Understanding the Video Game Design Industry
The video game design industry has become one of the most interactive forms of entertainment.
It provides fun and entertainment and also educates millions of people around the world.
Apart from that, it creates employment for a large group of people.
The Video Game Design Industry
From normal word video games to playing first-person action games, the transformation in the gaming industry has been amazing.
Today, there are some games that invite players to interact with characters of the game.
This is an experience that many people did not expect some years back.
Gamers can find games on several platforms that include arcade machines, consoles, and mobile devices.
Based on recent studies, over 35 percent of gamers play their favorite games on mobile devices.
Also, over 80 percent are playing on smartphone apps.
Since the 70s, video games started with a simple game that did not involve complex graphics.
Today, we find high-definition games children and adults can play.
The gaming industry has also inspired people to become creative and take their gaming careers seriously.
Video Games Create Jobs
Today, the video game design industry offers entertainment for around 150 million people in America alone.
This means the industry is a field that involves everyone directly and indirectly.
In 2014, the gaming sector generated around $23 billion in sales in accessories, software, and hardware.
Today, over 50 percent of American households own a digital game console.
But, some own over one gaming accessories.
Even though some people view gaming as an activity that can only influence kids and teenagers badly, the industry has many positive effects.
Moreover, young adults and the elderly are very much involved in gaming.
One major benefit of gaming is giving birth to thousands of new careers.
Today, they can inspire children who love gaming to become programmers, artists, video game developers and game designers.
And one of the most respected careers is the video game designer.
Who is a Video Game Designer?
In the video game design industry, one of the most important people is the video game designer.
When gaming, it is so easy to notice the animation that contributes to the experience of the game.
But a game cannot be successful without millions of programming codes written by game programmers or story-line creators.
A video game designer’s main duty is to think of elements of the game.
He also has to be creative by turning those elements into something unique that everyone enjoys.
To come up with something interactive, skills and training are needed.
The designer has to use several programs to make things look amazing to the players.
It is also important to note that a designer cannot just write stories, game ideas, and character bios.
Coming up with gaming ideas is only 10 percent of their time.
Around 90 percent is executing the ideas and making them happen in the gaming world.
What are Common Video Game Designer Tools?
Even though video game designer tools can differ from one studio to the next, there are several tools that every designer should use.
If you are aspiring to become a video game designer, you might have noticed programs used in game design studios.
For instance, Microsoft Word and Excel are some programs a game designer uses.
However, there are various applications that need training and skills to implement ideas.
Some of these applications include:
- Microsoft Visio
- Adobe-Photoshop
- White-board and many more.
A video game studio can also create their own development codes or get a license to get them.
However, this will depend on the games they want to produce.
The components of the licensed packages that most video game designers use are the scripting languages and editors.
What are the Top Skills for a Video Game Designer?
For anyone to become successful in the video game designer field, there are several skills they need to have.
Skills include:
Time management skills–in the video game design industry, time management skills are very important.
There is a schedule you need to follow when creating a game.
Delivering a quality concept in a short time might look impossible, but in this industry, you must deliver.
With experience, you will gain confidence and ability to deliver quality work and in a short time.
Technical and creative skills–a good designer should be creative and be able to effectively and efficiently bring their creativity to life.
Feature design skills–another skill that a video game designer should excel in is feature design.
For instance, instead of creating a gun that can penetrate walls, try to design the entire weapon system.
Good communication skills–a designer sits in between a programmer, an artist, and the production team.
This means good communication skills are important.
As a designer, you should be able to present your ideas to others clearly.
Mentoring skills–another vital factor is mentoring skills.
Designers should pass their skills to newbie designers.
This will not only make your job stress-free but also elevate you to a higher position.
Teamwork–regardless of your work or title, working as a team is the key to success.
Keep in mind that grand video games come from exceptional teams.
The video game design industry needs people that can work together with any gender to produce awesome games.
Types of Courses to Study in a Video Game Design School
The demand for game designers has grown radically.
This has made many people join game design schools to reap the benefits.
With the right training, skills, and attitude, being a video game designer is not as hard.
Happily, there are many institutions that offer great courses.
These courses help video game designers become skilled.
Learning Courses include:
- Digital game software development
- Video game design
- Video game console design
- Game art and design
- Game & Simulation Programming
- Video game interface design
- 3D engine architecture
- 3D Character Animation
- Creative writing and Story-boarding for digital games
- Video game mathematics and many others
These are just a few courses offered by various schools and universities around the world.
Some names and titles of courses mentioned above may differ but they all offer the same training.
Final Thoughts
In the video game designer industry, many things have changed.
New technologies emerge every day that makes designing a game much easier.
It is therefore important to keep learning new technologies.
Also, create a network of like-minded people who want to work in creating something big.