Old school, Mid school, and learned nothing in school.
Looking at the range of game designers, a large percentage over 80% will fall into one of the three classes above. Wright is a solid rep for the old school varsity, they chewed bytes and spit out games. The mid school I would consider to be the old upstarts, American McGee or Carmak are in this class. Then you get the most complex class, the nothing in school people. They either never went to school (by hard knocks like the other two classes, or by getting useful information from class time) the way the older classes did. They had training wheels like level editors, wad editors, or for the really dumb ones... video game classes. That last bit was harsh, but besides portal name a class project you can sing the song for. Or an Indy beyond Goo or Braid that gets major talk time.
The people that explored their talents di not go into play testing as a way to get into the game industry. The industry is hiring either programmers just getting their BS, and are wet behind the ears, or game happy kiddies who do play testing to find the bugs. I don't see much design background in either of those classes. But they do have the background to create a sitting in a lecture hall, or sitting on the couch simulator. But there is one niche that has some potential, they get a overview that others don't and they get feedback almost instantly on their designs, so they have the iterative ability to learn about design.
I am talking about the few, the hidden, the poly-sucking, sound effect playing, texture-spamming level designers. Here is the person that sits between the story, the art, and the engine. I figure if there is any spot ripe for picking the next better than average designer in a corporate setting this may well be it. I could be wrong, it could also be the AI script writers that have a chance for glory, because they play in that same crossroads.
The ones I would like to see get a chance are the writers, but since they are so insulated from the real technology of gaming, they may be a lost cause beyond the cut scene. Strangely they are also the ones that have notebooks full of stories that never have been told. This leads me to think that the next big name from a 'corp' background may be a team effort.
Scripting does the story, level design does the background, and interaction comes from the AI guru. But getting them the freedom to do that project together may be the limiting factor. What developer would willingly put their best writer, their best level designer, and their best AI scriptwriter on a project they have never seen?
Looking at the range of game designers, a large percentage over 80% will fall into one of the three classes above. Wright is a solid rep for the old school varsity, they chewed bytes and spit out games. The mid school I would consider to be the old upstarts, American McGee or Carmak are in this class. Then you get the most complex class, the nothing in school people. They either never went to school (by hard knocks like the other two classes, or by getting useful information from class time) the way the older classes did. They had training wheels like level editors, wad editors, or for the really dumb ones... video game classes. That last bit was harsh, but besides portal name a class project you can sing the song for. Or an Indy beyond Goo or Braid that gets major talk time.
The people that explored their talents di not go into play testing as a way to get into the game industry. The industry is hiring either programmers just getting their BS, and are wet behind the ears, or game happy kiddies who do play testing to find the bugs. I don't see much design background in either of those classes. But they do have the background to create a sitting in a lecture hall, or sitting on the couch simulator. But there is one niche that has some potential, they get a overview that others don't and they get feedback almost instantly on their designs, so they have the iterative ability to learn about design.
I am talking about the few, the hidden, the poly-sucking, sound effect playing, texture-spamming level designers. Here is the person that sits between the story, the art, and the engine. I figure if there is any spot ripe for picking the next better than average designer in a corporate setting this may well be it. I could be wrong, it could also be the AI script writers that have a chance for glory, because they play in that same crossroads.
The ones I would like to see get a chance are the writers, but since they are so insulated from the real technology of gaming, they may be a lost cause beyond the cut scene. Strangely they are also the ones that have notebooks full of stories that never have been told. This leads me to think that the next big name from a 'corp' background may be a team effort.
Scripting does the story, level design does the background, and interaction comes from the AI guru. But getting them the freedom to do that project together may be the limiting factor. What developer would willingly put their best writer, their best level designer, and their best AI scriptwriter on a project they have never seen?
It would take some stones.
-Cecil
-Cecil