How to Become a Video Game Producer

The typical video game is created with the help of designers, artists and writers with strong creative visions. These visions are realized through the scheduling, personnel oversight and steady hands of a video game producer. A video game producer schedules voice talent, meets with designers and acts as an intermediary between company owners and game designers. The complex schedule of a video game producer makes a diverse professional background necessary for success.

Things You'll Need

• College degree
• Design portfolio

Instructions

1. Choose academic and professional pursuits that improve your flexibility as a video game producer. Producers should not lean heavily on coding and programming since studios will provide experts in these areas on major projects. Many video game producers have degrees in history, English and business administration because these fields are conducive to project management instead of programming.

2. Bypass years of general studies courses by attending schools designed specifically for game design, production and development. There are schools like Collins College and Full Sail that have multiple tracks for students interested in production work run by experienced producers and designers.

3. Test out your interest in video game production by taking on internships at small developers and software companies. These unpaid positions allow students to see production from various viewpoints including testing, design and marketing.

4. Seek entry-level production positions with music studios or software developers to gain experience after graduating from college. Positions in sound engineering and software testing expose future producers to the importance of logistical planning, one-on-one communication and the rigors of the corporate world.

5. Develop an area of specialty in video game development that creates a foothold into this competitive industry. The average producer with expertise in music production, animation and scriptwriting can make sure a project reaches completion.

6. Create your own video game with designers, sound artists and writers who are looking for work in the video game industry. This game acts as a portfolio piece during job interviews and produces supplemental income when sold to avid gamers.

7. Inform potential employers that video game production is your primary career goal. Most applicants seeking production positions are designers who are looking to break into the video game industry. An exceptional applicant with an interest in video game production shows employers that he understands the daily pressures of this position.

Tips & Warnings

• Subscribe to magazines that highlight video game culture, gaming platforms and new products hitting the market. Publications like Game Informer and Nintendo Power help game producers stay in touch with the industry while working in design labs.

• Read confidentiality agreements and contracts carefully before taking on projects as a video game producer. Software companies and design studios may prevent former producers from seeking work for years following game development to prevent competitors from learning about proprietary techniques.

Resources

• Full Sail University
• Collins College
• Game Informer Online
• IHS Production Internship Program