage of development. This process is all about bringing the game designer’s concept and idea into a living reality. By completing steps like coding, software installation, testing, rendering, sound effects, and many more, video game developers make it possible to transform the idea, rough sketches, layouts, and storyline into a practical form. It is necessary for a game developer to be tech savvy, as game creation is all about taking care of the technical details of the game, including great coding and programming skills.
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Crucial Differences Between A Game Designer And A Game Developer
We will now review some of the critical differences between a game designer and a developer that will help us get an insight into game design vs game development.
- Academic Background.
- Educational Curriculum.
- Skills And Talents.
- Roles And Responsibilities.
- Career Paths And Designations.
- Academic Background
The academic background of a game designer is related to having an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in the field of game design. Meanwhile, for a game developer, it is necessary to have an academic background in the game development and simulation field. They can also consider other disciplines like computer sciences and software engineering or acquire an associate degree in the game development field.
It is important to note that a person can easily mix and match these degrees or even consider short diplomas to acquire information at any stage of their career.
- Educational Curriculum
The educational curriculum of game designing includes several subjects like simulation and serious games, advanced 3D modeling, animation, 3D scripting, advanced game design, game engines, analytics and statistics, sculpting, and VR development. On the other hand, the educational curriculum of game development includes interesting subjects like advanced algorithms and API, simulation, 2D and 3D game console programming, mathematics, 2D game engine and tool development, software and QA testing, advanced game design, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and VR development.
We can see that some of the subjects are common in both fields, as both processes are interlinked and essential for a video game.
- Skills And Talents
If we talk about skills and talents, a game designer should, most importantly, have a strong passion along with great analytical, communicational, and problem-solving skills. It is also vital for them to have 3D animation skills, a creative or innovative mindset, and the ability to work in multiple teams.
On the other hand, a game developer must have skills like a strong grip on coding and software programming. Along with that, a sharp eye for detail, patience, problem-solving skills, and know-how about C++ and advanced algebra, as well as multiple computer languages, are also important.
- Roles And Responsibilities
The job role of a game designer includes planning and creating games, putting details into the description of characters, environment, and functionalities, identifying the genre and audience for the game, and presenting an overall description of the game from start to end.
As for a game developer, the responsibilities include communicating with game designers to get a proper image of the game, developing game storyboards, coding, making prototypes of features, and testing and updating the game as many times as it is needed.
- Career Paths And Designations
The career paths for a game designer include being a character artist, video game designer,
game designer for mobile applications, focused character designer, or skillful animator. Meanwhile, game developers can find opportunities like a game programmer, system,
Application or web developer, software engineer, or QA engineer.
Make sure to remember that these are only a few of the opportunities. With advancements come multiple requirements and career paths in the gaming industry.
- Salary
If we talk about the pay scale or salaries of both professions. It is witnessed that game developers are often paid slightly higher than game designers. The reason is that game development focuses on more technicalities as compared to game design. But honestly, it depends on the individual packages presented by different companies.
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The Pros Of Becoming A Game Designer
We will now discuss some of the pros of becoming a game designer. They are.
- Opens The Door To Express Creativity
- Achievement Of Practical Results
- Different Career Paths
- Independent Working Opportunites
- A Manageable Working Field
- Opens The Door To Express Creativity
Game designing is an amazing career path for people who have a creative mindset. The profession allows individuals to test and explore their creativity by coming up with attractive game stories, characters, surrounding, etc.
- Achievement Of Practical Results
With game designing comes the practical achievement of ideas. You can basically see your dream or idea coming to a practical reality. It gives a sense of achievement, especially when a user enjoys your designed game.
- Different Career Paths
As discussed earlier, game design has multiple career paths. For people who do not want to involve themselves in the whole process of designing or are skilled in only one part of game design can easily opt for that field and provide their expertise. Another important factor is that there are different entry paths in this field. From people being employed in highly reputable companies to small game designing companies, a game designer will be welcomed everywhere with assured job security and demand.
- Independent Working Opportunites
Game designing also opens the doors for independent working opportunities. Though it might take quite a lot of time and financial budget, still with the right direction and fewer mistakes made, a person can easily design a game on their own.
- A Manageable Working Field
One of the most helpful pros of game design is that it is a manageable field. For designing passionates, the industry has many work opportunities, including part-time opportunities that let them focus on their studies as well as gain valuable experience.
The Pros Of Becoming A Game Developer
Some of the pros of becoming a game developer are mentioned below.
- Numerous Opportunities For Career
- Improves Programming Language Skills
- Gives Innovation And Creativity A Boost
- Assured Job Security
- Builds Soft Skills
- Numerous Opportunities For Career
Just like game designing, game development also offers multiple career options for people attached to the field. A person might pursue a career in the overall developmental procedure, or he might strengthen one domain and get information regarding other domains for better understanding as well.
- Improves Programming Language Skills
Since software programming and coding are the two most crucial aspects of game development, becoming a game creator allows beginners as well as experts to improve their programming skills with each game being made and launched.
- Gives Innovation And Creativity A Boost
Game development gives individuals an opportunity to test out their innovation and creativity by adding different and uniquely attractive features to a game.
- Assured Job Security
Game developers have assured job security in the industry as every game planning and design requires a developer to turn the dream into a reality.
- Builds Soft Skills
Along with technical skills, game development also requires some soft skills like communication and working in a team. These skills are improved when you are working in a company where interactivity is necessary for creation.
Game Design Vs Game Development Which Is Better?
Now comes an essential question, game design vs game development; which option should a person opt for? Honestly, there is no definite answer to this question, as both fields have their own working criteria, benefits, pros, and cons. It all depends on the interest, talent, skills, and mindset of a person. If you consider yourself to be creative in terms of imagination and design, you can start your career as a game designer. Otherwise, if you find programming skills, coding, and developmental procedures innovative, you have your answer.
Can A Game Designer Be A Game Developer And Vice Versa?
Before concluding the article, an essential piece of information is that a person can have both the skills of becoming a game designer or developer. Or you can have an interest in both domains. There is no hard and fast rule of opting for one profession only. You can easily explore both domains and make a career in whatever area suits your professional planning best.
Conclusion
The growth and success of the gaming industry is not hidden. With multiple career paths and opportunities, the industry is welcoming all sorts of technological advancements to be incorporated. Be it gaming app development, console development, or AR and VR game app development, gaming companies and the industry has one goal, and that is to move forwards with every possible opportunity.
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