How does EA rate the importance of artistic vs. technical abilities for a Game Designer?
For a Game Designer, we’d lean towards technical abilities. Game Designers (more specifically Level Designers) aren’t hired to make things look pretty. Instead, it’s their job to decide what objects are placed in a level, where the objects are placed, and how the objects interact as part of the gameplay experience (it’s then up to the Artists to make it all look pretty). It definitely helps to have a good eye as a Game Designer, but it’s not a requirement to be a trained artist. About a third of our game designers come from a background in the arts, but there are many, many others who developed their skills through other means. Some have a background in the humanities, some are trained architects, and others have picked up their skills by playing games. Whatever your background, it is always helpful to have a strong knowledge of the different types of software involved in game design.
