Research: Industry Roles and Studios

Roles:

Character Artist

This role can cover everything from 2D concept design to 3D character modelling and rigging, often varying according to which company is being considered. What is needed is: 

• A solid knowledge of anatomy (Possibly creatures as well as human)
• The ability to create interesting, diverse, and believeable characters
• The ability to work in any given style

and for 3D: 

• Mostly organic but also possibly hard surface modelling skills
• An understanding of topology and other aspects of modelling relevant to deforming meshes
• A knowledge of texturing and UV mapping
• Possibly a knowledge of rigging 

Environment Artist

Again, this role may cover both 2D and 3D practises and often varies by company . Environment artists require:

• The ability to create believable environments and capture the atmosphere of a scene (2D and/or 3D)
• An extensive knowledge of different environments and how they might integrate or change

For 3D:

• Mainly hard surface but possibly some organic modelling skills
• Again, uv mapping and texturing skills

Both of these artist roles may also require knowledge of game engines and other skills from different roles depending on the studio,

Telltale Games

Since their foundation in 2004 Telltale has become the top of their field in their genre. Most famous for its adaptation of The Walking Dead, with its signature choice-and-consequence system, they have made a very successful business out of their episodic adaptations of third-party franchises, carving themselves a niche that has since been extensively emulated. 

2K games

2K is most famous for a number of successful series, including (but not limited to) the Bioshock, Borderlands, Civilisation, and XCOM franchises, as well as a number of smaller standalone titles and series. The studio was founded in 2005 and is based in numerous locations around the world, as well as having a number of subsidiaries such as the acclaimed Bioshock creators Irrational Games.

As a company, 2K prides itself on pushing its staff to the best of their ability and on "[getting] the job done."