Is the Game Design field in demand?
As a person who wants to be a game designer, i was just wandering if by the time Im out of college will my major be in demand. #video-games
2 answers
Andrew’s Answer
Right now, 2024, the games industry is in the middle of an extended period of just about every major game studio experiencing layoffs. This has happened in the past and will likely come in waves throughout the future of the industry, but there are plenty of opportunities out there as video games are becoming more and more popular every day. The advice I was given by my friend was to start out a games career at one of the larger companies for a number of reasons: larger teams means more positions available, often have intern programs, higher pay earlier in career. If you have an interest in indie games, it is much easier to get into them after building up some experience in a larger studio since you'll be better equipped to handle the very urgent shifts in direction that often occur, as well as truly knowing what must be done with potentially less oversight and support as indie studios often operate as a skeleton crew. Give it a shot, and know that there are many transferrable skills that you learn from the games industry or in preparation for it that can be applied in other companies if it becomes too difficult to find a good position. Good luck!
Aishwarya’s Answer
hello there,
For anyone that loves and lives to play video games, video game design can be a dream job.
Although most video game designers are more artistic than anything, they will also usually need to know at least basic computer programming, since he will need to help program certain parts of a game. Once the initial copy of a game is created, a game designer might also help test it and work out any bugs or problems in it.
Some video game designers may be more focused on certain aspects of video games than others. When creating a complex video game, for instance, one team of video game designers may be responsible for coming up with the story behind the game and the narration. Another team may focus on creating characters and animation, while other designers work together to create the settings and layout for the game.
The video game industry is a multi-billion dollar industry, and most video game designers will usually make a decent amount of money. The median annual salary for a video game designer according the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is $58,510; $28.13/hr.
Video game designers truly do earn every penny of what they make, though. Although it sounds like a dream job to many, most people don’t realize the amount of work that must be done to plan, create, and polish a video game. The majority of video game designers are constantly under pressure with strict looming deadlines, and they will usually need to work very long hours.
Video Game Design is a very competitive field, and an education is usually needed to break into this field.
Students who are looking to have a career in video game design have the option to attend a few different types of schools. Traditional colleges and universities will often offer several classes pertaining to video game design, for instance, but art or technology institutes may offer more specialized programs in this field. Some student may even opt to enroll in increasingly popular online programs.
A video game designer will usually need to have at least an associate degree in order to secure an entry level position as a video game designer. A bachelor’s degree in a related field, however, is even better.
Aspiring video game designers should consider taking graphic design classes, including animation, along with computer science classes, including computer programming. Some art institutes may even offer video game design degree programs, which combine several artistic design classes with more technical computer courses.
Small video game production companies are often looking for video game designers. Since these smaller companies often have limited budgets, however, they will generally not pay as much as larger companies. On the other hand, these smaller companies are usually a little more laid back than larger companies. A new graduate just starting his game design career typically has a better chance of securing employment with small or start-up companies.
Large multi-million dollar video game production companies are often a little harder to get into, and they are also a little more structured. Since these larger companies have much larger budgets, however, game designers are usually paid larger salaries.