A Day in the Life of a Multiplayer Game Developer

Like all other jobs, video game developers have a workday routine. And it has nothing to do with the many stereotypes we get in the movies; game studios are not full of introverts gulping cans of energy drinks over a 15-hour day; nor are they filled with lazy developers who only stumble on innovations. Many developers are serious project managers with very detailed schedules. So, what is the model workday for a game developer?

What They Do in the Morning Segment

This segment starts at 7 or 8 a.m. and normally ends at 9 a.m. or earlier. Developers use this time to review client feedback or communication from project managers. Sometimes phone calls or emails are required to clear up any inconsistencies with clients. Developers spend the rest of the time setting up their integrated development environments.

The Rest of the Day

Your favorite video game is, most likely, a product of immense effort. The high level of complexity that is required means that game development is mostly teamwork rather than individual work. A typical team may consist of analysts, artists, programmers, and testers.

Since completing a project requires teamwork, the first thing in this segment is normally a project group meeting. In the meeting, group leaders communicate or clarify relevant instructions to team members. They then review the previous day’s work and set the targets for the day. The meeting is generally short.

After the meeting, everybody retreats to their desks to carry out the day’s work; depending on their role, different people will handle different parts of the project. A system analyst, for example, could be engaged in producing the designs — like writing the pseudocode or determining the levels of the game. Programmers, on the other hand, could be engrossed in writing the code that will run the game.

How They Create Successful or Popular Games

Developers don’t just create games, they seek to create popular games. And in the process, they have come up with tricks to achieve that. Here are a few of those tips you might find useful:

• Try to be creative with your storyline. To be successful, some of the best games have storylines that are both captivating and very complex. Ask yourself several questions: What sort of game do you want — players solving a puzzle, engaging in some adventure, or competing in some race? Which objectives do players achieve at every level?
• Examine games that follow a similar plot in the industry and try to be unique or original as much as possible.
• Assemble a formidable team — depending on the game complexity — that can achieve the desired outcome.
• Remember to add high-level game features like a voice chat to your game. In a multi-player game, for example, a voice chat feature is likely to make your game more successful in the market.

The game development industry is very competitive. However, success depends on the creativity, skills, organization, and discipline of the game developer. What does that mean? The answer is simple: Any focused individual can succeed.

Image via Flickr by Joshua | Ezzell