Studies & Degrees in Video Game Design

Choose where you would like to study Video Game Design:

Market analysts have stated that the video game sector will be the fastest growing entertainment in the industry and they have been right about this. Recent reports have shown that in 2004, this division has produced more than US$25 billion alone and after five years it has expanded to US$55 billion. This is why there are a lot of students who want to take this great chance for them to have an excellent career in the future. There are actually plenty of schools that offer study programs for Video Game Design. You can also acquire this degree online, which is a good opportunity for the working adults.

Trained video game designers are in demand these days especially for the top game producers in the world. Typically, the Video Game Design Bachelor Degree programs include interactive programming, software engineering, narrative development, and game physics among others.

Students are required to use their knowledge in logic, critical thinking and show off their problem solving abilities so that they will be able to create challenging yet satisfying designs for the gamers.

Video Game Design is a combination of computer science and graphic arts. Basically, the course teaches the students on how they will be able to design and produce an original game as well as develop their analytical skills when it comes to all aspects of game theories and design. Students will surely enjoy the learning experience because the program will involve a lot of hands-on experience and activities but they are being supervised by professional video game designers.

Whether you may be a full time student or you will only study during your free time, there are several options that you can choose from so that it will suit your time and career aspirations. Most community colleges offer an Associate Degree or even a Bachelor Degree in Graphic Arts or Computer Sciences. If you pursue this training, you will decide if you want to transfer to a college where they provide a four-year course for the subject area. This will enable you to take up a master’s degree for Video Game Design.

Those individuals who are interested in designing video games with the help of the latest technology will be facing up a great deal of challenges as they take their hobby into a professional level. They should be able to learn about the coordination of several game aspects such as the game mechanics, programming, visual arts, production process, narrative and audio categories. These aspects have their own separate elements in designing, which makes the training difficult yet stimulating for the learners. Designers should have a good mentality regarding the activities that the players will most likely want to be involved in. These comprise of racing, shooting, building, commanding, collecting, escaping, role playing and trading.

With the training programs that you have gained, you will surely have a place in the growing video game industry. This crucial step will allow you to have a bright career future as you enjoy your rewards.

Job positions for Video Game Design:

Game Documentation Writer

Over the past few years, the video game industry has rally boomed and this is why there are a lot of students who want to become a part of the business. If you have just finished a Video Game Designer course, you can be a qualified Game Documentation Writer. Writers or communicators are not only needed in the game so that they will be able to fill the instruction booklet. They are truly essential in meeting the demands and the needs of the customers so that they will be satisfied with the final product.

In video game creation, documentation and organization of the essential information are very important. At the present time, there is no existing standard uniform when it comes to writing and documentation of the game data. In this case, there is truly a requirement for technical communicators. A Game Documentation Writer’s job is quite complex but with the training he has gained, there is no doubt that he will be able to completely manage his duties.

Some game designers and programmers generate the documentation of the game. With the right training, a writer will be able to decipher the difficult information so that it will be more understandable. Video game documentation is the backbone where the other video game aspects rest in terms of the production.

In addition, a Game Documentation Writer should also possess the designing skills needed for the production of the game. This is because this is highly needed so that they can create and analyze the design in order to document the whole purpose of the game effectively. Hence, documentation writers for the game play a vital role so that the users will be able to understand more clearly the objective of the game as well as for the developers. This is because they will be able to comprehend and recognize what the designers of the game really want to create.

An effective documentation allows the game coders and the programmers to have a clear conception of the ideas of each and everyone of them while they are in the process of designing the game. Game Documentation Writers are like translators but instead of word languages, they interpret technical languages. It is also the job of a communicator in the gaming industry to give detailed information regarding the installation and even how the consumers will be able to troubleshoot the game when they encounter some problems. Furthermore, they also write reports and articles as well as newsletters and sales proposals. As demanding as it may seem, if you have the appropriate knowledge you will be able to finish your tasks with flying colors.

Writers are required to cerate a rough draft first and as soon as they are through, they must submit it to the editor who will write suggestions and corrections. When that process is complete, the Game Documentation Writer may assist in the documentation plan for the publication. Being a Game Documentation Writer is a great opportunity for those who want to earn money while they are enjoying what they do.

Video Game Designer

When we speak of the video game industry, we are pertaining to the multi-billion dollar business that has taken the world by storm. After you have taken up the course, the next step is to apply for a job. No worries here because the career doors will open widely if you have sufficient knowledge in game design. It is quite necessary that you have a degree for Video Game Design so that you will be able to reach your goals easily. This is what big companies are always looking for next to the natural instinct of designers about whether a game is good or bad.

Once you are hired, you will be working alongside other people. Video Game Designers often work with a group of people that they can consider as their team. They usually come from different types of fields and if you successfully get the effort together, you will be able to create a new video game. A designer for video games has many variations in career positions that he can choose from. You can either be a character artist or an animator. A character artist is also known as a storyboard. The person involved in this is the one responsible for creating the skeleton sketches of the characters in the game as well as the environment. He also paints the different game elements. Those who have been trained for graphic design are mostly suited for this position.

The animators, on the other hand, generate the characters in the game and they are in charge of giving the game a real feel and appearance as they incorporate their knowledge in the 3D programs. As we all know, creating a game is a tedious process and video game designing is only one of them but this is among the major stages. Normally, the design team is made up of a lead designer along with other levels. The latter creates the correct environment for the player and applies the necessary production so that the game will turn out to have a good impact on the clients.

A video Game Designer should have an interest in video games. This is important since most companies would like to hire someone who has a good understanding when it comes to the game’s design and the other aspects. It is also significant that you are capable of solving problems. This is because in designing a video game, you will encounter bugs and problems as your team creates the game. Big companies are also looking for people who are able to accomplish their tasks on or before the specified deadline. This is very much needed as the gaming industry is working at a fast pace.

A Video Game Designer should have all the patience needed to create the game but it is also required that the things you are doing are very efficient. Although it may be complicated to create a video game, there has bean a survey that the video game designers in the United States earn around $73,000 annually.