The Life of a Video Game Designer
Whether it is the dark, dreary buildings of ancient Greece in the "God of War" series or the wide assortment of cars and race tracks in the latest "Need for Speed" game, the video game designer is responsible for how games look and how they play. This professional also oversees the storyline in the game. Thus the video game designer must possess both artistic and writing skills.
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Duties
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In some places, a video game designer may handle all the tasks that concern video game design. This includes creating the characters and environments, and writing the storyline and dialogue. In larger companies, there is usually a team with a lead designer overseeing the work of video game designers, each with specific duties. For example, the game mechanic designer is responsible for the design and balance of the gameplay mechanics. Video game designers also collaborate with other professionals in completing the game. For instance, video game programmers may be available in some places to determine the extent of movement, such as how high a character can jump or how fast a car can run.
Work Environment and Conditions
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Video game designers get to not only design games, but test them as well to make sure that the work has been efficiently performed. Playing dozens of games is fun, and it is the ideal job for hardcore gamers. On the other hand, though, it takes more than merely loving video games. Putting together such products requires long hours, deadlines and lots of dedication in fast-paced environments.
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Attributes
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Video game companies or developers usually look for video game designers who not only love video games, but also understand what makes a game good or bad, particularly in terms of design. Ideal video game designers should also be able to solve common problems such as bugs (software errors) and collision (intersection of objects in a game), as well as meet deadlines, including in time-crunching situations.
Education
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Usually, video game designers have bachelor's degrees in video game design. In some cases, though, the degree may be in computer science or in a discipline related to art and technology. The typical video game designer does not immediately start designing work outright, but instead earns stripes working in the game testing department to learn how to spot mistakes or learn quality control.
Salary and Job Outlook
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According to PayScale.com, video game designers make annual salaries between the $41,000 to $71,000 range as of July 2010. The Entertainment Software Association reports that computer and video game software sales in the United States grew about 23 percent in 2008 to $11.7 billion, thereby quadrupling industry sales within a decade; and people of all ages and socio-economic groups play video games. Thus the future of video game designing--for those already in the industry, as well as aspiring professionals--is very bright.
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