Most people are aware that the entertainment industry is massive, generating billions of dollars in revenue each year, and fueling the trillion-dollar industry even further. But what they usually don’t know is that games represent a significant fraction of this industry – which are projected to amass $365.6 billion in revenue this year alone according to Statista.
From the long-awaited AAA titles for the latest console generation to casual indie mobile games, they have become a staple of modern entertainment, being present in the lives of many. But have you ever wondered who are the hidden figures responsible for bringing them to life? The answer lies in the work of game programmers, game artists, and game designers!
In this article, we will leave game art aside and explore the game programming vs game design dilemma, explaining their key responsibilities and potential salaries. By the end of this article, we hope to have helped you determine which path is the right one for you.
Have a good read!
Game programming vs game design: what are their key differences?
Even though these roles have very similar names and all work towards the creation of a game, they play very distinct roles. Yes, there might be some overlap from time to time, but that’s the exception, not the norm. However, they do share some alluring similarities: they are very satisfying careers (according to CareerExplorer) and, as you will see below, they have mouth-watering wages, making them two of the most coveted roles for thousands of professionals in the entertainment industry.
Let’s see what makes these two roles so different from each other.
Game design
Game design is the process of conceptualizing and developing the rules, mechanics, gameplay, challenges/rewards, worldbuilding, and overall structure of a game. By understanding what players are expecting from a game, game designers can envision an engaging and immersive experience for them.
Just as an architect must consider a building’s functionality, aesthetics, and safety, a game designer must consider a game’s mechanics, narrative, and overall user experience. However, game design is a multifaceted and dynamic field that requires creativity and problem-solving skills, as well as a thorough understanding of the gaming industry and player expectations.
What are the roles of a game designer?
As we will see below, game designers can take on a variety of roles within a development team:
- Creation of the Game Design Document (GDD): the lead game designer, along with top-level executives, will create the game’s concept, core mechanics, main gameplay loop, worldbuilding, and characters, and do some business-level work (such as performing market research) to identify whether the game idea is viable. All this information will be compiled on the GDD, which will serve as the backbone for the entire project;
- System design: game designers might be responsible for creating the game’s mechanics and systems, such as combat, progression, character customization, loot, and much more. At their core, many successful games are just a collection of well-designed and well-balanced systems interacting with the player in a fun and engaging way;
- Narrative design (worldbuilding): what would RPG and story-based games be like without a hand-crafted universe to explore? Developing a world from scratch, also known as worldbuilding, is another front on which game designers might work. They will be responsible for creating the story, characters, dialogues, and lore in a game, ensuring the plot is compelling and has no inconsistencies – the infamous plot holes;
- User experience (UX) design: another critical role game designers might take on is that of UX design. These professionals will focus on creating a seamless and enjoyable user experience in the game, working mainly on the game’s interface and controls, making sure the player can easily navigate through the game and perform actions without encountering setbacks;
- Level design and game balance: almost every game has its own deal of challenges that players must take on to progress, and it’s the level designers’ job to ensure the game is challenging enough to be interesting, but not so tough as to be frustrating. Game balance is especially important for role-playing, economy-based, and competitive games, which is why they see updates and patches now and then;
- Quality assurance (QA) testing: along with fellow developers, game designers might have to test their own creations to ensure they are working as envisioned in the GDD. They may also test and report bugs, exploits, and other issues to the development team so that they’re promptly fixed.
What about the salary of a game designer?
The average annual pay for an American game designer stands tall at over $104,000 a year according to ZipRecruiter, which works out to be over $50 an hour. However, there is a great variance between reported salaries, with junior designers making around $45,000 and very experienced ones raking over $160,000 a year. This suggests that experience, geographical location, and qualifications play a role in determining the yearly wage of a game designer.
Game programming
If game designers are like architects who design a detailed blueprint, then game programmers are the builders who get their hands dirty, constructing the actual building. Game programming, a term that also goes by “game development”, is all about messing with programming languages and game engines (like Unity and Unreal Engine) to create the experience envisioned by the game designers.
So, what else do game programmers do?
