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 and master the latest art, design, programming or production skills, then video game designer may be the best career path for you. Depending on your passions & interests, employment goals, and game design learning plan, there is a great deal of opportunity in the video game design job market. According to the U.S. Dept. of Labor, video game designer employment will grow by over 30% through 2018, nearly 3 times as fast the 11% average growth rate for all jobs!

Most video game designer jobs fall into one of three disciplines: Game Artist, Game Designer or Game Programmer. A video game designer's career discipline will determine their daily activities & responsibilities, as well as the skills and education requirements to get hired. Learn more 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 video game industry's rapidly evolving technologies, trends, and emerging game platforms. However, with hard work and hard training comes great rewards - most video game designers with over 6 years experience earn more than $100,000 per year. (Source: Game Developer Magazine Salary Survey, 2010)

Explore the top-rated video game design colleges in the U.S. and online to compare game design courses & degrees.

a.k.a. Video Game Developer | Simulation Programmer | Game Artist | Mobile Game Designer | Game Programmer

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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.

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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. 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.

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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.

Accredited School	Game Design Training Program	Course Highlights & Certifications
Request More Info	Bachelor's in Game Art and Design Method: Online or On-Campus Degree Level: Bachelor Accredited College: Yes Financial Aid Available: Yes Click here for AI Campus Division	Advanced Life Drawing and Gesture Video Game Development Training Drawing, Lines, and Color Theory Digital Image Editing in Photoshop 2D Animation for Game Art & Design Digital Storytelling & Storyboarding 3D Modeling and Animation Training 3D Camera and Lighting Techniques Game Design Project Management Game Worlds & Levels Design Training Interactive Video Game Prototyping User Interface (UI) Design & Usability Team Project: Produce a Full Video Game Portfolio Prep for Game Art & Design Jobs Option to Attend Individual Online Courses
Request More Info	Bachelor's Degree in Game Design Method: Online Degree Degree Level: Bachelor Accredited College: Yes Financial Aid Available: Yes	Advanced Video Game Design Training for Game Consoles, Smartphones & Tablets Historical Archetypes and Mythology Learn Storytelling and Storyboarding College Physics in Video Game Design Game User Interface & Usability Testing Game Designer Team Building & Mgmt. Design Video Game Levels & 3D Worlds Game Development Tools & Techniques Final Project: Team Video Game Design Pro Video Game Designer Portfolio Review Option to Attend Individual Online Courses
Request More Info	Game Design & Animation Certificate Method: Online Training Degree Level: Certificate Accredited School: Yes Financial Aid Available: Yes	Intro to Video Games & Game Design 3D Interactive Graphics & Animation Video Game Development Training Create 3D Levels & Virtual Worlds Utilize 2D & 3D Modeling Software Video Game Scripting Techniques Learn Game Design Problem-Solving
Request More Info	BCIS - Web Game Programming Method: Online or On-Campus Degree Level: Bachelor Accredited College: Yes Financial Aid Available: Yes	Learn Interactive Web Page Scripting Multimedia Development for the Web Object-Oriented Game Programming Multiplayer Online Game Development Brainstorming and Creative Thinking Communications and Media Production Human-Computer Systems Interaction Advanced Adobe CS5 Software Training Game User Interface (UI) Design Training Dynamic Web Site Development and Web-Database Integration Training
Request More Info	Video Game Design Diploma Method: Online Training Degree Level: Certificate Accredited School: Yes Financial Aid Available: Yes	Intro to Games, Platforms & Genres Creating Compelling Game Content Visual/Verbal Character Development Game Theory, Challenges & Strategies Structures of 3D Environmental Design Perspective, Style & Spatial Features Game Usability & User Interface Design Produce Sound Design, Music & Dialogue The Video Game Development Life Cycle Developing a Video Game Design Team Video Game Marketing, Advertising & PR Option to Attend Individual Online Classes
Request More Info	Game & Simulation Programming Method: Online or On-Campus Degree Level: Bachelor Accredited College: Yes Financial Aid Available: Yes	Mobile Device Video Game Development Game Artificial Intelligence (AI) Training Advanced Multiplayer Game Programming Learn Graphics Development with OpenGL Game and Simulation Lighting Techniques Game Development Planning & Strategy Learn Video Game Software Engineering Video Game High-Performance Tuning Video Game Audio & Sound Production Apply College Physics to Game Design Advanced Java Programming Training Human-Computer Interaction Concepts Portfolio Assembly for Game Design Jobs Lifetime Career Placement Assistance Option to Attend Individual Online Courses
Request More Info	Game Software Development Method: Online or On-Campus Degree Level: Bachelor Accredited College: Yes Financial Aid Available: Yes	Beginner to Advanced Programming Training Hands-On Software Application Engineering 2D Game Programming & Collision Detection 3D Graphics, Meshes, Texturing and Lighting Build Dynamic 3D Game Engine Architectures Video Game Scripting, Level & Terrain Editing Game Artificial Intelligence & Neural Networks Video Game Scene Hierarchy & Texture Mgmt. Video Game Software Development & Testing Senior Project Game Build: Planning & Review, Character Animations, Sound Production, Design Vehicles, Weapons, Items & Structures Attend Individual Campus or Online Courses
Request More Info	Bachelor of Mobile App Development Method: Online Degree Degree Level: Bachelor Accredited Program: Yes Financial Aid Available: Yes	Android Game Development Training iPad & iPhone Game Development Training Mobile Game and Simulation Programming User Interface (UI) and Usability Testing Mobile Application Design & Art Direction Learn how to Take Mobile Apps to Market Mobile App Business & Marketing Strategy Mobile Game Developer Portfolio Review Learn Java, Objective-C, MySQL, PHP & Java Full Sail's Online Platform won 2011 Distance Learning Association Best Practices Award Option to Attend Individual Online Courses
Request More Info	Digital Design & Animation Bachelor's Method: Online or On-Campus Degree Level: Bachelor Accredited College: Yes Financial Aid Available: Yes	Advanced Digital Design and Animation Learn 3D Modeling & Computer Animation Advanced HTML Coding with CSS and XML Use Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash & Dreamweaver to Design Websites, Render Motion Graphics & Create Interactive Media Students receive Adobe Master Collection, Autodesk 3Ds Max & High-End VisTablet 3 Intense Final Projects: Web Strategy & Design, Digital Audio/Video & 3D Animation Lifetime Job & Career Placement Services Pro Digital Design and Animations Portfolio Option to Attend Individual Online Courses
Request More Info	Bachelor's of IT in Mobile Computing Method: Online Degree Degree Level: Bachelor Accredited Program: Yes Financial Aid Available: Yes	Java Programming Training for Blackberry and Android Application / Game Development Learn Objective-C Programming for iOS App / Game Development (iPhone & iPad) Mobile Database Administration Training Mobile Operating System Administration Build Basic .Net Framework Apps in C# Mobile App Developer Portfolio Assembly Acclaimed Core IT Curriculum & Electives Kaplan University Job Placement Services Option to Attend Individual Online Courses

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Video Game Designer Salaries

• Video Game Designer salary: $80,000

Average yearly salaries of positions related to Video Game Designer:

• QA Game Tester salary: $54,000
• Game Level Designer salary: $80,000
• Video Game Art Director salary: $80,000
• Video Game Designer salary: $80,000
• 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

Source: Indeed.com

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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

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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 2008 to 2018, much faster than the average for all occupations.

Source: United States Department of Labor - Bureau of Labor Statistics

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Video Game Designer Related Careers

• Web Developer
• AutoCAD Drafter
• Graphic Designer
• Mobile Application Developer

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