Feature: Take This Job and Love It! - Designers - Brian Allgeier
|
Name: Brian Allgeier Title: Design Director - Insomniac Games Notable Past Projects: Spyro: Ripto's Rage, Spyro: Year of the Dragon Current Project: Ratchet and Clank Schooling/Degree: I vaguely remember 2 years of college General duties of your position/title: I'm responsible for all sorts of mayhem, some of which includes: creating enemy behaviors, producing level designs, running design meetings, and making sure the design department runs like clockwork (or just plain runs). How many people are in your department/team? If you are a manager, many people do you oversee? I oversee two incredibly gifted designers, and a brilliant tester. What was the most valuable bit of knowledge or experience you brought with you to the job? As a design director, I work with all types of people in this industry like artists, animators, designers, programmers, and senior editors of game magazines. Being able to express ones ideas clearly is essential in communicating designs and new concepts. When pitching a design, it helps to understand where each person is coming from and their different viewpoints. A designer might have an idea that is visually compelling yet a programming nightmare. Conversely, an idea might work technically from a gameplay standpoint yet clash with the story and visual theme. Though it is next to impossible to satisfy everyone, the more people you can get on board for an idea - the better chance of its success. What was the first major lesson you learned once you started working in the industry? The best ideas are both creative and work within the technical and scheduling constraints of the project. Though it is tough to come up with innovative concepts, executing them proves to be the toughest challenge. Simple ideas are best to start with and they can always become more complex later. If an idea is hard to explain to a programmer or artist, then it will be even more difficult to communicate it in the game to the player. What academic focuses would you recommend for someone who wants to do your job someday? Courses in computer science, computer animation, storytelling, visual layout, interface design, and game design would be valuable. Since games are becoming increasingly more complex, it would help to take classes in the different aspects of game development. Designers must take into account all aspects of the game, from animation timing to level layout. Having a well-rounded understanding of what makes a game tick is critical in producing good designs. Common misconceptions about your job? I live in this mirthful existence where we play games all day and dance in a grassy field with shiny gems and coins. The "shiny gems" part is absolutely untrue. Is college a necessity, a really good idea, or not required for your line of work? I would consider college to be a really good idea. It helps to play a lot of games and even take notes while you play them. Analyzing games for what does work and what doesn't can be very informative. What tools and software do you use on a regular basis? We use Adobe Illustrator for creating level layouts, MS word and Excel for creating design documents. Maya is used for prototyping levels and enemy set ups. What's your advice for breaking into your line of work? Designers come from a variety of different backgrounds. Many come from product test while others from programming or art. It is best to be prepared. When I first started out, I was working as an artist and had written some design documents in my spare time. When the lead designer at my company left, the producers were looking for some new concepts. I pitched my designs and though they were not accepted, they recognized my design skills and I was soon designing levels.
|
![Screen Update: Sudden Strike 3: Arms for Victory [PC]](/screens/111246/197628-1-1.jpg)
![Screen Update: Infamous [PS3]](/screens/134601/197568-1-1.jpg)
![Screen Update: Mushroom Men - The Spore Wars [Wii]](/screens/135221/125868-1-1.jpg)
![Screen Update: Midnight Club: Los Angeles [Xbox 360]](/screens/136701/197588-1-1.jpg)
