Careers in mobile game development

Careers in mobile gamedevelopment

Not all professions require you to compromise on your passions. Work and play have become
synonymous in many professions, and quite literally so in the case of game development. We
dive into the world of mobile game development to see how viable it is as a career option.

The ‘Jobs’ page at Indiagames.com is always populated
with new vacancies for game developers

Mobile game development is still a relatively small field in India. There aren't too many mobile game development fi rms and very few institutions actually off er courses dedicated to mobile game development. It is quite possible that the few students who do take up this career are simply enthusiasts who would like to convert mobile gaming into an occupation. Sumeet Shrivastava, Center Academic Head, Arena Animation (Andheri, Mumbai) says, “Most students who are interested in gaming careers have very little or no knowledge of what it takes to make a career out of it. There are several layers to the gaming industry, which also requires programming knowledge. However, students do enter the gaming field as character designers, level designers, game environment modeling artists, etc.”

AN INCREASE IN POPULARITY

Smackall Games is a another Mobile Game Development portal

Figures suggest that there is an upsurge in the field of mobile game development. This is quite evident with the large number of gaming domains that have taken roots all over the world. With home platforms such as the PC, Xbox 360, Wii, PS3 and PS2, and handheld devices like DS, PSP, iPhone and Android-based devices, aspiring developers are spoilt for choice as far as picking a singular career is concerned. And the addition of new technologies like Kinect for Xbox 360 and PlayStation Move for PS3 give game developers opportunities to expand

their horizons. However, when it comes to mobile games specifically, the scope is comparatively narrower, but by no means negligible. “A NASSCOM report projects the gaming market in the world (from the demand perspective) to grow from $21 billion in 2008 to $53.6 billion by 2012. The Indian gaming industry is expected to grow from $167 million in 2008 to $830 million by 2012,” says Sumeet. “Nowadays gaming has found various outlets like Xbox, PlayStation, mobile phones, and even DTH media. It looks interesting and students feel that it is a fun career option. So students tend to get attracted to this field very easily.”

IS IT THE RIGHT DECISION?

Making the right decision about your career solely depends on the kind of education you have

received, the passion you have for the job, and the growth opportunities. The curriculum at Arena

Multimedia makes it possible for any undergraduate to take up the course with a mere 10+2 education requirement. The Center Academic head explains, “While any 10+2 student can opt for a course in game or art design, a good game designer should have a passion for games and an eye for detail. Students also need to have a good sense of concept and visualization, composition, aesthetics and timing, storytelling, and an interest in research and experimentation. Students must also have good taste in music, a sense of rhythm, and sound

knowledge of colors and lighting.” Developing games may not always be fun. It can be quite stressful when you are faced with deadlines and when you battle program bugs. Most institutes

that provide game development courses in  India do not require you to have any significant prior
knowledge of the field. Mumbai University, among other noted universities, provides Advanced Java as an optional subject in a few courses that they offer. This lays the foundation for mobile game development.

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS?

There’s a fair amount of learning and practice that goes in before you can embark upon a career
in game development. Sumeet summarizes the curriculum offered at Arena Multimedia. “The
course off ered from Arena Animation not only gives students an overview of the development
of computer games from their inception to the present day, but also prepares them to be an active part of game development. Through seminars, workshops and practical sessions, students are taught to effectively use visual storytelling.” “The course will help students acquire knowledge about the fundamentals of games, history of games, design and composition, drawing, concept visualization, storytelling techniques, character and environmental modeling, lighting and texturing, rigging, animation, use of motion capture data, 3D effects, sound design, user interface design, level design, etc. The curriculum is structured in a way that a trained student can use his creative and technical skills effectively.”