The video gaming industry is in a full swing. Most gamers are people from all walks of life. Games come in all ages, genders and are allowed to step into an alternate reality in a form of escaping from their current world and they can be whoever they want. People get to be soldiers, footballers, basketball players, and also superhumans.

Video game design is an extremely complex task that deals a lot with working on every tiny detail to make a video game a masterpiece. For example, in the video game storyline alone, there are millions of codes that have to be written or developed in every aspect of the video game. These range from the map of the virtual world to the video game characters. Video games always tend to fulfill a reaction for whatever action the gamer decides to choose. The virtual worlds in video games are only possible due to the skills of a video game designer. Video game designers are responsible for what goes into the content as well as the environment in a video game.

WHAT DOES A VIDEO DESIGNER DO?

Before a video game is made, a video game designer first starts with a concept. A proposal is made and drafted by the team consisting of skilled video game designers. They address topics such as the crowd they are making the game for or their targeted audience, the various requirements or tools they’ll need for the game, deadlines have to be set for the duration of projects, and most impotently their budget for the entire project. Video game designers always strive for the various concepts of the game or game layout to come alive during gameplay. Video game designers often experiment with various themes as well as genres and also the development and improvements on existing games.

This includes:

*the game plots and storyline

*character development

*Maps, scenarios as well as difficulties within the game

*the various methods of winning the game and also losing the game

*the creation of a user interface

This entire process is usually created using computer soft wear in which the video game designer inputs computer scripts that are then processed by the computer software to generate the appropriate commands, events, objects, and the characters the gamers interact with.

Different kinds of game designers focus on the various aspects of gameplay. A lot of video game designers usually spend the majority of their time testing and experimenting with coding as well as watch other people make mistakes first hand so they can rectify those mistakes. Project leaders are the coordinators of the entire team and are usually tasks with the communication process inside and also outside of the video game design team as well as making other important decisions.

A video game mechanics designer specializes in the balance of the video game design and its rule system. An environmental video game designer is also responsible for the creation of different kinds of gaming scenarios as well as environments and surroundings in the game.

In the creation of a video game, it usually goes through millions and millions of changes throughout its creative process, and video game designers are also required to constantly check and also recode hundreds and thousands of lines of code. A video game designer is also expected to pay close attention to every little detail or particular aspect in the gaming process such as marketing, design, various technology used in the process of game development, and also art.

Games that focus more on their marketing strategy are usually designed to make a lot of profit and therefore their entire progress is only limited to the demand of the consumers. This is how most games are developed. Video games focus more on the design aspect and allow the video game designer to take full control of the video game and all its aspects. Video games that are usually technology-driven usually tend to focus more on technological advancement and achievement and market gaming consoles and engines, which include high-quality graphic displays. Most video games don’t focus entirely too much on the art aspect however they pay much attention to signs created by the game artists.

HOW IS A TYPICAL VIDEO GAME DESIGN LIKE?

Most game designers aim to work for top gaming companies like Blizzard, Electronic Arts, Microsoft Inc., Nintendo, Sony, and the list goes on and on. Game designers usually work in a studio-like environment with other video game designers and computer programmers. It can sometimes get really stressful in such work environments especially with deadlines allocated to projects that are near and also in cases where the game server crashes.

WHAT GOES INTO THE CREATION OF VIDEO GAMES

Video game design is basically the process of creating, planning, and also directing a game in which gamers control images on the electronic display. Video game design requires a highly-skilled designer with the right logic and knowledge in game theory as well as human psychology.

In movies, a movie director envisions how a scene in a movie will turn out even before its shot. The director also tries to know how the view is going to feel. The same applies to a video game designer. A video game designer pays attention to all aspects of a video game and make sure all pieces fit and everything comes out just right for his or her targeted consumers to have the best experience playing the video game.

VIDEO GAME DESIGN: JOB EXPERIENCE

Most video game companies require an average of five years of job experience from individuals who apply to work with them. Young video game designers straight out of college should go apply for jobs that require one or two years of job experience because chances are they will hire them.

