Video Game Designer
Video Game Designer
Video Game Designers merge a passion for gaming with creativity and cutting-edge technology to create the next generation of video games.
If you love playing video games and have a desire to learn the latest art, design, programming and production skills, then video game designer is the career path for you. Depending on your interests, employment goals and game design learning plan, the video game design job market is ripe with opportunity. According to the U.S. Dept. of Labor, video game designer employment will skyrocket 30% through 2020, placing it among the fastest growing careers in America.
Most video game designer jobs fall into one of three disciplines: Game Artist, Game Designer or Game Programmer. Your chosen video game design path will determine your daily activities and responsibilities, as well as the skills and education requirements to get hired. Learn about video game designer skills by discipline below.
All video game designers spend a lot of time in the classroom - or virtual classroom for online students - learning new skills to keep up with the gaming industry's rapidly evolving technologies, trends and emerging platforms. However, with hard work and intense training comes great rewards - most video game designers with 6+ years of experience earn over $100,000 per year. (Source: Game Developer Magazine Salary Survey, 2012)
Explore the top-rated video game design schools online and in your area to compare game design training programs.
a.k.a. Video Game Developer | Simulation Programmer | Game Artist | Mobile Game Designer | Game Programmer
Video Game Designer Education Requirements
Video Game Designer Training and Degrees
Video Game Designer Salaries
Video Game Designer Jobs
Video Game Designer Job Outlook
Video Game Designer Related Careers
Video Game Designer Skills & Responsibilities
In-demand skill sets and daily activities for Video Game Designers include:
- Video Game Designers devise the missions, challenges, or puzzles to be encountered in game play.
- Video Game Designers create narrative features such as story-lines, role-play mechanics & character bios.
- Video Game Designers conduct periodic design reviews throughout the game development timeline.
- Video Game Designers collaborate with artists and sound engineers to achieve appropriate audio/visual style.
- Video Game Designers plan games with screenshot mockups, gameplay flowcharts and other visual devices.
- Video Game Designers maintain design level documentation, including mechanics, guidelines, and mission outlines.
- Video Game Designers work closely with programmers and artists to ensure that the design is being followed.
In-demand skill sets and day-to-day activities for Video Game Artists include:
- Video Game Artists are responsible for the aesthetics, or visual style, of video games and simulations.
- Video Game Artists are skilled in traditional art concepts and techniques, such as line, form & color theory.
- Video Game Artists create the artwork for all visual game aspects, such as characters, weapons & vehicles.
- Video Game Artists use 2D & 3D computer animation software to model and animate video game levels & worlds.
- Some Video Game Artists utilize motion-capture software to incorporate live-action actors into the video game.
- Video Game Artists collaborate with programmers & designers to ensure game stays consistent with original artwork.
In-demand skill sets and duties for Video Game Programmers include:
- Video Game Programmers are fluent in one or more of the object-oriented programming (OOP) languages used in video
game development, such as Java, C, and C++. - Video Game Programmers develop the artificial intelligence (AI) that dictates how computer-controlled elements react.
- Video Game Programmers write and fine-tune detailed lines of code that control the difficulty level of a video game.
- Video Game Programmers develop the code that enables multiplayer gameplay over a network, such as Xbox Live.
- Video Game Programmers develop game physics, which controls how objects interact within the game environment.
- Video Game Programmers work closely with game artists & designers to digitally incorporate their creations into a game.
Video Game Designer Education Requirements
Video game designer education requirements vary according to your game design job specialty. Game design training programs focus on three main disciplines - design, art, and programming. Your personal interests, passions and employment goals will determine which video game design training program is the best fit to get hired for the job you want. Here is a breakdown of video game designer education requirements by game design specialty:
Game Designer A college degree or certificate in game design or creative writing will help you get hired as a video game designer. Skills to look for in a video game designer education program include game theory, storytelling & storyboarding, game planning and strategy, creative content writing, brainstorming & creative thinking, and game design project management.
