Nếu bạn là người say mê games, đã hoặc đang dành vô số thời gian vào trong những thế giới ảo và thậm chí là còn chơi rất giỏi, vậy thì chắc hẳn đã có những lúc ý nghĩ biến niềm yêu thích đó trở thành sự nghiệp của bản thân xuất hiện trong tâm trí bạn. Và trên thực tế có rất nhiều game designer ở Việt Nam cũng như trên thế giới đều có xuất phát điểm là những người chơi và yêu games. Đây là một lựa chọn hoàn toàn hợp lý và đáng để cân nhắc.
 Nhưng ngay khi ý nghĩ tưởng chừng như tuyệt vời đó lóe lên thì lập tức bị vùi dập bởi hàng trăm câu hỏi hóc búa: "Liệu làm games có phải là một ngành nghề thật sự không? hay chỉ đơn giản là sở thích không thôi? Có nơi nào đào tạo chính quy không? Công việc của một game designer là gì? Cần học gì để làm được điều đó? ... "
Đây đều là những câu hỏi xác đáng và với series bài viết này, chúng ta sẽ được lắng nghe lời khuyên từ những người có nhiều năm kinh nghiệm làm việc trong ngành và đã từng có cùng những câu hỏi, trở ngại của một người mới bắt đầu, nhưng họ đã biết cách vượt qua và có được những thành tựu nhất định như ngày hôm nay.
 (Dưới đây là bản phỏng vấn gốc bằng tiếng Anh, bản dịch sẽ được cập nhật trong thời gian tới. Bạn có thể like Facebook  hoặc đăng kí mailing list để được cập nhật sớm nhất nhé)
 Vị khách đầu tiên của chúng ta đã có trên 5 năm kinh nghiệm làm việc cho các tựa games AAA (là những dự án có vốn đầu tư từ vài chục triệu USD trở lên) tại những studio lớn như Ubisoft, đồng thời là chủ nhân của kênh podcast Level Design Lobby với hàng nghìn khán giả đã và đang theo dõi. Hãy cùng lắng nghe những lời khuyên, chia sẻ của anh về nghành nghề game design này nhé.
HGD: Hi Max, Thanks for doing this interview.
First of all, please introduce yourself and tell us the story of how did you break into the game industry?
Max: Hey, no problem thank you very much for talking to me. As you said my name is Max Pears, I am a professional level designer, with over 5 years of experience. I have worked on multiple titles from mobile to AR games, and now AAA games such as Tom Clancy’s The Division and currently Cyberpunk 2077.
 (A side note here, these are my views, these do not reflect the opinions of my current or past employers)
 That is a good question, feels so long ago now aha. I broke in by firstly going to university to study a game design course. While working on school projects I was doing personal work alongside my coursework to make sure I was improving on my craft. Then one day a mobile company called FOG Media gave a talk at my school. I then approached them after the talk, showing them my work which luckily lead to a contract for one year making mobile games. That is how I got my first break into the industry. I tell anyone who wants to break into the industry to do personal work and network, those are two important factors for me.   
HGD: That’s a cool story. Did you programme yourself on personal projects? For those who don’t have prior programming knowledge, do you recommend starting with board games first?
Max: Yes, I did but for other projects I just used in game editors to do some modding. I am very fortunate to have both my dad and uncle as programmers so they helped me learn a lot. Honestly Youtube, there is so much good content for beginners. I still to this day google or watch YouTube videos to help me. In this day and age there are no excuses for not being able to find material on programming. Now with game engines have visual scripting tools, it is even easier for people to create.
 If you want an engine for a starting place I would recommend either Game Maker, Construct 2 or RPG Maker. All have a very easy to understand visual scripting system which will help you understand the flow of programming.   
HGD: Agreed. Visual scripting is such a cool tool. So, what is game designer to you? What is the mission of a game designer?
Max: I really really like this question. I think it obviously depends per game, yet the overall mission for me personally is to communicate with the player making the enter a state of flow and enjoyment. For me personally I also want to make the player think and feel on an emotional level where I have left an impact on the player like some games have done for me. 
HGD: Awesome. What are the games that have left such an impact on you?
Max: Wow, putting me on the spot with this one aha, there has been tons so I will forget one or two as I have been asked this a few times and each time I answer I add a new one.
 Okay so I will just list a few off:
 1) Metal Gear Solid 1 - How Hideo Kojima broke the fourth wall, was groundbreaking and I am unsure if we have even seen this since. I just remember watching my dad and uncle play this game and being blown away by how they were controlling this cool soldier against a robot ninja.
 2) Last of US + Uncharted 4 - Since being a child a grew up with Naughty Dog since I was 4 years old so I could list all of their games because as I fan of games to a professional designer I have seen them grown and keep adding a seal of quality. These two to me are great as they show how work in relationships through mechanics not just cutscenes.
 3) Final Fantasy 7: Crisis Core - This game makes me cry everytime I finish it and is the game I have replayed the most in my life. The DMW mechanic is just so incredible how it visually shows Zack’s emotions and loved ones. We get to watch Zack grown mechanically and as a character which I personally do not think has been matched.
 4) ICO + Last Guardian - So Gen Design (formally Team Ico) understand emotions through mechanics, I mean the hand holding is something which was truly unforgettable as a mechanic. This studio knows how to end their games as there are some flaws and frustrations with these games yet, these games stop and make you think.
