How I became a Game Developer with ZERO Coding & Design Experience + Tips
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- Äas pĹidĂĄn 2. 07. 2024
- Hi! In hopes that this helps somebody someday - this is the story of how I became a Game Developer (at Riot Games then Amazon Games) starting from a completely different industry. I had zero coding and design experience and didn't study anything related to game design in college but it was always my dream to work in the games industry. I've made sure to includes lots of my learning and tips and time stamped each major topic below.
đ TOPICS & TIMESTAMPS
1:30 - My Origin Story: What I did before becoming a Game Developer
3:28 - Games Industry Exploration: What does it actually mean to be a "Game Developer"?
8:41 - The Skillset to Interest Framework: How I figured out the best way for me to break into the Games Industry
13:55 - My Application and Interview Experience: How I prepped and landed my first Game Dev job
đ HELPFUL RESOURCES
⢠Resume Tips Video
⢠Resume tips that got m...
⢠Video Game Job Profiles
www.screenskills.com/job-prof...
đŽ CHECK OUT SOME OF THE GAMES I'VE WORKED ON
⢠Ruined King
ruinedking.com/
⢠Hextech Mayhem
hextechmayhem.com/
⢠Convrgence
convrgencegame.com/
⢠Song of Nunu
songofnunu.com/
đş ABOUT ME
Hi there! My name is Morgan and I'm a game developer (previously Riot Games and currently @ Amazon Games) based in LA! Some of the games I've worked on include Ruined King, Hextech Mayhem, and Convrgence. Thanks for stopping by and hope you enjoy :)
đˇ SOCIAL MEDIA
⢠instagram: @morganling
morganling...
⢠tiktok: @themorganling_
www.tiktok.com/@themorganling...
⢠twitter: @themorganling
/ themorganling
⢠twitch: themorganling
/ themorganling
đ¸ď¸ PERSONAL WEBSITE
www.morgan-ling.com/
đ SUBSCRIBE
/ @morganling game dev diaries game development day in the life of a game developer - Hry
Hi everyone! I realized I didn't actually describe my first role in the industry but it was essentially focused on monetization within games (that's why ethical monetization is my specialty now). So for sure, there's data analysis because we need to be comfortable with leveraging large amounts of data to make good decisions. It also encompasses monetization and systems design - though I wasn't formally trained in monetization design before joining (it's actually not a common designer specific skill so most of us learn this skill by joining the industry first). Monetization design encompasses things like battle passes, loot box designs, game ecoystem design (hard currency to soft currency, what resources are tradable and purchasable, etc.), designing events and seasons (what content should be available, how is it distributed, what does progression and rewards look like in an event, etc.) and ofc the pricing of it all. We also need to have business savvy because we need to lay out beforehand what success looks like and determine if the choices we make are good ones. We often look at things like player sentiment and satisfaction, purchase regret, MAU, revivals, etc to get a sense of this.
My role today though focuses on a broader list of things, not just monetization but particularly engagement and retention as well! I made a video about what the responsibilities are so feel free to check that out :)
You're great actually!! =D
Im in programming / and other IT stuffs too, and I im really confused about ethics in video game selling / micro transactions / monetization, I dont think its gonna evolve to a fair point, too much factor to address in this question, too much social consequences.
so basically poisoning a game with microtransactions, seeing players as someone to take as much money from as legally possible
@@funkelmine if not done ethically sure
No Monetization is Ethical if a Minor can spend ludicrous amounts of money without any kind of restrictions, just as any Lootbox with obscure percentages.
The title is definitely misleading, working in the game industry and being game developer definitely don't mean the same thing.
Exactly
AAA sound designer here. I died inside when Audio wasn't mentioned as part of the developers. :(
Audio is soooo important it's crazy. All that's left for me from World of Warcraft is the outstanding soundtracks!
Imagine playing games on mute in a room of complete silence.
Most games cannot stand on their own merits without good sound design.
they didn't "heard" you but we, gamers....did.
200 years of collective game design experience
Indeed
tldr: she's not a game developer. she's a sales/business analyst/program manager. this video didn't really help me, but others might find your mechanism useful if they are interested in considering job requirements to your skill set framework, which to me seems obvious, but nothing wrong with that.
