One of the most exciting career paths anyone can enter in 2024 is a game developer (aka game dev) in the multi-million-dollar global gaming industry. A developer, also known as a coder or programmer, is multi disciplined and typically has a range of skills to create a digital game for the entertainment sector.
Here is a
closer look at which new technologies the very best developers use to stand out
from the crowd in a highly competing but extremely rewarding industry.
What does being a game developer entail?
A game
developer is someone who is involved in the process of creating a video game or
any other game for the digital realm.
Video game
development is the start-to-finish process of creating a game that can be
accessed either online or offline from one or more computing devices, such as
PCs (desktop computers and laptops), mobile devices (smartphones and tablets),
dedicated handheld gaming devices (Nintendo Switch and Valve Stem Deck), and/or
consoles (Xbox and PlayStation).
Someone
who is part of developing a game may only be involved in one part of that
process, specializing in their own department and working as part of a much
larger team or working alone and developing the entire game from start to
finish.
Typical
game devs are usually skilled/qualified in various disciplines, methods, and
techniques required to make video games, and they will be proficient in at
least one (up to three, four or five) computer programming languages.
What are the main roles and processes required in video game development?
There are
many different roles in the video game development industry, whether it's
making high-end, graphically demanding triple-A
blockbuster first-person shooter video games,
Indie games, puzzlers, feature-rich online slot machines, or MMORPGs (massively
multiplayer online role-playing games) and some of the most notable roles and
processes include the following:
- Video game programming
- Video game producer
- Graphics/animations and 3D artists
- Video game design
- User interface
- Writing
- Level designer
- Sound designer/audio engineer
- Engine programmer
- Quality assurance
- Physics programmer
- Creative director
- Games tester
- AI (artificial intelligence) design
specialist
- VR (virtual reality) development
- Backend development
- Marketer
- Technical director
- Network programmer
- Producer
Being a
successful game developer also involves mastering one or more computer/mobile
programming/coding languages, such as HTML5, C++, C#, Python, Java, Java
Script, and/or Swift, and getting to grips with one or more game engines, such
as Unreal and/or Unity.
It also
entails being naturally creative, having the ability to work alone or within a
small or large team, thinking logically (and outside of the box), and being
good at solving any problems that may present themselves.
Which key skills and technologies are needed to become a standout game developer in the online casino industry?
The casino
industry has always been highly competitive, but this competition is felt
particularly keenly in the emerging world of sweepstakes casino, where games
utilise sweepstake and gold coins to create a ‘microcosm’ within the site.
Currency works within the games, which offers an immersive and safe experience
for players. To make games that are commonly found on sites like
Zula Casino – including Chumba Casino, Pulsz
Casino and Stake – it would help to familiarise yourself with the Java,
JavaScript, C#, HTML5 and/or Python coding languages.
You may
also want to start familiarising yourself with virtual reality (VR) technology,
artificial intelligence, and its many applications (such as machine learning
and generative AI). In the future, experts predict that VR will become a significant
part of online casino games, completely revolutionizing how we interact with
these websites and the types of games that will one day be available on
them.
Mobile
gaming is also the preferred platform for playing online casino games, whether
it's playing computer-generated online slot machines with 3D-rendered graphics
and animated sequences, traditional table and card games like blackjack,
roulette, baccarat, poker and craps, or any other games typically found on
these sites, such as crash games, instant win online scratchcards, bingo, keno,
or video poker, to name a few.
What else does it take to become a standout game developer in one of the world's most competitive industries?
Staying on
top of the latest technological trends in video game development is a must to
stay one step ahead of the other developers. However, it cannot be stressed
enough just how important it is to become proficient in coding. Mastering as
many programming languages as possible is the key to becoming a standout game
developer.
It's
important to have a basic understanding of mathematics and physics to create
equations that direct game engines and computer systems during the game
development process.
Focus on
learning one programming language to begin with and become an expert in it
before confusing yourself by learning others at the same time. Also, try to
network with other game developers and learn new
skills and techniques from them.
Remember
to use as many computing programming tools as possible that will help you with
whatever tasks you undertake, and that becoming a high-level game developer
won't happen overnight.
Final thoughts
If you
decide to pursue a career as a game developer, you should really consider going
to college or university or at least enrolling in e-learning courses that are
relevant to any field(s) you wish to enter. In other words, you will need to
study computer science or obtain the necessary qualifications required for your
chosen speciality.
Having a
bachelor's degree or equivalent in game development will help you rise to the
top quickly, but don't panic if you aren't yet qualified with the necessary
diplomas because there are still many other ways you can enter the field of
developing content for the gaming industry.