Game Programmer For game design programming jobs, the education requirement is typically a bachelor's degree in video game development, computer science, software engineering, mobile application development, game & simulation programming, or a similar programming-focused area of study. Video game programmers should be fluent in the object-oriented programming (OOP) languages commonly used in video game design, such as Java, C and C++.
Game Artist Education requirements for game art jobs ideally include a specialized 2- or 4-year game art degree, however a traditional art school degree is acceptable in many cases. Video game artists must first master traditional art techniques and principles, such as form, perspective & color theory, before they can apply these skills to game elements like characters & environments. A prospective video game artist's most crucial asset is his or her design portfolio; the stronger and more relevant your portfolio, the less you will have to rely on your formal education to land the job. The ability to effectively use modern graphic design & computer animation software, such as Adobe Flash, will also help you get hired as a video game artist.
With the popularity of video games at an all-time high, computer schools are evolving their game design education programs to include in-demand topics like 3D modeling, character animation, level & world design, storyboarding, simulation programming and more. Research and compare the best video game design programs in the U.S., Canada and online.
What Traits do Game Design Studios Look for in a New Hire?
Game studios seek out designers who love gaming, because real players recognize what makes a video game good, bad, ugly, or incredible. Strong problem-solving skills are key for game designers, as the video game creation process is ripe with challenges and pitfalls. To succeed as a video game designer you need to be patient and willing to work long hours and overtime to solve these problems. Successful video game designers need the ability to work well as part of a team, as video games are an intensely collaborative medium.Video Game Designer Training, Certificates & Degrees
Browse the top-rated undergrad & graduate degrees, professional certificates, online courses and self-paced training programs matching the video game designer education requirements and career path.
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B.S. Game & Simulation Programming
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Bachelor Degree in Game Design
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B.S. Mobile Application Development
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Find Video Game Design Schools
Video Game Designer Salaries
- Video Game Designer (USA): $80,000
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Video Game Designer Salary $80,000 |
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Average starting salary for video game designers and related positions:
- QA/Video Game Tester salary: $54,000
- Video Game Artist salary: $77,000
- Game Level Designer salary: $80,000
- Video Game Designer salary: $80,000
- Video Game Art Director salary: $87,000
- Video Game Developer salary: $87,000
- iPhone Game Developer salary: $90,000
- Blackberry Game Developer salary: $90,000
- Android Game Developer salary: $94,000
- Java Game Developer salary: $96,000
Video Game Designer Jobs
Your specialized game design training and experience qualifies you for a variety of exciting job roles including:
- Video Game Designer: Browse and apply to Video Game Designer Jobs
- Game Art Designer: Browse and apply to Game Art Designer Jobs
- Flash Designer: Browse and apply to Flash Designer Jobs
- Digital Media Specialist: Browse and apply to Digital Media Specialist Jobs
- Interactive Media Developer: Browse and apply to Interactive Media Jobs
- Mobile Application Developer: Browse and apply to Mobile Developer Jobs
- Android Application Developer: Browse and apply to Android Developer Jobs
- iPhone/iOS Application Developer: Browse and apply to iPhone Developer Jobs
- Blackberry Application Developer: Browse and apply to Blackberry Developer Jobs
- Windows Mobile App Developer: Browse and apply to Windows Mobile Developer Jobs
- Java Application Developer: Browse and apply to Java Application Developer Jobs
- Hiring Managers: Post design jobs and hire Video Game Designers at a discount
Video Game Designer Job Outlook
There's never been a better time to learn video game design. The multi-billion dollar video game industry has more than tripled in size over the last decade and shows no signs of slowing. Beyond the booming market for video games on PCs and the major consoles - Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Nintendo Wii - the increased popularity and sophistication of emerging mobile technologies has opened up a new world of career opportunities for video game designers and developers. Video game designers with mobile development expertise will be especially sought after as smart phones and tablets, such as the iPhone, iPad, and Android devices, continue to change how video games are accessed and played. Employment of video game designers is expected to grow by more than 30 percent from 2010 through 2020, much faster than the average for all occupations.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2012-2013 Occupational Outlook Handbook
Video Game Designer Related Careers
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