If you read my first comment I do systems and monetization design, unless you donât consider designers game devs? Def not program manager they do something completely different but my role does require analytics since it can inform what design and content choices to make :)
@@morganling I do not consider monitization design as part of game development. But if you do, I think that's fine.
@@morganling Game Designers are absolutely not Game Developers. There is a very clear difference, sure they are involved in the overall production of the game, but so is someone like a Technical Artist, and they are not Developers.
Strange, I would think someone from within the industry would actually know what they're talking about.
@@morganling You're trying to use word magic to redefine "game developer" so you can include yourself in the category. It's insulting to actual developers. The janitor cleans the office when you guys leave and he makes it possible for you to return to a clean work environment. Is that janitor not also a game developer? If you keep lying to yourself, you'll be calling the janitor a developer in the next 3 months.
@@space_audits You are being way too harsh & ultimately sound like you want her to feel somehow less for not being a game developer. At the end of the day she's walking proof that, with research and bit of clever thinking, you can be apart of your dream industry. Regardless if she's a game dev or does monetization and analytics, the game isn't complete without her doing her part and that is amazing. P.S - You should kiss the floor the janitor mops on as I doubt someone with a nasty personality like yourself has much in the way of hygiene skills to begin with.
Ah so the 200 years of experience that Riot told us included people with 0 years of experience.
Thank you so much for this information! Iâve been depriving myself from becoming a developer because I donât have the necessary skill set. This really helped give me a road map. Good luck in your new career!
It took my nearly 4 years to land a job.
It feels like companies like to hire women in the tech industry,very unfair.
Pretty girls will always be hired, anywhere, to do anything. Its a win win. U get pretty girls at ur company that does what anybody can do, and she get to say that she is a game dev, a trader, or an engineer
Really love this video, finally thereâs someone sharing their experience in game industry. Hopefully I can find someone who will share their experience of UI design in game industry
Hi Morgan! Just want to tell you that I really loved the "Skillset to Interest" Framework. It really did a good job. I'm not a game-related worker but this thing helps me up to retrospect my career skill set. Thanks for making this video!
Thank you for creating this video! As a university graduate with a degree not in game design but in Literature and Creative Writing, this video put my mind at ease.
Genuinely, I can't thank you enough. Subscribed. đ
Very good video! I have a good friend of almost 20 years who's been working at Riot games for a while now. Thank you for the inspiration and knowledge!
I graduated with Business degree and then I found that I didn't even know what I would like to do at that time I've been working as a sales in Japanese company for 3 years now. And I felt so empty, after work I will play games every single day to calm myself and run away from reality. Because I'm suffer with my current life, then I decided to took a intro IT course from google and I felt so happy like I'm challenging myself to learn new things and I signed up for a few courses about coding. Now I figured out that I do wanna be a game dev or game designer. Because I do love art and I get a commission sometimes. So this vid is so inspiring and cheering me up to continue my path in this industry. I'll keep learning and gain my experience as much as I can. Thank u so much for ur videoâ¤
you are not a game developer regardless of what you may think, i know you're probably only saying it for youtube but if i said i'm a software developer and i actually work in HR for a software development company that funnily enough does not mean i'm a software developer
Ive been following your content on Tik Tok and youtube for a while now and really appreciate all the insight you give into the industry (it helps a lot for someone who wants to get into the industry). Ive been doing a couple courses on unreal engine 5 to try to break into the game market. I always wanted to be in that industry but my parents pushed me towards another path. I'm 25 now and spent a good amount of time trying to figure out what I wanted to do and I believe this industry is definitely it. Im actually trying to get a job at Riot as a game designer for Val once I have enough skills to even be considered. Im from Canada as well so I need to be good to get a visa. Im for sure going to use the Skillset to interest framework to make sure that game design is the best fit and to see if maybe there would be another good fit for me!
I'm glad you found my video helpful! Wishing you the best of luck and I hope to see you in the industry someday :)
Thanks for the breakdown. Found how you constructed your resume and themed your cover letter pretty interesting. I'll try to do something along those lines once I feel like I have enough exp to apply.
