Career Overlap Transition record
RecordMove

Digital games designer to digital games developer

A digital games designer already meets 45% of what the digital games developer role asks for. The move turns on 13 required skills not yet in the profile.

Fig. 1 · Skill transfer ESCO v1.2.1 · directional
From digital games designer
45 % overlap
Partial match
To digital games developer
42 You already bring
13 Still to learn
82 Skills in the target role2
Learning distance Substantial retraining

66/ 100

1 How much of what a digital games developer is expected to do is already part of a digital games designer’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the digital games developer role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.

Why

Why this move works

A digital games developer role treats 6 of its required skills as things a digital games designer already does. You would walk in with these on day one.

  • 3D lighting
  • 3D texturing
  • apply 3D imaging techniques
  • computer graphics
  • computer programming
  • digital game genres

What stands in the way is 13 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.

Table 2

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 42 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A digital games developer role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a digital games designer background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area
  • already held digital game genres arts and humanities
  • already held 3D texturing arts and humanities
  • already held 3D lighting arts and humanities
  • already held interactive media arts and humanities
  • already held apply 3D imaging techniques working with computers
  • already held computer graphics information and communication technologies (icts)

All 42 carried skills, including the 6 the digital games developer role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you may need to learn

The 40 missing skills fall into 6 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.

Skill to pick up Tier
01 working with computers 6 required, 7 supplementary
  • still to learn analyse software specifications required
  • still to learn debug software required
  • still to learn develop software prototype required
  • still to learn use software libraries required
  • still to learn utilise computer-aided software engineering tools required
  • still to learn develop digital content required
  • optional, not held develop virtual game engine optional
  • optional, not held integrate system components optional
  • optional, not held use automatic programming optional
  • optional, not held use concurrent programming optional
  • optional, not held use functional programming optional
  • optional, not held use logic programming optional
  • optional, not held use object-oriented programming optional
02 information and communication technologies (icts) 3 required, 14 supplementary
  • still to learn ICT debugging tools required
  • still to learn integrated development environment software required
  • still to learn tools for software configuration management required
  • optional, not held Ansible optional
  • optional, not held Apache Maven optional
  • optional, not held Eclipse (integrated development environment software) optional
  • optional, not held Internet of Things optional
  • optional, not held Jenkins (tools for software configuration management) optional
  • optional, not held Joomla optional
  • optional, not held KDevelop optional
  • optional, not held Puppet (tools for software configuration management) optional
  • optional, not held STAF optional
  • optional, not held Salt (tools for software configuration management) optional
  • optional, not held Xcode optional
  • optional, not held object-oriented modelling optional
  • optional, not held software anomalies optional
  • optional, not held World Wide Web Consortium standards optional
03 communication, collaboration and creativity 2 required, 4 supplementary
  • still to learn use software design patterns required
  • still to learn render 3D images required
  • optional, not held adapt to changes in technological development plans optional
  • optional, not held design user interface optional
  • optional, not held create flowchart diagram optional
  • optional, not held develop creative ideas optional
04 information skills 2 required
  • still to learn interpret technical texts required
  • still to learn execute analytical mathematical calculations required
05 natural sciences, mathematics and statistics 1 supplementary
  • optional, not held trigonometry optional
06 working with machinery and specialised equipment 1 supplementary
  • optional, not held assist multimedia operator optional
Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a digital games developer role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.

Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.