However, game programming is not just about writing code to make the game run – in fact, there is much more than meets the eye. As we will see right below, it is a broad field that encompasses a variety of specializations, each with unique skills and responsibilities:
- Developing a game engine: some game development studios take on the challenge of creating an in-house game engine, which allows for incredibly deep customization to create whatever experience they want. Developing a proprietary game engine also helps with optimization and makes the company avoid paying royalties and other game engine licensing fees once their games hit the stores – even a 5% fee might be enough incentive for the biggest game studios to create engines of their own;
- Tools and utilities: in some cases, developers will have to create in-house software tools to streamline the game creation process, such as level editors, asset importers/exporters, and performance profiling tools (which are critical during optimization). It’s like investing some time and resources to gain them back with interest;
- Artificial intelligence (AI) and scripting: programmers are also the ones behind the creation of the systems and algorithms that enable non-player characters (NPCs) to act and react in coherent and believable ways. This is especially important in singleplayer adventure games, such as The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Cyberpunk 2077, as it helps create an immersive atmosphere for players;
- Implementing game assets: can you imagine what games would be like if they didn’t have visuals? Once game artists create game assets, such as models, textures, animations, sound effects, background music, and visual effects, game developers will implement them into the game using code, ensuring they will play after the correct trigger;
- Testing and debugging: even though many leading studios prefer to outsource their QA testing needs, some initial testing and debugging happen as developers write the code, but it’s seldom enough. And we really mean it: despite everyone’s best efforts, you just can’t weed out all the bugs and unintended interactions in bigger games, which can lead to some funny interactions – some of which are being taken to the extreme in Super Mario 64’s A-Button Challenge;
- Optimization: to ensure a smooth gaming experience for as many people as possible, game programmers might need to work on optimizing the code to improve the game’s performance. It’s possible to accomplish this in many ways, though optimizing 3D models, fine-tuning particle effects, memory usage, and reducing load times is the usual approach;
- Platform-specific development: depending on the scope of your project, you might have to create games for specific gaming platforms, such as consoles, PCs, or mobile devices. As such, you will have to cater to their specific licensing requirements (if applicable) and optimize them accordingly – for instance, your average phone won’t run games as well as a latest-generation console, and making the mobile experience enjoyable in this case is a huge challenge;
- Multiplayer networking: for games with multiplayer features, programmers will need to create and implement proper and efficient networking code to facilitate communication between players and keep “lag” to a minimum;
What about the salary of a game developer?
According to ZipRecruiter, the average annual pay for game programmers (in the US) is around $98,960 a year, which translates to roughly $47.58 an hour. However, once more, salaries will vary a lot depending on your qualifications, experience, and geographical location.
Game programming vs game design: which one should I pick?
That’s a tough question to answer. On average, both positions pay really well, so either option will work if money is what you’re after. That said, the demand for job satisfaction and quality of life is at an all-time high, so you should strive for a role better aligned with your personality and hobbies.
For instance, pursuing a career in game development will be a better fit if you find programming fun, enjoy optimizing the codebase, and would rather deal with all technicalities involved when creating a game.
However, if you’re someone whose mind runs free when bored, or if you enjoy balancing game mechanics, creating game mechanics for players to interact with, designing interactive and engaging levels, and making your users’ life easier, then game design should be your choice.
Game Programming or Game Design: Finding Your Path
The world of game development is vast, and there are two primary avenues to explore: game design and game programming. It’s essential to understand the distinctions between the two to choose the right path for your aspirations.
Game Design: Game designers are the creative visionaries of the game industry. They conceptualize the idea of the game, define the rules, story, and gameplay elements. They are responsible for ensuring the game is engaging and enjoyable for players. Game design primarily focuses on the artistic and conceptual aspects of game development. If you’re a creative thinker with a passion for storytelling and game mechanics, this might be your path.
Game Programming: On the other hand, game programmers are the technical architects who bring these designs to life. They write the code that makes the game run, turning the game designer’s vision into a playable game. Game programming requires expertise in coding, software development, and an understanding of programming languages and application programming interfaces (APIs). If you’re more inclined towards the technical and problem-solving aspects of game development, this could be your calling.
Both roles are integral to the development process, and collaboration between designers and programmers is essential to creating successful games. The main difference lies in their focus: game designers prioritize the user experience and overall design, while game programmers delve into the technical aspects of video game development. Understanding these differences will help you choose the path that aligns best with your interests and skills.
What if I’m creating a game and need to find qualified professionals?
In that case, you’re in the right place! We understand how designing, developing, and creating all the assets of a game can be a time-consuming affair when doing so with a small team. So let us take care of everything for you!
With 13 years of experience and over 70 highly qualified professionals to bring your vision to life, we at Main Leaf offer a one-stop solution for game development – we’ll work on your project from its pre-production stages all the way to its release on the major digital storefronts. By using Scrum in our daily routine, we can ensure the development of your game will be quick and efficient.
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to bring your game to life. And all you have to do is request a game quote to watch the game of your dreams come true!
