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Elements and Performance Criteria

Required Skills

Required skills

analytical skills to evaluate documentation and images to inform implementation of game specifications

communication skills to

check and confirm design requirements

collect interpret and communicate in visual and written forms effectively for various audiences including engineers and artists

communicate complex designs in a structured format drawn from industry standards styles and techniques

communicate technical requirements related to software development graphics requirements and code development to supervisors and other team members

provide practical advice support and feedback to colleagues and management

initiative and enterprise skills to exercise a high level of creative ingenuity in game design and innovation

literacy and numeracy skills to

develop game design and technical design documents

read briefs work instructions and technical and conceptual information

write instructions for the normal and competent operation and testing of all game features and permutations

management skills to coordinate teams in order to effectively extract useful feedback

planning and organisational skills to

balance talent experience and budget

delegate tasks and responsibility appropriately

establish clear roles and goals to achieve required game development outcomes

meet project deadlines

organise equipment and resources to achieve required outcomes

organise own time to meet milestones

problemsolving skills to recognise and address potential quality issues and problems at design development stage

research skills to undertake practical technical and desktop research

teamwork skills to

contribute to and work in a collaborative team

realise a unified gameplay vision

technical skills to

resolve basic hardware software and other technical issues associated with game production

translate design requirements into specifications

use correct file formats and archiving procedures

Required knowledge

basic programming techniques

budgeting and scheduling considerations for game design

computer game development including specific terminology

current gameplay hardware and software products

risk and critical path management

technical constraints that hardware imposes on software development graphics requirements code development and creative visual design

techniques for concept visualisation and development

Evidence Required

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria required skills and knowledge range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package

Overview of assessment

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

Evidence of the ability to

apply a variety of strategies for game trialling and testing

demonstrate original and innovative approaches to the creative developmentof a game

demonstrate original and innovative approaches to the creative developmentof a game

implement game development and production strategies

maintain integrity of the design brief and game design document

undertake risk assessment and critical path planning

produce a working game on a mobile device

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment must ensure access to

computer hardware software games engines and file storage

copyright and intellectual property legislation

OHS legislation and enterprise policy

appropriate learning and assessment support when required

modified equipment for people with special needs

Method of assessment

A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge The following examples are appropriate for this unit

evaluation of a working original game on a mobile device

direct observation of candidate participating in game document development activities

verbal questioning or interview concerning aspects of game development including

capability of game engines and software tools to meet the requirements of the brief

evaluating game prototypes from technical design and gameplay perspectives

game testing and trialling procedures

maintaining integrity of the design brief and game design document

risk assessment and critical path planning

translating design and technical specifications into working game prototypes

Guidance information for assessment

Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector workplace and job role is recommended where appropriate

Assessment processes and techniques must be culturally appropriate and suitable to the communication skill level language literacy and numeracy capacity of the candidate and the work being performed

Indigenous people and other people from a nonEnglish speaking background may need additional support

In cases where practical assessment is used it should be combined with targeted questioning to assess required knowledge

Range Statement

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

Mobile devices may include:	mobile phones personal digital assistants (PDAs) tablets.
Technical limitations and constraints may include:	current technology future technology and release date graphics capabilities memory pixels platforms polygon count processor speed software capability storage space.
Tools and technologymay include:	compilers debugging software development software efficiency flexible systems suitable for non-programmers graphics graphics system design integrated development environments middleware operating systems plug-in tools programming for game integration rendering sound system architecture for real time game environments and simulations tools for designers and play analysis.
Project brief and documents may include:	concept drawings designer’s notes development environment description game design document game-play designs help notes information design operating manual storyboard style and design principles style and medium target market information technical design document technical design review process.
Game production assets may include:	current work files development kits existing digital product libraries: character models environments motion capture data sound effects game engines, including customised game engines personnel.
Technical specifications may include:	backup procedures delivery platform difficulty levels disc or memory space format for final product navigation design pixel size polygon count specifications for phases of game development: alpha version - pre-production beta version - playable prototype gold version - completed game trialling and testing systems and workplace standards for documentation, including: computer file management job lists progress reports source code and game assets archiving target market.
Schedule may involve:	allocating work tasks in consultation with other team members analysing key requirements of the brief assessing concept viability against resource availability conducting risk assessment regarding possible issues and constraints and potential solutions creating an overall project plan and schedule determining workflow with consideration to available resources identifying key milestones and associated deliverables: alpha version - pre-production beta version - playable prototype gold version - completed game trialling and testing identifying stakeholders and devising strategies to meet stakeholder needs identifying the critical path researching background information setting project objectives against achievable timeframes.
Monitoring production progress may involve:	balancing quality and scheduling requirements coordinating the efforts of development, quality assurance, sales, marketing, public relations and finance ensuring the timely production of assets to brief requirements, including: animation components graphic images interfaces text video identifying and applying testing procedures monitoring workload allocated to individual personnel progressive game testing to ensure playability renegotiating variations and schedule slippage ahead of milestone dates sound identifying and applying contingency strategies.
Developing game prototypes may involve:	bug fixing, bug databases, creating stable code bases and game tuning building flexible systems configurable by others code review and test harnesses designing and implementing tests and incorporating feedback from quality assurance developing a comprehensive design for all missions and levels, including concept visuals developing a walkthrough for at least one mission or level developing story synopsis and scripts for each level knowledge of games as dynamic systems: applying game tuning strategies in light of feedback from actual play characteristics of a balanced game working with quality assurance and understanding play-test feedback use of appropriate tools and skills for fast, interactive development user-guide development.
Programming language may include:	ActionScript C C# C++ Flash Lite Java Object Pascal Objective-C Pascal Python VB.NET.
Check game-play elements may involve:	chance fun logic playability rules skill strategy.
Personnel may include:	animators concept artists game-play designers graphic designers instructional designers modellers motion capture technicians producers programmers project manager sound engineers team members technical director writers other specialist or technical staff.
Evaluating game prototypes may involve:	examining and analysing the impact of decisions, after the fact: business decisions design decisions methodology and process decisions product ‘post-mortems’, reviewing actual use of resources to achieve outcomes against initial project plan and schedule.
Tests and user trials may involve play test procedures:	determining criteria for measurement of success with a given audience play testing to monitor player frustration, progress and enjoyment selecting test subjects testing game with target market and other diverse populations.
Polish may involve enhancing:	game play graphics user control user interface.