Video game designers
Published on: Monday, November 08, 2021
By: K Krishnan
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ONE OF today’s most exciting fields of study amongst students is that of game design. The reasons for this decision are numerous, but the exceptional prospects for careers in game design play a key role in the field’s ability to draw the attention of students.
Besides being the dream job of many gamers, careers in game design come with the benefits of uncommonly high starting salaries and relaxed work environments that thrive on creativity. Moreover, game designers will get to work in development studios as parts of teams assembled for one purpose: to create the next sensational gaming title, which will be found in households across the world.
Who are Video Game designers?
Video Game Designers design core features of video games. They specify innovative game and role-play mechanics, story lines, and character biographies. They create and maintain design documentation. They guide and collaborate with production staff to produce games as designed.
What do they do?
- They balance and adjust gameplay experiences to ensure the critical and commercial success of the product.
- They provide feedback to designers and other colleagues regarding game design features.
- They create core game features, including storylines, role-play mechanics, and character biographies for a new video game or game franchises.
- They guide design discussions between development teams.
- They present new game design concepts to management and technical colleagues, including artists, animators, and programmers.
- They solicit, obtain, and integrate feedback from design and technical staff into original game design.
What knowledge do you need?
- Knowledge of Computers and Electronics – Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
- Design – Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models
- Communications and Media – Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
- Psychology – Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders..
- Engineering and Technology – Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
- Fine Arts – Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
What abilities do you need?
- Originality – The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem
- Fluency of Ideas – The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic
- Near Vision – The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
- Oral Comprehension – The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Oral Expression – The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Problem Sensitivity – The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
- Deductive Reasoning – The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
- Inductive Reasoning – The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Where can you work?
Most game designers take one of two paths after graduation:
(a) working for a game company, or
(b) becoming a freelance designer.
Both offer distinct advantages.
(a) Gaming Companies
You likely know about the big companies that sell the most video games each year. They employ tens of thousands of employees and have offices all over the world. By revenue alone, the following companies dominate the video gaming market.
- Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Tencent Holdings
- Microsoft
- Activision Blizzard
(b) Freelance and Consulting Services
Besides working for a game development company, you can explore freelance and consulting opportunities. Freelancing provides tremendous freedom as to when and where you work..
Education and Training
If you are interested in studying this course, you can enquire about the course with any of the following colleges. Although this is not an exhaustive list, you can begin your search with the following:
LimKokwing University,
Asia pacific University,
Raffles University,
KDU University,
UCSI,
Widad University or
University Tunku Abdul Rahman.
For further information
If you have a career question, please send it to: [email protected]