VIDEO GAME DESIGNER REQUIREMENT

The day-to-day skills of a video game designer vary from company to company however, some skills remind constant and are required by many game designers.

Communication skills are the first and the most required skill for a video game designer to have. The ability to communicate effectively to technical as well as non-technical members of a team is very important. This can be in a form of written or verbal communication.

Very strong verbal skills are important because as a video game designer, you’ll have to coordinate your work with various artists, computer programmers, other game designers as well as top executives in companies. Also as a video game designer, you will do a lot of writing. You may have to write the game’s storyline as well as missions. Video game designers are also expected to write their game pitches. Also, writing skills are important to reply to everyday emails.

In school, there’s a number of ways to improve your writing skills. This may include, creative writing, technical writing, debates as well as speeches. However, if you’re not in school, you should consider joining groups in your community that promote the art of creative writing and communication.

VIDEO GAME DESIGN: EDUCATION

Getting into the best college or university will definitely increase your chances of becoming a very successful video game designer in the future. This is because, very established universities or colleges have a lot of links to the gaming industry, more opportunities to network with some top-level experts in the field who had once attend your college, and also maybe having the right access to having the best internship opportunities to learn from the best in the field.

You definitely don’t need to apply for an Ivy League university however, if you’re ever stuck with the choice of two video game design schools, you should definitely choose the school with the better reputation. Video game-design degrees vary from institution to institution however there’s some common element among all of them. These elements have to do with the courses studied at video game design schools. These courses include computer science or computer programming, video game design, practical programming, mathematics, and also logic.

COMPUTER SCIENCE IN COLLEGE

Generally speaking, computer science is simply understanding how computers work from the hardware to the soft wear and everything in between. In college video game design students will have the opportunity to learn about the operating system of a computer, various computer programming methodologies, algorithms used in computer programming, input, and output among other things.

THE IMPORTANCE OF VIDEO GAME DESIGN

The video game design degree program is without a doubt the most important course to study for young video game designers. Video game design students learn about game mechanics, gaming logic, storyboarding, the structure of the design used in a game, and also how to produce the various documentation that the video game design team will demand of you. These include video game design documents, the various character profiles and the list goes on.

THE IMPORTANCE OF COMPUTER PROGRAMMING

Sometimes a video game designer will be required to fill in the shoes of a game developer in order to perform some simple coding tasks in other to make the video game run smoothly. It is therefore important for a video game designer to have a fair idea of computer programming. The computer programming course helps for there to be a smooth transitioning between the various roles for both the video game designer and the company he or she finds herself in the near future. With a little knowledge in computer programming, a video game designer will not have to outsource a computer programmer each time he or she runs into skills that requires programming.

OTHER COURSES STUDIED BY VIDEO GAME DESIGNERS

College is a very fun experience to most however it is very important to combine that fun with enriching experiences that will intend to help further one’s career. For example, music lovers can take a formal composition course to learn all about what it takes to write great music. Every game needs a soundtrack and being able to learn to apply this element will make you more valuable as a video game designer.

Courses that build leadership skills are very vital to young video game design students because having the necessary skills required to lead a team will come in handy in the future when you will have to lead a team to work on specific tasks and gaming projects.

The final thing you should think about while in college is to land the best internships and gain a sufficient amount of work experience. Summer breaks should be used for internship programs that will help further your career. This is because most employees look for video game designers with little experience in the field. Therefore securing an internship placement over the summer is very vital no matter the challenges you might face.

VIDEO GAME DESIGN INTERNSHIP

There’s a bunch of websites out there like Craig’s list and various job hunting sites that most employers use to list internships and work experience opportunities for young designers who might be interested. The employer typically pays to list the job so you can browse on the various positions available for free.

For young designers that live near the city, it’s a great idea for them to send resumes to their local video game design studios for opportunities to work there. They’re definitely going to be a lot of rejection letters however, with consistency and hard work, you’ll get there. Unfortunately, that’s all part of the process and eventually, you’ll find somewhere tailored to your needs but if you don’t, there’s always a next summer break.