TLDR: She became a game dev without any experience with design or programming because she got into the financial side of game dev.
Sort of! My first projects going in were designing ways to distribute content (battle passes, bundling skins, and determining new virtual content). My specialty was monetization not quite finance. I just picked up the design aspect of it pretty quick on the job lol
with a degree in economics
female
@@morganling Thats not Game developer job... ._.
Although I am not interested in Game Development, the content itself was very informative and presented very well. Looking forward to future uploads :)
Yo, amazing.
Bring more of your experience & daily routine into this.
Truly amazed, thanks for the content.
I thought this was gonna be another video of watching someone in front of their computer but there is actually a lot useful info here.. the kind I was looking for. Thanks!
been following your account for 1-2 years now just wanted to leave a comment.
good job :)
So basically, all I gotta do is land a role as a custodian at a game studio and I can be a âgame devâ. Nice đđť
You are missing the point. But anyone is entitled to listen and understand whatever is liked.
Great breakdown - I've been working in the industry on the narrative/writing side for a few years now working with indie developers and a few smaller studios, and it's always humbling and amazing to see so many different ways of breaking in :D
Thank you! Thatâs awesome to hear that youâre on the narrative side of things!
@@morganling Absolutely love it! :D
@@morganling I still have yet to work with a bigger studio, but Iâm taking the advice of a few other narrative designers who just say to apply even if you donât have the AAA experience they advertise for. :)
Yeah you often donât need to check all the boxes they list in a job description! Wishing you the best of luck!
@@morganling thanks! You too on your dev journey and also CZcams! :)
This was extremely helpful and informative! Thank you :)
i really appreciate the skillset - interest graph you made. def will use it for myself
Rockstar Educator! Subscribed! Could you do a series breaking down multiple areas of gaming - with colleagues who may have had similar experiences breaking into the industry? Your break down for development applied to other areas would be tremendous in helping map out possible trajectories others could target when studying the gaming industry, and how they can break in. Thanks for your time.
Morgan, thanks for sharing! Very helpful advice. And happy holidays!
This is really well made. I am a recent CS Graduate myself and I really appreciate this video!
Thank you! Iâm super glad you enjoyed my vid! :)
Outstanding video! Thank you for making it.
This is amazing Morgan, well done!
You have really grown since your last videos! Congrats!!! You inspire me a lot đ
Good for you for making the switch! I'm actually in a similar situation as I'm looking at changing careers.
Loved this video! There are so many videos that just say "do this, this and you'll eventually get into the industry", but you managed to break your journey down into a series of manageable steps. Looking forward to seeing more content from you!
Iâm glad you enjoyed the video and found it useful!! đ
Woohoo this was so helpful for me to understand what youâre doing!!! Also nice pop-up designs
Hehe yay!! And thank you!! âĽď¸
Your journey into game development is genuinely inspiring, Morgan! â¤
To anyone watching this video, remember that every path is different, and your unique journey is what makes you stand out. Keep pursuing your passions, and never let a lack of traditional experience stop you. Morgan's story is a testament to that
I truly appreciate this video!
That was actually really really helpful. Thank you!
I'm a game developer and have never seen any video breaking down the components of choosing a job in the game industry as you did.
Most people don't even think about it, and even with enough skill sets required, they just dive into the first position available. And after a couple of years, questions start to pop into their minds.
The video felt so honest to me,Thank You đ
Thanks for making the video. đđ
Thank you! I am currently a QA in the game industry and this was very helpful. I like the idea of being creative on your cover letter. I will definitely take some lessons from your story. This was a really great video and I hope it gets even more views!
how to become qa in game industry,, Currently I am SDE
thank you so much for this, is been a kind mistery for me till this video.
TL:DR;
"I am not an actual game developer, I work in the marketing department and am mainly focused on analytics and monetization in games"
In other words, whatever she says has no actual relevance to someone legitimately wanting to CREATE (develop) something, especially not actual game developers that have passion for creating an experience for other people to enjoy, be it through a beautiful story or fun mechanics. She's just part of the group of people in the gaming industry that actively ruins games, how to warp game elements so they appeal to people's addiction side so they spend more money. She's not in the game industry to make good games/good experiences for people to entertain, she doesn't have the passion one needs to actually be a game developer.
