The video game market has become a multi-billion dollar industry. The video gaming target market is vast, as both males and females of all ages and economic levels regularly play video games. As this industry continues to grow in popularity, there is an increasing demand for skilled video game designers. With the continual evolution of gaming platforms (most recently, the Nintendo Wii, Microsoft's XBox 360, and the Sony PlayStation®3), video game production is becoming more involved and complex, and opportunities abound for the potential game designer.
Who Should Study Video Game Design
Anyone seeking an exciting, dynamic industry with a high earnings potential would be a candidate for this field. Most students seeking a career in this field will likely have a love of video games, but love of gaming alone does not a video game designer make, and hiring companies are looking for some fairly specific skills from their potential software designers:
- Excellent graphic design skills
- Creative writing skills
- Artistic inclination
- High problem solving abilities
- Ability to work fast and efficiently
- Superior computer programming skills
- An imaginative and innovative mind
Career Options in Video Game Design
Anyone interested in a career in the video game design industry has several avenues to choose from. Someone with good storytelling abilities might opt to become a game writer and compose the actual storyline/text of the game. An artistically-inclined graduate with an eye for detail would be well-suited to the graphic design aspect of video game creation. Students with strong computer programming skills are always in demand. Once the games are created, they need to be sold to the gaming public, so opportunities also exist for those with solid marketing skills.
Video Game Designer Salary
Salaries vary widely in this industry, but generally speaking, video game designers can earn a very good income. Income is largely dependent on the chosen career path (writing, programming, or designing for example), location, and experience, but game designers can expect to earn in the range of $40,000 - $75,000 annually and up.
Besides earning a good salary, there are other perks in this industry. Video game lovers will get a sneak peek at upcoming games, and will often get advance copies of games before they are released to the general public. Travel is often another benefit, with the potential opportunity to attend events such as E3, a major electronics annual convention.
The video game industry will only continue to grow. There are many reasons to consider a career in this exciting field including salary and industry perks such as advance game copies. Potential game design students have many accredited educational institutions to choose from to earn their degrees and enter this exciting and lucrative industry.
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