Games developers are involved in the creation and production of games for personal computers, games consoles, social/online games, arcade games, tablets, mobile phones and other hand held devices. Their work involves either design (including art and animation) or programming.

Games development is a fast-moving, multi-billion pound industry. The making of a game from concept to finished product can take up to three years and involve teams of up to 200 professionals.

There are many stages, including creating and designing a games look and how it plays, animating characters and objects, creating audio, programming, localisation, testing and producing.

The games developer job title covers a broad area of work and there are many specialisms within the industry. These include:

• quality assurance tester;
• programmer, with various specialisms such as network, engine, toolchain and artificial intelligence;
• audio engineer;
• artist, including concept artist, animator and 3D modeller;
• producer;
• editor;
• designer;
• special effects technician.

• You might be responsible for the replacement of a whole system based on the specifications provided by an IT analyst but often you’ll work with ‘off the shelf’ software, modifying it and integrating it into the existing network. The skill in this is creating the code to link the systems together.
• You’ll also be responsible for:
• Reviewing current systems
  Presenting ideas for system improvements, including cost proposals
  Working closely with analysts, designers and staff
  Producing detailed specifications and writing the programme codes
  Testing the product in controlled, real situations before going live
  Preparation of training manuals for users
  Maintaining the systems once they are up and running