VIDEO GAME DESIGN: THE HIRING PROCESS

The path to becoming a video game designer does not end once to graduate college. It’s very rare for young designers to walk out of college and have prospects or opportunities to work with big video game design studios. You’ll have to work your way to the very top. In most cases, you’ll have to apply to a lot of video game design studios and will probably have to end up for one which was not your first choice.

In a nutshell, the process of getting a job in the video game design industry will require you to first write a resume or an application letter and then go through the initial screening and take a telephone interview which will advance to a technical interview. The final interview will be the last step for a young designer which will lead you to get your very first job as a young video game designer and then onto promotions in the near future depending on how hard you perform in your firm.

GAME GENRE KNOWLEDGE

Games are classified due to how similar they are using the concept of genres. Some examples of game genres are first-person shooter games, puzzle games, race games, kids’ games, and side strollers. As a result of the huge number of game genres out there, it’s become more and more difficult for video game designers to become skilled at designing more than one or two. As a result, most video game companies and video game designers pick a single video game genre and stick with it until they become experts in that type of video game. This process sometimes takes a lot of years to master.

Approximately 60% of most video game designers expect their video game designers to be a top specialist in a specific game genre. However, this depends on the game company you will be designing for. Nerd Studio requires its video game designers to be able to have experience in designing an open-world sandbox style of gaming. Pop Cap requires game design experts in puzzle gaming as well as platforming games.

There isn’t enough time to specialize in all gaming genres so video game designers tend to focus on learning one or two game genres. Most video game designers choose genres they personally enjoyed playing in their life. An example is for video game designers that enjoy playing games such as Hitman and Call of duty, being an expert in the first-person shooter genre will be an advantage.

GAME DESIGNERS AND GAME DEVELOP WORK AS A TEAM

Without the services of each other, the various plans and tasks maybe by both parties are useless. What’s the point of being able to drive a car if there’s no one there to create a car? The driver of the car is the video game designer and the engineer who makes the car is the game developer. There will be no point in a game developer or engineer creating something that no one is even going to use.

Both the professions of a video game designer and a game developer are equally important in the overall creative process of making a video game. These are both very distinct career paths however, they both feed into each other all the time.

The video game designer gives his or her input about the game and directs the game developer on what to do and the video game designer gives regular updates or feedbacks on how is progressing. They both need each other’s skills in order to create and develop the best videogame. It is therefore a good reason for an individual to have a fair enough idea or understanding of both careers.

VIDEO GAME DESIGN IS AN EXCITING PROFESSION

Most hardcore gamer probably talks about how bad a video game design is, however, it is harder to point out great Video game designs because sometimes a game is so good, the gamer doesn’t pay much attention to how great the game design is.

A great video game design is usually hard to talk about because most people find it harder to identify what they don’t like rather than what they dislike. When a video game designer thinks of a good game, he or she first thinks about the feeling the video game design brings. He or she has to ask questions like, “do I like this game? Do I like this character? Or does these mechanics work well?” Once the designer has begun to pinpoint what makes a game great, he or she can dig even deeper and get more creative.

There are various ways to becoming a video game designer there’s not just one career path. In some cases, individuals get to be video game designers by completing a degree program in artificial intelligence (AI) and then go on to doing a business training program and lastly can create their very own studio and work as freelance video game designer or a consultant designer.

Others take a much more traditional route into becoming video game designers. This is by studying video game design related courses at a university or college and applying for internships to attained more experience in the field by working closely with professional video game designers before finally securing a position as a junior video game designer for a giant gaming company like Sony. This route propels most individuals to the top of their career in a few years.

After earning a spot as a junior video game designer in a large gaming company, what is left for the individual is to then become a senior designer by working very hard and rising to the very top in his or her company by getting noticed for his or her hard work. Secondly, aiming to be the lead designer on upcoming projects in the company and will give the individual a very big chance to prove him or herself and also test his or her leadership qualities. As time goes on, you can also decide to branch out and start your very own private video game design consultancy. You can take companies on as clients and help them with various video game design elements and projects. You can also open your very own video game design studio and take on whoever you want as a client. Freelance video game designers earn as much as they want to and also work whenever and wherever they want to without answering to anybody.