But, impressionable teens will fall for this schlock, because she's a pretty face that has the terms "game development in the title, video and video description.
Thank you, Morgan, for being part of the problem :) For being the part of the industry that ruins games with monetization (regardless of whether you call it ethical or not, it's never ethical to ask people to PAY for digital items they do NOT actually own, since they basically only pay for a piece of code that unlocks said monetized digital item).
Sincerely hope you get a morality check one day.
I am also a Taiwanese but based in Toronto.
Thanks for sharing Morgan! Love your content and your experience is super inspiring! My dream is also to work in the games industry!
U doesn't look like Taiwanese
Same. I became a "Senior Sales Engineer" and I barely know how to write a print statement in java. I just got lucky and met my mentor who let me work for his company. It's not about what you know, but rather who you know in this world.
Who you know matters a lot for sure, makes breaking into something a lot easier
Insightful video! What Iâll say as a former AAA gameplay developer is that technical skills are king in programming roles. So many people are unable to do it that most would employers be willing to train other skills just have someone with enough brain power. And of course soft skills are important. But those are really just icing on the cake!
When I applied out of college, I was basically the only applicant to a big project who passed the technical interview with flying colors. I had a great portfolio, and like to think Iâm pretty personable to boot. But the technical competency was the real deal sealer.
100%!! if you don't have the technical skill, there is basically no way someone is getting a technical role. In those roles, unless its a senior level/management role, good soft skills are definitely just icing on the cake. Most times good soft skills alone won't get you anything tbh, even with a live-ops PM role like I'm currently in which is not a technical role, you need systems and monetization design skills, I know SQL, basic research like A/B testing, conjoints analysis, maxdiffs, regression analysis, basic psychology etc. You need to have the core skills needed for the role but sometimes you can get those skills outside the games industry too.
Great video! I work in software and do games as a hobby so it's interesting to see how games as an industry works and how it's similar to software.
Hey! This was super helpful for me, I plan on going into Game Dev eventually haha
This was insightful â¤ď¸
LETS GO MORGANNNN!!! Loved seeing the super cute edits and graphics that go with your game dev story đĽ°đĽ°
Aww thank you 𼰠girl editing takes so long lmao
@@morganling I knowww but this was beautifully done. you always have a great eye for quality!
Great job Morgan! Love seeing your growth! đ
Aww thank you!! âĽď¸âĽď¸
This really got me inspired as I also wanted to become a game developer and one day join one of the biggest companies but it's kind of challenging to reach out on people when your country doesn't have much attention of the game industry. But giving up ain't the option here. Just gonna do my best and work it out! Thanks for video!
SUCH a high quality video! You got another sub from me đ
Thanks for sharing this information. I didn't realize it's possible to break into game dev. industry even though w/o game dev. background.
Lovely video! đ
I went to school for game design and I still can't find an entry way in :')
Thank you for this video. I have a finance degree and have been gaming since I was a kid. I would love to get into the gaming industry.
I will say I feel like I got very lucky in how I got in the game industry. I met a guy through my school who was the QA director for the Indie company I currently work for. My degree is specifically for Game Programming, and after working with him on a project through the school, he was able to put in a good word for me for a QA position. After implementing an in office build machine that did some automation testing on one of their projects and writing a program from scratch to get it all to run properly (weird stuff with the way steam updates). It only took me about 6 months to actually get an engineering position there. Been with the company for just about 4.5 years now with one title release (Beyond Blue).
So you guys just ripped of ABZU ? And a whole company is living off a single rip-off? Wow...
This video was really inspiring and insightful to watch! Thank you for sharing your story and also the tip on âSkillset to Interest Frameworkâ. I never thought of that idea, especially since I am someone who doesnât necessarily know what roles I would be a best fit for, but also that matches my current skillset. Still in the process of exploration. Anyways, thank you for the video! :)
Iâm happy that you found this helpful!! Hopefully you get a chance to figure out what you want to pursue!
William!
Great job with the video Morgan. More people helping folks get in and understand how to navigate things is always welcome!