 5) This one is recent it is a mobile game called Florence, made by a Indie studio in Australia called ‘Mountains’  but what I loved about this games is they did a great job of showing love through game mechanics and on a touch screen, some of the best and most creative design I have seen in a long time. I was not a huge fan of the ending but honestly for a lesson in design I recommend this game.
 There are loads more we could talk about but those are just some, haha I feel guilty for not saying more. 
HGD: Many legendary titles appeared on your list. While Last of us is the game that made me realize and believe that games could be much more than just an entertainment tool, The Last Guardian has an amazing storytelling technique, which is told through game mechanics.
  It's funny that you mentioned Florence because I have just finished the game last week and planning on talking about it in the next article. And I couldn’t agree with you more on the ending and the interesting mechanic. In my opinion, the mechanic was made exclusively for the mobile platform. It would never feel the same on PC or console. And I think that is something we should do more often. Instead of throwing all kind of virtual joystick, buttons into the game in an effort to fix mobile platform’s weakness, we should focus more on its strength that no other platform has, which is touching. I’m not saying these games are bad but man, people love fixing weaknesses.
 So, A lot of people love playing games and one day they figured: “I have been playing games like forever and be damn good at it. Maybe I should make my own games”. How are playing games and making games different in your experience?. And for those gamers who want to make the change, what is your advice?
Max: They are very different but the great news is subconsciously from all those years of playing games you will have learned a few tips and tricks from playing. I think one of the toughest things to learn is how long it takes to make a game as there will be lots of mistakes made along the way. Even just getting that feeling right for jumping can take months. Anyone who was the thought of switching over to creating I would completely encourage! Give it a try as now has never been a better time with engines being free with tons of beginner guides and tutorials available for people.
 My advice is aim small to start, it is so easy for us to say, I have a great idea for a open world RPG and then they realise this will take 10+ years to make so that puts people off. Start with something small and build up slowly. When you play games make notes of the things you like and things you would improve upon and how. This helps you understand games and makes you see them from a different perspective. Focus on quality, I find people when starting (even I was guilty of this too) that people try make things fast and focus on quantity rather than quality. If you are making something small, make it the best thing ever. Do not worry about making 5 okay levels in a month. Make 1 awesome level in 3 months. 
HGD: What are the common pitfalls of young game designers?
Max: Common thing is that people aim too big to start and it blows up in their face. As I mentioned before, people think about these large games instead of focusing on something small to begin with. We all want to make something huge but bigger does not always mean better. 
HGD: That’s some solid advice right there. And I think it’s not necessarily a common mistake of young designers only. I have seen from time to time even experienced designers felt into this trap. Project’s scope is a really tricky thing. So I think it should be something that is subconscious to you.
 Alright. This is probably the most asked question yet. What should I learn if I want to be a game designer?
Max: That is such a difficult question with multiple answers. If you do chose to go down the educational route please research the course as there are some bad ones out there, so make sure you research the past experience of your tutors and ties it has to the industry.
 Learn how to use an editor, honestly you do not need to master all the editors, as in the end they are all similar, so take your time with one so you understand how to make simple prototypes or games.
 Programming helps, you do not have to learn this, but it is a great base to have some basic understanding of any language.
 I would advise you to break down games, play a game for like 15-20 mins and with a pen paper write down things you notice like how they guide the player, mechanics you like or do not like and expand on why or how you would change them.
 I hope that does help. Oh one final not the podcast Level Design Lobby is supposed to be great for advice too, from what I hear aha.
HGD: What do you find the hardest thing about designing and making games?
Max: There is a few to be honest and some will tell you different things so really good question here. For this interview I will focus on when to let go. What I mean by this is as a designer no matter how long you spend on something it will never be complete in your mind. You can always tweak or add something, but you will never finish if you keep doing this. So learn to know for your own personal standards, when is the right time to let go. A thing which has helped me reach that stage is when play testing and I see the player just smile that little sign there lets me know its most likely good enough to release.
 As a side note on this to help you reach this stage faster, play test as soon as you can. It is scary having people play your game, but do not worry about failing as that is how your work improves. I do not get my levels or game right the first or second or even third try, it is an iterative process, so enjoy that.  
HGD: Many people consider cloning games as a safe option rather than making their owns. What is your thought on that? And how important is being authentic in making games?
Max: Personally I think making clone games is useful for learning, but you should not release them as I do not like that and it does not show off your skill as a designer. The best way to enjoy making games is make something you are passionate about. When being authentic you are sharing a part of you to the world so leave your make on this industry don’t copy someone who has told their story, instead tell yours. 
HGD: Well said. In addition to that, I don’t think cloning games is even a good option in term of profit. There are literally hundreds of games being released every day. Your only chance to succeed is to stand out, being authentic.
 Last question, if you could only give a single advice for young game designers. What would it be?
Max: That is very tough, for this I would say, do as much personal work as you can, if you are going the educational or self-taught route chances are, your portfolio will look similar to others. So do work by yourself as this will you stand out and build upon your craft. 
HGD: Alright. Once again, thanks for doing this, Max. I had so much fun asking you questions.
Max: Thank you very much for asking me and I had great fun too. Hope all you who read enjoy.