An interview with Rare
We were fortunate enough to be
invited to Rare Ltd, the veteran UK games development company who’ve produced
many hit games including Donkey Kong
Country, Goldeneye 007, Conker’s Bad Fur Day, Banjo-Kazooie and Perfect Dark to name but a few. They now predominantly
develop for Microsoft’s Xbox 360, with new titles such as Kameo and Viva Piñata already
released and a fresh outing for Banjo-Kazooie on its way. We wanted to find
out exactly what they think about the ever increasing numbers of games design
and development courses in UK
education and their views on the new creative media diploma qualification.
Surprisingly, Rare hold traditional
views about academic qualifications and favor a background
in subjects like maths, computer science and physics over specific gaming
courses. No course provides all the skills a student needs to fulfill their
role but a strong background in an analytical subject is a good starting point. Games
development is a cutting-edge field which makes it difficult to predict what
skills or knowledge will be desirable in the next 5 or 10 years so ‘core’
skills are crucial. In a potential employee, Rare look for flexibility,
problem-solving and an eye for detail. Most importantly they require skills like
the ability to work in a team, communicate well, work hard and a passion for
video games.
The choice
of computer hardware is less important for console games development
than it would be for a home computer games company. Although, it would
be possible to develop on an Apple Mac in theory, Rare, like other
developers,
exclusively use PCs for development work but do use Macs extensively in
the music department. Ideally, students should gain experience
and skills on both platforms. Games companies know that the future of
games is
likely to be online so it is also important for all students and
prospective
employees to have strong understanding of the fundamental principles of
the
web.
For programmers, knowledge of C and
C++ is essential. An understanding of C# or .NET is also beneficial, with
knowledge of Direct X and shader programming both being helpful for budding
graphics developers.
For artists and graphic designers
keen to break into the industry the key thing to remember is that Rare, like most
other games companies, only occasionally hire games designers – usually this
position results from a progression through experience. Just like any other
artistic roles, natural talent, a first-rate concept and an enthusiasm for
gaming are essential but there are many different levels and types of artists
working within the art departments of games companies.
If your students are interested in a
career in games art and design, being aware of and getting to grips with
current software trends within the industry is essential. At Rare, 3D artists
usually work using Autodesk software, mainly Maya. 2D and concept artists work
using the Adobe CS3 package, mostly Fireworks and Photoshop. Using these
packages is one of the easiest, and pragmatic, ways of gaining vital experience
for the industry. The field of animation is slightly different - experience and
qualifications are not as significant as other areas. There are some amazing
animation courses online and the software for
animation, such as the Toon Boom range, starts from very basic, easy-to-use
packages such as Toon Boom Flip Boom right the way to Toon Boom Studio and
Storyboard Pro. By progressing from entry level to advanced software, the
skills and processes of animation can be taught and learnt without spending a
fortune on courses.
Rare work closely with SkillSet, the
sector skills council for the AV industry, to support their accreditation which
identifies the university courses with the right content for the industry. They
explain that the content of some courses can be too focused, not substantial or
outdated but Rare believe the main reason for games courses not delivering is
the nature of the industry itself. One of the most interesting suggestions by
Rare is for schools, colleges and universities to set up their own independent
games studios where students can get an idea of the complete process and
produce their own game as part of the course.
When it comes to the new
Creative and Media diploma qualification, Rare believe this is a
great starting point for those wanting a career in the games industry. Project work and independent
study promotes valuable skills like teamwork, project management, communication
and an awareness of others’ roles. The chance to actually produce a game as
part of the project is a new and very exciting prospect which would be
mutually beneficial to students and industry. Key to the diploma is gaining
transferable, industry-standard skills and the best way to do this is to use
the correct tools and establish a strong knowledge of the whole industry
process.
Whether your school is teaching the new diploma
qualifications or not, companies like Rare within the creative industries value
real-world experience of the tools and processes involved. To give your
students the best chance of succeeding, emphasis should be placed on
gaining strong core skills, as much experience as possible of the
hardware and software tools used in that particular field, and a solid
understanding of the industry process and practices.
Thank everyone at Rare for all their cooperation and help with this article!
Jigsaw Education