Video Game Developer: 25 Crucial Interview Questions

It’s surely not enough to just LOVE playing video games in order to work in the professional video games industry. However, being enthusiastic about video games can surely make the job in this specific industry more enjoyable.

So you want to be a Video Game Developer? There are different job roles from which you can choose. If you want to be a designer, you will decide on what a video game should look like and how it plays (by coming up with your own creative idea or work from an already existing idea). Or do you want to be the artist, who creates all the visual characters, scenery and objects of the game by producing storyboards at the planning stage? You might also consider being the animator, the person who basically brings the characters, scenery and objects to life with computer modelling and animation software. However, if you love coding then the job as a stage programmer, who is responsible for all the coding to make sure the game works, might be the most suitable option.

• What are employers looking for in a Video Game Developer?

These are some of the skills that employers are keen to find in a candidate who applies for a Video Games Developer job position: programming skills, video graphics, animation skills, hardware essentials, knowledge of different game consoles (e.g. PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox) and an understanding of different operating systems and chip design. A video games developer also needs to have a certain level of flexibility and adaptability, pay attention to detail, be able to work well under pressure and to deadlines and last but not least lots of imagination and creativity.

• The required Soft Skills:

The soft skills that you will need to bring along for this job are mainly teamwork, organisational skills, analytical skills, interpersonal skills and written communication skills. Furthermore, being familiar with the history and trends of the video game industry is surely beneficial and will give you the edge. Keeping yourself committed to the industry is always a plus. This can be achieved in various ways: by attending games events/festivals and engaging with industry leaders, creating and designing your own games and releasing them on forums or games websites and reading games magazines/websites and industry-specific blogs.

• The crucial 25 Job Interview Questions for Video Game Developer

This is a selection of 25 job interview questions that a Video Game Developer might face during a job interview. It’s beneficial for both, recruiters (trying to hire a video games developer and not sure what questions to ask) and job candidates (trying to be better prepared for their next job interview by knowing what they could be asked).

• What particular career in the game industry interests you the most and why?
• What makes a great Game Developer/Programmer?
• What kind of games do you play and why?
• How much time do you spend on enjoying them?
• If you could change something in the games you are currently playing, what would you change in order to improve them?
• What is in your opinion the best game on the market so far and why?
• What value can you add to Company xyz that someone else might not be able to do?
• If money would not be an issue, what game would you create and why?
• How do you keep yourself up-to-date in the game industry?
• Do you have a game plan?
• What game consoles are you familiar with?
• Why do you think that those games that are doing well are so successful?

What are the weaknesses in your opinion of games that are currently on the market?

• If you would be given the opportunity to meet anyone famous from the game industry, who would it be and why?
• Imagine that you have a commitment in the evening … but your boss tells you that everyone in the team has to stay longer on that evening to make sure that the project will be finished on time. How would you feel and what would you do?
• If someone gives you feedback with lots of things that need to be modified in your game, how would you feel and what would you do about it?
• Apart from playing games, what else do you like doing in your spare time?
• Can you describe a bit more in detail a project that you worked on?
• How did you decide which features should be considered and which ones should be removed from your project?
• Did everything in your project go according to plan?
• Were there any issues? If so, which ones and how did you try to overcome them?
• Did you ever face problems with other team members? If so, how did you solve them?
• Once a game was created, did you ever remove any features afterwards?
• What made you take that decision?
• How do you see the future of the online game industry?

If you know any Video Game Developer who could also benefit from this article, I would appreciate it, if you could share it. Thanks!