Bates B. (Ed). Game Developer’s Market Guide

Premier Press, 2003. - 726 p. 4th Edition. ISBN 1592001041, 9781592001040This book is for everyone involved in game development and for those who want to break into the industry. Calling someone a game developer covers a lot of territory. A developer might be an artist making 3D models; a producer handling external development; a level designer or composer; a programmer or writer. The field is large and getting larger every day. As developers, our knowledge tends to be deep, but narrow. We tend to know a lot about our day-to-day jobs, but not too much about what the people around us do, or even how the same jobs are done differently at other companies. The articles in Section I will help close that knowledge gap. A glance at the contrib- utor credits shows that each is an expert in the field, and anyone who reads these articles will come away with a much deeper understanding of our industry. Article 1 is an overview of the business side of game development, with an empha- sis on how games are marketed and sold. Articles 2 and 3 describe different jobs in the industry and how to break in. Article 4 is a first-hand account of how one development company landed its first contract. Articles 5 and 6 explore the freelancing life. Articles 7 and 8 cover the pros and cons of using agents and recruiters. Article 9 lists the books that should be on every game developer’s bookshelf. Articles 10 and 11 are about the International Game Developer’s Association (IGDA), and the framework of a curriculum for game studies. Article 12 provides some tips on game design from an historical perspective. Articles 13 and 14 cover the legal side of the house, from understanding intellec- tual property rights to negotiating contracts.