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Game Director

A Game Director is a visionary who is behind the creation and development of a video game and is responsible for determining the overall creative direction and tone of the game as well as overseeing their implementation. They closely collaborate with various teams, including Designers, Artists and Programmers, to ensure that the game’s vision is effectively realized. They provide guidance and feedback during the game development process, helping to shape mechanics, story and visual style to achieve the desired player experience.

 

In addition to their creative responsibilities, a Game Director often serves as the primary point of contact between the development team and publishers and stakeholders. They are tasked with communicating progress on the project, managing budgets and schedules, and making key decisions to keep development on track. They must possess excellent leadership abilities, communication and problem-solving skills to deliver a successful product to the market.

Tools

Jira

Microsoft Project

Scrumwise

Slack

Google Analytics

Tableau

GameAnalytics

Salesforce

Adobe XD

COLLABORATION WITH OTHER TEAMS:

The role of a Game Director necessarily requires close collaboration with various other positions in the gaming industry. They work closely with Game Designers to clarify mechanics, story elements and the overall player experience. This collaboration involves discussing ideas, providing feedback on design concepts and ensuring that the creative vision of the game aligns with the planned player journey. Additionally, they rely on Artists and Animators to visually bring this vision to life and work together with them to establish the artistic style of the game, character design, environments and visual effects.

 

Furthermore, they collaborate intensively with Programmers to implement their creative vision into the game engine. They communicate their design requirements and mechanics to the Programming team, providing guidance on how to achieve the desired functionality within the constraints of the engine and hardware platforms of the game. This collaboration involves constant communication, problem-solving and iteration to ensure that the technical aspects of the game support and enhance the overall player experience envisioned by a Game Director. Effective collaboration with different roles is essential for a Game Director to successfully lead the development of the game from concept to completion.

Skills

This position is expected to be able to master, do and deliver the following:

Hard skills

  • Creative vision
    • Can conceptualize innovative ideas, visualize the final product and effectively communicate their vision to the development team.
  • Leadership
    • Inspires and motivates, makes key decisions, sets goals and expectations, gives guidance, resolves conflict, fosters a collaborative work environment.
  • Problem solving:
    • Identifies issues, analyzes potential solutions and makes informed decisions to keep the project on the right track.

Soft skills

  • Communication
    • Conveys their creative vision, provides feedback, collaborates with stakeholders, facilitates productive discussions and actively listens.
  • Adaptability
    • Adjusts to changing priorities, deadlines and unforeseen circumstances, adapts plans and strategies, embraces new ideas and technologies.
  • Empathy
    • Understands perspectives and motivations of the team, fosters an inclusive work environment, collaborates with people, recognizes and values individual strength.
A Game Director leads the overall vision of the product, which includes gameplay, story, audio, cinematics and marketing materials. The person in this position is closely involved in establishing the game concept together with senior members of the teams and translates the overall vision into a creative framework.

Seniority

Although the terms junior and medior are less commonly used in the context of this role, there may be different levels of experience and responsibility. In larger studios, hierarchical structures such as Lead Game Director or Senior Game Director are also encountered, reflecting a higher level of experience, responsibility and leadership within the position, but it is most commonly assumed to be a senior role.

Junior

Medior

Senior

  • Develops and implements strategic plans, aligns the creative vision of the game with market trends, target audience preferences and the studio’s long-term goals.
  • Mentors and develops the team’s skills, has good leadership and coaching abilities, provides guidance, feedback and support, fosters a culture of continuous learning.
  • Manages relationships with key stakeholders, has good communication and negotiation skills, aligns expectations and represents project interests in negotiations.
  • Identifies potential risks and challenges during project development and applies strategies to mitigate them, making decisions to resolve creative disagreements.
GAME DIRECTOR // GAME PRODUCTION //
GAME DIRECTOR // GAME PRODUCTION //

EDUCATION:

If you are interested in a career in production within the gaming industry, consider earning a degree or taking a course in game development, project management, or business administration with a focus on the entertainment or media industry. Programs covering project management methodologies, video game production pipelines, as well as agile development practices and project budgeting will be of particular value to you. An understanding of the technical aspects of game development, including game engines, game art and design processes, and software development cycles, will provide you with a good foundation for overseeing game production.

 

In addition to formal education, gaining hands-on experience through an internship or entry-level position in video game development or project management can be critical to your preparation for a role in production. Participate in projects to gain insight into the challenges and workflows that are part of game creation. Developing organizational skills, problem-solving abilities and effective communication are essential for success in production roles. Networking with industry professionals, attending events and staying informed about trends and technologies will further improve your prospects for starting a career in this field.

Akademija umetnosti u Novom Sadu

Dizajn video igara

Fakultet organizacionih nauka

Univerzitet u Beogradu

Resources

Blogs

Books

  • “The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses” – Jesse Schell
  • “Rules of Play: Game Design Fundamentals” – Katie Salen, Eric Zimmerman
  • “Level Up! The Guide to Great Video Game Design” – Scott Rogers
  • “Game Design Workshop” – Tracy Fullerton
  • “The Ultimate Guide to Video Game Writing and Design” – Flint Dille, John Zuur Platten

Podcasts

Individuals

  • Brenda Romero (@br)
  • Tim Schafer (@TimOfLegend)
  • Rami Ismail (@tha_rami)
  • Cory Barlog (@corybarlog)
  • Amy Hennig (@amy_hennig)

What does the interview for this position look like?​

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GAME DIRECTOR // GAME PRODUCTION //
GAME DIRECTOR // GAME PRODUCTION //