Many game designers were asked these questions. None gave answers as politically incorrect, cynically honest, and completely flip as yours truly. –Alan Emrich
with Alan Emrich
Alan, I’m doing a short article on game designers - the job itself and not any individual designers. I’d like a few short answers from you if you have the time. - Mark Asher
1. What is a game designer responsible for?
If you ask a producer, the game designer is responsible for either putting too much or too little in the design document (“design doc”) and that’s why the game is shipping late.
If you ask a marketing person, the game designer is responsible for writing the back of the box for them (with all of those neat bullet-points).
If you ask a programmer, the game designer is responsible for most of their coding problems because the design calls for computing something seemingly simple (such as 2 + 2) that turns out to be “impossible to program.”
If you ask an artist, the game designer is responsible for screwing up their “artistic vision” of the game by reminding them what the game is supposed to be about.
If you ask upper management, the game designer is responsible for padding the payroll and will be the first one laid off because they can’t figure out exactly what it is that they do so, naturally, that position is no longer needed at the company.
If you ask me, a game designer is the definer and keeper of the game’s “vision” and the expression of that vision in the design document. Game designers are also generally helpers in some other important way (such as coding, writing, layout - wherever that designer’s additional talents might lie). I don’t know any game designers who aren’t jacks-of-all-trades in some way when it comes to making games.
2. As a game designer, what’s your most difficult task?
Listening to everyone’s interminable suggestion on what would make a great game. Then, of course, there’s also getting others to listen to my interminable suggestions on what would make a great game.
But the hardest part of all is actually making a great game; that bit from Edison about genius being 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration applies to game designers, too (whether there’s any genius in a game’s design or not).
3. What’s the most exciting aspect of being a game designer? The dullest aspect?
Well, it’s awfully exciting telling all those kids what a cool job I have and being the envy of their universe. Then again, sitting around all day and talking about games while eating Doritos is pretty exciting. I used to dream that being a game designer would be all fast cars, big paydays, and a throng of women throwing themselves at me, but I must be doing something wrong. (Either that or Sid Meier lied to me. Sid?)
In truth, I can’t think of a dull part to this job. Well, maybe taking notes at meetings with management, but that’s personal and not necessarily related to this job in particular. I really like everything about being a game designer (except for the slow cars, small pay days, and the general disdain of women - Sid?)
4. What single adjective best sums up your thoughts about being a game designer?
It rocks! Being a game designer is probably the worst job I ever loved. Sure, the pay isn’t much, but at least the hours are lousy. And so what if everyone thinks they are a better game designer than you? I mean, it only costs most of your integrity, patience, and half your soul to be a game designer; and isn’t that a small price to pay for a career in show business?
5. Any thoughts?
If I had any thoughts, they would go into the design document so that the producer can tell me that’s why the product is shipping late, marketing can use it as a bullet-point on the back of the box, the programmers can groan about its impossibility to implement, the artists can draw something completely different, and upper management can glance at me suspiciously like I’m just trying to look busy by making things up and writing them down in the design doc.
