Becoming a Game Director

Is there a pilot in the plane? We can transpose this famous 80s film title by asking the following question: is there a pilot on the video game development team?

The pilot is the person capable of ensuring that the development of a game runs smoothly and is as coherent as possible: this pilot is the Game Director, who is responsible for all the creative aspects of the game.

Tasks

The Game Director is the pilot of the game, in other words the thinking head. He provides an overall vision, carries out many and varied tasks and, ultimately, approves the work of his entire team.

He defines the game’s graphic and looks at the graphic and visual aspects to determine the general atmosphere of the project.

They are also responsible for promoting the video game within the studio, keeping the studio constantly informed of progress. All in all, they must always keep in mind a three-pronged approach – artistic, entertaining and economic – that cannot be ignored.

Skills and knowledge

The Game Director is by definition versatile.

He or she must have a highly focused, sharp, strategic vision of the game that the studio wants to create, a great capacitý for analysis and for solving complex problems (engagement logic, ability to understand the reflexes and uses of internet users, gamers, for example).

His highly developed knowledge of the entire video game design chain (a prerequisite), his perfect knowledge of the video game market, and his experience of the industry, enable him to measure all of his decisions with relevance.

In this sector, not only a good command of English, but also a great deal of hard work and perseverance are required.

Passion is inherent in this profession: during your professional career, you will need to give 100% and not count the hours.

Game Directors must also be rigorous and, above all, enjoy working and managing multi-disciplinary teams, which means they must have the best possible management and leadership skills over the long term, as the creation of a video game can take several months or even years.

How much does a Game director earn?

A Game Director is a senior leadership role, typically reached after many years of experience in the video game industry. Salaries reflect the high level of responsibility involved, including overseeing the creative vision, coordinating large multidisciplinary teams, and guiding major production decisions. Compensation varies depending on the size of the studio, the scope of the project, and the overall responsibility of the role.

• Typical salary range: $175,000 – $306,000+ per year
• Average salary: ~$230,000 per year

Game Directors working on large scale or internationally successful projects are usually positioned toward the upper end of this range, while those in smaller studios or less complex productions tend to earn closer to the lower end.

Careers and career opportunities

The video games industry is a particularly dynamic sector. The profession of Game Director therefore has a bright future ahead of it. Companies, led by development studios, are constantly recruiting qualified people who are both excellent technicians and good creative minds.

There is no standard training to become a Game Director, but a fairly common pattern of career progression shows that many of the people who occupy this position were previously D.A., Lead Game Designer or even experienced programmers.

There are schools specialising in video games, such as ETPA, which offer courses in video games in line with the needs of the video game market, enabling you to enter the video game sector with all the artistic and technical trump cards up your sleeve.