In 2013, video games pulled in more money than movies. The market for video games continues to grow at nearly 10% a year, and with it, the demand for video game designers also grows. While the field might seem like a lot of fun at first glance, not everyone is cut out to be a videogame designer. Here are some of the traits and skills it takes to be a successful videogame designer.
Education
It is possible to build cute little gaming apps with no-coding platforms. However, to earn a good living as a video game designer, you need the right education. A bachelor’s degree in computer science or IT is a good start, though bachelor’s degrees in video game design do exist. Knowing multiple programming languages is a plus. If you understand the programming languages able to control the hardware, whether sound cards or video cards, you’ll stand out above the crowded field.
There are no formal job certifications for becoming a game developer as one would find in IT security or hardware management. However, if you have these certifications, you could earn more than average. If you want to learn more about the formation and how much you can expect to make, you can visit jobdescriptions.net for more information.
You don’t have to be a member of gaming industry associations to find a job as a video game designer, though you’ll want to have a decent portfolio of work in order to prove you have the skills it takes.
Functional Skills
A video game designer needs to understand what the customer, the gamer, wants. If you make the game too simple, they’ll get bored. If the game is too hard, they’ll get frustrated and quit but not without complaining about the game to their friends.
You need to understand how to solve problems. You have to solve code glitches that cause errors in games and hardware problems. You need to build software that meets industry standards, manufacturers’ requirements or publishing platform’s rules and still comes out on schedule and within budget.
Persistence
Game development requires a level of persistence. You’re expected to work long hours solving problems, generating and debugging code. And you’re expected to maintain the same levels of quality and creativity throughout the project. You need to have a consistent storyline and attractive backgrounds throughout the entire game.
You have to find the oddball glitches in the code and errors that cause it to look weird during game play. You’ll be expected to test the game in every conceivable combination of hardware and supporting infrastructure. So, don’t expect that the job of a video game developer is all fun and games since you’ll spend most of your time coding and tweaking minor details.
Video game development is one of the hottest and best paid jobs in IT, though it is under-appreciated by many until they learn how much the industry as a whole earns per year. It is a good way for anyone interested in STEM to take their career to the next level.