Appendix

Appendix · The rest of the record

All 42 skills that carry over
Skill Type
  • already held 3D lighting knowledge
  • already held 3D texturing knowledge
  • already held apply 3D imaging techniques skill
  • already held computer graphics knowledge
  • already held computer programming knowledge
  • already held digital game genres knowledge
  • already held ABAP knowledge
  • already held AJAX knowledge
  • already held APL knowledge
  • already held ASP.NET knowledge
  • already held Assembly (computer programming) knowledge
  • already held C# knowledge
  • already held C++ knowledge
  • already held COBOL knowledge
  • already held Common Lisp knowledge
  • already held Groovy knowledge
  • already held Haskell knowledge
  • already held Java (computer programming) knowledge
  • already held JavaScript knowledge
  • already held Lisp knowledge
  • already held MATLAB knowledge
  • already held ML (computer programming) knowledge
  • already held Microsoft Visual C++ knowledge
  • already held Objective-C knowledge
  • already held OpenEdge Advanced Business Language knowledge
  • already held PHP knowledge
  • already held Pascal (computer programming) knowledge
  • already held Perl knowledge
  • already held Prolog (computer programming) knowledge
  • already held Python (computer programming) knowledge
  • already held R knowledge
  • already held Ruby (computer programming) knowledge
  • already held SAP R3 knowledge
  • already held SAS language knowledge
  • already held Scala knowledge
  • already held Scratch (computer programming) knowledge
  • already held Swift (computer programming) knowledge
  • already held TypeScript knowledge
  • already held VBScript knowledge
  • already held Visual Basic knowledge
  • already held augmented reality knowledge
  • already held interactive media knowledge
27 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
Skill to pick up Tier
  • optional, not held Ansible optional
  • optional, not held Apache Maven optional
  • optional, not held Eclipse (integrated development environment software) optional
  • optional, not held Internet of Things optional
  • optional, not held Jenkins (tools for software configuration management) optional
  • optional, not held Joomla optional
  • optional, not held KDevelop optional
  • optional, not held Puppet (tools for software configuration management) optional
  • optional, not held STAF optional
  • optional, not held Salt (tools for software configuration management) optional
  • optional, not held Xcode optional
  • optional, not held adapt to changes in technological development plans optional
  • optional, not held assist multimedia operator optional
  • optional, not held design user interface optional
  • optional, not held develop virtual game engine optional
  • optional, not held integrate system components optional
  • optional, not held object-oriented modelling optional
  • optional, not held software anomalies optional
  • optional, not held trigonometry optional
  • optional, not held use automatic programming optional
  • optional, not held use concurrent programming optional
  • optional, not held use functional programming optional
  • optional, not held use logic programming optional
  • optional, not held use object-oriented programming optional
  • optional, not held World Wide Web Consortium standards optional
  • optional, not held create flowchart diagram optional
  • optional, not held develop creative ideas optional
54 held skills the digital games developer role does not ask for
Skill Type
  • not needed by the target role Agile development knowledge
  • not needed by the target role CoffeeScript knowledge
  • not needed by the target role CryEngine knowledge
  • not needed by the target role DevOps knowledge
  • not needed by the target role Erlang knowledge
  • not needed by the target role Frostbite (digital game creation systems) knowledge
  • not needed by the target role GameSalad knowledge
  • not needed by the target role Gamemaker Studio knowledge
  • not needed by the target role Havok Vision knowledge
  • not needed by the target role HeroEngine knowledge
  • not needed by the target role ICT performance analysis methods knowledge
  • not needed by the target role ICT security legislation knowledge
  • not needed by the target role Project Anarchy knowledge
  • not needed by the target role Prototyping development knowledge
  • not needed by the target role RAGE (digital game creation systems) knowledge
  • not needed by the target role Rapid application development knowledge
  • not needed by the target role Shiva (digital game creation systems) knowledge
  • not needed by the target role Smalltalk (computer programming) knowledge
  • not needed by the target role Source (digital game creation systems) knowledge
  • not needed by the target role Spiral development knowledge
  • not needed by the target role Unity (digital game creation systems) knowledge
  • not needed by the target role Unreal Engine knowledge
  • not needed by the target role Waterfall development knowledge
  • not needed by the target role analyse business requirements skill
  • not needed by the target role animate 3D organic forms skill
  • not needed by the target role application usability knowledge
  • not needed by the target role compose digital game story skill
  • not needed by the target role create 3D characters skill
  • not needed by the target role create 3D environments skill
  • not needed by the target role create concept of digital game skill
  • not needed by the target role create digital game characters skill
  • not needed by the target role create software design skill
  • not needed by the target role define technical requirements skill
  • not needed by the target role design graphics skill
  • not needed by the target role design process skill
  • not needed by the target role digital game creation systems knowledge
  • not needed by the target role estimate duration of work skill
  • not needed by the target role formulate game rules skill
  • not needed by the target role hardware platforms knowledge
  • not needed by the target role id Tech knowledge

14 further entries not listed here

18 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice

Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.

Skill to pick up Tier
  • still to learn ICT debugging tools required
  • still to learn integrated development environment software required
  • still to learn tools for software configuration management required
  • optional, not held Ansible optional
  • optional, not held Apache Maven optional
  • optional, not held Eclipse (integrated development environment software) optional
  • optional, not held Internet of Things optional
  • optional, not held Jenkins (tools for software configuration management) optional
  • optional, not held Joomla optional
  • optional, not held KDevelop optional
  • optional, not held Puppet (tools for software configuration management) optional
  • optional, not held STAF optional
  • optional, not held Salt (tools for software configuration management) optional
  • optional, not held Xcode optional
  • optional, not held object-oriented modelling optional
  • optional, not held software anomalies optional
  • optional, not held trigonometry optional
  • optional, not held World Wide Web Consortium standards optional
Index

Other moves recorded from digital games designer

Full index of moves from digital games designer

FAQ

Common questions about this move

Can a digital games designer become a digital games developer?

Yes, and it is a substantial move. A digital games designer already covers 45% of what a digital games developer is expected to do: 42 skills carry over, 6 of which the digital games developer role treats as required.

What skills does a digital games designer need to become a digital games developer?

13 required skills are missing, plus 27 optional ones. They fall into 6 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by working with computers. The single most important is ICT debugging tools.

How hard is the move from digital games designer to digital games developer?

Its learning distance is 66 out of 100, which is the substantial band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.

Note

How this record was compiled

Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.