I find your story to be very interesting. I also work for Amazon, but I am not in the gaming industry (L4 as process expert). In the past several years, I have been inclined to game development, and I have already started to learn VBA in order to gain a better understanding of coding and to use this skill set in my current position to help the projects. I will follow to ensure that I hear more about Amazon Gaming :D .
Why VBA? If you want to became a game dev learn unity + c#. It's the fastest way.
Yeah VBA is ok but people arent looking for VBA developers. its really only for excel
I suggest learning SQL as a start
Then if you get good at that start Python (this leads to more a data science positions)
The above doesnt directly help with game dev
If you really want to be a developer in game dev then you need to learn C# / C++. unfortunately VBA doesnt help here
Really helpful vid, subscribed
Thank you for making this! Iâve watched a lot of videos of people breaking into web development, but itâs really cool to hear about breaking into game dev.
Thank you! :)
Thinking about going for a role similar to a gameplay engineer. Currently studying programming while working an IT helpdesk job. This video was educational, especially in regards to the skillset vs interest graph. Thank you!
Iâm glad you found this helpful! Wishing you the best of luck in your studies and hope to see you in the industry someday!
You just have to be a woman .. guys get in like 30000 harder ..
Wait you are a Rutgers Alummni? I am currently a Rutgers Undergrads; Your Journey and Your Story is so inspiring. My savior especially when my goal is to land an internship in Riot too, and planned to move to CA as well. Thank you for the instructions and guidance!
Cheers!
For this kind of work you don't need any coding or design experience.
Good to know and informative that there are also other parts needed, but it's not really dev work
Great video and break down! Just seems like you disappeared after a few videos. Hopefully you'll return with more content in general! Thank you for the insight.
The cover letter idea is actually really smart!! Loving the longer content, will you be uploading here more?
Thank you!! Since the type of role I do doesnât really require a portfolio of work like some other works sometimes using a cover letter can help. And yes I really enjoy making longer form vid content so Iâll be uploading here probably every other week
Over the last week I have been considering moving into video games. I have not spoken about this to anyone, yet this video was recommended to me. I am not subscribed, nor have I searched anything on this topic. This is either the craziest coincidence, or the most obvious sign to start what I want.
ITS A SIGN YO
Or they are listening our thoughts đ
its just google algorithm
I'm thinking the same, but I don't know what to do, I learned English now what? đ
I just graduated from college, major in game development. I'm currently applying in to some IT companies. Actually my dream job is to work in Riot Games (I hope someday haha). Anw, Thank you for this vid
i'm so glad your channel came upon my front page today. This was extremely helpful to me on how to get a job in the industry. I'm a self-learning gamedev for the most part slowly building my very first game of a puzzle/adventure game. These tips were extremely helpful Morgan I appreciated them a lot. Thanks looking forward to upcoming content.
Don't call yourself a developer if you don't code. Words have meaning.
Working in 'game development company' doesn't mean you can be called game dev, true dat
â@@Luluskuy that's genius, I can get a job cleaning bathrooms for a week at blizzard and then just put ow2 and wow dev in my resume
Only halfway into the video. The way of breaking down the job roles within the industry has been immensely helpful and information friendly to new gamers, designers or hopefuls wanting to join the game industry.
I really appreciate your video. I love video games my whole life and was discouraged after a high school game development course because I didn't know coding. As an adult now I am looking to re-ignite my passion and dive back into this career path. Please release more content like this I need all the tips and help I can get, thank you again.
There is an amazing game developer called Kelly Nero and she tells the story of how attention to detail and problem solving are key skillsets for game developer , great video @Morgan
Love love sending love to your way for sharing đĽ°
dope video!!
Wow, that was smooth.
very informative, nice breakdown of game industry.
Im so gladd finaly woman inspires see in this endustry. Actually there are too many but in youtube, we can't see. Thanks and congrat 8 Marchđâ¤ď¸đš
Absolutely love the video. Answered a lot of questions I had. Could you please explain what is the role of a video game director and where should they be included in the 5 categories you mentioned?
From what I understand, a video game director would probably be like the person in charge of a particular wing of development. You could be the gameplay director and oversee the gameplay designers, or an art director that oversees the entire art direction, or a technical director who figures out how the engine should work and stuff like that.
