For any person who loves to play video games, becoming a video game designer can be a dream job. But for that, one must acquire the skill sets and understand technicalities, market trends, and the commercial aspects of this industry. Learn more about you how you can become one.
The video game industry is a multimillion-dollar industry today. It has a sizable market share to its credit and is continuously growing. With the rise in gaming among teenagers and adults too, the 20-30 years age group is the most vital consumer group for video game manufacturers.
With the rise in popularity and demand for superior gaming experience, the need for video game designers has also seen a healthy and steady rise. Today, video game designer is considered a lucrative career option.
People with various skill sets such as software development, graphic designing, and creative writing are in great demand. They are those who are acquainted with the mentioned skills and can single-handedly undertake different tasks in game designing. Let's find out more on how you can become a video game designer.
Becoming a Video Game Designer
Education
Most employers prefer an aspirant to have a Bachelor's degree in Computers. Along with that, one or two years of experience in programming is essential. If you have a Master's degree, then well and good. You will have a better job outlook.
Many colleges and universities offer courses and degrees in the area of computer programming, computer engineering, software development, animation, and graphics.
Skills and Qualities Needed
The basic requirement to become a video game designer is to be creative. A designer should be highly imaginative and must have the ability to depict ideas in a framework provided by technology. He needs to have hands-on experience in writing software.
Coding with the help of different programming languages is also a necessary skill. It is said that the software forms the 'brain' of a game, while graphics and animation are its 'body'. Thus, the knowledge of computer animation and graphic designing is a must.
Graphic designing is about creating a background or design where the characters of the game come alive. Animation deals with instilling life into the characters and objects of the game. For this, you have to be familiar with the software used in computer animation.
Creating storyline for games is an important task along with the technical skills and ability to portray the characters in a graphical form. You should be aware of the compatibility of the software that you are using with the gaming consoles available in the market.
The different consoles that are used are Nintendo, PlayStation, and the Xbox. Thus, it is vital for you to have a know-how of the operating systems used, designs of chips, and various other factors required in the operation of consoles.
Other than technical skills and creativity, a you need to keep a check on market trends and the growth of the gaming industry. You should be capable of working in teams and meeting deadlines.
Gain Experience
The best way to gain experience in video game designing is to opt for an apprenticeship, which can be a nice way to learn the ropes of the industry and experience designing firsthand up close. Moreover, an apprenticeship will help in developing contacts with experienced people in the industry.
If you can get hired as a freelance designer, you will get an opportunity to understand the different aspects of gaming design. Designing games with the help of software available in the market gives you an opportunity to display your skills. It also facilitates the employer to hire skilled manpower easily.
To make a career in the gaming industry, you need to have creativity and the required skill sets for visualizing and creating gaming software. You should be able to understand the subtleties and nuances of gaming. Last but not the least, passion is the most important thing to maintain the enthusiasm and drive in this demanding field of video game design.