Sofia Game Jam 2020 – How to become part of the game industry? (part two)

During the second day (January 26) of Sofia Game Jam 2020, we learned the basics of non-game design and how to become a game designer. After the lecture by Viktor Dosev from Creative Assembly Sofia, Nikolay Naidenov from Gameloft Sofia showed the visitors how a 3D artist really works and what can be created in a 3D design program within 2 hours!

How to become a Game designer by Viktor Dosev (Creative Assembly Sofia)

Game designer – his task is to capture the essence of some part of life and turn it into a game.

One of the fundamental tasks of any game designer is to make the game fun. If it’s not fun, then it won’t attract players. How does a game become fun? Each player can interpret this concept in different ways – for some, it is fun to die and start over, for others it is to develop your character, and for others, it is the challenges and difficult games! Psychology is an important aspect that a game designer should be familiar with. The needs of the player, what will satisfy his desire for autonomy, the social interactions within the game, whether it will enable him to develop a new skill. In addition to the game being fun, the game design includes gameplay – these are all the rules, interactivity, the plot of the game, art design, marketing strategies, feedback, etc. There are many factors that influence the game and its development, so we have to take them into account, and if we do not, the chance of making a mistake somewhere is great.

Where does the development of a game begin? The idea – this is the first stage we have to go through. Of course, we can’t work on the idea for long, because it’s just in our head and we have to realize it materially, first with the design, then with the prototype, and until we finally get to the finished game. In this long process, we have to find out exactly what our passion is – whether it is level design or world creator, battle/quest/mission design – the types of game design for many, so we have to choose the right one for us, the one that gives us pleasure to develop. Once we have gone through all these steps and we are sure that game design is the dream profession for us, then we can take the step towards job search.

How to become a 3D artist by Nikolay Naidenov (Gameloft Sofia)

In the second and last lecture for Sofia Game Jam 2020, the 3D artist from Gameloft Sofia Nikolay Naidenov showed the visitors how to work with 3D modeling software and what the artist can create within 2 hours. The practical lecture began with a brief introduction to what it takes to become a 3D artist and what programs you need to work with in order to be able to find a job. The lecturer gave examples and advice from his professional path and answered all the questions of the participants.