How do I ensure that your career in the Game Development industry is going up? After all, you may feel that you have everything according to plan, but you are spinning in place and stop enjoying the work without the desired results.
Let’s look at five bad tips that will steal your future in the GameDev industry and strangle you with routine tasks. If you notice these qualities at home, you must change your approach.
1. Forget about your target audience
You won’t feel engaged if you start ignoring the target audience. Disregard the “player portrait” and remember that you created the game—focus on doing your job.
This approach will lead you to overlook mechanics and design, causing you to miss out on crucial subtleties and essential elements easily. The interaction between the environment and characters will become as awkward and nonsensical as possible. Gameplay will end up being the least exciting part of the narrative.
2. There’s not enough thing as creativity
Disregard the idea of creativity altogether. Instead, aim to dream big and create the most unrealistic expectations possible. Your goal should be to develop a sophisticated game with high-quality graphics and innovative, unprecedentedly bizarre, and outlandish mechanics.
Refrain from being swayed by the notion that the game’s genre is crucial or that you must adhere strictly to the basic concept. Incorporate elements that even the most devoted fans would not anticipate. The less common sense and coherent storyline your game has, the better.
Meet one of the weirdest characters in the game – Blitztank from Akatsuki Blitzkampf. Try to make it even creepier.
3. You need more AI-generated results
In 2024, many AI platforms have emerged, designed to assist game artists, developers, writers, and other professionals. Make sure to utilize all the platforms available to you. After all, artificial intelligence has been explicitly developed to aid you in creating layouts, audio/video effects, and potentially even replacing specific tasks.
Be sure to watch the Get Hired releases on the YouTube channel Devoted Studios. In them, experienced Art Directors explain how they easily distinguish AI-generated content from 3D Artist creatives.
Therefore, it is imperative that you:
- Copy the code from the GPT chat and incorporate it into your work without alterations.
- Using platforms like Prometheanai, Scenario, and others, you can generate layout designs within seconds and seamlessly integrate them into production.
- Produce visual effects (VFX) using tools like Midjourney or Audio2face in a single take and integrate them into your game.
However, over-relying on these tools may lead to declining specialization and jeopardizing your contracts.
Observe how unprofessional and disruptive the voices in games can become. By consistently seeking advice and guidance, you can surpass such outcomes.
4. Avoid Embracing New Technologies and Refrain from Improving Expertise
Stick to using the most essential tools available, ones that can be found on any laptop or Mac machine.
- As a 2D/3D artist, rely on online software versions like Photoshop instead of seeking more advanced platforms.
- Sound artists should refrain from creating their samples and opt to download them from free stock sites.
There’s no need to strive for excellence in your field. Just stick to a single method of performing tasks.
5. Abandon Continuous Learning
Replace time spent on learning with playing games and keeping up with the latest developments in the GameDev industry. This approach is guaranteed to result in the creation of the most bizarre characters and environments imaginable. However, it also ensures that you won’t select appropriate voices for characters or suitable ambient sounds.
Moreover, if you aim to sabotage, consider mixing genres — for example, adding a Noir dialogue clock to a shooter game. This type of experimentation will likely earn you the ire of players or even lead to dismissal by company management.
Instead of Conclusions: Tips for Making the Right Moves
Do you want to avoid making mistakes? Then do the opposite! We’ve highlighted the most common mistakes that can end a GameDev career. Knowing them isn’t enough; you must also learn how to progress effectively.
- Keep evolving: Continuously play games and stay updated with the latest technology. This approach will help you generate innovative ideas consistently and remain connected with your target audience, delivering fantastic content that delights them.
- Use AI platforms intelligently: AI tools are invaluable for handling routine tasks and streamlining processes. However, take your time with them; use them with discernment while understanding their limitations.
- Embrace new technologies: Leveraging cutting-edge technology stacks can significantly accelerate your progress and make your team more efficient and productive.
By following these straightforward tips, you can avoid falling into the pitfalls discussed earlier and ensure a successful career trajectory in Game Development.