Becoming a game designer or programmer isn’t easy, but it is an exciting and rewarding endeavor. After all, when you make a game, you have a tangible product at the end that you can play and enjoy, and you can see others doing the same with your work!
In order to be successful in the video game industry, you need to know a lot of different concepts and skills. There are a million little pieces that all fit together to make a game development team, so a thorough understanding of the process is required.
What is Game Design?
First of all, game design and game development are two separate positions.
They have a lot of overlap with each other, but the approach to the game-making process is different for each position.
Designers are the ideas people. They come up with the story, the game mechanics, concept art, models, audio ideas, level design, quest design, and all the other things that make a game fun and interesting.
Developers take those ideas and write the code that brings the game into being.
Designers need to know about the development and programming process so they don’t insist on game ideas that are not physically possible or wouldn’t work in practice.
Developers need to know about the design process so they understand the goals behind the elements they are coding and programming.
Skills Game Designers and Developers Need
When you teach yourself game design or development, you must ensure that you learn all the same skills someone in a college program would learn.
You can check out the curriculum for any game design or development college degree using the institution’s course catalog. Many online boot camps and programs will also tell you the names of the lessons within.
You can use those keywords to decipher what concepts you need to seek out for your self-directed learning.
Concepts Developers Need
Some of the course titles that are part of some real college video game development courses are:
- Advanced Algorithm and Data Structures
- 2D and 3D Console Programming
- Virtual Reality Development
- Advanced Simulation and Tool Development
- Software Testing
- Traditional and Alternative Game Development
- Object-Oriented Programming
- Intro to Quantum Theory
- Calculus
- Linear Algebra
- Chaos and Nonlinear Systems
- Computer Systems and Organization
- Models of Computation
- Motion Capture
- Game Engineering
- Artificial Intelligence for Games
As you can see, there is more than just “game development” behind a game developer’s education!
Skills Game Developers Need
In addition to knowledge of the concepts above, you need specific skills to be suited for the video game workplace.
Some skills that are listed on job posts for video game developers include:
- Impeccable coding and programming skills
- Proficiency in advanced algebra and C++
- Database design and software development
- UI design
- Proven working experience in full-lifecycle game development
- Hands-on experience primarily with C++ or other programming languages (Java, C, etc)
- High-level knowledge of APIs and libraries
- Expert in one or more programming specialties (artificial intelligence, 3D Rendering, 3D animation, physics, multiplayer/networking, or audio)
- Up-to-date with the latest gaming trends, techniques, best practices, and technologies
- Ability to solve problems creatively and effectively
- Teamwork, communication skills, problem-solving skills, adaptability
So, while you’re learning all about technical topics, you also need to be sure to develop these transferable skills.
Concepts Game Designers Need
Examples of courses that are taught in a game design degree are:
- Digital Content Creation
- Ethics in Videogames
- Fundamentals of Digital System Design
- Game User Interface Design
- Digital Figure Sculpting
- Technical Art
- Environmental Art for Games
- Survey of Games
- Intro to Design Thinking
- Interface Design for Games
- Usability Testing for Games
- Designing Social Games
- Advanced Visual Design for Games
- Critical Theory and Analysis of Games
- Level Design and Development for Games
- The Industry, Science, and Culture of Video Games
- 2D Raster Graphics for Designers
- 3D Production for Designers
- Narrative Design
- Fundamentals of Music and Sound Design
- Role-Playing Game Design
Game designers need to know a lot more than just design. What good is knowing how to make a beautiful environment for a game if you don’t know how to tell a good story? Psychology, theming, symbolism, storytelling, and other humanities are all vital concepts for designers to know.
Skills Game Designers Need
The skills to be a game designer that employers are looking for in potential employees are myriad. Some skills listed on game designer job postings include:
- Experience with 3D art tools like Blender, 3DS Max, and Maya
- Experience with Substance Painter and Photoshop
- Experience with rapid prototyping
- Strong experience with C#/Unity and/or C++/Unreal Engine
- Strong gameplay design and game feel design skills
- Experience with visual and text-based scripting
- Experience working with or building an asset library
- Understanding of different types of games and how they work
- Teamwork, communication skills, problem-solving skills, adaptability
Game designers need widespread knowledge of nuanced ideas, like what makes a compelling mission for a player, how to make a game engaging, and how to set up an environment in the game that guides the player well.