Awesome video!!! Also the kind of Video Games I want to make are Managment games :) and I would like to be my own boss so I can better plan about what I want in my own games :) mainly PC, as I grew up with PC and Video Games :)
so basically, you aren't a game dev... you're a production manager.
"Game Developer with ZERO Coding" yes well because your jobs have nothing to do with coding. You're not a coder or game developer. You work at a game developing company. There is a difference
Great stuff Morgan! Would definitely be interested in a video about your approach to prepping for game dev interviews since you had not worked in the field before âş Excited for your future content!
Thanks Geet!! âĽď¸
ty for this vid my dream job is to be a gameplay engineer at riot on the valorant team and I'll be applying to their internship for next summer :^)
Yeah, I cook for the dev thats mean I'm game developer too, awesome!
As someone who loves theorycrafting and figuring out the math for different builds and testing them out, is there a place for me in game development and if so what job would I need to apply for to, eventually, be able to do something like this?
I've been playing video games for all of my life so finding a way to get into the industry just makes sense, plus I love learning about how different mechanics and systems in the game works and interact with each other.
Program/project manager is not game developer. Itâs program/project manager.
It's literally part of the development process. "Game developer" isn't a thing, you're either a designer of some form, an engineer / programmer of some form, any type of artist (3D models, animation, technical art, concept art, etc), a sound designer, or on the production side. All of them are "game developers"
@@DankMemes-xq2xm then, how about HR, they contributing by recruiting and operational support. Also, how about IT, they support by provide proper equipment and softwares. Game developers means who directly working on game itself. Then marketing is marketing, operating is operating, customer service is customer service.
@@santozard knowing how much to charge for a powerful microtransaction and how powerful that microtransaction is affects game balance
@@DankMemes-xq2xm AFAIK, the character growth or economic system are all designed by the game designer. The marketing or operation side will help define some campaigns based on the system that is already designed.
Yeay, I thought about it, after finishing the video, seems to me like she calls most of those positions "game dev" but, pretty sure to most people at least, a game dev builds a video game (whether through art, code, sound, design etc...) but the other jobs she listed are equally as important but, they don't actually build the game, they work around it, and they are part of the gaming industry, but still arent "game dev"
Holy cow! I'm a filmmaker who has spend the last year and a half learning Unreal Engine for virtual production and I've had this nagging feeling of wanting to make a game. I'm working on a proof of concept for a live action show/film based on a friend's hit comic book and all I keep thinking is that the bones to an awesome video game are already here based on what I've built out so far. For weeks now this has been in my head and then your video pops up on my homepage!! Question - If we were to go this route and develop these assets into a game, what do you suggest is the next step? Do I complete it 100% and self publish, or do we get a working level and story bible and pitch to a game studio. Also, do game studios take pitches like a film studio would, or is all of their development done in house? Looking forward to seeing more from your channel!!
Thanks love
Thanks Morgan, you are a inspiration for me.
OBSESSED WITH THE EDITING!! Your breakthrough and journey is so inspiring and excited for your next step in you career!! #GIRLBOSS
AYYYY THANKS GURL LOVE YOU
I am currently studying game design and game programming for my college degree. This video really motivated me to be a game developer. PS: I am more towards game design since my programming skills suck XD.
I appreciate this video because I went to school or game design, but I am located in a state where there is zero jobs really related to the industry and now 9 years later being a software engineer, it seems hard to find a role in engineering in the game industry when you dont have the experience truly related to the industry. I have a friend who is a QA tester and he has helped break this type of stuff down for me as well, but hearing it from a different perspective helps too.
I like this format, please more :)
I'll try! Just let me know what topics ya'll would be interested in :)
You mean your employer decided to enhance the dev_team motivation. Gave you some "tester assignments". Subscribed
That's pretty impressive!
i know getting into the game dev industry is really hard and competitive so ive been studying for network engineering, but i certainly want to learn game dev and coding as a hobby. just hard to focus on learning to code and studying for network engineering lol.
This video is like the movie Parasite. The half of the video I was waiting to get tips to become a game developer. It was going great and then it turned into a totally different video. It was good tough.
A must watch video