Where to Learn Video Game Design and Development
Many game developers and designers are self-taught. They took the time and effort to seek out resources and practice them on their own in order to become just as qualified - if not more! - than someone with a degree or certificate.
However, self-teaching isn’t for everyone. Many people do better with the structure that comes with formal education, and some people don’t have access to the right equipment or software without an institution to provide it.
Universities and Colleges
If you want to attend a college or university for game development or game design, you have many choices!
Since the gaming industry is booming, many institutions now have comprehensive courses to teach everything you need to know about building your portfolio and breaking into the field.
Before you commit to any college degree, make sure you research. Not every degree is the same, and you definitely don’t want to waste your time and money.
See if you can ask current and former students about their experiences. Find out how many graduates are employed in the field they studied for and how long it took them to find that employment. Many universities have these statistics readily available to show off their programs’ success.
The top 5 best programs in the US for video game design and video game development are:
- University of Southern California
- University of Utah
- DigiPen Institute of Technology
- Rochester Institute of Technology
- Savannah College of Art and Design
You can also seek out degrees that are adjacent to video game design and development, which will give you a solid foundation for the concepts required in the field. You’ll understand computer systems and/or digital art, so learning how to apply your knowledge specifically to video game production will be easier than starting from scratch.
If a game developer does have a formal degree, it’s typically in simulation programming, computer science, or software engineering, if not video game development.
For game designers, a bachelor’s degree in graphic design, multimedia design, or software engineering will do the trick, if not video game design.
Courses and Certificates
You can also enroll in a certificate program or boot camp to learn about video game design. There are thousands of different websites that offer game programming classes, so once again you’ll need to do your due diligence and research.
Not all programs are good, and not all good programs will suit you. It depends on your learning style and teaching style, among other factors.
Find validated reviews about the programs you’re considering to see how past and present students feel about the program.
Whatever you choose, there should be the opportunity to network with other students and maybe even people who already work in the industry.
Networking is a huge part of the video game field because it’s so competitive and relies on actual talent rather than only technical skills.
Someone can be an expert at storytelling theory, but fall short when it comes to creating original concepts. Ensure that you develop your creativity as part of your education and practice.
Personalized Lessons
One great way to learn anything is with the help of a tutor. Whether you’re self-teaching and are stuck with a specific concept, enrolled in a course and need help with a module, or looking for a mentor who can give you advice on how to boost your portfolio, a tutor can give you the individual attention you need.
There are many industry professionals out there available to help budding game designers and developers reach their goals of being able to make real, quality games.
What Kinds of Jobs Exist in the Video Game Design Field?
As previously stated, game development and design isn’t a one-size-fits-all category for the most part.
Especially in larger companies that can afford more team members and more expensive games, it’s likely that you will have a more specific task and title than “designer” or “developer.”
Some examples of jobs that fall in the “game designer” category are:
- Systems designer
- Level designer
- Gameplay engineer
- Environmental artist
- Character artist
- Game artist
- Asset artist
- Technical artist
- QA game tester
- Game illustrator
- Gameplay animator
- FX artist
- Creative director
- Audio design
- UI/UX designer
- VFX design
- Game writer/dialogue writer
- Game researcher
As a game developer, you can enter these types of positions:
- AI programmer
- Gameplay animator/programmer
- QA game tester
- Graphics programmer
- Game physics programmer
- Game engine programmer
- UX/UI programmer
- System developer
- Network programming
- Tools programmer
- Online/Multiplayer engineer
- Lighting artist
- Level builder
- VFX programmer
- Character programmer
- Environment programmer
- Interactions programmer
For everyone in the video game industry, there are some vital soft skills required in order to work well.
- Teamwork and collaboration
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking
- Problem-solving
- Self-motivated
- Creative thinking
- Easily learn new concepts and skills
- Adaptable to new situations and rotating priorities
- Passion for video games
- Staying up-to-date with current trends in technology and techniques
- Staying current with culture
If making video games is your passion, it is a worthwhile skill set to learn. Not only is a career in video game design and development often fun and fulfilling for those in it, but it can also be lucrative. If you work hard and make great games, you can be rewarded financially as well as with the satisfaction of a job well done.
Enjoyed this article? Leave a rating!
Loading...
